by M. L. Young
“We’d love to,” my mother said, a smile on her face.
“This traffic is horrendous. You deal with this daily?” my father asked as he simultaneously checked out my car and peered out the window. I guess that’s what you get when your dad owns his own auto shop.
“Well, the airport area is always a bit more crowded than where I live, but yeah, it gets busy. Los Angeles is the second largest city in the country, you know,” I said.
“I suppose you’re right,” he said, feeling the leather trim.
“So, are you seeing anybody?” my mother asked.
“Can’t help yourself, can you, Carol?” my father asked.
“I’m just trying to be present in his life, Ed. Maybe you should do the same,” she quipped.
“Let’s all calm down. The topic of my love life shouldn’t cause a fight. Yes, I’m seeing somebody,” I said as we turned onto the freeway.
“Really?” my mom asked, perking up in her seat. “And what’s her name?”
“Her name is Jenna,” I said.
“Is she a co-star?” she asked.
“No, she’s normal and not in the business at all. She’s a waitress and college student. I met her while out to dinner one night with my co-star Charlie,” I said.
“Good. You need a down-to-earth normal girl to keep you in check. I see those supermarket magazines and how those famous ladies around here act, always dating around and getting married and divorced whenever the wind picks up. You don’t need that in your life,” my father said.
My father was never one to shy away from his opinions, at least in my eyes. I understood where he was coming from; he just wanted me to stay safe and not get hurt like I had before, but a normal person could do just what these celebrities did with no problem. Just because Jenna was a waitress didn’t really mean anything.
“When are we meeting her?” my mother asked, leaning forward in her seat.
“Uh, well, I didn’t exactly have plans for that to happen just yet,” I said.
“What? Why? Are you embarrassed of your country parents?” she asked.
“Mom, stop. You know that’s not the case at all. We just, you know, aren’t official or anything. We’re still in that talking and learning about one another phase,” I said.
“Well, how long have you been seeing her? Are you also seeing anybody else?” she asked.
“No, I’m not seeing anybody else, and I don’t know, maybe three or four weeks if I had to think off the top of my head. I haven’t been counting or keeping a tab,” I said.
“Your father and I went on two dates before we started dating officially. Are you scared to make it official?” she asked.
“You’re asking too many questions,” I said as the stress in my voice started to build.
“I just want to make sure you’re happy and not pushing something away that could be great,” she said.
“No, I’m not scared to make it official. I’m just not sure she wants it to be official already,” I said.
“Well, you’ll never know unless you ask. I want to meet her, that way I can figure it out,” she said.
“No, absolutely not,” I said.
“The boy doesn’t want to, Carol. Just let it go,” my father said.
“One dinner, that’s all. I won’t bring up you two dating, or if she wants to, or anything of the sort. I just want to meet her and see if she’s good enough for you, that’s all,” she said.
“If I set it up, will you stop talking about it?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said, smiling.
“Then fine, whatever, I’ll set something up,” I said, rolling my eyes.
I looked in the rearview mirror, seeing her looking out the window and smiling, like she knew what she was doing. She always had a way of pestering me until I gave in enough to give her what she wanted. I wasn’t sure if it was something all mothers did, or just mine, but it always drove my brothers and me insane.
When we got to my place, I pulled out my phone and asked Jenna if meeting my parents would be all right. I knew it was a bold move, considering we weren’t even official and you’d never meet parents so soon, and quite honestly I felt a bit stupid asking already, but I sent the message anyway.
“Let me help you with those,” my father said as we opened the trunk and pulled out their luggage. “I can take this one.”
I grabbed the rest, walking inside and setting it aside in the living room as my parents marveled at the view.
“How much did you pay for this place?” my father asked.
“Ed, shut up. You know better than to ask that,” my mother said, slapping him on the arm.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out to see a text from Jenna. “Does tonight work?” she asked, and I felt my stomach churn a little. I guess this was going down quicker than I thought. No time to prepare.
Chapter Fourteen
Jenna
I finished getting ready as I put on my lip-gloss and smacked my lips a few times. Normally I’d never meet a guy’s parents so soon, at least not since the yesteryear of high school and that awkward dating phase, but Cash was different. I liked him, I really did, and we’d been seeing one another for a little while now, so it wasn’t the craziest notion. Besides, when you’re both away from home and your significant other’s parents come to visit, you kind of need to take those chances when you have them. We were so new in our dating that if it didn’t work out it was no big deal—at least that was how I viewed it.
“You should find out more about his hot brothers,” Malia said.
“What?” I asked, confused.
“Cash. He has two brothers, Bentley and Liam. I’ve seen pictures of them online,” she said.
“Stalker much?” I asked, laughing.
“Hey, they were on his social media and a few articles I saw online. His brother, Liam, is an amateur fighter and his older brother, Bentley, owns a mechanic shop or whatever with his dad. Maybe that information will help you tonight, if you’d stop laughing at me!” she said.
“He said he sent a car for me. I think it’ll be here soon,” I said, looking out the window.
“Are you nervous?” she asked.
