Elliot #2
Dilynne clears her throat. “Personally, I think expensive wine is a hoax. It’s all grapes. Why is one more impressive than the other?”
“It’s all about branding,” my father replies. “Just like why people will pay more for a shirt that has a Louis Vuitton tag than a no-name brand from Walmart.”
Dilynne looks over at me, rolling her eyes discreetly. I fight to hide my smile.
“I mean, wouldn’t you want your name to mean something in the car circuit one day?” my father continues. “I imagine that’s harder to do when you’re from a small town like Blossom Peak.”
I clear my throat, inserting myself into this conversation now.
“Dilynne is actually a contestant at Motorlux, one of the biggest car shows and auctions in the country. And based on the work she’s already done on the Porsche 356 she’s entering, I’m confident everyone will know who she is by the end of the week. ”
Dilynne’s eyes grow wide, but I simply lean in and kiss her on the cheek before turning back to my father.
Her grip tightens on my hand that’s resting on her thigh, and in that moment, we almost feel like a couple.
Being able to brag about her felt effortless too, which makes me think holding up rule number five is going to be way easier than I thought.
My dad scoffs. “And is that your plan for the rest of your life? Entering car shows and traveling? I mean, what about when you two have kids?”
“Uh, I’m not having children,” Dilynne answers, making both of my parents freeze.
“You’re—you’re not having kids? You mean right now?” my mother clarifies.
I grab Dilynne’s hand and squeeze it. “No, Mom. Dilynne doesn’t want kids. Ever.”
Her eyes find mine. “And you’re okay with this? I mean, I thought you wanted a family? That’s what your plan was with Tori.”
The mention of my ex-fiancée only adds to the growing tension in the room. “Well, I’m not with Tori anymore. And truth be told, I wasn’t completely sold on the idea of children.”
An awkward silence descends among the four of us. Luckily, Martha comes into the room and squashes it quickly. “Dinner is ready.”
My mother stands from the couch, Mitsy still in her arms, slipping right back into her bubbly disposition, hiding her turmoil from Dilynne’s revelation. “Oh, wonderful! Let’s eat.”
I wait for my parents to leave the room before standing from the couch and turning to Dilynne. “How are you doing?”
“You weren’t kidding about them, were you?”
“I tried to warn you.”
She nods. “Yeah, you did. I mean, I knew I was going to face some scrutiny, but…”
“Hey, I have your back here, okay?”
Her eyes bounce back and forth between mine. “I know.”
We stand there, tension and heat swirling between us. I can feel Dilynne’s breath grow shallow as her eyes dip down to my lips.
It would be so easy to lean down and take her mouth with mine, but this is neither the time nor the place.
And besides, we didn’t discuss kissing before we arrived, and the last thing I want to do is give her a reason to knee me in the junk and blow our cover.
Although, with the way she’s looking at me right now, I’m not so sure she would mind if I tasted her lips.
Is she starting to feel this pull between us too?
Her stomach rumbles, breaking the moment. I chuckle and then grab her hand. “Looks like you need to eat.”
“Uh, yeah. It might keep me from ripping your father’s head off if I’m fed. I tend to think more rationally on a full stomach.”
As we walk through the hallway, I lower my voice and say, “Remember, my parents have very old-fashioned views of marriage and gender roles. Don’t let it get to you.
” I squeeze her hand one more time just before we enter the formal dining room, finding my parents sitting at opposite ends of the table as they always do.
I pull out a chair for Dilynne, waiting for her to take her seat before lowering myself into the chair next to her, the two of us situated along the center of the table, between my parents.
Ben comes out of the kitchen with the first course, and my father lifts his glass to make a toast. “I think it’s time that we acknowledge that our son is getting married…again,” he adds at the end of his sentiment. “I must say that this wasn’t who your mother and I had imagined for you, but—”
“Dilynne is who I choose,” I cut him off, not bothering with niceties because I know exactly where my father was headed with that remark.
“If you can’t accept that, then we can leave right now.
” My pulse is racing as I realize I might have let him bait me a little too soon this early in the evening.
