Promise Me

by Kristin Mayer

  “Where is everyone?”

  “They’re in the living room. They offered to leave.”

  I shook my head. “No, I don’t want them to leave. I really do like them. They’re wonderful. It’s a lot to take in. You’ve met my parents. This is a different world to me. Hopefully, we’ll find a way to meld. I want it to be us, not just me, hanging out with them. Down the road, we can do girl excursions, but not right now.”

  “Done.”

  He pulled me down onto his lap, and I snuggled into him.

  “Sam, if it gets to be too much, squeeze my hand twice, and I’ll make it stop. Whatever it is, I’ll make it stop. I hope you understand how important you are to me and how much I love you.”

  “I do. Thank you. I love you so much that it hurts at times.”

  “Me, too, Sam. You have no idea.”

  Edna had been right. Things had gone much more smoothly when it was taken care of on the front side.

  “Tell me when you want to go back out there. You have all the time in the world. They are going to calm down. Fuck, that was way over the top out there, even for my family.”

  I giggled. “They are wonderful. It took me by surprise. Give me a few minutes to clean up my face.”

  Mark kissed my forehead. I stood, and Mark followed my movement. Looking in the mirror, my face was tear-streaked and splotchy. I spent a few minutes cleaning up while Mark kept his hand on my lower back.

  Finally, I looked halfway presentable. “Let’s go.”

  Before he opened the door, Mark made sure to keep eye contact as he said, “Remember, you and me. Nothing else matters.”

  This is going to be so awkward.

  We both walked back into the living room. It felt like I was going in front of a firing squad. Mark was holding my hand as he walked slightly in front of me. His family all looked up, and their faces appeared absolutely devastated, which made me feel like shit. It looked like Sabrina had been crying a little.

  His dad went to speak, but I stepped in front of Mark, wanting to get ahead of this. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to say something first.”

  His dad nodded, and Mark came up behind me, putting his hands on my hips. The gesture spoke volumes, showing how much he supported me.

  “I’m sorry for how I reacted earlier. All of you have been so kind and welcoming. I’m not sure what all Mark has told you, but I’ve never been in a serious relationship before, and this one has been quite the whirlwind.” I paused and looked at Mark. “In a good way.” I turned back to his family. “I love your son. Just please bear with me as I adjust to all this. I promise, I’m not normally this neurotic.”

  His mom stood up. “We’re so sorry, Sam. I promise, we normally aren’t this crazy. We fell in love with you in Colorado, and we have been so excited to get to know you even more. When Mark told us last weekend that he was asking you to move in with him, we were over-the-moon giddy, waiting for it to happen. As a mom, you have no idea what it does for me to see that our son has fallen in love with someone and to hear and see how much you love our son. Mark loves you so much that it’s as if you are already a part of the family. I can understand how overwhelming it would be. We are the crazy, neurotic ones. We normally aren’t this out of control though, I promise. Would it be okay if I gave you a hug?”

  I nodded, fighting back the panicked emotion from letting someone else in so quickly.

  She came up to me and took me into a motherly soothing hug while saying, “I promise, we understand. Hell, if David’s mom had pulled that on me, I would have passed out.”

  We all laughed.

  She lowered her voice for only me to hear as she said, “Thank you for loving my son.”

  I squeezed her. “I do with all my heart.”

  “That’s what matters most, Sam—you and him.” She let go.

  Sabrina stood and hesitantly looked at me, and I walked over to her.

  She whispered, “I’m so sorry. I hope you don’t change your mind because of me.”

  “I’m sorry, too. Mark is stuck with me.”

  She hugged me tight before pulling back. “Good, because he would kill me if I ruined this for him.”

  I looked over at him, and he was smiling at me. My insides became all gooey from the support. I walked back over to Mark, and everyone else resumed their seats. The tension seemed to be mostly gone.

