Mom, shook Jack’s hand and I could swear she blushed a little bit as she said, “Call me Renee, please.”
“Renee.” Jack nodded and released her hand.
“Go get ready honey, you are always late. I won’t tell Jack too many stories about your childhood if you hurry.” Mom laughed, but I knew she wasn’t kidding.
I gave her a silent “I’ll kill you if you do” face as I walked by and then rushed to finish getting ready. I heard Jack and mom laughing a few times in the other room and, although I was afraid of what horrible childhood stories she was sharing, the sound of them laughing together warmed my heart.
Jack stood as I entered the room. The only time the man didn’t have perfect manners was in the bedroom. In the bedroom, he was domineering and commanding, such a stark contrast in some ways to the please and thank you gentleman that stood before me. Although, if I really thought about it, both bedroom and gentlemanly Jack had one thing in common, they took care of me.
Dinner was incredible, even though mom shared too many embarrassing childhood stories. She told Jack about my penchant for streaking when I was four and about the time that I took off all my clothes and rode my bicycle down the entire block naked. Apparently, I had only made it about a dozen houses before the old lady next door called to report that she was upset at my lewd behavior. I knew from Jack’s face during that particular story that I’d be hearing more about my little naked endeavors later.
Mom didn’t grill Jack as bad as I thought she would, but she seemed satisfied at the answers she got to the questions she was able to get in. The glass of wine with dinner, coupled with the massage during the day and how well things were going, allowed me to relax. But my relaxation didn’t last long, every muscle jumped back into a tight ball of stress, the minute I saw Jack’s father walk into the restaurant. I silently said a prayer that he wouldn’t see us, but God wasn’t listening.
Jack’s back was to the door, so he had no warning until he was standing aside our table. “Sydney, how nice to see you.” I watched as a Jack’s face changed, his smiling eyes shuttered and his jaw tensed as he turned with a face of steel. “Son, it wasn’t enough to take out one pretty girl this evening, you had to bring her sister too?”
Shit. I had to do something, if Jack had to say more than two words to his father, I knew it wasn’t going to end pretty. I jumped in head first, “This is my mom, Renee, Mr. Heston.” My mom turned to face Jack’s dad and I watched her take him in. He was an older, more polished looking version of Jack. Jack was sexy with chiseled features, but there was still something about him that was rough and rugged looking. His dad, on the other hand, screamed old money and polish and didn’t look like he ever had a fistfight in his life. But he was still a very handsome older man, a fact clearly not lost on my mother.
“Didn’t I tell you to call me Jack, Sydney? The way you two have been inseparable lately, you might be calling me Dad one day.” His father winked at me with his comment.
Jack’s father held out his hand to my mother and I thought Jack was going to explode when he brought my mother’s hand to his mouth and gently kissed the top of her hand. Luckily my aim was good, and my foot met Jack’s shin under the table just as he was pushing his chair back to get up. He looked at me and I sent him warning eyes, begging him to stay put. I was shocked that he listened.#p#分页标题#e#
My mother blushed a bit “Nice to meet you Mr. Heston.”
“You too, my dear. I can see where Syd gets her beauty from.”
Shit, Shit, Shit. From the look on Jack’s face, I knew he was about to blow and I had to do something quick. I stood awkwardly. “It was nice to see you, Mr. Heston, mum Jack, you’ll have to excuse me I was just going to go the ladies room before you walked over. Mom, why don’t you join me?”
Mom looked disappointed to be dragged away from the debonair Jack Heston Sr., but she stood to go, nonetheless. “It was nice meeting you Mr. Heston.” My mom shook his hand again and I nodded, knowing a physical touch from his father to me could send Jack right over the edge.
“Be right back Jack.” I smiled and widened my eyes to Jack, another attempt at a warning.
I took as long as I could in the bathroom, trying to wait out whatever storm had to come to pass in the restaurant. My mom didn’t seem to notice anything unusual about Jack’s dad’s visit to our table, or, if she did, she didn’t say anything. Either way, I was grateful not to have to explain anything to her. I reapplied my lipstick, stalling for time, and then took a deep breath as we made our way back to our table. I was relieved to find Jack’s father gone and didn’t dare look around the restaurant for him, for fear finding him would cause him to reappear. Jack was sitting at the table and I noticed he had an empty small cut crystal glass in front of him that wasn’t there earlier. As we sat, I realized that he had ordered a drink and downed it while we were in the restroom.