Before he could speak, Jenna chimed in. “Oh, Stent cooks for me all the time. He has this delicious chicken marinade he makes—”
“I don’t cook for anyone but Jordan. I may have shared a meal I’ve cooked, but I don’t cook for anyone else,” Stenton qualified. Then he turned to me. “I haven’t shared recipes with anyone either. I may have cooked with someone else in the kitchen and used their assistance, but I’ve never taught anyone anything.”
“So, how’s dating life going for you?” Maggie briskly and abruptly asked, staring me square in the face. I was convinced it was a deliberate move on her part.
The table went quiet.
I grabbed my glass and the bottle of wine and poured the last of it. And while I did, I muttered, “Now, Maggie, surely you have more class than to ask such a personal question in front of my son, particularly with you being a virtual stranger and all.”
“Momma!” Jenna hissed. “Please.”
Maggie raised her palms in the air defensively. “Okay. Fair game.” She folded her arms, resting them on the table. “I can ask about your little business. How’s the bakery? Jenna told me it’s like the Little Engine That Could. I’m sure it…keeps you busy. Would that be too personal or inappropriate for the table?”
“Well, I wouldn’t call the business little,” my mother asserted defensively. Maggie wanted to spar again, I gathered. And I was ready.
“Engine? I don’t know how small an engine can be to service two locations, with one being in affluent Philadelphia, which is keeping me quite busy.” I then mimicked her posture at the table. I wouldn’t even look at Stenton, refused to or I’d crack.
“Oh!” Jenna noted. “I didn’t know you had two locations. I’d only known about the one, which is all Stenton has told me.”
“Oh, that’s cute. It sounds like a nice project for Stenton’s baby’s mother to keep busy,” Maggie, cut in again, and cracked a tight smile, smoothing out all her wrinkles.
“Welp, StentRo, sounds like you need to keep the lady in your life more abreast with what’s going on with your baby’s momma.” I flashed a bright smile, ignoring wrinkled Maggie, while fighting the urge to burst out in laughter at the tomfoolery taking place.
Stenton’s jaw tightened as he was turned to Jordan, cleaning the morsels of bread that dropped from his mouth onto the table. His glare was cautionary, and I didn’t care.
“Well, that’s why I wanted this dinner tonight. Stenton doesn’t talk about you guys at all. He only refers to you as family and I can tell you’re special to him. And I would like to be in his life for a while…” Jenna gives a bashful grin at putting her desire for a forever with Stenton out there. “…and hopefully start a family of our own to blend with yours.”
“We already have a unit. If you want to join us, that’s fine,” Maggie amended for Jenna.
“I couldn’t have said it any better, Maggie. We are a tight unit,” I inserted, smiling affectionately at my matriarch, who, in turn communicated an admonishing message through tight eyes, forcing me to clean it up. “But Jenna, you’ve been very gracious in extending the olive branch. I appreciate it.”
“Yes.” Jenna acknowledged. “And I would also like to have Jordan around sometime. I’d like to have fun with him. We don’t have much in the back yard, but can order some fun stuff for us to play with. I also have a spare bedroom.”
“That’s actually my sewing room,” Maggie corrected.
“Mother, you’re never in there. I’m sure we can clear that stuff out and make room for Jordan for when he’s ready to come over.” She craned her neck to see on the side of Stenton, over to Jordan. “Would you like that, Jordan?”