Chapter Eleven Hunter
Chapter Eleven
Hunter
The guys have been allocated the game room as our gathering space. The girls get the rest of the house, apparently. But we have a pool table, a bar, and a retro pinball machine, so I’d say we’re winning.
The beers arrived at the house ready-chilled, and I managed to get everything I ordered unpacked before the guys started to come down.
I clink my bottle against Ed’s and take a swig. I pass a beer to Fisher, the only other guy who’s arrived.
“You and Lucy,” Ed says. “I honestly didn’t have that on my bingo card.”
“Me neither, brother,” I reply. “Me neither.”
“She’s hot, though,” Fisher says.
I nod, not wanting to say too much of anything.
Anyway, I can’t disagree that Lucy’s hot.
She is. She’s also uptight and annoying.
But even so, I know she’s tightly wound because of this weekend.
She’s obviously put so much time and effort into it, and it’s really important to her that Katherine has a good time.
I can’t fault her for that. She’s not being a demonic witch because she’s selfish and self-centered.
She’s just focusing on one thing to the exclusion of being nice.
If she was a guy, I’d probably shrug it off.
What does that make me? An asshole. At least she apologized.
“When did it kick off?” Ed asks.
I groan. I really don’t want to start talking about my non-relationship. “Do we have to sit around talking about our feelings?”
“No, but this is Katherine’s sister we’re talking about. Your track record with women isn’t your greatest asset.”
“Because my ass is, right?” I turn around and wave my behind at Ed, Fisher, and George, who just joined us.
“I mean it, Hunter,” Ed says. “Just don’t mess her around.”
“I’m not going to.” It’s not like she could hate me any more than she already does. “At the same time, we’re not about to announce our engagement anytime soon. So if you could do your best to manage your fiancée’s expectations in that regard, I’d appreciate it.”
Ed winces. “I can’t promise anything. All I’ve heard since we arrived is how great it is that the four of us can do things together. How great it will be that our kids can grow up together.”
“What?” I try to keep my tone from giving away the hysteria I feel. “Kids? Jesus, man. We only just started dating like a week ago.”
“So are you guys exclusive already?” Fisher asks. “That was fast.”
I shrug. “It’s fine. It’s not like I have time to date a whole lot anyway.” That’s the truth, at least.
“But you must like her a lot,” Fisher says as Ed nods enthusiastically behind him.
“Sure,” I say. “Want a game of pool?” I glance between Ed and Fisher.
“What do you like about her?” Ed asks.
I reach around the back of my neck. I’m not a great liar.
I swear you can see the truth all over my face no matter what my words say.
“I don’t know,” I say. “Like Fisher says, she’s hot.
And she’s caring and has a good heart.” None of that’s a lie.
She’s bordering on demonic a lot of the time because she cares so much about her sister.
“And I like the fact she’s not always . .
.” I want to say this without insulting Katherine.
I like Katherine. She’s nice and Ed loves her.
She seems good to my friend. That’s all good.
But Katherine seems like she’s always happy, like life is always sunshine and roses.
But that’s just not how life is. “She’s real, you know? Her smiles are hard won.”
Ed huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, that’s true enough.”
Voices chatter in the hallway, and the rest of the bachelor party appears in the game room. People start talking, and Ed and Fisher play pool. I bet Lucy’s stressed about having everything ready before her mom and the rest of her family arrive for the night. Maybe I’ll just go out and check on her.
In the kitchen, I find Lucy sporting an apron, setting things out on trays. She glances up at me. “I should have sprung for caterers to do this.”
“Can I help?” I ask.
“Would you?”
“What do you need?”
“Just spread this tomato stuff on the toast and pop on an olive. I’ll do the blini.” She hands me the knife she’s been using, and our eyes catch as our fingers brush together.
I set to work, scooping out the tomato mixture from the bowl while Lucy darts around the kitchen. It’s like we’re in an escape room and the timer’s running down.
“I’m sure people would have been happy with chips and dip,” I say. “You didn’t need to have gone to this much of an effort.”
