17. Chapter 17
Living with the guys has gone surprisingly well for the last couple of months, almost too well. Cole is still in talks with the Ice Dragons. He’s expecting to hear their final determination soon. We’re still ignoring each other for the most part, and that’s fine with me. Talon is still working tirelessly on his music. Foster has been stockpiling social media content to keep his business going when he begins his coaching gig. Tonight is a true test of our budding relationship because Foster’s parents are coming over for dinner.
I’ve met his parents once before when we were teenagers, but I’m still nervous about making a good impression. I’m exhausted from working a half-day shift this afternoon and would rather rest, but I just got out of the shower and am considering my options for what to wear. I’m not excited about this at all, but Foster is, which makes me suck up my issues so I can be supportive of him.
I pull on another sundress from my closet and grimace. It doesn’t feel right for the occasion, plus I know both guys will ogle me all night in it, which could make things awkward. Maybe a skirt and blouse would be better. I groan and throw myself on my queen bed. It’s covered in the purple comforter that I brought from home. My room here is a mix of old and new. The oak furniture was already here: a matching four-poster bed, a dresser with a mirror, and two nightstands. The walls are a dove gray, a perfect blank slate with some floral paintings that someone had decorated, and I’ve added my knickknacks. This place feels like home now.
With my decision made, I pull on the black pencil skirt and a pink sleeveless blouse that shows not even a sliver of cleavage. I don’t even look at myself in the mirror this time, determined to stick with this outfit because I am running out of time. I pull my hair back into the chignon I usually wear for work and put on minimum makeup. I check my reflection and I look a little like a librarian. It’s the perfect look to deflect from the fact that I’m banging their amazing son and the tattooed rockstar.
“They’re here,” Talon calls up the stairs, and I slide my feet into my favorite pair of ballet flats and trot down to meet them in the foyer. Talon is dressed in dark jeans and a short-sleeved button-up, while Foster has on a navy polo and khakis. Everyone looks good in their preppy best.
Foster opens the door, and his mom bursts in. Once a natural rust color, her hair is dyed a vibrant red. Her warm brown eyes were the same as I remembered, perfectly matching her son’s.
She looks at me, and I think she recognizes me, but she can’t quite place me.
“Mrs. Holland, I’m Blake Knox. I was a friend of Foster’s in high school,” I say, holding out my hand.
She ignores my hand and wraps me in a perfumed hug, “Oh, yes. I remember now. You came for dinner with us one night, right?” she asks.
Foster pulls me away from his mom and wraps an arm around my back, “That was her. She’s my girlfriend now.”
She legitimately squeals, “A girlfriend? Finally, my Fozzie Bear is settling down.”
I giggle at the nickname I barely remember. Talon snorts before Foster glares at him.
We’d discussed earlier Foster introducing me as his girlfriend, and I agreed. His family is traditional and may not be comfortable with him living under the same roof as a woman. I won’t be the one to tell them that their precious son had quite the reputation with girls in high school and beyond.
“Mom and Dad, I’m sure you remember Talon. He’s renting this house that we’re living in. Cole couldn’t be here. He has a team meeting with the Ice Dragons.”
“I hope he gets on the team. Stacy will be so thrilled to have her boy back in town,” his dad says.
Foster leads us into the dining room, where he sits me between him and Talon on one side of the table and his parents across from us. We’ve had the food catered in from our favorite Italian restaurant because none of us are great at cooking for a crowd. The food is spread out, family-style, and we all dig in.
“How do you two like living in Florida? The weather must be hard to get used to,” I ask, trying to start the conversation.
“The heat does take some adjusting to. I like to visit here in the summers when the humidity gets to be too much there,” Mr. Holland answers.
“The heat is brutal, but it’s worth being close to Joe and his wife, Isabel. They have one little girl and she’s pregnant again. They’re due at the end of the year,” Mrs. Holland throws in, showing me a picture of a precious little girl on her phone.
“She’s beautiful. Congratulations.”
We continue to eat and chat. Foster and Talon give me small, intimate touches as the dinner continues. Foster’s mom’s gaze zeros in on the moment Talon sneaks his hand under the table to rest on my thigh. It’s not a scandalous touch, but it visibly confuses her, considering I’m supposed to be her son’s girlfriend.
Foster gets up to grab the cheesecake from the refrigerator, and when he returns, his mom can’t contain her questions.
“Is Blake dating both of you?”
The front door slams shut behind Foster’s parents as they storm out of the house without a goodbye or a backward glance.
Well, that went well, Foster says, but his voice lacks its usual jovial tone.
Mrs. Holland was, predictably, not accepting of our relationship dynamic. She said something under her breath about Foster never having children of his own. His father went on about how real men dont have to share a woman and made heavy implications that I was a slut. That was about the time Talon lost his shit and demanded they leave. And now here we were, staring at each other. None of us know what to make of what just happened.
Im sorry, Blake. He didnt mean it— Foster starts.
Talon cuts him off, his tone stern. He did mean it. We all heard. They are not welcome back here if theyre going to treat our girlfriend like that.
Foster nods, but I interject. You cant exclude him from his family like that, Talon. He cant lose them over this.
Foster touches my shoulder, Hes not wrong, pretty girl. If they cant respect my decisions and the woman I love, they dont get the privilege of being in my life. Theyve barely been present in my life the last few years as it is.
I look between them. Theyve agreed on this, but I wont stop arguing. “They won’t be the only people who disagree with our relationship. We cant just cut them all out of our lives.
Talon approaches me and pulls me into his arms, Why not? We dont need anyone who cant respect us enough to not run their mouths about it. We arent hurting anyone, and people who truly love us will only care that were happy.
He kisses my forehead, I need to go beat on some drums or something. He takes off, and I look back at Foster.
You feel that way too? I ask.
He nods, I do. Im not saying it doesnt hurt, but they wont be welcome here until they can understand how I choose to live my life.
I go to him, wrapping my arms around his middle, and he wraps his around me. I dont want you to lose your family. Do you think theyll come around to this idea of all of us?
I feel his shrug, I dont know. Thats up to them. Youre right. Not everyone will be accepting. Youll get most of the backlash, and its unfair.
Do you want to step away from us for a while? To decide if its worth all this drama? I ask him, terrified of his answer.
Absolutely not, he says with conviction.
While were embracing, the front door opens, and Cole walks in. How did dinner go? he asks, then takes in our faces. Not good?
I shake my head, and Foster answers him. Nope, not good. My parents dont like that Im part of a throuple. My dad called me a pussy and Blake a slut.
Cole winces, Im sorry, bro. He looks at me, Are you okay?
I nod, I will be. It was rough.
Hes coming around, Foster says after Cole goes up the stairs to his room.
I scoff, Because he was civil to me?
No, because he cares, Foster says, scooping me up in his arms before walking us both up the stairs to his room.