Chapter 11
“Jason, this is my sister, Rose,” Haley said, gesturing to the woman with her hair pulled back into a tight bun that looked like it hurt. She daintily offered her hand to him.
Jason took it gently, not because he was honored or overwhelmed to make her acquaintance.
No, he was simply afraid of breaking her long, thin hand.
As discreetly as he could, he quickly looked over the other two women in the group and quickly noted that all three of them were tall, way too fucking skinny, and flatter than a ten-year-old boy.
Although they were attractive women in their own right, they didn’t have a thing on his little grasshopper.
A few minutes later, he met Haley’s other sister Martha as well as both women’s husbands, John and Edward, before he was introduced to Haley’s mother, who looked upset for some reason. It took him a minute to realize that she was trying to smile.
Botox.
He should have known, Jason thought as he reached over and shook the woman’s hand just as gently as he had her daughters’ hands. He’d come across this expression countless times during parent-teacher conferences in the past to recognize the signs.
As he sat down next to Haley, who was fuming adorably, he couldn’t help but notice that John’s eyes landed on a waitress’s ass and stayed there as the young woman made her way around the table next to them.
Rose was busy frowning at Haley to notice her husband’s wandering eye.
Jason’s gaze shifted to the other two women to find them frowning in confusion in Haley’s direction, making him frown.
Her father was glaring at him, which was understandable, and Edward was sipping his wine while he stared at Haley’s breasts as she toyed with a dinner roll.
“Sweetie, do you really think you should be eating that?” Rose whispered with a pointed look at the roll Haley was fidgeting with, drawing everyone’s attention.
At Jason’s confused frown, Haley mouthed, “Carbs.”
Haley muttered something softly as she placed her roll on his plate.
She thought Haley needed to go on a diet?
Jason couldn’t help but run his eyes over Haley’s small, curvy figure, lingering on all his favorite places.
Not that he really needed to since he knew for a fact that Haley’s stomach was flat.
But damn it, if carbs were responsible for all those curves, then he’d make sure to keep her cabinets stocked with-
“Mr. Bradford,” Mr. Blaine said crisply, drawing his attention.
Shit.
Judging by her father’s expression, he wasn’t too happy about Jason’s leisurely perusal of his daughter. Not that he could blame him. If he had a daughter, which wasn’t happening any time soon, that looked like Haley, he’d lock her up and guard the door with a shotgun.
“What do you do for work, Mr. Bradford?” Mr. Blaine asked, taking a sip of wine.
“I teach history at Latin Scribe High School,” Jason said, noting all the expressions of distaste from the rest of Haley’s family at that announcement. Not that he cared, but did they really need to act like he’d just announced that he picked up horse shit with his hands for a living?
Mr. Blaine gave him an approving nod. “That’s a very good school. Several of my clients’ children attend that school,” he said as he turned his attention to Haley. “Perhaps you should think about applying for a position there, Haley.”
Before Jason could open his mouth and ask the man what the hell he was talking about, Haley smiled tightly and said, “That’s a great idea, Dad. I’ll send my resumé next week.”
“I think that’s a smart move,” her father said, oblivious to the deep blush spreading over Haley’s face as she once again shifted her gaze back to her napkin.
“Doesn’t she have to have a special degree to teach high school kids?” Martha demanded in a bored tone that pretty much said that she really didn’t care. “She teaches preschool, doesn’t she? I really don’t think they’re going to hire her to teach teenagers.”
“I’ll look into that tomorrow,” Haley said, not bothering to look up from her napkin.
What the hell was going on here?
This had to be a fucking joke, Jason thought as he leaned back in his seat and discreetly looked around the expensively decorated room for hidden cameras. There was just no way that his sweet little grasshopper came from such a cold family.
