by Willow Aster
“Of course, you don’t have your own son’s back,” Jeremy hisses.
Cosette is leaning against me as if she can barely keep her eyes open, while Vivenne and Sabine are giving me death stares. Jeremy downs his whiskey and asks them to bring another. Alban looks like he’s taken Benadryl himself as he keeps nearly nodding off, but I don’t miss the way he glances at his daughter with admiration, yet still appears completely disengaged.
“I like that you aren’t afraid to call out another man if he’s not respecting your lady. My son has always had a hard time with boundaries,” Gerard says. “He’s a bit entitled.”
“No one needs your opinion, Father.” Jeremy turns to face me. “And maybe you’re disrespecting me by dating Cosette at all. Have you considered that? We had plans to be engaged this summer.” He tips his head back and finishes yet another cocktail. No one appears startled by his behavior, so I get the feeling this is the norm for the old dickwhang.
“We have never discussed an engagement before you sprung it on me at the opening … when we were broken up,” Cosette says, sitting up now, cheeks pink and eyes full of fire.
“Jeremy.” I wait for him to look at me, but I don’t miss the way Vivienne’s eyes are bulging out of her head that I’m calling him out. When he finally turns to me with complete annoyance, I speak. “It takes two people to get engaged. One to ask and one to accept. Cosette did neither. And she wouldn’t have agreed to go out with me if she were even remotely considering an engagement with you. So I suggest you check yourself, buddy.”
“Check myself? Why don’t you check yourself?” he says, and I try not to laugh.
The guy is so pretentious it’s not even funny. At least be original. He’s just throwing my words back at me. He wouldn’t stand a GD chance in the Taylor household.
“Excuse me, but this is a fine dining restaurant. I won’t have this low-class banter at my table,” Sabine says as she stares at me.
“Not a problem for me, as long as he understands the situation.”
“You don’t even know her,” Jeremy shouts, and everyone looks stunned by his loud outburst. But I’m guessing this guy is one too many cocktails in to compose himself.
“Jeremy, stop this. You are the one who doesn’t know me and we’ve grown up together. Aunt Sabine, Uncle Gerard, I’m sorry if you’re disappointed, but I have moved on. If none of you can respect that, then we have no business being here.” Cosette pushes to her feet, and before I can stand, Jeremy jumps up and stumbles back, probably because he’s three sheets to crazy town by now.
Two waiters have just approached the table with our plates decoratively arranged along their forearms like something you’d see in the movies. Jeremy flails his arms, knocking one waiter into the other and the plates go flying. Vivienne looks so surprised, which is shocking in itself because the woman’s face is more frozen than the goddamn Arctic Sea. Sabine gasps and hurries over to her son, who is attempting to help one of the waiters to his feet, and she slips in what I think is the mashed cauliflower because God forbid these people eat a real fucking potato. Cosette hurries over to help her, because Sabine has fully yard-saled it across the floor. Her legs are up in the air and she’s trying to move to her feet like a pig rolling in shit. I try to help the waiter, but I can’t stop laughing because you can’t make this shit up. Jeremy has the audacity to order another cocktail when he helps the waiter to his feet, and he completely ignores his mother. Vivienne and Cosette are trying to help Sabine right herself, patting down her dress in place as she fixes her hair, completely ignoring the fact that mashed cauliflower is smeared across her entire backside. A few stalks of asparagus have landed on the table and Gerard Toussaint reaches across the table for one and takes a bite and chuckles, making no attempt to help anyone with the mess they’ve made. Several waiters are there now, trying to help with the chaos, and Cosette turns to look at me before breaking out in a fit of laughter.
“Oh my gosh. This is the worst dinner ever,” she says over her laughter. “Sorry, lover.”
I shrug before grabbing a piece of asparagus from the table and taking a bite. “I’ve had worse. You’ve met my brothers.”
