“I did,” she answered, avoiding the scrutinising gaze of the big man next to her mother. “I’ve already had dinner with him.”
“Oh, I thought you’d finally be staying over at his place.”
Bernadette glared at her mother. How dare she make that comment, especially in front of a stranger Bernadette had never met.
“This is Lawrence, by the way,” June said, smiling sweetly at the guy.
“Hello, Bernadette,” Lawrence said with a friendly grin. “I’m glad to meet you.”
Bernadette smiled. “Same here, Lawrence. So where did you two meet?”
“Oh,” June said, “in the shopping mall, when Lawrence accidentally bumped into me. I tell you, it was like hitting a brick wall.” June giggled as she ran an admiring hand on Lawrence’s chest.
“I see. When was that?” Bernadette asked.
“Last week,” Lawrence answered. “I bought your mother coffee after almost toppling her over. We exchanged numbers, and your mum has already invited me here three times. She’s a great cook. I love her cooking.”
“There’s still some leftover,” June said.
“So you cooked all those three times?” Bernadette asked in surprise. She’d never seen her mother cook since moving in with her.
“Yes. Can I talk to you in private?” June walked towards Bernadette’s bedroom, motioning for her to follow.
Bernadette was grateful for the opportunity to talk to her mother alone.
“I really like Lawrence,” June said as soon as Bernadette had closed the door behind her.
“What do you know about him?” she asked in a low tone.
“He’s a plumber, divorced, no kids.”
“Where does he live?”
“Not far from here. He’s going to take me there soon,” June said defensively. “But he lives with four other people.”
Bernadette sighed, knowing it would be a big argument if she so much as tried to say a single bad word about Lawrence. But she had to put her foot down. “I’m glad you found someone you like, Mum. But this is my apartment, and I just want to let you know right now that I won’t want Lawrence to be here constantly.”
“Why not? I’m your mother. If that boyfriend of yours wanted to live here, I wouldn’t mind.”
Bernadette’s ears pricked. “Lawrence will not be living here, ever.”
“Of course not,” June said with a dismissive wave. “You know what I mean. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t be stingy. I’d gladly share my place with you and your boyfriend.”
“You kicked me out when I was seventeen, Mum,” she said quietly. “You didn’t want to share your place with me.”
June looked down on the floor guiltily. “That was a long time ago. And I’ve apologised for it already.”
“And I’m not trying to be petty,” she said softly but firmly. “I just want to make the boundaries clear so we won’t fight about it later. If Lawrence will be having dinner here a lot, wouldn’t that mean I’ll be feeding him too, if you’re using our groceries? I’d appreciate if he adds some money to the pot.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to him. He’s really nice. You just don’t know him yet.”
Bernadette tried not to look so shocked. She hadn’t expected her mother to be this reasonable.
She stayed in her room while June talked to Lawrence. She changed from her work suit into a pair of track pants and sweater, constantly glancing at the door. Unable to contain her curiosity, she went and pressed her ear against it to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“Don’t worry, darling,” Lawrence was saying. “My new job pays really well, so I can buy groceries for when you cook for us. Ross is a very good boss and he already told me he’s happy with my work, so I know I’ll be holding on to this job. And you know what? I might introduce you to him. He always needs new people.”
“As long as the work’s not too physically taxing, then I suppose I can consider it,” June said readily. “But I haven’t worked in a while. He might want people who have plenty of experience.”
Bernadette’s eyebrows inched up. Well, well, well. Lawrence might turn out to be a blessing after all. If he could make her mother want to get back into the workforce, or better yet, find June an actual job, Bernadette would kiss the burly man’s cheeks.
“I’ll talk to Ross,” Lawrence said to June. “I don’t think he’d care that you don’t have much experience. I don’t have a lot of plumbing experience, yet he still hired me. He said he just wants trustworthy and loyal employees who work hard and are good at following instructions.”
“Okay,” June said. “Want to eat the leftovers?”
Bernadette stepped away from the door and sat on her bed. She’d hadn’t had a day as good as this in years. First there was Derek wanting the two of them to date for real. Then her mother had found herself a boyfriend who might also be able to get her a job.
If that Ross person did employ her mother, she’d kiss him, too.
Chapter 5
“Uncle Ross! What a surprise!”
“Hello, Derek. Sorry for dropping by unannounced. I was in the area, and I thought it’s about time I visited my nephew at his place.”
“Really, now?”
Ross ignored his sarcasm and stepped into his living room, looking around. “Nice house. Very modern.”
“I was just about to head out, so… why are you here?”
“Oh, I had some business with someone not far from here and I thought about you. I realised that after all this time, I’ve never been to this place. Anyway, since you’re off to somewhere, I won’t keep you. I just want a glass of water. Room temperature, please.”
Derek took a glass from the cupboard and filled it with filtered water. He checked his watch. He didn’t want to be late for his date with Bernadette, but he was curious about why his uncle was here.
“So are you heading back home after this?” he asked as he handed Ross the drink.
“No. I have a couple more business meetings this afternoon. Where are you off to?”
“I’m meeting a friend.”
Ross stared at him for two beats. “Holly told me you guys have broken up.”
“Yes.”
