Chapter 18 – Dean
A retreat from our friendship did not surprise me, but it still stung. Grace didn’t initiate any calls or texts that week. She answered me when I checked in with her, but she always seemed busy. She probably was busy, what with illustrating and the shop, and what to do with both those things. I didn’t ask her about her decision on whether to sell. When she knew, she’d tell me.
She also didn’t RSVP for the Saturday night GoWithFriends event. Not that I could blame her. Our group wanted to go see the new dragon shifter movie together. The overdramatic preview ended with the half-dragon guy shouting, “I’d rather die a mortal man with you by my side than live a million years breathing fire without you.” It was followed by some serious mouth Olympics against a fiery background that came from literally nowhere. Flames just happened to spontaneously combust every time they kissed.
Back in our high school days, we would have thrown popcorn at the screen and later recited the lines at each other every chance we could work it into a conversation. That might not go over well in our GoWithFriends group, considering there were more than a few hardcore dragon shifter fans who would probably get offended. Also, I was much too aware now of what custodial workers had to do to get a theater cleaned up to throw popcorn anywhere but into my mouth.
On Friday night, I put on one of my trusty tuxes I’d accumulated over the years and drove my newly detailed Audi over to pick up Blaire. I tried not to think too much about what Grace and Piper might be doing on a night like tonight. Was Grace cheating at Chutes and Ladders? Were they dancing without me? Was it spaghetti night? They’d made spaghetti for me once and brought it to my house. It was an old recipe from Grace’s grandmother.
Blaire lived in a condo in a posh gated community in Scottsdale. I punched in her number at the gate, and after she answered through the intercom, the gates opened to let me in. She came out her door just as I parked and was strolling up to get her.
“Hello, Dean. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” She leaned forward expectantly, so I kissed her cheek in greeting, my lips barely touching her skin. She had on a lot of makeup and perfume, none of which I wanted on me, nor did I want to smudge anything. I took a step back while she turned and locked her door with the press of a button. Then I put my hand to the small of her back, leading her over to the side of my Audi.
“You look beautiful,” I said, finally taking in what she was wearing. My concentration rarely wavered, but tonight I was feeling curiously detached. My focus jumped from trivial detail to trivial detail, and then back to thoughts I shouldn’t be having, like how much I wished this night was already over.
I only remembered to notice her dress because my hand was on her bare skin, as her dress dipped all the way down in the back. It was cream colored, silky, and clingy in all the right places, and I’d never cared less in my life.
She looked me over. “I like your tux. Is it a Tom Ford?”
“Yes. ”
“I thought so.” She touched her sleek, dark hair hesitantly, like she was making sure it was still in place behind the gold bar pin she had holding up one side of it. It didn’t look like a single part of it would dare move in a category-three storm, but what did I know?
I opened the passenger door for her and took her hand while she lifted her dress to get in. On previous dates like this, I would have driven the Bentley Continental my mother gifted me for my twenty-fifth birthday. But it had been a totally unnecessary gift and showing it off made me feel like a poser.
“Have you been to this charity gala before?” Blaire asked, once I got in and backed us out of her driveway.
“I went last year. My parents were there as well.”
“Yes, Barbara told me about it. I’m sorry. My excitement over possibly attending tonight is what had her running to give you a nudge in my direction. I hope you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind.” I looked over at her, surprised to see her hesitation was genuine. She got that this was awkward. I’d never been more relieved in my life.
Until one finger traced down the back of my hand resting on the console. “Let’s treat this like any other date, and I think we’ll be fine.”
I continued to stare out the windshield. There was a fine line between discouraging someone and insulting them, and I was not in the right frame of mine to navigate that well. No doubt, my mother had repeated to her that I was not currently dating anyone, so I couldn’t claim differently. I could say it was new, but then why would I be on this date? Solely out of obligation? That wouldn’t make her feel better.
As good a friend as my mother claimed she was, Blaire could do real harm to my mother’s social circle if she wanted to. She was young, beautiful, and connected. I had asked her to come with me tonight, and the only way through was forward.
“Do you like music?” I asked .
“I’ll find us something.” She flipped through the Sirius XM channels, and settled on Watercolors, a channel that played smooth jazz. “Is this okay?”
“It’s fine.” She had the volume down low enough for me to barely register it anyway.
“Am I making you nervous?” she asked coyly.
“No.” My gaze focused on the black Jeep in front of us with the license plate WASH ME. They squealed forward when the light turned green. I bet they were going somewhere fun. I had this weird urge to follow them and show Blaire what any other date with me would actually look like.
“Bad day at work?” she asked. “I’ve had plenty of those.”
Clearly, she needed a reason why I wasn’t in love with her already.
“I’ve had better.” I told her about one of my meetings where things had gotten heated today. The two sides both had valid issues with the other party, and it took a lot of negotiation to make everyone happy. I’d left the meeting energized. Conflict resolution was my jam. It wasn’t a bad day at all, but it was true that I’d had better.