Tears are streaming down her face from laughter and her mother and Sabine are looking at her like she’s lost her mind. Her father and Gerard follow suit and start laughing along with her, and Jeremy shoves his chair into the table and stalks off. Not to help clean up the mess he’s made, but the bastard makes his way to the bar and drops down on a stool and orders a drink.
These people are motherfucking batshit crazy. And I’ll be damned if I’m not having the best time watching Cosette laugh her ass off about it.
She doesn’t fit in here. She never has. She’s special, and it’s obvious to everyone at this table, which is why they all want to control her.
“Mother, we’re going to head out. I’m sorry about the mess. I think it’s best that we leave.” Cosette kisses her cheek and she kisses Sabine’s cheek as well, as the two older women huff off to the bathroom to clean up, shooting me daggers as they leave the scene of the crime.
“Sorry about”—she holds her hands up and gazes around still laughing—“all of this.”
“Not your fault, sweetheart.” Gerard leans close to Cosette and whispers something in her ear and she nods.
“Goodbye,” she says, as she leans down to kiss her father. He grasps her hand and pulls it to his lips. It’s a much more tender moment than I’ve seen from him before, and Cosette wraps her arms around him and hugs him tight.
“Thanks for having me,” I say, smiling at the two men.
“Caden, it’s been a pleasure. You’ve got a good one there, young man. Hold on tight,” Gerard says.
“I intend to.” I reach for her hand and we make our way out of the restaurant, everyone turning to stare as we do.
“That went well, huh? I think they like me,” I say as I hold the door open for her.
“I think that went better than expected. They definitely like you.” We both burst out in laughter as we walk to the car.
Another remarkable night with Cosette.
I could get used to this.
Chapter Ten
Cosette
“Thanks for coming,” Caden says as he takes a long pull from his beer.
“Of course. I wouldn’t miss your birthday. The big 3-0! Never dated an older man before.” I clink my wine glass with his.
He clutches his chest. “Ouch. I’m thirty years young, lover.”
“You sure are,” I tease. “I’m excited to meet your sister.”
“Yep. Pen’s a character. She’s looking forward to meeting you as well. Gus is on his way back from the airport with her now. She had an exam this morning, so she couldn’t fly out last night.”
“You told your sister about me?” I cock my head to the side and study him. He’s so freaking good-looking it takes my breath away most days. And the more I know Caden Taylor, the more I like him. His insides match his outsides. He’s kind and loyal and fiercely protective of the people he loves.
Not that he loves me.
No, no, no, no.
We’re friends. But he definitely has my back. The way he handled everyone at dinner two nights ago was unbelievable. He didn’t react or get his feathers rumpled by the craziness that is my family and Jeremy’s family. He put them in their place, and unfortunately, they just unraveled more as the night went on. For everyone else, it ended in disaster. For me, it was highly entertaining.
“Of course I did. You’re my girl.” He winks.
“That I am, bel homme.”
He chuckles. “I don’t know what you’re saying, but I love it when you speak French to me.”
I smile. “Handsome man,” I whisper. “That’s what I said.”
His eyes light up and he looks the tiniest bit shy for a moment.
“Well, now I really love it,” he says. He rubs his hand down his face like he’s trying to wipe some of the smile off. “So before things get
crazy, I wanted to ask how it went today at the hotel with your mom? She seemed pretty tense.”
“Her face makes her look tense because you can’t tell if she’s smiling,” I say over my laughter. “But she’s still upset about the dinner. Not at you. She blames me for that whole scene that played out.”
“How was any of that your fault? Jeremy was three sheets to the wrong side of trouble. He was sloppy and the cause of all of it.”
I nod. “I know. My mother has never been super logical. And you can’t really reason with her.”
“I don’t like her blaming you. What does your dad have to say about it?” His pinky finger grazes mine as we’re sitting at the bar. As if touching one another has just become second nature through the show we’ve been putting on. Or maybe he’s trying to comfort me because he feels badly about the way my mother is treating me. Spence, Emma, Jesse, and Mya are playing darts, and Caden and I made our way to the bar for a drink. The simple contact has my stomach doing all kinds of flips. I sink my teeth into my bottom lip to calm myself.