“To meet them? A little. Meeting anybody’s parents that you’re dating is kind of a big deal, and we’re barely even into any kind of relationship. Hell, we aren’t even official yet,” I said.
“I think it’s a good sign, though. He wouldn’t introduce you unless he thought of you as more than a booty call and if he wasn’t at least planning on asking you soon,” she said.
“True,” I said, seeing lights flash through our blinds. “My car is here, I have to go. I’ll text you if anything happens.”
“Coming home tonight?” she asked.
“I have to. His parents are staying with him,” I said.
I ran out the door and got into the car as the driver held the door open for me. With a bit of nerves, I texted Cash, telling him that I just got picked up and was on my way. He’d hired a chef and was having dinner at his house, which I thought was both good and bad. Good because there wouldn’t be any paparazzi around, but bad because it was a little more intimate than going to a restaurant. Maybe I was just paranoid.
•••
Cash opened the door as I walked up before grabbing my hand and giving me a kiss on the lips. My knees became weak, my stomach warm, and I smiled nervously once he let go.
“Are you ready?” he asked, gazing into my eyes.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I said, and I could feel my breathing get a little shallow.
We walked inside, him closing the door behind us as his parents walked up, smiling, and his mother gave me a hug.
“It’s so nice to meet you! I was really hoping we would get to meet you while we were on our trip,” she said.
“It’s so nice to meet you as well. Cash has told me so much,” I said, lying through my teeth to be polite.
“I’m Carol, and this is my husband, Ed,” she said, and he shook my hand and smiled.
“I’m Jenna,” I said, smiling as I felt my stomach crashing harder than a twenty-foot wave inside me.
“How about we open a bottle of wine?” Cash said, breaking the ice.
“That sounds wonderful, honey. I’ll get the glasses.” Carol whisked off to the kitchen.
“You okay?” Cash whispered.
“Yeah, just nervous,” I said.
“I’m here, don’t forget,” he said, rubbing the top of my back reassuringly.
Cash’s parents were exactly how I thought they would be, at least looks-wise. From the Midwest, they were a little farm, a lot country, and they had exactly the same look as the people from my hometown. They weren’t fancy; this house and all Cash’s things were probably as foreign to them as an alien ship, and I could tell they were a little like fish out of water.
Maybe things wouldn’t be as bad as I thought. I knew these kinds of people. It wasn’t like his parents were rich socialites who only stayed at the Four Seasons. They were country folk, shopping at Wal-Mart and working manual labor to stay afloat.
“So how’s the weather back home?” I asked as Carol got wine glasses.
“You’re from Iowa?” she asked, perking up.
“Illinois, but not too far away. I miss that cold air sometimes,” I said.
“Well, Cash didn’t tell me that,” she said, slapping his arm with the back of her hand.
“Cause I was trying to drive,” Cash said.
“I thought you were from here,” she said as she came towards me and left Cash and his father to figure out the wine.
“Nope, I came here a few years ago for school and to get away a little. I love it back home, but I figured I might as well explore more places while I’m still young and able to,” I said.
“That’s just great. Do your parents still live in Illinois?” she asked.
“They do! I’m looking forward to going back and visiting once summer break comes. Unfortunately they can’t really ever come out here, what with work and just the cost of it all. It isn’t cheap to fly here or stay here, and the townhouse I have with my best friend isn’t all that big,” I said.
I could see the perk in Carol’s eyes as she got closer and started talking with me. Cash smiled, obviously happy, which made me happy too, and in more ways than one. I wanted to date Cash, at least officially, and being friends with his mom would help me on that front. I definitely wasn’t using her or anything, but it did help my case.
“Here you ladies go,” Cash said as he brought over our glasses.
“Thank you,” I said.
“When are you done with school?” Carol asked.
“The end of this year, thankfully. I love learning, but after doing school for so long, I feel like some time off is just what the doctor ordered,” I said, making Carol laugh.
“What are your plans then?” she asked.
“Hopefully get an office job somewhere. The job market isn’t always the best, so I guess it depends where in the country is hiring,” I said.
“You wouldn’t stay here?” she asked.
“I want to, but I don’t have any family and not a ton of friends, except for my roommate. I guess I’d just need a good reason to stay,” I said.
“Isn’t the year done soon?” she asked.
“Yeah, in a few months,” I said.
She looked at Cash while sipping her wine, and I could see her make a gesture with the corner of her eye, even though she was turned away from me. I thought she wanted to drill something into him, like I might be leaving so he better get on with things. I felt a little bad for doing that, but I liked Cash.
The chefs were all nearby during this, but Cash’s kitchen was so large we didn’t even come close to getting in their way. They laid out some appetizers, goat cheese-stuffed mushrooms, a charcuterie board, and some bread.
“This all looks great,” Ed said, picking up some meat and cheese.
“You know, your brother and father have been doing so much work with that new shop of theirs. Business is booming,” Carol said.
“Oh, yeah? That’s awesome, Dad! Bentley always was good at that kind of stuff,” Cash said.
“Yeah, I was hesitant to open another shop, but I trusted Bentley and here we are. We have more business than we know what to do with. We’re even thinking of expanding again,” Ed said.