We swapped work stories the rest of the way, but Blaire grew silent when we followed the signs leading us to the ballroom entrance in the Biltmore parking lot and joined the line leading up to the valet turn-in. A red Porsche Carrera was ahead of us, and we watched and waited while the driver got out and handed over his key fob. The guy’s tux was an electric green, and his tuxedo pants were a little bit highwater, showing off that he wore no socks. He kept his sunglasses on while he sauntered up to the entrance. I’m sure his parents would be thrilled.
“How did you meet my mother?” I asked Blaire.
“Barbara and I were on the planning committee for a women’s luncheon to honor women in architecture.”
“And when was that?”
“Oh, a few months ago. Why? ”
I was curious how far back their friendship went. Good. Not very far. But I didn’t have to admit that because it was our turn to get out. I handed the valet my keys and a generous cash tip, murmuring, “I’d love a quick getaway when the time comes.”
He mistook my meaning, smiling when he looked over at Blaire standing there like a Greek goddess. “I got you, man.”
Actually, the closer my car was parked, the less time I’d have to spend trying to leave this place, and the sooner I could drop her off at home.
I held out my arm for Blaire to take, and together we walked up to hand our invitations to the attendants at the door. Once inside, the gentle murmur of voices and light orchestra music met our ears. Out in the lobby, they were serving drinks and canapés. The drinks were flowing, but it looked like most people preferred conversation over eating.
I took a tiny appetizer that looked like it might be fishy or garlicky from a passing waiter. But alas, the pastes on top of the tiny crust of bread, one dark and one light, tasted like bitter dark chocolate and citrusy cream. Apparently, the creator of this event had even considered things like keeping our breath fresh for mingling. It tasted good, but I also didn’t want another one.
“See anyone you know?” Blaire asked. She held a pleasant smile on her face, but her head was on a swivel. She wanted to be introduced to people. If there were any eligible bachelors to be had under the age of sixty in this place, I’d find them for her, but I couldn’t find any. The electric-green tuxedo guy was nowhere in sight.
I walked us around the edge until I saw Charlie Trevino, a long-time friend from business school, standing with a drink. His red hair and full red beard made him hard to miss. Tonight, in a navy double-breasted suit, he looked like a sophisticated Viking.
“Let me introduce you to my friend Charlie,” I said to Blaire, leading us over.
Charlie saw me coming and raised his eyebrows, a question about who I was with. He’d find out soon enough .
“Did Olivia come with you tonight?” I asked. He was in an off-again, on-again relationship with his business partner, Olivia. Somehow, they made it work. They split the profits from their pool and spa renovation company right down the middle and were never serious about anything except making money.
“She’s on a date, actually. The guy had a concert tonight and asked her to come watch. He’s in a band.” He shook his head, letting me know what he thought of that. And yet, not a lot of jealousy. Those two were weird.
“Anyone I would know?”
“Not likely. Their music is terrible. I looked him up.” He turned to Blaire and held out a hand. “Hi, I’m Charlie.”
Blaire shook his hand and introduced herself, and I listened to them talk for a few minutes while taking in snippets of conversation around us. A lot of business talk, none of it serious. Mostly, people were talking about themselves.
I sensed Blaire’s interest in Charlie fizzle out after he told her he’d gotten his ticket to the gala from a rich older client who was pleased with his pool renovation. Then he pointed out the faint tan line around his eyes from wearing sunglasses while he worked outside all day.
I shook my head at him, and he gave me a tiny wink before focusing back on Blaire. Charlie had no patience for social climbers, and he must have detected it in her. Like me, Charlie had rich parents who were the real reason he was here tonight. I’d take Blaire away from him soon enough so he could stop trying to un-impress her.
I spotted my mother standing with a woman in a gold sequin gown with an unfortunate train. She kept glancing behind her to make sure no one stepped on it. Mom turned and raised an indignant eyebrow as she was speaking, throwing a mean look at someone across the room. I followed her gaze.
Ah, she was staring at Dad. He must have come with a date. That decision hadn’t worked out so well for him last year. I’d wrongly assumed he wouldn’t repeat it. As he’d told me after last year’s disaster, real luxury is sitting in a great pair of underwear and having all the sports channels to yourself.
After saying our goodbyes to Charlie, I led Blaire closer to my dad, curious about who he might have brought. There was a couple blocking us from seeing the woman standing next to him. “Have you met my dad?” I asked Blaire.
“I haven’t. I’d love to.”
“I’m dying to know who he brought as his date. He’s so nice that he assumes everyone else is, too.”
“Women take advantage of him?”
“Well, they try to. He swears he’s never marrying again.”
“How many times has he been married?”
“Only once.”
Blaire glanced up at me. “Your parents never remarried? Do you think they’re still in love with each other?”
“Pretty sure they’re not.” I wove us around several people in animated conversation, dodging elbows and drinks as politely as possible.
Blaire tsked. “Oh, she’s very young.”
My dad didn’t date younger women. I leaned towards Blaire to see what she was seeing and froze. Grace was standing next to my dad. Grace had come with him.
“She looks terribly nervous,” Blaire added. “I doubt she’s been to anything this exclusive before.”
She didn’t look nervous. She looked the way Grace usually did. Slightly grumpy and assessing. Also, as fancy as the Biltmore was, I wouldn’t call it exclusive. I was pretty sure Grace’s prom was held here one year. “She’s not his date. She’s a family friend.”
