Feeling only about half composed, Jenna stepped out front and took two strides to the counter next to the register. “Mother.” She tried to smile, but it was tough on a good day to make pleasantries with her mother. Today she had no tolerance for the woman at all.
“What were you doing back there? I could have robbed you blind while you left me hanging.” Her mother stood tall in her high heels. She kept her hands folded in front of her as she glanced around the room, scrutinizing every detail. She clearly avoided touching anything as though the plague were housed in Ribbons and Bows.
Ignoring her mother’s insults, Jenna asked a question of her own. “What are you doing here, Mother? I’m working.”
“That is no way to speak to your mother, young lady. I came to make sure you were coming for dinner Sunday. You haven’t been in a long time. You need to rejoin the family.” Her words were filled with double meaning. When the woman said “rejoin the family,” what she really meant was for Jenna to give up her dreams and come back into the fold like the prodigal child.
“Jenna.” The voice behind her made her cringe. The last thing she wanted to do was share Mason with her mother. If that wasn’t bad enough, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his side. “Who is this? Did I hear you say this was your mother?”
She glanced at him, trying to give him a look that said “Stop while you’re ahead” with her eyes, but he was staring at her mother and smiling broadly.
If Jenna could have captured the look on her mother’s face on camera when Jenna jolted her neck back to look at the stunned woman, she’d have had a priceless memory. Instead, she watched her mother swallow her shock before a smile spread across her face. Finding some composure, she recovered herself. “I am. And who are you?”
“Mason Simmons.” He reached forward with the hand not wrapped around Jenna and waited.
Miraculously, although Jenna knew Mason was undoubtedly not the sort of man her mother would normally give the time of day, she opted for polite and took his offered hand. “Joann Mathews. Jenna hasn’t mentioned you.”
“Well, that makes two of us then, ma’am,” he said in his most polite voice. “But to be honest, we’ve only been dating a few weeks.”
Jenna cringed. Her mother was going to have a field day with this.
“Is that so?” She turned her steely gaze on Jenna. “I expect you at dinner this Sunday. Six sharp. Don’t be late.”
“Mother, I’m not coming to dinner. I have too much to do. If you might have noticed, I work for a living.” Jenna spread her arms to encompass the room as if the obvious might jump out and bite her mother this time. She tried to dislodge Mason’s grip on her waist in the process but to no avail.
Mason turned his face toward Jenna’s and raised an eyebrow. “Sunday? You aren’t open on Sunday. Surely you can squeeze in dinner with the family?”
Jenna’s face burned. She wanted to kick him. Couldn’t he tell she had no desire to do a damn thing with her family?
Her mother humphed. “You should listen to him, dear. After all, we’re family.” She turned toward Mason. “Why don’t you come too? I’m sure her father and sister would love to meet you.”
Jenna almost swallowed her tongue. The only thing worse than dinner with her family would be dinner with her family and Mason. No. Fucking. Way.
“Excellent, ma’am. We’ll be there.” Mason squeezed Jenna’s waist, and before she could close her mouth and form words of protest, her mother lifted her chin, spun on her heels, and stomped out of the shop.
After the echoing ring of the door chime stopped, Jenna ducked her head and tried to catch her breath. She’d been bamboozled, and she hated it.
“What was that all about?” Mason asked. He tried to pull her into his embrace, but she squirmed away from him and stepped back.
“You have no idea what you committed us to.” She ran a hand through her hair and paced the room.
“What? She’s your mother. Why wouldn’t you want to have dinner with your family?”
“That woman is nobody’s mother.” Jenna stopped dragging her feet and faced Mason from the other side of the counter. “Sure, she gave birth to me, but she’s never been much of a mother. She’s a manipulating, conniving bitch, and the only thing she cares about is appearances. It drives her fucking crazy that I left the family fold to open my own shop and do something on my own. All she’s done since day one is moan about her reputation and humor me until I quote ‘See the light.’” Jenna lifted her hands to make air quotes as she finished.