“She said you’re getting close to that other woman.”
“I haven’t cheated on Holly, if that’s what you’re implying. But Holly and I have agreed that our relationship isn’t progressing. Plus, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to all the unwanted attention she’s constantly subjected to. I don’t want that for myself. I can’t afford it.”
“I know both your careers are making your love life complicated, but I don’t think you would have stuck with each other for almost four years if you didn’t have strong feelings.”
Derek shrugged.
Ross shook his head. “I don’t think you should give up on each other.”
“Really?” He couldn’t help the disbelief in his voice. “I never thought I’d hear that from you, Uncle Ross.”
“I’ve grown very fond of Holly,” Ross said with a huff. “She sounded really disappointed about your breakup.”
Derek suppressed a snicker. Of course it wasn’t about him—Ross’s own flesh and blood. It was about his star attraction being upset and possibly not wanting to attend his parties.
Ross took a long sip of water before setting it down on the kitchen counter. “Well, I’m going. Thanks for the water.”
Derek escorted his uncle to the front door.
“I guess I won’t be seeing you at my events anymore,” Ross said rather cheerfully.
“I guess not.”
They smirked at each other, and his uncle waved goodbye.
Derek watched Ross drive away before calling Holly. “Hey. Ross has just been here.”
“Really? What did he want?”
“He’s not happy that I might have hurt you, but he’s also chirpy that he won’t be seeing my face in his houses again.”
Holly snorted. “I bet he’s worried that if I’m too
depressed from our breakup, I won’t be attending his events. Anyway, I booked the Palm Beach property.”
“Does he know about it?”
“Yes. I went to visit him in the office and mentioned Xavier’s friend bumping into him at the Palm Beach house. He seemed to hesitate at first, but he eventually admitted he owned the place. Then I said we’ve just broken up and that I need time and space by myself. Since I heard how private it was there, I asked to book the place. He agreed, and promised no one will know when I’m there. He won’t even send cleaners until I request it so I can have full privacy.”
“Great work. So when are you staying there?”
“Two weeks from now. That’s the earliest it’s available. And I’m staying there for nine days. I thought I might as well, in case we need the extra time. Fortunately, I already finished some heavy promotions, so I don’t have many media appearances around then.”
“Okay.”
“So how’s Bernie?” Holly asked in a more upbeat tone.
Derek smiled. “She’s great. Beautiful. Hot. Sexy.”
Holly laughed. “I bet you’ve never described me like that to anyone.”
“And how’s Dante?” he asked.
“He’s wonderful,” Holly said with a sigh. “I’m spending the weekend with him.”
Derek suddenly pined for Bernadette. “I better go so I can pick up my new girlfriend and spend time with her, too.”
Derek tapped in Bernadette’s apartment number on the panel and pressed the call button.
“Who’s there?” asked a woman who wasn’t Bernadette. It had to be her mother, whom he hadn’t met yet.
“Hello, ma’am. This is Derek, Bernie’s boyfriend.”
“Oh! Come on in!”
Hm. Bernadette’s mum sounded like she was looking forward to meeting him.
He made his way to their first-floor unit, hoping Bernadette wouldn’t mind him knocking on her door rather than calling her from the car.
Bernadette’s door was opened by an older woman with a big smile on her face. “Hello. I’m June, Bernadette’s mother.”
“Pleased to meet you, June. I’m Derek.”
He offered his hand for a shake, which June grasped tightly.
“I’m excited to meet you, Derek. I can’t believe my daughter hasn’t brought you home before. Look at you. Very good-looking.”
“Thank you,” he answered with a polite smile.
“Come on in. Bernadette’s still in her room, hopefully making herself pretty for you. Sometimes she doesn’t make enough effort.”
Derek’s brows rose involuntarily. He was starting to get an idea of why Bernadette hadn’t wanted him to meet her mother before. “Your daughter’s already beautiful without trying, June. She doesn’t need to make any effort for me.”
“Aw, listen to you.” June tapped his arm. “So where are you going today?”
“Um, we’ll have lunch somewhere, then decide from there where else we want to go.” No way he was going to tell June they were driving back to Derek’s house, where he planned to make lunch for Bernadette, watch a movie in his theatre room, and… well… whatever else Bernie wanted to do.
“Will you be back tonight? Maybe Bernadette should stay with you this weekend.”
His eyebrows rose up higher. “That’s up to Bernadette.”
June rolled her eyes. “She’s so suspicious of men. Probably because her father left us when she was only a baby. Anyway, you seem like a decent guy. You taking good care of her?”
“Yes. I hope she thinks I am.”
June patted him on the back. “Good. You have my vote of approval.”
“Thank you.”
Bernadette came out from one of the bedrooms, her mouth hanging open.
“Hi,” he said, raising a hand in greeting. He would have loved to go to her and kiss her hello, but with June watching, Bernadette might not appreciate it.
“Hi,” Bernadette said. “I was waiting for your call.”
“Sorry. I thought I’d come up instead.”
June let out a loud sigh. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, you can kiss in front of me, you know. I’m not a prude.”
Derek walked towards Bernadette while she glared at her mother. “Hey, babe,” he whispered, giving her a peck on the lips.
