“Why not? It wouldn’t be the first time you hit on something that should have been off limits.” Even as the words roll off my tongue I taste it—my bitter resentment. Yup. It’s been over five years and I’m still replaying the memories, the scars through my head every single day. But how can I not? She’s my sister.
“Jules, that was unnecessary,” Dad scolds me. Mom chimes in quickly, pointing out the inappropriateness of my behavior, especially in front of a guest…my guest, the fake boyfriend. When I look over to Kayden, I feel like a complete fool and mutter an apology, but he shakes his head, refusing to accept it, and squeezes my knee under the table.
He clears his throat and that deep, smoky voice reappears. “Why do you ask, Danny?” The awkward bomb that’s destined to explode sometime over these next few days is defused for the time being by Kayden and his charm.
“Oh, well, I’m currently in the works of auditioning for a movie and could use someone to run lines with. I would ask Matt, but he embarrasses me by how freaking amazing he is. Plus, he rehearses in the nude. But mostly, I’m intimated by his talent.”
Dad laughs and rolls his eyes at Danny, smitten by his comment. I wish Dad would act like he despised Danny a little whenever I was around. Would that be too much to ask for?
Kayden looks at me, wondering how he should respond to Danny’s invite, hoping not to betray me; but, I nod to give him the OK. Who knew? Maybe it could help Kayden with his acting career.
“I would help; but…” Kayden nuzzles my neck, planting a light kiss there. “I’m really focused on connecting with Jules these next few days, to see where she comes from.” Kayden’s words are so caring and thoughtful, and I feel the knots in my stomach tighten a bit more. He has to know that running lines with someone like Danny could lead to some amazing networking, but he chooses against it, picking me over his career.
Not to sound super annoying and pathetic; but hell, I’m going to sound super annoying and pathetic because that’s what I do best—no one has ever put me first. It feels pretty freaking good to be chosen first.
A chef enters with homemade, super fancy gourmet pizzas. The table slowly starts to fill up with more and more options, and as the food keeps coming out, my stomach starts growling.
Everyone starts to dive into the food, and Mom can’t help but apologize to Kayden for the ‘lame’ dinner spread. “We decided on an easier meal for tonight, saving the more elaborate meals for the next few days. I hope you like pizza.”
“It just so happens pizza is my favorite food of all time. So I think we’re off to a good start.”Avoiding all the fancy over-the-top pizzas, Kayden reaches for the pepperoni. The only reason there is a pepperoni pizza on the table is because of me. I hate all of the garbage people toss onto pizzas. Keep it clean and simple. Dad calls me a picky eater; I call him a Hollywood eater.
“Good, I’m glad. So, Jules told me about how you both met, and I find it amazingly romantic,” Mom says to Kayden, sliding a slice of pizza onto her plate.
“Really? It didn’t sound that romantic at all to me. But I guess that’s because Richard over here told the story. Guys always leave out the romance,” Lisa says, and I arch an eyebrow in Kayden’s direction. He told her how we met? But how? I told Mom how we met! And I doubt his story involved the horses and white roses! Plus, I’m really beginning to hate the way people are calling him Richard.
Kayden smiles and laughs to himself. “Well, you know us guys…We’re idiots like that.” He edges closer to me and pretends to kiss my neck as he whispers, “How did we meet? I said in a bar.”
When he pulls away, I slowly shake my head back and forth. This is discomforting. Reaching for the glass of wine in front of me, I grab and chug. And chug…and chug some more.
Mom laughs. “Lisa, you never did get a hold of the romance bug. I think it was sweet! The way he hired a horse and carriage in the park just to get her attention.”
And let the choking on wine begin. Only this time, it isn’t me choking; it’s my fake boyfriend, who is the best actor ever. The way his face is turning red and the veins in his neck are popping out is super convincing. Distraction is the key with this family, but this, well…it seems a bit extreme.
“Water…” he mutters, and I am just about ready to give him an Oscar from the bookshelf until he reaches for the glass of water and knocks it over. “Nuts…” he chokes out, patting his neck before pushing away from the table.
Nuts?!
Oh my gosh. He’s allergic to nuts.
“Mom! Are there nuts in the tomato sauce?” Choking on my own panic, I watch Kayden struggle as I feel my own throat tightening. As he fights for every breath, my breathing becomes labored with his.
Mom’s eyes register extreme concern, along with Dad’s anxious blue eyes. “Um, I think—in the sauce. Pecans, I think.” I see her face shift to anger, and that anger is now directed toward me. “You told me he wasn’t allergic to anything! I called and asked!”
Kayden continues scratching at his itching neck as he clears his throat. “No, it’s fine.”