21. Mia
MIA
"Do you want to talk about last night?” Aaron asked, steering the car smoothly around a curve. It was the second time he’d asked in the twenty minutes since we’d left for Chattanooga.
“No. Little kids just aren’t really my thing, so I decided to go home.”
It was a lie, and Aaron likely knew it.
Fortunately, the windy mountain roads took up most of his focus, so he didn’t press. Much.
“Are you sure? Because?—“
“I just want to focus on tonight. I’ve been looking forward to this for a week.”
“Me too. I can’t wait for my family to meet you.”
That part made me very nervous, but I didn’t want to show it. Instead, I focused on the part of the evening I was the most excited about, except for Aaron himself. “I can’t wait to put on that beautiful dress Tori lent me.”
“I can’t believe you wouldn’t let me see it.”
“It looks better on me than the hanger.” After the words came out, I realized they sounded boastful, but what the hell… they were kind of true.
“I’d bet a million bucks that it does.”
He drove on, his eyes on the road, but I could tell he wanted to say something else. “Would it sound corny if I said that I’d be glad you were there by my side even if you were wearing jeans and a hoodie?”
My cheeks heated as I flushed. “A little bit corny… but also nice.” I placed my hand over the back of his, and he immediately turned his around, squeezing mine. We drove like that for a few minutes before his hand returned to the wheel.
Then I laughed.
“What?”
“If you want a partner wearing jeans and a hoodie, next time invite Cody.”
He chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
The drive northwest was unfamiliar, but I couldn’t focus on the scenery. I just kept thinking about Diego, and the look in his eyes. How upset he’d been.
Aaron tried a few more times to engage me in conversation, and I realized I was being a bad date. Time to change that.
“So, your grandparents have been married fifty years, right?”
“Fifty years and four days, I think?”
He glanced over, one arm lazily resting on the wheel. He had on a tight white t-shirt and khakis. His suit and my dress were both in garment bags in the back.
“But they’re the ones who adopted you, right?”
“Right.” He gave me a wry smile. “I get asked this a lot.”
“Asked what?”
“Why I call them my grandparents rather than my parents.”
“Ah. Yes, I was wondering about that.”
“They couldn’t have biological kids of their own, so they took in a bunch of foster kids over the years.
Adopted a lot of them. My oldest siblings are in their forties, and they call them mom and dad, of course.
But now they have kids of their own, who all call them grandma and grandpa.
By the time I joined the family, nearly everyone under thirty called them grandma and grandpa, so I did too. ”
“How many siblings do you have?”
“A lot.”
“And how many of them are going to judge the girl you’re bringing with you?”
“None.” He paused. “Except maybe Cousin Dan, but who cares about him?”
“I sure don’t,” I said, and Aaron laughed. We were entering Chattanooga, and it was bigger than I expected.
Aaron drove confidently through the streets, making frequent turns. Finally, he pulled into a drive under a five-story building. He pressed a button on his sun visor, and a large door slid to the side, admitting us into an underground garage.
I blinked at the sudden darkness. All I could make out were rows of cars. Rows of very expensive looking cars. “What are we doing here?”
“We have to change.” He said that like it should’ve been obvious.
“Yeah, but I thought we’d do that in a gas station bathroom.”
He laughed. “Trust me, the condo’s much nicer.” He pulled into a marked slot and shut off the engine.
“Whose place is this?” I really didn’t want to meet any of his family while wearing my oversized sweater and leggings.
“No one’s. It’s empty.”
I froze, hardly realizing that he’d gotten out of the car until he came over and opened my door. “Your family owns an extra condo that no one ever lives at?” And something told me it was an extremely nice condo, too, judging by the exterior of the building and the cars parked down here.
“No, it belongs to the law firm. They sometimes have out-of-town guests stay here.”
I climbed out, stretching my legs while Aaron got our things from the backseat. “And who owns the law firm?”
“My grandpa and two of my brothers.”
I nearly rolled my eyes. “So, as I said, your family owns an extra condo that no one lives at.” I couldn’t imagine the expense of that. “Are only the men in your family lawyers?”
Aaron’s eyes went unfocused for a moment, as if he was running through the careers of a great number of people. Jesus, how many siblings did he have? “Practicing, yes. But my sister Katie was a lawyer. She’s a judge now.”
I stilled again, and Aaron had to tug on my arm to get me moving. He kept his hand on my arm as he guided me toward the elevator. “Your family has lawyers and judges and mayors?” The disbelief was evident in my voice.
“A former mayor,” he clarified. We stepped into the elevator, and he pressed the button for the highest floor. “Relax, they’re all really eager to meet you.”
“That’s what I’m worried about.”
As the elevator glided smoothly upward, he leaned in, his voice lowered. “If you want to worry about something, worry about how I’m not going to be able to keep my hands off you when I see you in your dress.”