Bernadette’s features softened as she smiled at him. “Hi. I guess we better go.”
“Yeah,” he said with a chuckle.
“I’ll see you later, Mum,” Bernadette said.
“I won’t wait up for you, so you don’t even have to worry about telling me if you’re gonna be home tonight or not.”
“I guess Lawrence will be here, huh?” Bernadette asked dryly.
“Yes. So if you don’t want to feel uncomfortable, maybe you can stay at his place tonight.” June grinned at Derek.
“Oh my God,” Bernadette muttered, pulling Derek towards the door.
“Bye, June. It was nice meeting you,” Derek said as they left the apartment.
“You, too!” June called out as the door closed behind them.
“I am so sorry for my mother,” Bernadette said.
He hugged her to him. “Don’t worry about it. So is Lawrence her boyfriend?”
“Yeah. Someone she met a few days ago. Actually…” Bernadette glanced back at her apartment door, then looked at him shyly. “Do you mind if I stay with you tonight?”
Derek couldn’t help his humungous grin. “Of course not.”
“I need to go back and grab a few things, then.”
“No worries. I’ll entertain your mother while I wait.”
Bernadette snickered. They went back inside and Bernadette made a beeline for her room.
“Did you leave something?” June asked from the couch.
“Yes,” Bernadette answered. “I’m packing an overnight bag.”
June raised her arms in the air. “Hallelujah!”
“So, June,” Derek said, smiling. “How’s Lawrence?”
“Oh, he’s very good,” June said, indicating a chair for him to sit on. “He’s bigger than you. He’s a plumber. What do you do?”
“I’m property buyer’s agent.”
“A what?”
“A real estate agent, only I act on behalf of the buyer instead of the vendor.”
“Why would people need a buyer’s agent?”
“Well, I help buyers find a property with the specifications they want and within the budget they’ve set, and also make the necessary negotiations so they don’t pay more than they need to.”
June appeared impressed. “I bet you earn a lot of money.”
“Mum! Don’t be rude!” Bernadette called from the open door of her bedroom.
“You have to know these things,” June insisted.
“I do okay,” Derek answered.
“Just okay? I suppose okay is better than nothing. So I bet you meet a lot of rich people. They must buy a lot of houses.”
“They do,” he agreed.
“Bernadette knows some bazillionaires, you know. Maybe she can introduce you to some of them. Her best friend, Paige, came from a rich family. I used to work for them when Bernadette was young. That’s how she became friends with a rich person.”
Derek nodded. He already knew how Bernadette and Paige had originally met.
“Then Paige married a rich guy, so they’re doubly richer. They should have money to buy more houses. Hey, Bernadette! You should introduce your boyfriend to Paige and what’s-his-name!”
“He already knows them!”
June widened her eyes at Derek. “You do?”
“Yes. Tristan—Paige’s husband—is my best friend.”
June clapped her hands together. “I see. So Bernadette finally snared one of you.”
Bernadette marched from her bedroom, carrying a small bag. “Oh my God, Mum. Don’t you have a filter?”
June made a dismissive snort. “What for? People these days have stopped being honest so they can be polite. Stupid, I say. Honesty is
the best policy.”
Derek swallowed his laughter. He was starting to warm to June’s straightforwardness. But he could also see why Bernadette was so exasperated with her mother. His girlfriend was far more mature and responsible than her mother appeared capable of being.
He stood up and grabbed Bernadette’s bag from her. “Shall we go?”
Bernadette nodded, already walking to the door.
“Have fun, kids! Just like I will,” June said cheekily.
Bernadette rolled her eyes, shaking her head.
“See you, June,” Derek said. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”
“I most certainly will,” June said in a sing-song voice. “Hey, wait! I have an idea. When you take Bernadette home tomorrow evening, why don’t you two have dinner with me and Lawrence? It would be good for us to have some bonding time.”
Bernadette’s jaw dropped. “Bonding time? Since when did you like bonding time?”
June put her hands on her hips. “Am I not trying to be nice to you and your boyfriend, Bernadette? I’ll even cook for all four of us.”
Bernadette took a deep breath, looking at Derek.
He smiled at her. “I’m okay with it, but it’s totally up to you.”
“Say yes already, Bernadette,” June said. “It will be good for you to get to know Lawrence, since you’re suspicious of him.”
“Okay,” Bernadette acquiesced. “I guess it’s a good idea.”
June gave them a toothy grin. “Great! I’ll even get Lawrence to buy the groceries.”
“Thanks, Mum. See you tomorrow.”
“Evening,” June reiterated. “Tomorrow evening and no earlier.”
Derek chuckled. “Don’t worry, June. No earlier than tomorrow evening.”
“Good. See you… what’s your name again?”
“Derek.”
“Derek,” June said with a nod before closing the door on them.
Bernadette brisk-walked towards the building exit. “My mother’s so embarrassing,” she said apologetically.
He placed an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you for being respectful of her despite her being so impolite. But you shouldn’t have told her to enjoy the rest of the day. Now I have this picture of her and Lawrence being like naughty teenagers in my apartment. Ugh.”
The Unreal Boyfriend Page 6