“If you’re thinking of going back to college, perhaps you should look into a real career,” Mrs. Blaine said, sending him an apologetic smile that really said that she didn’t give a fuck that she’d just insulted him, “I’m sure your father would be more than happy to pay for law school or medical school. ”
“Of course,” her father said absently as he checked his cellphone. “Just make sure you send my secretary the tuition bill like you did the last time.”
Haley’s hand stilled halfway to her water glass and Jason had to frown. Her grandmother made sure that he knew that Haley had worked three jobs to put herself through college and that she’d absolutely refused any help from her family. He’d never understood why until now.
“Perhaps she should apply to wherever Mr. Bradford attended if she wishes to teach high school. What college did you attend, Mr. Bradford?” Mrs. Blaine asked as she sent a small wave to someone at another table.
“Harvard,” he said, looking around the table and noting the bored expressions.
This family dinner was like nothing he’d ever experienced before.
He was used to large meals with warm, welcoming expressions and fights over seconds.
This dinner was cold and clinical and he couldn’t help but think that Haley didn’t belong. She was warm, sweet, and full of life.
Mr. Blaine grinned. “A fellow alumnus,” he said, holding his drink up in salute. “Your father wouldn’t happen to be Richard Bradford, would he? He and I attended law school together. Brilliant man.”
Jason took a sip of his water and shook his head. “No, my father’s name is Jared. He owns a construction company in Meddletown.
Mr. Blaine frowned slightly. “Well, I suppose your father’s company does quite well if he could afford to send you to Harvard.”
“Yes, he does well, but I actually attended on a scholarship,” Jason said, not surprised when Mr. Blaine’s expression turned back to disapproving.
As a scholarship student, he’d been treated little better than the hired help. He’d received gratitude, gifts, and slaps on the back when he played football and when he wasn’t scoring touchdowns, he was expected to work his ass off and do what he was told without complaint.
They hadn’t expected much from him. He doubted they even expected him to attend class, but he had.
He’d worked his ass off to graduate a year and a half early, pissing the alumni off.
They’d been hellbent on getting four years of football out of him on an academic scholarship, but he hadn’t cared.
He’d made damn sure that he got his education as quickly as possible since he knew that if he got hurt on the football field and couldn’t play any longer that they wouldn’t hesitate throwing his ass out the door.
“I think she should think about settling down,” Rose, at least he thought the one sitting next to him was Rose, said, making him sweat.
Christ, judging from the looks they’d been sending him since he’d sat down, it was obvious that they all thought that he was her boyfriend. Him, married with children?
Hell no.
Maybe he should just-
“I’m sure Edward can think of several men who would be interested in our Haley,” Rose suggested.
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Mr. Blaine agreed wholeheartedly.
Wait, what?
“John probably knows some men that would be interested as well. Don’t you, John?” Martha asked.
John looked away from another waitress’s ass and nodded. “I’m sure I can think of several men who would like to meet her,” John murmured absently as his gaze landed on another woman’s ass.
Was he the only one who realized that he’d just been insulted? This was bullshit. He was a fucking great catch. Plenty of women, much to his horror, wanted to marry him. He was just about to tell them that when something caught his attention.
A little snort of laughter.
He turned his glare on Haley as she shook with silent laughter. They were disrespecting his manliness and she was laughing at him?
What the hell?
“Haley, are you alright?” Mrs. Blaine asked, frowning in distaste as she watched Haley struggle to stop laughing her ass off at him.
Haley, it seemed, could only nod.
“Oh, I just had a wonderful idea!” Martha, Rose, or whatever the hell her name was, said excitedly. “Robert’s here. Why don’t we invite him to join us? You know how fond he is of Haley.”
Who the hell was Robert? Jason wondered as he followed Mr. Blaine’s gaze to the table they’d passed earlier and landed on the blond bastard who’d smiled at Haley.
He had perfect blonde hair, an average face, and wore an expensively tailored suit that probably cost more than Jason’s car.
When the man sent a warm smile in Haley’s direction, Jason decided that he hated the bastard.