“A third shop there?” Cash asked.
“Not there, but nearby, maybe a half hour away closer to the city. It would be a gamble, and who knows if we’ll ever do it. The two shops we have now are doing pretty well, and we want to make sure it stays that way before doing more,” Ed said.
“How’s Liam doing?” Cash asked.
“He’s doing well. His fights are going well, though it scares the living daylights out of me, if I’m being honest,” Carol said.
“He’s an MMA fighter, right?” I asked.
“Yes, and I hate it,” Carol said.
“The boy barely ever gets hit, at least hard, and he’s a wizard with his grappling skills. They’re talking about signing him to the pro league,” Ed said.
“Who would’ve ever thought when we were kids that we’d be a successful businessman, an actor, and a prize fighter,” Cash said, laughing.
“I always knew my boys would do great things. Always knew that,” Carol said, waving her hand around with a piece of cheese in it.
“We’re awful proud of you boys, that’s for sure. Bentley is married, you’re seeing a great girl, and your brother is still finding himself, but I’m sure he’ll find a great girl soon. He’s still young,” Ed said.
Half an hour passed and the chef informed us that dinner would be served in a few minutes. We all walked to the table, a huge family-style one that overlooked the city lights. Fine china was all laid out, with each plate probably costing more than my car. The server brought us our food, roasted chicken stuffed with pears and fine French cheese, with wild rice, asparagus, and some other vegetable I didn’t recognize. They definitely didn’t have this in the frozen food section, and I should know with how much I bought from there.
“This all looks fabulous,” Carol said.
“Is there anything else I can get you at this time?” the server asked.
“No, thank you,” Cash said with a smile.
Cheese melted out of the chicken as I cut it, the knife going through like butter, and I could see Ed poking around his to find out what was inside. Knowing the guys back home, he would’ve been happier with a bloody steak.
“This an apple slice?” he asked, looking at Cash.
“It’s a pear slice. It goes great with the cheese and chicken. Try it,” he said.
Trusting Cash, Ed took a big bite, his eyebrows going up and a pleased expression coming onto his face. “Not bad,” he said, cutting off another piece.
“I’ve been making him branch out more,” Carol said.
There was a bit of silence, as the sound of silverware clanking against the plates filled the room. Cash looked at me, winking, as I raised an eyebrow and winked back. The only downside to this night was that I wouldn’t be staying over, because lord knows I needed to snuggle with him and kiss him all night long. I guess that was the bad thing about Carol and Ed not staying in a hotel like my mom would. There was no real privacy.
The night went on smoothly, without a hitch. The hour hand began to crawl further around the clock and the night sky became darker with every passing minute. We sat around the fire after dinner, talking, as Ed clutched his stomach and Carol sipped some sparkling water, which she said she’d never had before but made her feel fancy and all Hollywood—her words, not mine.
“Well, I think we better turn in for the night. We’re two hours ahead, and we’ve got to be up to go with you to the studio tomorrow,” Carol said before they got up off the couch.
“Okay, do you need anything?” Cash asked.
“No, we’ll be fine. I’m sure you have something to talk about with Jenna anyway,” she said.
“I
t was so nice meeting you both. I hope I get to see you again while you’re here,” I said, smiling.
“The pleasure was all ours, dear. Have a good night,” she said, and they walked down the hall and closed the door.
“I’m sorry if they were a bit too much. My mom can be nosy sometimes,” Cash said.
“They’re fine,” I said, laughing a little. “I liked them.”
Cash wrapped his arm around me as I slid in a little closer and snuggled up to him. I breathed in, my eyes shut, as my senses drowned in his cologne and my hand rested on his knee. I wished I could have more, but I knew better than to tempt him. Even if I was in the mood, the last thing I needed was to be caught.
“So, what did your mom mean?” I asked.
“About what?” Cash replied.
“You having to talk to me about something,” I said.
“Oh, that,” he said, laughing a little. “We were just talking about you, about us, earlier.”
“Was it bad?” I asked, looking up at him.
“Not at all, at least not for you. She just got on my case about what we are, in terms of the relationship,” he said.
“Oh?” I replied.
“She thinks I should make it official, you know, actually together and dating instead of just seeing each other,” he said.
I felt my stomach tremble. I ran my index finger along his knee, trying to look interested and calm, trying not to scare him away. Was he going to ask me?
“Well, what do you think about that?” I asked.
“I mean, she raises a point, but what you said earlier kind of scared me about it,” he said.
“What did I say?” I asked.
“The whole you leaving for a job thing in a few months. That’s a lot to take in. I’m not looking to date somebody who’d just leave me. I get it that a job and career are important, but I don’t want just to date somebody for a few months. I need something more,” he said.
“I only said that to scare you, Cash,” I said.
“Why would you do that?” he asked.
“Because I wanted to show you that if you don’t ever ask me, whether that’s right now or sometime later, that I’d have to leave eventually. I’d stay here if I were dating somebody and it was going somewhere, but not if I was just banging somebody,” I said, making sure to keep my voice down around the banging part.