  David was smiling at his family and me. “So, we were thinking that we could all go out to dinner tonight and then see where it leads from there. Keep it a little more low-key and laid-back than what was originally planned.”

  Mark spoke, squeezing my shoulder, “Sounds good, Dad.”

  Mark definitely inherited his calmness from his dad. Mark might not look exactly like his dad, but they acted exactly the same.

  We eased into conversation from that point forward, and it felt more like it had in Colorado.

  Two little knocks sounded at the door as I was finishing putting in my earrings. Mark’s family was headed home this afternoon.

  Annie’s voice came through as she said, “Hey, Sam. Are you in there?”

  “Yes, come in.”

  It was different, staying in Mark’s condo with his parents right down the hallway. Last night, when we had gone to bed, I’d felt like I was being naughty, sneaking into his bedroom. Images of him making love to me flashed through my head. It had been erotic, trying to stay quiet as he’d touched that spot inside me just right. He definitely had a few bite marks from when I’d muffled my screams.

  I steered my train of thought away from her sex machine of a son as she entered the room.

  Annie was wearing some capris and a sleeveless tank. She was fun and had that air about her that made people fall in love with her—at least, with the calm, non-hyper side.

  “Hey, they all just left for a run. How does coffee sound?” she asked.

  “Like heaven. My phone is almost dead, so let me leave a note for Mark while it’s charging. There’s a great coffee place right around the corner we can go to, if that works, or we can stay here and make some.”

  Since the dramatic events of their arrival, everything had been calmer, but at times, I’d sensed they were unsure and timid around me, which was to be expected as we learned about each other. Truth be told, I had been the same with them sometimes when I wasn’t sure how my actions would be taken.

  Annie gave me a sweet smile. “Let’s go out for some fresh air. I’ll be waiting in the kitchen.”

  She disappeared, and I grabbed my sandals from the closet. I had brought them over the night I had gone to the club to find Mark. As I walked in the kitchen, she was cleaning up from breakfast.

  I put my phone on Mark’s charger. “I’m ready when you are. Thanks for cleaning up. I was going to do that in just a second.”

  “You’re welcome. You cooked it. It was the least I could do. I hope it was okay that I went ahead and cleaned.”

  There was the awkwardness again. “Of course. Thank you.”

  We each grabbed our purses, and I quickly scrawled a note telling Mark where we would be.

  Before we walked out the door, I left the note in the dish where he normally dropped his keys when he came home.

  The coffee shop was less than a five-minute walk from the condo. The temperature was perfect with a slight breeze.

  Annie spoke up as we arrived, “Do you want to sit outside to enjoy this beautiful weather?”

  “Sounds great.”

  “Okay. I’ll get us some pastries. What type of coffee do you drink?”

  “Vanilla latte. Thank you. I’ll get us a table.”

  She gave me a sweet expression and went inside to order. Grabbing a table on the veranda, I tried to quiet my mind from reading too much into this alone time. Part of me imagined her going all crazy hyper on me, but I tried to push that event from my mind. As Annie came back outside, the smell of fresh pastries had me salivating. She sat down and gave me a nervous smile, which had my mind trying to race off into fifty
different directions.

  Why is she more nervous now than at the condo?

  Grabbing a pastry, I took a bite. “Thanks, Annie. These look wonderful.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetie.”

  His mom had something on her mind as she held her coffee cup and stared off into space. While she gathered her thoughts, I people-watched. There was a couple scooted close to each other, sharing morning secrets. I smiled as I wondered if that was how Mark and I looked when we were out and about.

  Out of the blue, she started to speak, “Sam, I need to make sure that I haven’t broken something between us with our erratic behavior in the beginning.”

  “No, I swear, we’re fine. I’m sorry if I made you feel that way.”

  It felt good, clearing the air.

  “Oh, sweetie, I get it. I promise. It’s just…I don’t want…” She took a deep breath and moved her body in my direction.

