Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
“This was such a mistake,” I whispered to Porter under my breath as we stood at the entrance of Bayswater’s grand dining room.
My parents waited at their usual table. They were far away, but it wasn’t nearly far enough.
He placed his hand on the small of my back and looked down at me. “It’ll be fine.”
“What’s your last name?” An inordinate amount of panic surged through my body as we walked toward my parents.
“Lyons.”
Porter Lyons. The name suited him.
Dad stood as we approached.
“Hi, Dad.” I kissed him on the cheek and stepped back. “I’d like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Porter Lyons.”
My father was a big man, but he was dwarfed by Porter’s stature. They shook hands, and Dad’s hands seemed so small in Porter’s.
“Pleased to meet you, sir,” Porter said.
“Call me Rich,” my father said gruffly.
“Thank you.” Porter nodded at Mom. “It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Stirling. ”
She sniffed, her expression borderline sullen as we sat.
“Well,” Dad held the wine list towards Porter, “would you like to order us a bottle of wine?”
Dad had pulled this same shit on Yates, who had valiantly tried his best to order wine he thought my parents would like. The rest of the meal, Mom pulled a face every time she took a sip of her wine.
Porter shook his head. “I don’t drink wine. You’re better off ordering what you like.”
Dad didn’t know how to respond to that piece of honesty. He made a noise in his throat, and without looking at the menu, ordered a bottle of his favorite red. I ordered a double G&T, which I knew I’d need, and Porter stuck with water. After we ordered our meals, silence descended on the table.
“So, Porter, what kind of job do you have?”
“I’m in the Navy.”
A huge smile broke over my father’s face. “Really. That’s fantastic.”
What? No, wait. What?
Dad continued, “Everyone’s so proud of the men and women that serve. Myself included.”
“Did you go to college?” Mom asked.
“No, ma’am.”
“Do you plan on attending college?”
“Mom,” I tried to interrupt, but she was only getting warmed up.
Porter reached beneath the table and gave my hand a big squeeze. “Not at the moment.”
Mom pinned Porter with another look. “Why not?”
“I’m very satisfied with my current line of work.”
Dad regaled us with a long story about an old army buddy he used to know and what a great guy he was while Porter and I listened politely. Mom had that look on her face. The one where she looked like she wanted to kick Dad under the table. Our food arrived, and for a blessed minute, everyone was silent as they ate .
“So, Porter, where have you traveled?” Mom was the first to break the silence. At least she was trying.
“For work or for pleasure?”
“Either.”
Porter looked over at me and laughed. “Well, I’ve been to Mexico for a vacation.”
Dad nodded. “We love Mexico. We’ve been there a number of times.”
“I’m sure your travel stories are more interesting.”
“Where else have you been?” Mom pushed.
Porter paused, thinking. “I’ve been to Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria…”
OMG. I picked up my glass and drained it.
Mom couldn’t keep the shock off her face. “I see. Any other places?”
“Those are the only places I can tell you about. The rest is classified.”
Mom hated secrets unless she was in on them. “So, your work is dangerous.”
Porter shrugged. “I guess. I don’t really think of it in those terms.”
“Lyons isn’t a common name. Did you grow up in New York?”
“Montana.”
“Oh.” Her eyes widened. “That’s unusual.” As if a million people didn’t live there.
I stole Dad’s wine and took a long gulp.
“It’s beautiful country out there.”
“Do you own your own house, Porter?”
“No, ma’am.”
“How long have you been dating Beth?”
“Sweetie, let the poor guy eat his steak. You can interrogate him over dessert.” Dad gave us an apologetic smile.
“We’ve been dating since Emily’s shower,” I volunteered. “That’s how we met. ”
My mom sniffed the air like it had a bad smell. “So, you’re not too serious then.”
Porter gave me a long look, and without taking his eyes off my face, he said, “I’m serious enough to make Beth’s well-being my priority.”
This guy deserved a freaking Oscar.
Our plates were cleared, and the finish line was in sight. Dad stood and placed his hand on Porter’s shoulder. “Why don’t we let the women enjoy their dessert while we retire to the billiards room for a drink,” he suggested, in a tone that told me he was more than suggesting it.
I was thinking of any reason why we needed to leave when Porter stood up. “That sounds like a great idea,” he said with an easy smile towards me.
Fear pricked my skin as I watched them walk towards the men’s-only billiards room.
“I don’t like him.”
I glanced over at my mom. “Why not?”
“He’s of questionable pedigree.” This was Mom. This was how she saw the world.
“I think that’s rude.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Mom, Porter is a really great person,” I barely knew Porter, but his actions to date warranted my defense.
“Yates comes from a better home, and his degree and MBA are Ivy League. He also knows how to dress and can work a room better than anyone.”
“Yates is a liar and a cheat.”
Astonishment rippled through her features. “When are you going to get over his indiscretions, Beth? Honestly, can’t a guy make one mistake in his life?”
I leaned over the table and hissed, “He was sleeping with my boss. For months. It wasn’t a drunken mistake after some bachelor party. He was having an affair with someone I knew. ”
Her eyes fluttered. “He said he was sorry.”
“I know he’s sorry, Mom. And I forgive him. I harbor no ill will towards him, but you need to realize I’m not interested in getting back together with Yates.”
“For now.”
“Mom!”
“You remember Lori McDavis?”
“What about her?”
“She was dating Mitch her junior year of college, and she broke up with him over one of his indiscretions.”
“He was caught sleeping with her aunt.”
“My point is, what is Mitch doing?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“He works at a Fortune 500 company. His mom told me that not long ago, he bought a home in the Hamptons, and he bought his young, beautiful fiancé an Aston Martin.”
“Good for him.”
“What is Lori doing?”
“I have no idea.”
She leaned forward. “Lori let herself get long in the tooth.”
I laughed. “Does anyone even say that anymore? Long in the tooth?”
“My point is, Lori recently had her thirtieth birthday. She’s still working, and I heard that she’s dating a cop.”
“Mom! That’s perfectly respectable.”
“Beth, there is nothing acceptable about dating a cop.”
“Is this cop a nice guy? Does he care about Lori? Is he faithful to her? These are the important questions, Mom. You need to be worried about how big his heart is, not how big his bank account is.”
“A man can have both,” she argued.
“What’s your point?”
“My point is, there’s no room for someone like Porter in your future. He’s a common soldier, who lives a military life.”
“So? ”
“Beth, be sensible.”
This conversation was making me crazy. Every time Mom and I came together we had the exact same fight. Her view of the world was terrifyingly narrow. And it seemed the harder I fought to get out of her world, the harder she worked to pull me back. My path was unknown, and it scared her. Hell, it scared me. But the tug-pull between us promised to, one day, permanently ruin our relationship.
Sadness made my throat so tight. Why couldn’t we just get along?
“Mom, I think I need some fresh air. Will you excuse me?”