“Henry,” my mother pleads from her end of the table.
The clench in my father’s jaw is hard to miss, but he acknowledges my mother’s request. “Have you two set a date yet?” he asks, taking me by surprise as he lowers his glass back down to the table.
I turn to Dilynne, not sure how to respond because this isn’t something we had discussed. Luckily, she is quick to think on the spot.
“Well, we just got engaged so we haven’t really had time to think about it, especially with Motorlux coming up. My first priority is getting through that.”
“Nonsense. Your first priority should be marrying my son, especially if you two were so insistent on hiding your relationship from everyone,” my father counters with a lift of his brow.
“There’s no rush, Dad,” I interject. Mitsy barks in my mom’s lap, signaling her desire for more food.
The only other sounds you can hear for a beat are of forks hitting china plates and the faint noise coming from the kitchen.
I can also hear my pulse in my ears as the conversation threatens the levels of my blood pressure.
“I just don’t understand why you would wait.” His smile grows as he looks to my mom for approval, her head bob clearly conveying her agreement. “I mean, life is short. The two of you are already in your thirties…”
“I’m not even sure that we want a big, fancy wedding anyway,” Dilynne adds, causing my mother to gasp dramatically.
“Oh, heavens no…”
“I mean, look how Elliot’s last one turned out.” Dilynne’s remark is meant to be a joke, but neither my father nor mother so much as crack a smile.
“There will be a wedding.” My father’s declaration is voiced with his sense of authority I’ve heard many times before in my life. “Thornes have a reputation to uphold, and we know far too many people that would be offended if they weren’t invited to our son’s wedding.”
Dilynne clears her throat. “Well, technically they already were invited to one, so…”
I squeeze her thigh under the table in warning. This sarcastic reply is classic Dilynne, but she doesn’t need to poke the bear any more.
“After the car show, we will pick a date, okay?”
I figure if I at least let them think there’s a wedding on the horizon, it will dampen the heat of this conversation.
My father’s eyes are locked on me, but after a few minutes, he nods once. “Fine. But there will be a wedding.”
“Understood.”
The rest of the meal is eaten in silence, which makes the room feel even more uncomfortable. But when Dilynne excuses herself to go to the restroom, my father barely waits until she’s out of the room before voicing his opinions again.
“Elliot, really?” he says with a hint of disbelief in his voice. “That woman is not wife material.”
“Says who?”
“Elliot, you seemed so much happier with Tori,” my mother adds.
“According to you,” I argue. “But it turns out that I never knew Tori, the real her anyway. Trust me, I know Dilynne. She’s unapologetically herself.”
“She doesn’t want kids,” my mom adds. “No grandchildren? You’re our only son and if you don’t have children…”
“Then the Thorne family name dies with me,” I say, which causes my father to slap the table, rattling the few dishes that are left.
“That is unacceptable. And to think my father—” But he quickly cuts himself off, as if he was about to say something he shouldn’t.
My curiosity is officially piqued, though.
“What about grandpa?”
“Nothing. I just…” My dad reaches up and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I can’t help but think that he would be rolling around in his grave if he knew that you were willing to let everything he’s worked for die with you.”
“The practice can still live on if I don’t have kids, Dad.
Besides, what if I do have a child and they don’t want to be a lawyer?
I mean, working for you certainly hasn’t lived up to my expectations,” I say, thinking about how different my father is now than he was when he first took over the practice.
“Ha.” He lifts his scotch to his lips, and that’s when I notice how bloodshot his eyes are, which means the scotch is controlling the conversation right now. “That’s not an option. Thornes are lawyers. That’s the way it is and always has been.”
“We’ve also been lawyers that give back to our community, but you’ve put a stop to that too, haven’t you?”
His eyes narrow at me. “That council your grandfather founded is a waste of your time and talent. I’m helping you reach your full potential.
You wanted to be successful, if I recall, and I only suggested leaving it behind around the time you met Tori.
” He shrugs with a smug tilt of his lips.
“I’m just trying to help you get where you said you want to be. ”