  My pulse started to race a little bit, wondering where this was going all of a sudden. Please don’t mention any of the taboo words. I don’t think I could handle her planning my future again.

  Annie said, “I don’t want to upset you with what I’m about to say, but I feel the need to say it while it’s just us.”

  I wasn’t one to normally beat around the bush, but shit, his family was direct. All I managed to say as my mind went through all sorts of crazy things was, “Okay.”

  What if she tells me I’m not good enough for Mark? What if she asks me to quit dating him? Shit. Shit. Shit. Coffee was a bad idea.

  She took a deep breath. “I know we’ve only known you for a short time, but we really have fallen in love with you. You’re perfect for Mark in every way. I’ve never seen him so alive. He’s always been an upbeat person, but the moment you came into his life last year in Vegas, he changed. I knew he had met someone the moment I saw him after the gala. He told me about you when he came home for a few days after Vegas. He was over-the-moon smitten with you. He’s finally found the person he would put first before anyone else, and that’s how it should be.

  “What happened after we first arrived—although I’d rather it not have happened—showed me how he truly loves you. I have a very strong feeling you are going to be a part of his life permanently, which means you’ll be a part of ours. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me anytime, especially if I’ve gone too far. I want us to be close, and I want you to feel like you’re my daughter, too.”

  She stopped and looked at me. My eyes were huge as I took it all in.

  She hastily continued on, “I hope I’m not terrifying you to death right now. Mark will kill me if I’ve overstepped again.”

  Well, that was a lot better than what my overactive imagination had concocted. I looked down at the steam rising from my coffee, trying to make shapes out of them, while I chose my words wisely and got my wits about me.

  Finally, I said, “I’m a little terrified, but it’s fine.” After blowing the steam and watching it change direction, I continued, “It feels like everyone is putting the cart before the horse. Since going to my parents’ house this weekend, the marriage insinuations have been strong…more than strong. It’s as though everyone either knows or is seeing something I don’t see or I’m not ready to see yet from Mark. I’m taking this one step at a time. I love him, and I want those things, but I’m scared to hope for them. Please don’t tell him I said that because I don’t want any additional pressure on our relationship. I’m already half-crazy with having zero knowledge of how to do this.”

  She grabbed my hand, causing me to look at her. “Sweetie, you’re perfect for him. Go at the speed you feel comfortable with. I have a feeling that Mark just wants you in his life. I promise to try to keep my enthusiasm in check, but you have no idea how elated I am that he found his true match.”

  She gave me a wink, and I smiled weakly. I tried to just let her comments be comments, so I wouldn’t unleash the fear I was trying to keep at bay.

  Her phone beeped. “Oh, looks like they’re back from the run, and they are going to meet us here in a few.”

  “Oh, would you ask Mark to grab my phone off the charger? It should have enough battery to make it through the morning.”

  She typed out the response, and her phone chimed again with another text. “He said, ‘Sure thing.’” As she put away her phone, she asked, “Have you told your parents about the two of you moving in together?”

  Blowing out a breath and scrunching my face in horror, I said, “Uh…no. I’m trying to figure out how to best keep Mark and me alive at this point, especially with us going to Atlanta next week for the photo shoot. My parents are not for living in sin, so to speak.”

  She laughed and looked amused at my bluntness. I felt any tension that had been between us evaporate.

  Annie sat back in her chair, seeming more relaxed with me. “My parents were very traditional, too, and they weren’t fond of the idea when David and I moved in together right away after we’d started dating.”

  “Really? Any advice?”

  She took a sip of her coffee. “Keep it short and sweet. Tell them over the phone, so they have time to adjust. Then, when they see you next, it’s done, and they’ve had time to process. That lets the reality of the situation sink in and keeps everyone from saying something they don’t mean.”

  Needing another hit of sugar, I grabbed another pastry. Telling my parents is going to suck. Between mouthfuls, I responded, “Thanks. I might require liquid courage before I make that call. My parents are very loving, and they adore Mark, but they’re very traditional at the same time. Plus, my dad is still getting used to the fact that I even have a boyfriend.”