“Let me get a server to ask him to join us,” Mr. Blaine said, already gesturing for a waiter.
Judging by Robert’s smug smile, he knew exactly what was happening.
“No, Dad, that’s okay,” Haley said, all humor gone as terror took over. “He looks busy.”
“Nonsense,” Mrs. Blaine said. “You know Robert always makes time for you. He’s such a sweet man. For the life of me, I don’t understand why you ended things with him.”
“If you’d listened to me years ago, you’d be married and already settled and not wasting your time on foolish pursuits,” Mrs. Blaine added, making Jason’s jaw clench.
“She’ll never do better than Robert, that’s for certain,” Martha said, sending him a bored glance before turning her attention back to Robert.
“I’m not interested in Robert,” Haley said quickly, watching as the waiter walked towards her father. “Dad, I-”
Mr. Blaine waved off her concerns. “I think this is the best thing for you, Haley,” he said before giving the waiter a message for Robert.
Jason realized that Haley really didn’t want Robert to join them.
That knowledge appeased him. Somewhat. These people were the biggest snobs he’d ever met in his life and not just because they’d looked down their noses at him, but because of the way that they treated Haley. She didn’t deserve any of this.
“Dad, I wish you hadn’t done that,” Haley said as the waiter walked away. “I’m not interested in Robert. I’ve told you that before.”
“It wouldn’t hurt you to give him another chance, sweetheart,” Mrs. Blaine said dismissively.
Seriously, did any of them even consider that he was Haley’s date?
Not that he was, but still, it was fucking insulting.
If Haley wasn’t one of his best friends, he’d consider telling her family off, but she was and he couldn’t, or she’d stop cooking for him and he wasn’t risking that.
What his little grasshopper could do with a chocolate chip cookie. ..
Telling her family off might not be a choice, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t rescue his little grasshopper. He took her hand in his as he stood up, not missing the dirty looks her family sent their entwined hands, and gently pulled Haley to her feet.
“Dance with me?” he asked softly, nodding towards the small dance floor filled with a half-dozen couples.
Her eyes darted back to her family and widened when she spotted Robert heading their way.
“I’d love to,” she said, practically dragging him away from the table.
When Jason pulled her into his arms, she felt herself relax for the first time since her grandmother called this morning.
“You want to tell me about him?” Jason asked, expertly maneuvering them around the other couples on the small dance floor.
Chewing her bottom lip nervously, she watched Robert take Jason’s vacated seat. He said something to her father as both men watched them.
“He was my high school boyfriend. We broke up senior year.”
“And he wants to pick up where you left off?” Jason guessed.
“No,” Haley said, absently drumming her fingertips against his shoulder, “he wants to perfect his record.”
At Jason’s frown, she shrugged. “I refused to sleep with him.”
She felt the muscles in Jason’s shoulder go tight as he narrowed his eyes on her before shifting his glare to Robert.
“How can you be sure that’s all he wants?”
“He told me,” Haley said with a shrug. “He’s not interested in anything more than adding another notch to his belt.”
“What an asshole,” Jason muttered, earning a few gasps from the women around him. She could tell that he was just barely holding back an eye roll.
As much as she hated being here tonight, and God, did she hate being here, she had to admit that it was nice not having to do this alone for once. Having Jason with her made the night almost tolerable. He’d even managed to make her laugh, not on purpose, of course, but-
She hated the way that they looked at him.
He was one of her best friends and didn’t deserve this, especially since he’d been nothing but kind to them no matter how rude they’d been to him.
She also wasn’t looking forward to spending the next two hours discreetly removing Robert’s hand from her leg or trying to ignore the sexual innuendos whispered in her ear all night.
They both looked over in time to see Robert stand up and head in their direction.
Great.
This night was about to get worse.
Jason grinned as he leaned down and whispered, “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
He really was the best friend ever, Haley decided with a solemn nod as they made their escape.