“He hasn’t said much. That’s been his MO lately. He just takes it all in, I guess. He’s been pretty distant.”
“Yeah? Are you two close?”
“We always were. Sometimes I felt like it was me and Dad against the world. My mom and Juliette are powerhouses, you know? They run the roost. Always have. Dad and I tend to blend in the background. But ever since I’ve broken up with Jeremy, he’s been pretty distant. I don’t know. I miss our chats, but every time I try to go there, he’s just so closed off.”
He nods and runs his finger up and down mine. “Keep trying with him, Cosi.” It’s the first time he’s ever called me that. It’s always grated on me the way Jeremy and my mother say it. I thought it was because I didn’t like the nickname. So not true.
I freaking love the way it sounds rolling off Caden’s sexy mouth. Those plump lips.
Dear God. Where did that come from?
Well, there’s no shame in speaking the truth. I think it’s okay to think your friend is gorgeous. He just happens to be a hot, sexy guy who’s pretending to be my boyfriend.
A girl can admire a beautiful man, right?
It’s like admiring a gorgeous piece of art.
As long as you don’t touch it because it’s not yours.
And Caden Taylor is definitely not mine.
I need to figure myself out on my own.
I am woman ... hear me roar.
That’s my new mantra. I’ve waited a long time to get here. A long time to find myself. To find my voice. The last thing I need to do is get mixed-up feelings with a guy I really care about. A guy who has become a really good friend in a short period of time.
I don’t have a lot of those, and I don’t want to mess this up.
“I will. Thanks for that. You’re right. I need to fix things with him. I’m so used to tucking tail and running away when it comes to my family, and my mom has encouraged me to give him his space. But it’s time I do what I think is right.”
“I agree. Did Jeremy reach out and apologize?” Something crosses his dark features, but I can’t read it.
Anger?
Jealousy?
“Of course he did. He apologized about the lilies and then insisted he’s sent them to me before and that I’m wrong about my allergy.” I chuckle.
Caden doesn’t laugh.
“That dickswab is clueless. You were covered in hives and your throat was closing up. How is that not real?”
I cock my head to the side and try my best not to laugh. “Do you want to know what he thinks it is?”
“Oh, I can’t wait for this one.”
“He believes that my body is reacting to us breaking up and to my new relationship.” My head falls back in laughter, and I pull my hand away because the alcohol mixed with his nearness is doing funny things to me.
“How were you ever with that guy?”
“I honestly don’t know,” I say, just as a gorgeous woman with long brown hair and beautiful blue eyes approaches.
“Hey there, birthday boy,” she purrs. If you looked up voluptuous in the dictionary, there would be an 8 x 10 glossy of this lady. She’s wearing a red body-hugging dress that fits her like a second skin. There are more cutouts than there is fabric. Her overzealous breasts are barely contained by the strip of fabric trying to hold them in place. It doesn’t look like they need the help. Gravity appears to be on their side. I mean these are some serious breasts. I glance down at my chest and I suddenly feel self-conscious that I’m wearing a white sheer blouse with jeans and heels. I’ve been the president of the itty bitty titty committee for many years, and my boobs are having some serious breast envy at the moment. Sure they’ve filled out since high school, but there’s still barely a handful there.
“Veronica, hey,” he says, as he pushes to his feet and gives her a hug. He introduces us and we both say hello. Her gaze runs from my head down to my feet before she turns her attention back to Caden.
I suddenly feel the need to get out of here. Veronica runs her hand up the back of his neck and I have the overwhelming urge to claw her eyes out.
I’m not that girl.
Nor will I ever allow myself to be that girl.
It’s his birthday. He’s been playing a role to help me out. What kind of friend am I to hold him back from enjoying his birthday?
