“Perfect,” Fredrik said and sent her a little wave. “I’ll make sure he finds your place and gets showered.”
Yeah. She just bet he would. The man was very lucky they were in public and in front of witnesses, because Rori was one breath away from strangling Fredrik as she stormed away.
Chapter 48
Nothing was going according to plan. Before Fredrik had beat her to the punch Rori had planned on taking Mike to dinner, getting a little alcohol in their systems, and taking him home. Instead they spent the evening in a room full of gay men. And when they’d gone back to her place it had been past midnight and Mike had focused on unpacking.
Mike had been in New York over eight hours and she hadn’t even gotten a hug.
The next morning he had been out the door before she even woke up. As it was, the smell of freshly brewed coffee woke her about ten minutes before her alarm was supposed to go off. When she got up there was half a pot of fresh coffee and a note pointing her to an omelet under the lid of a pan on the stove.
That was the only evidence she had of his presence until later that night.
When she came back to her place that night and found Mike editing some footage and interviews he had picked up that day. She’d been about to invite him to dinner again when she saw tamales steaming on the stove.
Between disappearing all day, taking care of the cooking, and staying behind his computer when they were in the same room, the guy wasn’t making it very easy to seduce him. Not unless she was supposed to just take off her clothes and straddle him in his computer chair.
Even worse? She needed to arm him with some mood-killing updates.
“My parents will be here tomorrow night,” she said, checking on the tamales. “I would invite you to dinner with us, but it will already be psychotically uncomfortable.”
“Yeah? Your mom and your dad?”
“Apparently. I just heard from my biological father today. He says he’s coming, but that doesn’t mean much. I’ll believe it when I see it. But my mom and step-dad are coming for sure, and it looks like Anton might be making it to the opening as well. I guess that’s what I get for serving his wine at the event. Now he feels like he needs to be a brand ambassador.”
“Makes sense,” he said, appearing from head to toe as if the news didn’t bother him. Well, it bothered Rori. How in the world was she supposed to get together with Mike if Anton showed up? “How long has it been since you’ve seen your mom?”
Rori blinked herself back to the present. “April, I think.”
“Wow. That’s a long time.”
Rori shrugged. “It’s not like with your family. My family is good with distance. You’ll get a better feel for the dynamic tomorrow, but the point is that I do want to take you out at some point. You deserve to eat at a nice restaurant while you’re here.”
“Yeah, Chloe was mentioning a few places—”
“Chloe?” Rori snapped.
“Yeah. She works in the museum. Short, spiky, blonde hair?”
“I know who she is.” I just don’t know why you’re talking about restaurants with her.
Mike grinned. “I like her vibe. She’s all rough on the outside and gooey in the middle. Is that a New York thing?”
“Yep,” Rori said, not trusting herself to say more. How was it possible that she was the person spending the least amount of time with Mike now that he was in town? And how had she still not gotten so much as a hug? If she didn’t know any better she would say that Mike was avoiding her.
Just then Rori’s phone rang, showing Fredrik’s name. She didn’t want to answer, for once, but duty had her picking up anyway. “Hi, boss.”
“We have a problem,” he said. “Your shipment just came in for the show from your agent and as far as I can tell six pieces are missing.”
“What?”
“I know. I triple checked, hon. I have no idea where they might be. Could you come down here and get your agent on the phone?”
“I’ll be right there,” she said and hung up.
Mike glanced up. “Emergency?”
“Isn’t that how it always turns out?” she said. “Will you be okay? I’m not sure how long I’ll be.”
“I’m good,” he said. “Go do what you need to do.”
Rori did, and by the time she got back Mike was in bed and the tamales were in the fridge. She didn’t see him again until the next night.
No, things were not going remotely as planned.
Chapter 49
Rori’s dress was perfect. Her hair was straightened, just like her mom liked it and her makeup was a bit tamer than she planned on having it the next evening for the exhibit. She’d gone to the salon that morning, so the nails on all four of her appendages were newly polished, and her body waxed of any hair that had ventured to grown beneath her chin in the past two weeks. To even the most nitpicky of eyes, Rori was in perfect order.
Now if only her mom would show up and witness the moment before something—anything—fell into disarray. Such relative perfection as she was currently displaying had a very unpredictable shelf life. Ten minutes, maybe? Rori actually had to make sure not to stand next to any of the A/C vents so one side of her hair didn’t grow colder than the other and possibly stimulate her natural curl. Nor could she sit, because that would definitely create a crease of a wrinkle, even in an allegedly wrinkle-proof fabric.
In her mind, Rori considered her current state as a trial run for the exhibit tomorrow. If her mom said nothing when she arrived, Rori would know that she was good to go the next day. But if Rori got anything wrong, her mom would certainly let her know. Then she would know to fix it—if such a thing were possible.
For now, all Rori could do was hold as still as possible and pray that her mom arrived before her dad. One courtesy hug from her dad, and poof, her dress would need attention.