Lucy snorts. “You’ve met my mother, right? At least we’ll only be here forty-five minutes or so before the cars pick us up.”
“No doubt everything’s on a very strict timetable.”
Lucy shoots me a disappointed glance.
“It’s not a criticism,” I say. “I know you’re just trying to make everyone happy.”
“Exactly,” she says. “And given my mother is in the mix tonight, that’s not an easy task.”
The doorbell chimes, and Lucy visibly jumps.
“Katherine!” she calls, and Katherine scrambles down the stairs like she was just waiting at the top to be called down.
“Is it Mom?” she asks as she gets to the bottom.
“Crap.” Lucy looks down at her apron and quickly pulls it off. “You look beautiful,” she says to Katherine.
“So do you,” Katherine answers as they both move to the front door.
“Darlings,” an older woman in navy says. “So good to finally be celebrating one of your upcoming nuptials.”
This must be the aunt. Katherine and Lucy’s mother is next through the door and greets her daughters, followed by two younger women—the bitchy cousins, no doubt.
Everyone greets each other in a flurry of hugs and air-kisses.
It all seems very amicable. Maybe it’s because I know Lucy is stressed, but there’s something about the scene that doesn’t feel quite authentic.
“Oh, I thought you’d be ready for us,” Lucy’s mom says, scanning her from head to toe. “Do you need more time to get ready?”
“Uh, I’m just organizing some nibbles and drinks,” Lucy says, looking visibly flustered.
“Oh, well, let us do that while you go and change for dinner,” her mom says. “We don’t mind rolling up our sleeves, do we, Gracie?”
I’m not sure if Lucy’s mom knows Lucy already changed for dinner and is just being a bitch, or if she’s truly insensitive enough not to notice what her words do to Lucy’s whole vibe.
“Mom,” Katherine says. “Lucy looks gorgeous. She doesn’t need to change.”
“Sorry, darling! If that’s what you want to wear, I’m sure it’s fine. I’ve always erred on the side of caution with lemon yellow, that’s all.”
Lucy visibly deflates. “I can change. I wasn’t sure about this outfit anyway.”
“I think it’s lovely,” Katherine says, and it makes me like her more. It’s nice that she’s protective of Lucy. I don’t remember much of Katherine’s mother from the engagement party, but I’m surprised she’s so critical of a daughter who tries so hard to make everyone happy.
Lucy darts over to me. “Do you mind if I go change and leave you to get on with this?” she whispers.
“You don’t need to change,” I say, keeping my focus on the canapés so I can get out of this kitchen as soon as possible. “It’s a nice dress.”
“But it’s yellow. I forgot how much Mom hates yellow.”
“It suits you.” My jaw is tight, because Lucy is a grown woman who looks great in yellow, and her mom should realize that.
She sucks in a breath. “Thanks, Hunter. I’ll just be a few minutes.”
“Should we help ourselves to drinks?” Mrs. Jones says. Maybe it’s me, and maybe I’m being unkind, but even this question seems to come out as a criticism.
Lucy doubles back to the kitchen and starts pulling out bottles of champagne from the refrigerator.
“I’ll do that,” I tell her. “Go and get changed if you want to.”
She pulls in a breath. “Thank you, Hunter. I owe you.”
I’ve never heard her sound as vulnerable as she does right now. I have the urge to tell Mrs. Jones and her crew that they can help themselves to drinks while I retreat to the game room. But I won’t do that, since it will only put more stress on Lucy.
The canapés are all finished. I take a plate in each hand before making my way out to the guests. “Katherine, can you get the door? Drinks on the porch?”
“Great idea, Hunter,” Katherine replies. “Mom, do you remember Hunter from the party?”
Mrs. Jones turns and gives me a charming smile. “Oh, you’re Ed’s business partner. Yes, of course I remember you.”
“He managed to get us the house for the weekend.”
“It’s a beautiful property,” Mrs. Jones says, and she touches her hand to my arm. “Very good of you to do this for Ed and Katherine.”
