Eternal Flame (Mature 18+)

Chapter 41

           

Within minutes of being reintroduced to everyone and sitting down at the Dean family's dinner table, Kristen realized she'd had nothing to be stressed out about and her nerves were for naught. The Deans couldn't have been more friendly or welcoming. Roman's brother Antonio and Patricia were at the heads of the table, with Cameron and Grace on one side of the table and Kristen and Roman on the other. Dinner consisted of herb-roasted chicken, slow-cooked red potatoes, and sautéed vegetables with homemade apple-pie and ice-cream serving as dessert.

Light banter and nonstop laughter came easy, with Roman and his brother spearheading most of the conversation. All four siblings bantered back and forth with one another, playfully ribbing and teasing one another while sharing childhood stories. Throughout the meal, Kristen and Roman shared sidelong glances and sneaky smiles, while his fingers conspicuously skinned her knee and thigh beneath the table. She wasn't sure if anyone noticed her squirming every now and again but Grace and Antonio kept knowingly glancing in their direction, whispering to one another and pointing at them.

Cameron asked her endless questions about herself and Kristen answered, eagerly and honestly. Grace was distantly polite to her and didn't say much but Kristen didn't take offense to it. She just hoped she would eventually earn her trust and win her over.

It warmed Kristen's heart to see Roman getting along so well with his siblings and she knew Patricia was beaming with maternal pride on the inside; she couldn't stop staring lovingly at her children and smiling at them, letting loose every now and again with her own nostalgic tales and memories and releasing that delightful, whole-hearted chuckle now and again.

Sometime after dessert, the conversation took a serious and heavy turn. Of course it came from one of the siblings. 

"So, Kristen," Grace casually began, leaning across the table and looking at her. "Roman told me you're staying in Boston for a while. Where will you be staying?"

Kristen nervously glanced over at Roman, feeling her cheeks burn. "I... I um... Well, I... Um..."

"She's staying with me," Roman said, linking his fingers with hers on top of the table. Patricia gazed at their joined hands and smiled.

Grace drew her neck back and raised her eyebrows. "Oh. Well, well..."

"The plot thickens," Antonio teased, getting another slice of pie and topping it with more ice-cream.

Grace crossed her arms and legs. "How does your parents feel about that?"

Kristen frowned, bothered that Grace would even feel comfortable asking that question. "They don't like it, but- "

"Well, I don't blame them."

"Why do you say that?" Roman asked in a confrontational tone.

"You guys don't know one another, that's all. I'm just saying."

"So what?'

"It's not a big deal Grace," Antonio said with is mouth full of pie.

"It's not like they're not going to be spending a lot of time together anyway," Cameron reasoned. "Besides, staying with Ro is better than traipsing around town by herself."

Patricia pursed her lips and cut her eyes at Grace before addressing Kristen. "I can understand how your parents may feel Kristen, but my son is responsible and a gentleman so they don't have anything to be worried about."

"Like hell," Antonio muttered, chuckling.

"Well mom, she is very young," Grace said, frowning at Antonio. "Wouldn't you be worried if one of us had stayed with a man we hardly knew at 18?"