Her dad… It still seemed surreal that her biological father might be coming. What did one say to the father she hadn’t seen in half a decade? It was always such a mindfuck to go face-to-face with her father. The eight-year-old little girl in Rori jumped at the chance to see him, while the adult in her was very aware that abandoning her and her mom when she was a child was entirely his choice. He’d wanted a new wife. A new life. New kids. And now that she was an adult, he just expected her to understand why he’d left.
Because his zipper had said so. He’d been helpless in the whole situation.
But her dad in the same room as her mom and Jean? In the history of time, that perfect storm had yet to come together. Not that Rori’s mom was bitter. Far from it. It was just that the dynamics between her parents were… unpredictable.
She must have been fidgeting, because Mike came down the nearby ladder and sent her a sympathetic smile. Man, that smile on top of the tool belt around his waist made it all seem like he should be shirtless and posing for a calendar. But lustful thoughts aside, Rori would have given almost anything for him to reach out and hold her for a minute—for him to tell her that it was all going to be okay. Even if it wasn’t true. She just wanted to lean against his chest and believe it for a few minutes.
But he didn’t reach out. He didn’t even come within arm’s distance. “Is she late?”
“Never,” Rori said, not even needing to check the clock. “I’m just early.”
He nodded, sticking a screwdriver in his back in the tool belt. “I have to say, I’ve never seen anyone so nervous to meet up with her parents before.”
Rori gave a short laugh. “Yeah? Well, stick around and you just might see why.”
“Sold.”
Rori flinched. “No, I was kidding. Don’t stay . Please.”
A smile curved his lips. “You realize you’re only making me more determined to stay, right?”
Yes, she did, and she honestly didn’t know if she’d done it on purpose or not. Having him around would be good because her mom would be on better behavior in front of company, but it would also create a problem if her mom picked up on the
fact that they knew each other on a personal level.
That would go over like a brick with wings.
When it came to both of her parents the best thing to do was just to let things unfold. Over the years, Rori had learned that the more she tried to hide something from her mother, the quicker she sniffed it out. The more Rori tried to control, the more she was critiqued.
“I’ve never seen you nervous before,” Mike teased, taking the ladder down.
“Yeah. Well—”
The light click of heels sounded in the entry. True, they could have belonged to anyone, but Rori knew her mom, and she knew that walk. And when she turned and saw her, Rori gave a light nod of acknowledgment before moving.
“So good to see you, Mom,” Rori said in her native tongue.
“Always good to see you, too, my dear. Jean sends his regrets that he can’t be here for the private tour, but he should fly in for our dinner a little later. He had to make a stop in Shanghai.”
Of course he had. There was always something going on with Jean.
“It might turn out for the best that he’s not here,” Rori said. “Dad said he would drop by. Who knows if he actually will, but there’s a chance.”
“So you said,” her mom said, looking over Rori’s shoulder and her voice rising in volume a few notches as she switched to English. “And who might this be?”
“Mike Cannon, ma’am,” Mike said, moving toward them and offering his hand. “I’m the videographer for tomorrow. Just setting up. No need to pay me any attention.”
Rori watched her mom’s eyes narrow on Mike, clearly assessing him despite—or probably because—his instructions to ignore him.
“And tell me, Mike, are you good at what you do?” her mom asked, already looking unimpressed.
“I leave that assessment is up to my customers,” he replied, keeping that easy smile he always seemed to have in his arsenal. In front of her mom, it only became more apparent how much Mike’s charisma resembled her father’s. Her mom certainly wouldn’t miss that fact.
“True enough,” her mom said. “Well, I look forward to it.”
With that, Mike was silently dismissed as Rori’s mom turned back to her.
“Darling, you look splendid. What have you changed?”
“Nothing,” Rori said. “But glad to know that the old tricks are still working.”
A second pair of high heels clicked into the lobby and Rori saw her mom’s face freeze.
“He didn’t,” Rori said before turning to look, and realizing that he had. The man was her dad, after all. Of course he would be unable to bypass an opportunity to flaunt his latest amour.
“Of course he did,” her mom replied in their native tongue. “This should be fun.”
Chapter 50
Ice queen. It might not be the most flattering description for a person, but it was certainly the most accurate Mike could think of for Rori’s mother. Definitely not affectionate, and a far cry from supportive. Mike thought back to that first day he met Rori—to the family party when she had moved herself off to the side and watched his family like they were a sea of jack-in-the-boxes that might pop at any moment.
That unsettled look on her face from that night made a whole lot more sense now. Such an unruly scene would be a tad unsettling if one was used to a mom who treated her like a trophy and a father who was dating someone the same age as his child. Maybe younger?
As the two crossed the lobby Mike couldn’t be sure. All he could tell was that the woman with Rori’s father had the proportions of someone who was looking for a career in adult entertainment. Mike couldn’t even imagine what his reaction would be if his own father brought a date like that to one of his film openings. Rage, for certain. But when Mike glanced at Rori for her reaction, all he saw was resignation.
“Omigawd, it’s so big,” the blonde on her dad’s arm said as she gazed up at the ceiling. Rather than looking up to see what his girlfriend was seeing, Rori’s dad gazed straight down the blonde’s bodice.
