Jaye's POV:
" And you're sure she's coming" my mum has asked this same question 12 times.
"Mhmm" I said replying to my growing list of emails in the office.
"Your girlfriend" I could feel her being sceptical from miles away
"Mhmm"
"Is she bringing a plus one?"
"Mhmm"
"Who?" She inquired.
"Mhmmm"
"Jaye are you even listening?!" her shrill voice tore me away from my work.
"She's bringing her friend Darcy, I think thats her name, anyway I have lots of work and if you wouldn't mind I don't want to talk about dinner plans right now." She practically knows the plans for tonight off by heart.
"Wait-" I hung up, letting the silence fill the room when I feel a pair of eyes on me. I look up and see blue. Just what I need.
"Fill me in my brother from another mother." Ben says lingering in the doorway.
"Whatever do you mean. I'm bringing my girlfriend to Tuesday night dinner and she's bringing her friend. You got drunk with her not so long ago."
"You're dating Eve? As in Darcy's best friend? She's coming? Your introducing them to mother?"
"You're giving me a headache but form what I could gather my answer is yes."
"What's going on?" He crosses the room and sits down in front of my desk fiddling with my stuff. I hate when he does that and he knows it.
"Nothing" I said as blunt as I could just so he would get off my back.
"This isn't real. Darcy said Eve is 'as single as the last Pringle in the tube no one wants because it's all broken' and you haven't even stayed with a woman post spending the night in like forever." I pry my eyes away from the lap top to roll my eyes at him.
"Would you get off my back. I'm dating her to get mum to leave me alone. I just want to work. Is that so hard? With dad gone I'm basically CEO and nothing is going to stop me from inheriting this shit show okay?"
"Grey or navy blue?" He asked.
"What?" I definitely have a headache now.
" you're right she likes me in blue. I think." He gets up and walks out. He's a nightmare.
Later on at 7:30 pm
They are late. Officially late. Ben and I have been making small talk with my mother whilst she's wondering where my father is. If he's even going to show up at all. Now she's questioning why my 'girlfriend' is late. I'm basically ready to get up and walk out when I get a text.
Eve🍁: 'hey running late we will get there when we get there. Probs around 8:02pm. 🙂'
Me: 'no you need to get here now!'
Eve🍁: '🖕🏻'
I shut my phone off and all I can do is wait. I tell my mother that traffic is a nightmare and she'll be here as soon as she can. Bullshit. Ben is giving me a look that makes me want to throw him out of my apartment but whatever. I go into dads study to continue with my work and Ben follows me to scroll through Instagram.
Eve🍁: 'I'm outside dickwad xx'
She's just darling. I think she's going to get on well with my mum.
"Mum they are here" I shout out from the office and Ben practically jumps up. Suspicious.
We walk out of the office through the hallways which are littered with pictures of the family. Mainly Ben and I in various school achievements and events. We enter the foyer and there they are. My mum is squeezing Darcy whilst Eve is gasping for air. She was the first target of the death grip. I check my watch making it obvious as to what I'm doing. 7:49pm. I look up from my watch and she's standing there in a little red dress and her hair in that half up, half down style. She looks good. Not what the appropriate thing to wear to a 'meet the parents dinner' but hot nonetheless. We walk towards the girls and exchange awkward greetings. I place my hand on the small of her back and feel her breath hitch. She takes it as a challenge and leans into me. Fuck.
"Would you girls like a drink" my mother asks.
"Not for me thanks" Eve says and Darcy looks like she's weighing up the pros and cons.
"A small cocktail please" she caved.
We sit on the sofa together and I think the awkwardness has now set in my mother asks them how their parents are. How does she know their parents? They surely wouldn't attend anything my mother does unless she's convinced they are from a family they aren't.
"You have to tell me again darling, what is it your parents actually do?"
"Huh?" She says chocking on the water my mum forced her to have. "Oh you know babe I've definitely told you this" she's gone red.
"I was probably indulged in work. You know me." I say pushing her to give an answer to a question she doesn't have.
"Mrs. Smith you just have to tell me how you make these cocktails" Darcy interrupts.
My mum goes on and on about cocktails to a girl pretending to be interested. She's a real one. I look over to Ben who looks like he's entranced by a girl he barely knows so I divert my attention back onto Evangeline. I place my arm around her shoulders. She shuffles in her seat and then places her hand on my inner thigh . Shit. She's not playing fair. Two can play it that game Miss... I don't actually know her last name.
"Dinners is ready Mrs. Smith." The maid scuttles off straight away and I pull my fake girlfriend away from my mother asking to give her a tour. My mum agrees and I Lead her through the house.
"You weren't playing fair my love" I say mocking her.
She rolls her eyes and says "darling I think that drink has gone straight to your head because I haven't a clue what your on about."
"Mhmm" I say in response. "What's your last name?"
"Why? You wanna take my name when we marry? It's very modern and I'm honestly down." I give her a look to say I'm not kidding. "Danes."
I run the name through my head over and over again. I recognise it but not from a gala. I can't remember where.
"Come on muffin I bet your mum is wondering where we got off to. Don't want her thinking we're doing something naughty." She's definitely playing the game.
"Come on" I say running my hand down her back respectfully (sort of) and lead her back to the dining room.
"Ah we thought you got lost!" Ben said wiggling his eyebrows.
"Yeah Ben was telling me just how many bedrooms there are. Must be plenty of options." Darcy joins in the stupid interrogation.
We all sit at the table and I heard the door slam shut.
"hello my love, boys. You two." Dad.
YOU ARE READING
she's not your one
Romance"who is she?" I couldn't take my eyes off of her. "she?..." I looked at her face covered in freckles and auburn hair which frames her face perfectly. he followed my gaze straight towards where she stood picking at her fingers. "I don't know man but...
