The second the words were out of her mouth, she knew she’d said exactly the wrong thing. She’d just reminded Mrs. McDonald what she did for a living and where she’d previously worked. Worse, if she wasn’t mistaken, Mrs. McDonald had come into Chez Bella’s prior to the cancer ball for the treatment that had resulted in so much misplaced animosity.
The older woman gave her a smug look. “You see, Tom, it’s just as I’ve always told you. These events aren’t a frivolous waste of time for the rich. A lot of people rely on them to make money.” She turned to Jeanette. “I’m sure you counted on those tips to make ends meet, didn’t you? Even in Charleston’s less established neighborhoods, housing is expensive.”
Jeanette refused to be baited. “Actually, Bella paid me handsomely, but my clients were always very generous, as well. They are here, too. I like to think it’s because I give them excellent service.” And not because they wanted to be sure she could afford to keep a roof over her head, which was what Mrs. McDonald was trying so hard to imply. She forced a smile. “But it’s never been about the money for me. I love what I do. And it’s been very rewarding to build a new spa from the ground up, to be in demand with a whole new clientele, many of whom never thought of getting a spa treatment before we opened here.”
“Then you’ve priced these treatments for the masses?” Mrs. McDonald said derisively. “I’ve always held the belief that people get what they pay for.”
Jeanette was rapidly losing patience. Her hold on her temper was one fragile thread away from snapping. Apparently Tom sensed it.
“Mother, why don’t you tell Jeanette about the cruise you and Dad are planning in January.”
His mother smiled at him, her expression doting. Even Jeanette, as biased as she was, could see her love for her son shining in her eyes. Maybe she wasn’t all bad. If Jeanette really set her mind to it, maybe she could give Mrs. McDonald the benefit of the doubt. She owed that much to Tom.
“I’m surprised you remembered we were going with all you have to do,” Mrs. McDonald said.
Jeanette figured he was probably looking forward to her absence, but of course she couldn’t say that, not with her resolution to be more open-minded so fresh.
Mrs. McDonald turned to Jeanette. “We’re taking a two-week cruise in the Caribbean,” she said, then added pointedly, “All of it first-class, including a magnificent spa.”
“Which cruise line?” Jeanette inquired.
When Mrs. McDonald named it, her tone superior, Jeanette nodded. “Of course, I know Laine Walker very well. She’s in charge of their spa services.”
Mrs. McDonald looked taken aback. “You know Laine?”
Jeanette nodded. “She trained with me in Paris.”
To her satisfaction, Mrs. McDonald’s mouth gaped. “You trained in Paris?” she repeated incredulously.
“For several years,” she told her, triumphant at having thrown her so completely. “That’s where Bella found me. I was working at one of the most exclusive spas in the city when she convinced me to come to Charleston. I’d missed home, so I accepted her very generous offer.”
“I had no idea,” Mrs. McDonald murmured and fell silent.
The rest of the meal went smoothly enough with Tom leading the conversation and doing his best to make sure he included both of them. He stuck to safe, neutral topics—the food, the weather, favorite restaurants in Charleston.
When those topics were exhausted, Jeanette glanced at her watch and stood. “I’m sorry to have to run, but I need to get back to work. I have a full schedule of clients this afternoon.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Tom said. “Mother, why don’t you take a look at the dessert menu.”
“Goodbye, Mrs. McDonald,” Jeanette said, unable to add that it had been a pleasure to see her, when it had been stiff and awkward.
Outside, Tom uttered an audible sigh of relief. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“Compared to torture?”
“Come on,” he coaxed. “At least she tried.”
“No, at least she didn’t dump her meal in my lap,” Jeanette corrected. “She wanted to, though. I could see it in her eyes.”
“That was before you mentioned training in Paris. You took the wind right out of her sails with that one. Why didn’t I know about Paris?”
“You never asked,” she said simply. “As for your mother, she’ll probably never look at Paris quite the same way again, now that it’s been tainted by the likes of me.”
“Can’t you please give her a break?”
“I just did,” she reminded him. “I didn’t walk out on both of you.”
“You really don’t think it went well?”
She regarded him with astonishment. “Were you there?”
“Of course I was. There was no water dumped, no food thrown, no bloodshed. I consider it a success.”
“Then obviously you had very low expectations,” she told him.
He shrugged. “Can you blame me? The two of you got off on a bad foot back in Charleston. Her fault,” he hastened to add. “Peace isn’t going to happen overnight. Eventually the two of you will be able to laugh about what happened.”
She shook her head. “Please, please, please, do not ever ask me to do this again. She’s your mother and I don’t mean to insult her or you, but I don’t like her. She doesn’t like me. Let’s just call it a draw and be done with it.”
“I don’t think I can do that,” Tom said.
“Why not?”
“It’ll be damn awkward at the wedding,” he said, then kissed her hard and walked away.
Jeanette stared after him, openmouthed with shock. Wedding? Was he crazy? It was the second time he’d said something like that, and while she was flattered, maybe even a little tempted, she knew with one hundred percent certainty that she couldn’t marry into a family like his. She couldn’t marry him. She hadn’t even reached the point where she was willing to date him.
She rubbed her still-tingling lips. Sex