“Agreed,” he said, and Mike could have sworn he heard Rori groan. When her father looked up, he caught sight of Rori and her mom and steered his date their way. Mike didn’t want to stare, but he kind of couldn’t help but watch the procession of the woman’s breasts as she walked across the lobby. No bounce to them, no natural movement. Just two stiff torpedoes stretching the skin around them to the max and ready to take out anyone in their path.
Right then Mike decided that natural was better, whatever the size may be. That said, he had to admit he was looking. Weirded out, or not, he was staring.
“Aurora!” her father called out as he drew closer. “You look gorgeous, my dear!”
The compliment raised Mike’s hackles for some reason. He didn’t like the guy, and had a feeling that wasn’t going to change. That was all he knew.
“Thank you, father,” Rori said, kissing both of his cheeks.
“This is Teddy,” he said, gesturing to his date. “Teddy is very into the arts.”
“I can see that,” Rori said diplomatically as her mom stepped forward.
“Hello, Richard.”
“Francesca,” he said with a nod. “Could Jean not make it?”
“He will arrive later,” her mom sniffed. “He needed to stop over in Shanghai.”
“Of course.”
In a matter of seconds the social temperature in the room went from frigid to arctic wind. Even Teddy picked up on it.
“I checked out some of your work online,” Teddy said, sending a big smile at Rori. “That parody stuff you did of modern idols of American culture? That was hilarious!”
“Thank you,” Rori said, politely, looking between her parents.
“And that other one for autism awareness? Of the literal representations of common sayings? Hil-ar!”
Rori’s lips curved up in a toothless smile. “Well, I’m glad I could make autism awareness amusing to you.”
“I know, right?” Teddy chuckled. “I mean, what else can you do?”
The simultaneous looks of death from Rori and her mom hit her dad at the same moment.
“Well, I hope you like this show as well,” was all Rori said. “I think you’ll find a lot of the pieces relatable.”
Mike hid a smile at the comment. An insult hidden inside a pleasantry? He hadn’t seen this side of Rori before: the well-bred bitch side. He’d certainly had a peek at the well-bred part of her, but for the most part she’d kept her kitty claws in around him.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Mike piped in, earning a cautionary look from Rori. “But I asked to tag along on your tour so Aurora doesn’t have to waste time giving me a separate tour. So please don’t mind me as I shadow you. I’ll just be listening in.”
“Of course,” her father said, giving Mike a once over. That alone would have been weird, but the look was compounded by the fact that Teddy looked him over at the same moment.
Yeah, Mike definitely wasn’t going to get along with Rori’s dad. Rori’s mom made no comment at all as Rori pointed them toward the exhibit hall and got the awkward ball rolling.
As far as tours went, Mike noted it was succinct and fact-based. No personal details, no stories about the pieces, and no praise from her parents who both seemed to regard the exhibit critically. Their lack of support was only slightly more disconcerting than Teddy’s instant attachment to the sculpture Rori had done of heart-shaped male and female hips.
“Oh, Richie, I want it!” she pled. “I love it!”
“We’ll see,” he said like a patient parent.
Mike watched Rori’s mom closely. She didn’t say a word throughout the entire tour, choosing instead to communicate her opinions through momentary looks aimed at her daughter whenever she had a moment of displeasure. Which was quite often.
What a mind game, was all Mike could think. How did a person stay sane in a family like that? He wanted to send Rori a few looks of encouragement, but quickly realized that she was purposefully avoiding him. And while
that irked, he got it.
It wasn’t until everyone was sampling the wine that had been chosen for the following evening that Mike had a moment with Rori. She was frazzled, but Mike had dealt with frazzled women before. For once that night, he knew exactly what he needed to say.
Sliding in next to Rori as he grabbed a glass of wine, Mike leaned in and whispered, “What can I do to help?”
“Besides make the bubblehead disappear? It’s enough just to have my mom and dad here.”
He considered that. “Is that it? The girlfriend gone and things won’t be so rough?”
“It would be a godsend,” she said without hesitation. “But no need to try to step in, Mike. Girls like that don’t walk away from men like my dad unless they’re looking at an upgrade. You’re cute, but you can’t buy her a mini-mansion and a car for every day of the week.”
Mike smiled. “You and your pessimism again.”
“Realism,” she countered.
Mike narrowed his eyes playfully. “Twenty bucks says I can win her over and make you eat those words.”
She laughed, he was guessing for the first time that day. “Are you kidding? I’d give twenty bucks just to have that leech off my dad for five minutes so I can talk to him.”
A corner of his mouth quirked up into a smile. “Well, I am a man for hire.”
She studied him. “You’ll distract her for five minutes?”
“Yes, but that will be before I steal her away completely.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “No charge on that one.”
Her smile changed to a frown, which had Mike hiding a smile. He couldn’t be sure, but he would have bet money that it was jealousy that narrowed her eyes. Rori didn’t want him hitting on Teddy, even if it was fake. It was almost time to make his move. Thank god.
“I hate to burst your bubble, Mike,” she said. “But you are not an upgrade from my dad. You don’t stand a chance.”
“Oh, ye of little faith.”
“Oh, me of lots of experience,” she countered.
“Well, get ready to eat your words then,” he said with a smug smile before pushing away in Teddy’s direction.
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