“I did the easy part,” I say. “Lucy’s done everything else. Planned everything to perfection.”
Mrs. Jones tilts her head to the side as if to say, Well, not everything. “She’ll feel better when she’s in a different color,” she says, not acknowledging what I’ve said about Lucy’s efforts at all.
Lucky for me, Ed and the rest of the bachelor party join us.
I start to pour champagne, and one of the cousins offers to help. “I can be your assistant,” she says. “My name’s Genny. You’re a friend of Ed’s?”
“Yeah. We’re business partners. And friends. Known each other forever,” I say, handing a glass of champagne to Genny’s mom.
“But you’re based in New York?” she asks.
“That’s right,” I say, pouring the next glass.
“Yeah, I’m in New York a lot for work. Maybe we should swap numbers. We could grab a drink some time.”
My heart starts to thunder in my chest. She’s coming on to me. Apart from the fact that I’m not interested—at all—I’m also supposed to be dating her cousin. Except she doesn’t know that. Am I supposed to tell her? Well, fuck it, everyone else in the house knows.
“Actually, I’m dating Lucy,” I say.
“You are?” she asks, sounding shocked. “Did you know that?” Genny asks her sister. “He’s dating Lucy.”
I’m not quite sure why she’s saying it the way she is.
“Isn’t Lucy still a virgin?” her sister says. “No one dates Lucy.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention, and I clench my jaw. Lucy was right, they are the bitchy cousins.
I offer them my fakest of fake smiles. After I finish pouring champagne for everyone, I excuse myself to go check on Lucy.
I steam into the bedroom, but it’s dark. Lucy is sitting on the bed, cloaked in shadow. She’s changed and has a white dress on. She’s looking out of the window.
“Hey, are you okay?” I ask as I slide into the room and shut the room.
“I think I’m coming down with something.”
I’m not sure she’s sick. More like sick of her own family being so awful to her. “You’re right. Your cousins are bitchy.”
“Yup,” she says.
I want to add that her mother isn’t much better, but she doesn’t need to hear that.
“I told them we were dating,” I say.
Lucy snaps her head around. “You told who?”
“Your cousins. One of them asked me if I wanted to go for a drink, and I told her.”
She groans. “Don’t tell me what they said.”
She knows even without me telling her that her cousins were awful when they heard our “news.” It makes my heart ache a little.
“You look really pretty. And you didn’t need to change.”
She stands, but I can tell it takes effort, like she’s weighed down by . . . people’s perceptions of her? Her expectations of herself? I don’t know what it is, but from here I can feel how it doesn’t fit her.
“Thanks. It’s easier to put on a white dress than it is to keep the yellow one on and listen to my mother’s sniping all evening.”
When I first met Lucy, if someone had told me she did anything for an easy life, I wouldn’t have believed them. I assumed she did everything in her power to make life more difficult for herself and everyone around her.
Now, I see that’s not who she is. I think she’s just someone desperately trying to dodge criticism from the people she loves.
“Do you want me to tell people you’re not feeling well? Maybe you need an evening in bed?” I don’t know why, but I can feel the back of my neck glow hot when I mention her in bed. Maybe it’s because we’re sharing a room.
“There’s no way I’d let Katherine down like that,” she says.
Grabbing her purse, she walks over to me by the door. “Thank you.” Her hand slides onto my arm and our eyes catch. She lets her hand fall, and I take it in mine.
“Let’s go. Make sure you sit next to Katherine or one of her friends. Keep away from . . .” I don’t finish the sentence. What do I say? Keep away from your own mother. That’s what I mean. Who knew I’d feel this protective over a woman I’m not even dating for real?
I can’t deny it, my first impressions of Lucy have shifted.
I’m not saying we’re on the same page, but I understand her better now.
And the more I get to know her, the more I see: Her loyalty to her sister.
The way she puts up with criticisms from her mother and other family members.
The way she puts other people ahead of herself.
It all adds up to someone . . . extraordinary.