Catching Feelings

Chapter: 14

Karen stood there with both arms folded across her chest as she stared at her daughter who looked like she wanted to blend in with the paint on the wall. Her eyes drifted back and forth between Raven and Drake. She gave him a brief once over before speaking. "Hey, who's your friend?" Karen asked.

Before Raven could say anything, Drake spoke up first. "I'm Aubrey, nice to meet you." He stuck his hand out waiting for her to shake it. Raven glanced at him out the corner of her eye, then back at her mother to see what she was going to do. Here she is, twenty-six and still nervous about her mom catching her with a guy. The good thing about having your own place is, you don't have to worry about your mom walking in on you. 

Karen gave him the typical skeptical look that mothers around the world have mastered as she shook his hand. "Nice to meet you Aubrey, I'm Karen, Raven's mother." As they shook hands, she acknowledged his firm grip with approval. There was something to be said about a man with a strong hand shake.

Drake smiled looking at the woman in front of him, "Wow, I thought you were going to say you're her sister. You definitely look like it." Drake looked over at Raven who was giving him the side eye. Yeah he was being nice, but her mother was attractive for an older woman, he could see where she got her good looks from. At least he knew that Raven had inherited good genes.

Raven stood by as she watched Drake attempt to enchant her mom, and judging from the huge smile on her face, it was working. As matter of fact, she could have sworn she'd caught her mom blushing. 'Really mom?' she thought to herself.  

"Charming and handsome, I think I like him." said Karen.

Raven knew Drake was loving every moment of watching her squirm as he was slowly winning her mother over. She caught all the subtle teases he was throwing her way. His voice was always smooth, but as he spoke now, it was even smoother; and he made sure she was looking his way every time he discretely slid his tongue across his bottom lip. It was little stuff that her mother didn't notice, but she sure did, and she was going to get him back.  

Raven cleared her throat interrupting their small talk. Karen stopped in mid sentence and looked up at her daughter. "Mom... you wanted something?" she asked to remind her mom of the reason she first came looking for her.

Karen was so busy talking, that she almost forgot the reason herself. She thought for a quick second, waiting for her memory to make its return. "Oh yeah, that's what I wanted." said Karen as she snapped her fingers. "Everyone's ready to eat, and we were waiting on you."

"That's my fault;" Drake cut in, "I didn't mean to interrupt you in the middle of dinner."

"Have you eaten yet?" Karen asked, and Raven's eyes widened, she knew what was coming next and she was not liking it.

"No, I've been working all day, I haven't had the chance." He replied. Drake had his hands in his jean pockets as he spoke at ease. There was something welcoming about the kind smile in front of him.

"Well you're more than welcomed to stay for dinner, we have plenty to go around." Karen offered, much to her daughter's horror.

Raven immediately cut in to say something before anyone else could. "Maybe next time mom, Aubrey was just telling me he had somewhere important to be." said Raven. She then turned her sights to Drake for him to co-sign her lie.

Aubrey just looked at her flustered face with a grin and then turned back to Karen. "I think that can wait, besides, I haven't had a home cooked meal in awhile and something smells good."    

Karen nodded and walked away, leaving Drake and Raven alone once again. Once her mother was fully out of earshot she focused her sights of the man standing beside her. "You think you're cute don't you?" she asked with her arms folded and as her foot tapped on the floor.

"No, but your mom does." He said with a smirk.

Raven punched his arm, trying to hide a smirk of her own. "That's not funny."

"What?" Drake wrapped his arm around her shoulder pulling her in for a hug. "Come on, you know I was only playin.'"

"That's cool, because you won't be laughing much longer. You have no idea what you just got yourself into." She said with a roll of the eyes as she lead him further into the house.

The two of them entered the dining room, right after her mother took her seat at the head of the table. Raven was mentally preparing herself for this, she hoped her family would keep the embarrassment to a minimal, but that was going to be a stretch, especially with her grandmother there. The two of them sat down next to each other, and right across from Grams and Karris. Karris was beaming when she found out that Drake was going to be joining them for dinner, this was officially her best day ever.

After Karen blessed the food, everyone started to dig in. Raven reached for Drakes empty plate and began to pile food on it. He somehow felt at ease with this domestic setting, he could picture nights like this with just the two of them. Karen, Karris and Grams all noticed Raven's catering and gave each other the same knowing glances as they fixed their own plates.

Grams watched their exchange with curious eyes from across the table. When curiosity got the best of her, she spoke up. "I'm waiting on somebody to tell me who the hell this is?" she asked tapping her fork on the side of her plate. Raven's head turned to her grandma giving her a stern look as her eyes plead for the elder woman to behave herself. "What, I mean that's rude not to introduce your company." said Raven's grandma.

Raven was waiting for this to happen, she knew her Grams would be the one to show out. She thought that just maybe, she could ease through this one dinner, but that wasn't happening. "Grams this is my friend Aubrey, Aubrey this is my grandma Faye."

"It's nice to meet you ma'am." He smiled and nodded at the woman staring him down from across the table. He felt an awkward tension in the room as she appraised him with a set jaw, but that was gone once she finally returned his smile.

"Call me Grams." she said as she passed him the dinner rolls. Faye then set her focus on Raven.  "So you're finally bringing a man home... that's good, because I was beginning to wonder." said Grams. Snickers came from both Karris and Drake. He and Raven glanced at each other, and she gave him the evil eye, she knew exactly why he was laughing, this was the second time her sexuality has come into question.

"I've brought a guy home before. Drew use to come over for dinner all the time." She spoke indignantly, not knowing if she was more embarrassed than annoyed with her current situation. As Raven looked about the room, she saw nothing but smiling faces directed at her guest. She plotted her revenge in her head as she cut through her steak; she was definitely going to get him back.

"That's not all he used to do."  Faye said and slyly turned her face to the side. Raven dropped her fork leaning back in her chair waiting for the speech that was sure to come her way. She knew exactly what her grandmother was hinting at.

Karen saw the discomfort on Raven's face and tried to do something about it, "Mom don't, now's not-" Karen's attempt to save her daughter fell short when her mother held her hand up to stop her from speaking.

"I warned you about that boy." Faye continued on, "I told you, he was a low down dirty rotten no good bastard, and what'd he do. He cheated on you with that big headed girl you live with."

Drake's head quickly turned to face Raven, shock was written all over him. Now he knew why she and Dollicia hated each other.

Even though things had been over between Raven and her ex for almost a year, he was still a soft spot for her. Just hearing his name made her think about all the things she gave up for him over the course of their five year relationship. "Oh my god, can we please change the subject." Raven exploded when she couldn't take anymore.

Drake could sense the irritation brewing within Raven, hell he could practically feel it. He watched as she played with the food on her plate. There was a strange pull inside of him seeing this down look on her face, it made him want to do something to change it. "This is a good steak." He said breaking the awkward silence in the room. His hand reached out from under the table and rested on Raven's jittery thigh, her motions stilled as her eyes came up from her plate to meet his. No words were spoken between them, but he knew she was silently thanking him.