  Her eyes danced with humor. “I think I did three vodka shots prior to calling mine.”

  I knew from that moment on that everything was going to be fine between us, and the connection we’d had in Colorado felt like it returned. She understood me and knew my feelings. We were laughing as Mark walked up with his family. He looked a little tense, but he was hiding it well while he strode up in confidence, wearing some workout pants and a tank top.

  He leaned down and gave me a kiss before taking a seat beside me, not saying a word.

  “Hey, did you bring my phone by chance?” I asked him.

  “Sorry, I forgot it.” His tone was off, and he wasn’t making eye contact with me.

  Strange.

  Both David and Sabrina greeted me, “Hey, Sam.”

  “Hey, did you guys have a fun run?”

  Sabrina came and sat in between his mom and me. “We did. Your boyfriend is getting slow in his old age.”

  With that, a straw from Mark came flying at her, and I laughed. Mark’s hand rested on the back of my chair, proclaiming we were together, but that was it as far as contact went while everyone devoured what was left of the pastries.

  Maybe he was stressed, thinking things had turned south again with his mom and me being alone. He would be excited when he learned that everything was fantastic.

  “Bye,” Mark and I both said in unison.

  We were both waving good-bye from the parking lot as his family pulled out and headed to the airport. Things were perfect between them and me again. Mark turned and walked up to the door. He was acting strange again, like he had been when he first came to the coffee shop. Not sure what to say, I went to check my mail at my mailbox to see if there was anything pressing. I was really buying me some time to think about how to approach him. A few bills and junk mail was all that awaited me.

  Ugh.

  As I came through the door, Mark was not in the main living room area. He obviously needed space, so I went to the kitchen. I was putting up the dishes when Mark emerged with a deep scowl on his face.

  I closed the dishwasher as I asked, “Is there something wrong?”

  “Who the hell is Adam?” His posture was stiff, and his mouth was set into a grim line.

  This was the iciest I had ever heard his voice before.

  My mind raced through people, tr
ying to place who would have him riled up like this, but I was coming up blank. “Adam?”

  He laid my phone on the counter with a thud, causing me to jump.

  “The Adam that wants to taste that sexy ass of yours again.”

  My mouth dropped open as I picked up my phone and looked at the message blinking across the screen.

  Adam: Hey, Kitty Cat. When do I get to taste that sexy ass of yours again?

  Holy fucking shit. It was Adam from the sex club I used to go to. Shit, shit, shit. I hadn’t even thought of Club Envy since Mark and I had gotten together as a couple. Panic clenched my heart as I thought of how I was going to explain this one. We had both agreed that detailing out our sexual history wasn’t necessary, but he needed something here. I would need some type of explanation if Mark had received a text like this from a female.

  Meeting his gaze, I answered honestly, “He was someone I slept with in the past. I haven’t talked to him since we got together. Is this why you didn’t bring my phone down to me this morning?”

  “Yes.”

  His mood and him forgetting my phone all made sense now.

  “Did he mean anything to you?” The hurt in his voice was clear.

  “No, no, no. I promise. No one, and I mean, no one meant anything prior to you. You’re the only one.”

  I moved toward him, and he remained where he was, which I thought was a good sign. I snaked my arms around his midsection, and he drew me to him.

  He kissed the top of my head. “When was the last time you slept with him?”

  “Mark, please don’t do this.”

  The mere thought of talking about this hurt.

  “I need to know, Sam. I’m asking for you to tell me.”

  I swallowed. I didn’t want to tell him, but I refused to allow this to come between us. If I refused to tell him, it would become a wedge between us. It would become a cancer that would eat at our relationship. It would set precedence for how this would be handled if something like this happened again.

  I gave the answer he had probably feared as I whispered, “The night before I moved up here.”