35. Wearing Off On Her
35
WEARING OFF ON HER
“ M y first Fierce gathering,” Tori said two weeks later. “We aren’t staying long, right?”
“No,” Hyde said. “We can leave when you want. The thing with this is you come and go. I haven’t been to their Christmas Eve buffet since I was a kid.”
“They did this back then?” she asked.
She told herself there was no reason to be nervous about coming here. Everyone knew they were dating. Or at least everyone in the family did.
She’d meet a bunch more people today and try not to get too overwhelmed.
“Yep,” he said. “The kids all had friends coming and going to it and their parents. They didn’t have as many employees back then so it was friends and family with it. There are still friends that come too.”
“Do your parents come?” she asked. “You and Ryder were best friends and I guess I never asked if your parents and Ryder’s got along too.”
“They do,” he said. “They’ve been coming for years and will stop in at some point but not sure when. They are both working some of today so they might come later. We’ll see them tomorrow anyway. I’m just glad we’ve got the night to ourselves.”
“Me too,” she said. “I won’t say anything about another family holiday that is new to me.”
He laughed. “You got through Thanksgiving just fine.”
She had. She’d made a big deal out of nothing.
Hyde’s parents were great. Even CeeCee was more open and friendly. Seemed she just wanted to make sure her voice was heard when it came to her brother.
“I did,” she said. “I’ll be happy when the holidays are over. It’s kind of hard to put a cheerful face on at work right now knowing I’m leaving.”
“But you’re happy about it, right?”
“Very,” she said.
She was offered the job last week and put in four weeks' notice. Molly wasn’t thrilled when she found out and didn’t really talk to her much for two days, but then they started to make plans on who would replace her.
Molly even tried to offer her more money to stay, but money wasn’t the reason she was leaving.
It was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up for her future career growth.
Having been on her own for so long in life, she always tried to figure out how she could maintain that if it continued.
In the past, she probably would have passed it up thinking it wasn’t right to leave her job only after two years, but she had to start doing things for herself and this felt right. A combination of her future and taking a risk.
She had never been much of a risk taker.
Though it seemed she was more often now.
Was Hyde wearing off on her?
“That is all that should matter then,” he said.
Hyde pulled onto the street and there were cars everywhere. “Wow. It only started about two hours ago. And it’s early still.”
“I think a lot of people come early and then go about their day. Some stay long and others don’t.”
“Will all their kids be here?” she asked.
“Not at this time,” he said. “Unless they took days off. They will show up later, I think. Ryder will be here and so will Drake and Kara. Jade probably came to help a little too, but Brock might come later. Sam and Dani are probably working. Payton most likely is crazy busy with catering jobs today. Bryce might be here. Noah might be, as there is no school, but I think Paige is working. Wyatt and Adrienne are probably working at the hospital too with Sam. I think that is all the kids.”
“You grew up with them all?” she asked.
“Ryder being the youngest, not really. I knew his brothers, but then met his cousins later on. I’ve slowly met the spouses over the years. I mean I was at Ryder’s wedding and I came back for things and have seen him.”
“You just weren’t as close as you used to be,” she said.
“We are now,” he said. “Kind of like you and Raina.”
“They aren’t coming until later,” she said. “Cody is working. I tried to get her to come early.”
“Hey,” he said. “You do well in crowds and you know plenty of people here. Don’t tell me you’re nervous.”
“Nah,” she said, nodding her head yes instead.
They were walking toward the house from where they’d parked down the street past many cars.
“It’s going to be fine. As I said, you know enough people.”
They got to the front door and Hyde just walked in. She would have knocked, but he’d said he’d been running wild through the house since he was a child.
“Hyde,” Diane said. “So glad you could come early and that Tori is with you. Did you take the day off?”
“We have the day off,” she said. “I can’t take any time right now.”
“That’s right,” Diane said. “Congratulations. News travels fast.”
“You’ll be in a nice new office,” Grant said, moving over. “Much nicer than the space you’re in now. It needs some updating, but your bosses seem happy enough with it.”
“It’s a nice space,” she said. “As for the new one, I don’t think it’s close to ready, is it?”
“Just a few weeks away,” Grant said.