I’m sure Caden is used to sleeping around. I’m not blind. Women notice him when he enters a room. He’s never talked to me about his relationships. I only know that he isn’t in anything serious, which is why he agreed to help me out. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t sleeping with other women when we aren’t together.
Although we’re together a lot. He’d have to have some pretty quick booty calls to pull it off.
Why am I even thinking about this?
It’s not my business.
I skirt around them and head for the back of the bar where the others are gathered, but I don’t quite make it that far. A hand wraps around my bicep.
“Hey, hey, hey. Where are you running off to?” Caden asks, and I turn around and laugh.
“I thought I’d give you a minute with your friend. It’s your birthday. I want you to have fun.”
He smiles and I squeeze my thighs together because all sorts of things come alive in me when Caden Taylor smiles at me.
He’s just a friend.
He’s just a friend.
He’s just a friend.
He just happens to be terribly sexy.
“I have fun with you, lover.”
I straighten myself. I don’t want to joke about this right now. “Caden, I appreciate all that you’re doing for me. But it’s your birthday. My family isn’t here. We can stop playing for the night so you can do … whatever it is you do on your birthday.”
“I’ve had plenty of birthdays that I don’t care to even remember. Right now, I want to hang out with my fake girlfriend and my family. Veronica is a friend.”
“A friend with benefits, I’m guessing.” I don’t know why I say it, but I want to know.
“What makes you say that?” He smirks.
“Something about the way she was claiming you, I guess. Call it instinct, but that woman does not want to be your friend.”
He laughs and it’s contagious. Even all green-eyed-monster feeling, I laugh too.
“Damn, you’re cute, Cosi. Come on, lover. Let’s go beat these fools at darts.”
He leads me to the back where everyone has just finished their game and moved to a tall table near the dartboard.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Gus shouts. “The party is here.”
I turn around to see a beautiful girl, who I assume is Penelope, Caden’s sister. She has long dark hair and piercing blue eyes, but she favors the brothers. They all look so different from one another, and yet also have strong similarities. She’s petite and looks to be about my age or close to it.
“Bring it in, birthday boy.” She wraps her arms around Caden’s neck,
and he lifts her off the ground and spins her around.
“Thanks for being here, Penny girl.” The closeness between these siblings makes me ache for something I’ve never had. I’ve always wished for a big family, and the Taylors make it all look so fun.
“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“How’d that econ test go?” He sets her down on her feet.
“Killed it.” She sings out and everyone laughs.
“Before you make your rounds, I want to introduce you to Cosette,” he says, and she turns to look at me.
Before I even say a word, she’s got her arms wrapped around me. She’s most definitely a Taylor. Beautiful. Warm. Kind. I’m guessing she has that wicked sense of humor like the rest of them just by the way she carries herself. Like she’s ready to dish out whatever they serve up to her.
“It’s so nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from—well, everyone, but mostly Caden,” Pen says and Emma comes over to hug her next.
“Hey, I’ve been telling you all about Cosi the past few days. No way has Caden given you more deets than I have,” she says as she moves to stand beside me. “She’s our missing piece to the puzzle.”
“You got a lot more missing pieces to that crazy puzzle of yours, baby,” Spence says and everyone laughs.
“Ignore them. I’m happy to meet you finally,” Pen says to me.
“I’ve heard so much about you as well. So glad you were able to come all this way for Caden’s birthday.”
“Are you kidding? You’ve met the brothers. They’d have a meltdown if I didn’t come for their birthdays. These boys love to be celebrated,” she says, as Caden rolls his eyes. “Oh please.” She nudges Caden in the chest. “Your birthday celebration lasts an entire month. You’re the worst.”
“You are the worst,” Gus says, and Jesse and Spence both agree.
“I won’t argue with you. I enjoy a good birthday month.” Caden puts his arm around Gus’ shoulder. “I do think I’m tied with Gus though, for being the worst.”
“True.” Pen laughs, as the server comes over with a round of drinks for everyone.