“I agree,” Bri said. “It’s more hassle than it’s worth. Plus, there’s lots of fish in the sea. How can you settle for just one?”
My mother looked like she might pass out. “We did everything right with these kids, why are they so ungrateful?” She asked my father.
“I wasn’t much different at his age. I just had more respect for my parents and the responsibility of the business,” my father said with a sharp eye on me. “You’ve come a long way since when you first went to Europe, but you still have a ways to go, starting with giving up this club idea and focusing on what has made Roarke restaurants world-renowned.”
“What’s that?” Bri asked deadpanned.
“Oh for goodness sake.” My mother patted her eyes with her napkin, a sure sign that she was getting teary. “Why can’t we just have a nice family dinner. Why do you have to ruin everything with your snark, Bri?”
Bri inhaled a breath. “Sorry Mom.” I could see her withdrawing into herself. For the rest of dinner she’d likely only give yes or no responses.
“This is a family dinner, right?” I said.
“Yes. That’s what I want.”
I shook my head. “No. What you want is a dinner in which Bri and I toe the line. If you want us to give lip service and placate you, we can. But if we’re having a family dinner, maybe you can let Bri and me be who we are, not who you want us to be.”
My father’s gaze cut to my mother. “They’re not wrong, Katherine.” Then he looked to Bri. “At the same time, you could learn some manners and respect.”
“I didn’t realize I was so difficult,” my mother said passive abrasively.
“Daddy, how did your appointment go today,” Bri asked ignoring my mother.
He shrugged. “Everything is about the same.”
“Is it really?” I asked. “Be honest, Dad.”
He glanced up at my mother.
“Your father is doing great,” she said in that way mothers did to hide just how bad things were.
“Is there something I can do?” I asked. My parents weren’t easy, but that didn’t mean I didn’t love them or wouldn’t want to help them in a time of need.
My father shook his head. “You’re a big help at the office.”
“Do we need to make changes at home? Maybe move your master bedroom downstairs?” I asked, knowing his mobility would slowly get worse.
“I don’t want to talk about this at dinner,” my mother said in a clipped tone.
Bri rolled her eyes, but thankfully didn’t respond.
I blew out a breath. “Okay. Well, then I’ll let you know that I’m moving out this weekend.”
“Why?” Bri pouted. “It’s more fun with you here.”
“I’m buying a place on Central Park West.”
“You don’t like it here?” my mother asked.
“Mom.” Bri couldn’t hide her annoyance. “How is it he’s old enough to get married, but not old enough to have his own place. In fact, it might improve his chances to get married if he moved out.”
“I don’t need your help,” I said to Bri. “I’m not trying to escape; I’m just wanting my own space.”
“We have plenty of space here.”
I wondered if my mother wanted me here because she loved me or because she wanted to keep me under the family rule.
The rest of the dinner went about the same. After dinner, I met with Bri to talk about the club plans, and then she headed out to see her friends. Back in my own room, I continued to work until deciding to get some sleep.
Once in bed, I remembered what my sister said about having my own place improving my prospects with women. I wondered if I’d convince Serena to see me at my new place and if so, would she stay the night?
Deciding to ask, I called her up.
“Hello?”
“You picked up.” It was the first time since my parents’ party I’d called or texted her and got a response. “That’s a good sign. Is it too late to call?”
“I’m just having a glass of wine and reading.”
That was something she could do at my place. “How busy this weekend are you?”
“Pretty busy, why?”
I couldn’t help but wonder if that was true. It seemed to be her standard answer. “I’m buying a place and thought you could come over and help me christen it.”
“I’m sorry. That sounds like it would be fun.” Her voice was quiet, which made me wonder if she had a roommate she was trying not to wake.
“If you come over, it would prove my sister right,” I said.
“About what?”
“My love life would improve.”
“Love life?”
Ah shit, maybe I shouldn’t have said love. “You know. My time with the ladies.”
“Ladies?”
“You, Serena. Maybe I’d get more time with you.”
There was a pause from her end that had my gut clenching in that way it always did when I felt like she was putting up a well.
“I wouldn’t mind that,” she finally said.
“By the way, I set them all straight about Evie. I even told them I was interested in someone.”
“Oh?” Her voice pitched up slightly, making me wonder if she was nervous about my mother knowing about her. Considering she knew my mother was a snob, I supposed I couldn’t blame her. “What did they say to that?”
“Bri guessed it was you, but I told her it wasn’t so it wouldn’t get back to your job.”
“Thank you.”
“My mother wanted to know who you were too, but I didn’t say anything. You know, if I were forty, I could see all their concern about me getting married, but I’m not even thirty.”
She sighed. “I think it’s in parents DNA to want their kids married.”
“So your parents do it to you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’m not sure I’ll ever get married, which will make my mother batshit crazy.” There was perverse joy in that idea.
“Really. You don’t see yourself ever getting married?”
I couldn’t read her tone. Was it a good thing or a bad thing that I wasn’t sure I wanted to