“Lots of things to look forward to in the next year,” she said.
“Even your relationship,” Diane said.
“You couldn’t wait to get that in there, could you, Aunt Diane?” Jade asked.
“I’ve got to start somewhere,” Diane said. “Or more like let you know how happy I am to see the two of you together. We knew you’d work out.”
“Let me steal you away, Tori,” Jade said. “Hyde, go bug Ryder or Drake. They are both here. Tori doesn’t need to be glued to your hip.”
She laughed as Jade maneuvered her to the back of the house by Kara. “Jade saved you?” Kara asked.
“I didn’t know I’d need saving, but Diane started right in.”
“Oh no,” Jade said. “Here comes my mother. Let’s get this one over with.”
“Don’t be mean, Jade,” Carolyn said. “I just wanted to come to say hi to Tori and that she and Hyde look so cute together.”
“We do, don’t we?” she said. “Oh, the kids are here. Look how big they got.”
“Let’s go play with the kids,” Jade said, laughing and steering her in that direction next.
“How the hell did you get to avoid everything today?” Hyde asked her three hours later.
“Jade and Kara took me under their wing. I thought it was sweet. When you weren’t around they were by my side.”
She’d never had anyone protect her like that before. It felt nice...special.
“Lucky you,” he said. “I was getting busted on all day.”
“About what?” she asked.
They were driving back to her place now for the night. Hyde hadn’t decorated for the holidays and she had. She wanted to wake up to the tree in the house even if they didn’t have a lot of gifts to open.
“The normal crap guys say to each other. Then I had to hear how cute we looked together. Guys don’t want to hear that.”
“I heard it too,” she said. “Would you rather hear that we look hot together?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Because that is true. Did you want to go out to eat tonight rather than cook?”
“It’s only four,” she said. “I’m not hungry. But then once we get to my place I don’t know that I’ll want to leave again.”
“Takeout,” he said. “I’m good with that.”
“The same,” she said. When her phone rang she looked down to see it was her mother. “Crap.”
“Your mother calling?”
“Yes,” she said. “And I’m not going to answer it. She’s been complaining about packing and moving and I think she can move into her new place on the twenty-seventh because they want her out of her place to paint and stuff.”
“Is she doing everything on her own?” he asked.
“I didn’t ask. I’m not getting sucked down into it again. Do you know she still has asked little about you other than your name and where we met? I told her I might change jobs and she hasn’t asked me about that either.”
“Do you want her to?” he asked.
“Not really. I don’t know. I think it’d be nice if she cared enough, but I need to give up worrying about that now. It’s just sad to think our relationship is one-sided.”
She’d sent her mother a few Christmas gifts and a gift card. Her mother said she was short on cash and that she’d send a gift after she got her first paycheck.
She didn’t need anything from her mother and told her not to worry about it. She was just thrilled her mother found a job so quickly.
Maybe her mother was realizing that Tori meant business. She wouldn’t keep bailing her out.
But once the phone stopped ringing, she got a text.
“What does it say?” Hyde asked.
“Urgh. She said she bounced a bunch of checks and now can’t make her first month’s rent because of the fees and penalties.”
“What are you going to do?” he asked.
“What am I supposed to do?” she asked. “If it wasn’t the first month, I might just let it go, but it’s the first month, which means they might not let her move in if she doesn’t pay it on the twenty-seventh when she would get her keys.”
“If you pay it will she pay you back?” he asked.
“It’s not about the money,” she said. “And she doesn’t normally pay me back. This is about her wanting to move in with me. I almost think she is doing it on purpose.”
Her mother made some comments about Tori being able to live with her boyfriend if she had to.
She read between the lines that her mother would have no problem intruding on her daughter’s life knowing Tori wouldn’t kick her out.
“You have to figure it out,” he said.
“I know you’ve got an opinion,” she said. “Tell me.”
“Nope,” he said. “I’m keeping my lips sealed.”
“I’m not talking to her. I can’t. I refuse to let her ruin my holiday.”
She texted her mother she’d take care of it. She’d just pay it on her credit card directly so she didn’t have to worry about her mother not using the money transferred to her.
“Then don’t let it,” he said.