My jaw dropped and my skin flushed as I gaped up at the smirk on his face. His words shocked me, but once my brain kicked back into gear, I realized he’d been trying to distract me from worrying about meeting his family.
And it worked.
“I’m, uh, looking forward to seeing you in your tux, too.” His smirk resolved into his usual smile, and just like that, I felt better.
Even when the elevator opened directly into the family condo, and it looked like a penthouse in a five-star hotel. Even when Aaron escorted me to a suite that had a bedroom, a small living room, and a huge bathroom.
Everything was marble, glass, or gleaming bronze. There was an actual makeup table in the bathroom, and I sat there while I fixed my hair, half up and half down like a picture Tori had sent me.
I took my time with my makeup. Then the sparkling earrings that Hailey had lent me. Then the high-heeled strappy shoes I’d bought at a boutique a few days ago. And then… the dress.
It felt so damn good when the smooth, shimmery fabric dropped down my body. It clung to me in a good way, and when I struck a pose in front of the mirror, my leg poked out of the slit. The high heels, while not super comfortable to walk in, sure made my legs look better.
I hoped I’d knock Aaron’s socks off when he saw me.
And maybe I did, because when I entered the living room, he turned from the fireplace… and his mouth literally dropped open.
“Jesus, Mia.” He looked stunned. “You look… holy shit.”
He was frozen for another ten seconds before he slowly moved toward me. “This is the understatement of the year, but… wow. You’re stunning.”
His black tux fit as if he had a team of tailors in the other room. The black made his eyes look darker, except for the gold flecks. His short beard was neatly trimmed, and his hair was slicked back.
Aaron looked like a million dollars—and then some.
He walked toward me as if in a trance. Those tawny eyes swept up and down my body, but I didn’t mind. I’d done that a lot, looking in the full-length mirror in the bathroom.
The dress was definitely the most beautiful thing I’d ever worn.
If it weren’t for the color, I’d want to get married in it.
It was this gorgeous rust-red color, kind of like a mix between burnt orange and deep rose, and it shouldn’t have worked with the red highlights in my hair, but somehow it did.
Tori had called the color sienna, and Hailey had called it Marsala. Whatever it was, I loved wearing it. The fabric was super light and soft, kind of chiffon-y, so it moved with me when I walked. It somehow felt like it floated around me while at the same time clinging to me.
The top was held up by thin spaghetti straps.
The neckline dipped just enough to be a little flirty without making me worry about anything, er, popping out.
The silky fabric hugged my waist in all the right places, giving me an hourglass shape I hadn’t even been aware of.
Probably it didn’t exist in less flattering clothes.
The sleeves were small, and hung teasingly off my shoulders, fluttering when I walked. They didn’t cover much, but they made me feel pretty and feminine.
But the high slit was more femme fatale than feminine.
Almost the whole length of my leg slipped out when I walked, but when I stood still, my legs together, the two sides of the fabric came together.
That pleased me, because I didn’t want to meet Aaron’s grandparents with my leg sticking out, but I couldn’t help loving how the fabric parted when I moved.
Evidently, Aaron liked that too, because he didn’t even blink as I walked toward him.
“You look… I don’t even have the words for it.
” He shook his head, as if trying to snap himself out of it.
“Let’s just say that I want to invent a time machine so that I can have you at my side at every single family event I’ve ever been to. ”
I laughed softly. “Weren’t you seven when you joined the family? That’s a little young to bring a date.”
“I don’t care,” Aaron said, the look on his face sending delicious shivers up my spine. Then he shook his head again, to clear it. “I’m so glad you’re going to be on my arm tonight, but I also want you to have a nice time. A woman who looks like you do deserves an amazing evening out.”
He reached my side and took my hand, squeezing it. “If at any time my family gets to be too much, just squeeze my hand like this, okay? It’s really important to me that you have a nice evening.”
“I’m sure I will.”
“I know I will,” he said, his eyes on the scooped neckline of my dress. “But I’m serious. If you’re tired, or nervous, or if anyone’s questions make you nervous, or if Cousin Dan flirts with you, just squeeze my hand.” He frowned slightly. “ Especially if Cousin Dan flirts with you.”
I laughed lightly and kept hold of his hand.
I hoped I enjoyed the evening, because I sensed he’d feel bad if I didn’t.
But I also hoped I enjoyed it for my sake, too.
We were in a rich, fancy condo, and heading to an even richer, fancier reception.
My dress made me feel like a princess, and dammit, I wanted to have a magical evening.
Soon, we’d be back at the house. Back to homework and tests and stress.
And back to two men who had both made me feel crappy the last time we’d talked.
And yes, after a life spent in and out of various foster homes, I was probably more sensitive to rejection than most, but still, it stung.
At the movie night with Cody and then babysitting with Diego, I’d been having fun, and I’d thought they had been, too. Except then it ended badly.
But I was here tonight with a gorgeous and kind man, and I was determined to enjoy the hell out of it.