Fake Fiancée

Chapter 11: The Parker Household

Then the door opened ... to reveal a mousy lady in an unflattering black dress with white frill at the wrists and hem. Her dark hair was pulled back into a stringy bun but her heart shaped face showed kindness and a little bit of shyness too. I had expected elegant and just maybe a bit snobby but she didn’t look like that at all. Adrenaline rush came though me and I decided to take a leap of courage and introduce myself first. “Hello Mrs Parker, I’m Lainie. It’s so nice to meet you.”

Mrs Parker’s tawny eyes widened and suddenly, I could hear Henry and Steve’s roar of laughter from behind me. I turned to glare icily at them. What would be so funny at a time like this?!

Oh god.

Did I have something in my hair?!

My hand flew to my hair but there was nothing I could feel there. Strange.

“Ahh Bernice,” an authoritative voice floated through the hall of the house. “Who’s at the door?”

“Hey mom,” Henry greeted, making sure he stressed the word ‘Mom.’ I blinked and focused on the woman walking towards the door. Tall and youthful looking, the woman’s ash blonde hair was pulled up into a chignon and she wore a black shift dress with matching black pumps. The woman was the epitome of elegance.

Oh no. Don’t tell me she was …

“Henry, I wasn’t expecting you until later! Oh how I’ve missed you!” My brown eyes widened as the real Mrs Parker embraced Henry with a hug. Henry turned to smirk at my horrified face as Mrs Parker and Steve exchanged pleasantries. After they had finished, Henry placed a large warm hand on the small of my back to which I ignored since I was so embarrassed.

“Mom, I want you my fiancée, Lainie,” Henry spoke up, gently pushing me forward. My heartbeat picked up a frightful speed. I think I was going to have a heart attack. Mistaking what now obviously had been the housekeeper for Mrs Parker had totally smashed my confidence. But I knew I had to say something to seem polite.

“N-nice to meet you Mrs Parker,” I said awkwardly. Kill me now.

“Oh nonsense! Please do call me Arianne,” she replied with a grin. “You do not know how glad I am to meet you!”

I smiled meekly, glad she was friendly. She gushed on, “Henry has never brought a girl home! I was starting to think maybe he wasn’t … well you know, straight.”

“Mom!” Henry yelped, horrified his mother would think such a thing about him. “You know I’m not gay!”

Steve and I stood there trying not to laugh. The idea of Henry being gay was just plain funny.

“Well I knew you were with girls Henry dear, but how was I supposed to know if it wasn’t just a cover up?!” Arianne said defensively, blushing a light pink, while Henry rolled his eyes. “As a mother, I worry about everything!”

“Well you don’t have to worry now,” Henry said motioning his head to me.

“I know,” Arianne replied with a smile. She turned her alabaster face to me, looking very apologetic. “I’m so sorry you had to hear what I thought previously, Lainie.”

I gave her a reassuring smile. My heart had calmed down knowing that Arianne wasn’t a snobby lady. “It’s fine.”

Arianne then gasped. “Oh how rude of me, leaving you all out on the porch! Come in, come in!”

Steve laughed. ‘You honestly hadn’t noticed we were standing out here for the past ten minutes?”

“I wouldn’t say ten Steve, maybe five,” Arianne replied with a chiming laugh.