As though she could sense us staring, Grace turned and spotted me, her mouth curving up slightly in acknowledgement. She didn’t seem as surprised to see me as I was to see her, but then, my dad wouldn’t have thought it a big deal to tell me.
I started moving us in their direction faster. “I’ll introduce you to both of them.” We needed to hurry, because across the room, my dear mother was busy making assumptions about my father’s very young and beautiful date, the way I’d invited Blaire to do moments ago, thanks to my stupid comments.
Mom obviously didn’t recognize Grace, and why would she? It had been years since they’d seen each other, and Grace looked… well, she looked wonderfully grown up. She was stunning. She had her hair up in a braided crown, and each strand shone under the lights. Her makeup was understated but it brought out the intense blue of her eyes and the fullness of her lips. Her black dress was off-the-shoulder and hourglass shaped. Showing nothing, hinting at everything. I was not the only guy looking in her direction, and it made me wish I had not been this incredibly stupid. I should have asked Grace to be my date tonight. Why had I not considered it? Sometimes I didn’t give my dad enough credit. I’d made fun of him for his date choice from last year, but he’d learned his lesson and brought a friend this time. I had not.
“Hi, Dad.” I reached in and touched his elbow.
“Dean!” Dad wrapped me up in a bear hug, pounding me on the back. “Barbara said you’d be here. Where are you sitting?”
“At her table.” When he released me, I turned to Grace, wishing I could greet her with as much affection, knowing I absolutely couldn’t. “You should have said something about coming.”
She raised one eyebrow. “Sorry I didn’t warn you.”
That was not what I meant, and she knew it. I stared her down, suddenly feeling a thousand times warmer in this tux. I ran my finger under the collar where the stiff white shirt held firm against my neck.
Blaire shifted next to me. Right. My date. “This is Blaire Tremaine. Blaire, this is my dad, Henry Kinney. And this is his goddaughter, Grace Romano. If you’ll all excuse me, I just need to tell Mom one quick thing.” And with that, I left them to go find her .
Upon approach, I didn’t wait for an introduction to her friend. The second Mom looked at me, I said, “Dad’s here with Grace Romano, his goddaughter. Do you remember her?”
Mom glanced back over at Dad, this time, looking less suspicious. The rise and fall of her chest told me there was relief in knowing he hadn’t shown up with a random thirty-year-old woman. I had been honest when I told Blaire my parents were not still in love, but that didn’t mean Mom didn’t rely on the familiarity of him. Of what he’d do. Or not do.
“Yes, I remember her. That makes more sense. I’d have taken you along with me tonight as my plus one if Blaire wasn’t so eager to get to know you.”
“I would have preferred that.”
She waved my comment off like I hadn’t meant it. “I don’t need a plus one. At my age, I’m happy to leave an event when I’m ready and only talk to people when I choose it. You and Blaire look so good together. Grace has a little girl, doesn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“And she’s been divorced quite a while. Henry helped her get a business started right after. I know what that’s like, trying to frame a new life for yourself that’s different than what you thought. It’s… hard.”
Her friend murmured in agreement.
I turned to Mom’s friend, a tall woman with silvery hair she wore short and spiked. They were a study in contrasts, the two of them. Mom was not tall, and her hair was soft and feathery. And never gray. Like my assistant Connie, Mom always kept her shoulder-length hair a light golden brown.
“I’m sorry. I’m Dean. And you are?”
“Lisa MacDougall.” The woman shook my hand. “So nice to meet you. If you two will excuse me, I see someone I must go say hello to.” She picked up the train of her gold dress and darted off to intercept someone.
“She’s on the mayor’s re-election committee,” Mom explained. “And his campaign needs money. You know me, though. I never drop money into politics. When I saw you headed this way, I told her you don’t either.”
“Thanks.”
“How is it going with Blaire?” Mom asked.
“Not well.” I was not usually this blunt, but my setup dates were not usually this determined, especially right off the bat. I could see Blaire eyeing me, wondering why I’d left her side. Even while talking to Charlie, she’d kept a hold of my arm. This might be the only time tonight when Mom and I could talk alone. “I’m interested in someone else. I have been for a long time. And I wish I’d told you no when you asked me to take Blaire to this.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“Because you’re a very determined person. That’s probably why you and Blaire get along so well.”
Mom blinked up at me. “I’m sorry. This person you’re interested in, is it someone I know?”
“Yes.”
She followed my gaze and sighed. “Oh. It’s Grace, isn’t it?”
I nodded.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? The two of you don’t have much in common, and what you do have in common could cause a rift if things don’t work out. Her brother is your best friend, and clearly, she’s stayed close with Henry over the years.”
“I’ve thought about that.”
“And?”
“And I still wish she was standing next to me right now.”
“Are you telling me this because you’re going to abandon Blaire tonight at some point and make sure Grace knows your intentions?”
I rubbed my neck. Maybe this was what the universe had been trying to tell me. No matter what I did, I couldn’t be everything to everyone. “I wouldn’t say abandon. But if it comes to disappointing someone tonight, it’s not going to be Grace.”