Chapter 9
NINE
MATT AND I were having an argument, our second argument since the media had revealed our relationship. Our second argument since officially becoming a couple. It wasn’t forty-eight hours since then—that did not bode well.
“I don’t want to go.” I stared at his handsome face. I was back at his place. I had drove back to Kensington after spending a few hours in the studio. I wished I had gone home. My Saturdays were never this stressful before meeting Matthew Bradley.
“We are and that’s the end of it. I’m going to get ready, I suggest you do the same,” he replied sternly before walking off. I stared at his retreating back, open-mouthed and wanting to throw something at that stubborn head of his.
“I’m not going,” I yelled to his back.
George peeked from around the front living room door. When he saw my scowl, he tucked his head back in. Feeling my anger rise, I stormed down the hallway after Matt.
“It’s going to be awkward, Matt. I don’t want to meet your family.”
Matt stopped, turning on his heels to peer at me with his darned eyebrows raised haughtily. “What you want and what’s going to happen are two different things, poppet. My parents are expecting us in three hours. With the traffic, it will probably be a two hour drive to the estate.” The twin eyebrows of doom lowered slightly. “We need to get ready now if we are to arrive on time.”
“I have nothing suitable to wear,” I shouted, resisting the urge to stamp my feet. “Stop bossing me around. It’s annoying. I’m not going.”
“You are,” he stated with confidence, then his expression softened. “After dinner at my parents, we can stay over at my other home. It’s not far from theirs. Have you been to Surrey before, poppet?”
I narrowed my eyes at the change in his tone. “No, it’s filled with snobby rich folks.”
Matt grinned at me before he turned serious. “Madison, darling, they want to meet you. I want them to meet you. It will be fine, I promise.”
“No, it won’t,” I replied with surety. “It’s like we’re being summoned. I can’t face them. Not with everything that’s been in the papers.”
“Poppet,” he cajoled, taking my arm and gently herding me towards the stairs.
“Matt. I’m black—”
“Really? You know, that completely escaped my notice. I should have my eyes tested,” he shot back.
I rolled my eyes and tugged my arm away. “I don’t want to be judged by your family.”
He opened his mouth, probably ready to make a witty comeback, but I cut him off quickly.
“They won’t like me, Matt. Your brother was weird last night, and I don’t want to— mmph.”
Darn his sexy kisses. Against my better judgement, I kissed him back for a moment before pulling away, flustered and horny.
“Stop that.”
“Why?” he murmured, grey eyes darkening with desire. “You’re so good at it.”
“I have nothing to wear,” I said feebly, letting him slip a hand around my waist and walking me up the stairs.
“Yes, you do.” His hand slipped down to my ass and he squeezed lightly. “I had something brought over earlier after I spoke to my parents and agreed to dinner.”
I paused to frown at him. Matt flashed me a sweet smile and urged me up the stairs. “I don’t like you buying stuff for me.”
“Duly noted, poppet. I think we should share the shower. It saves on time and it’s good for the environment.”
An hour later, I was dressed in a flattering black cocktail dress with delightful sparkly heels and matching purse. Everything fit perfectly. I glanced appreciatively at Matt’s frame. He wore a dark dinner jacket over a light blue shirt that had the first few buttons undone. His pants, same colour as the dinner jacket, moulded the long muscular lines of his legs. The shoes, Italian, and expensive.
“You look lovely,” he said for the tenth time while fastening his wristwatch as I fiddled with the pins holding up my curls in a sophisticated do.
“You, too.” I smiled at his shake of head and walked over to rest my hands on his chest. “I’m terribly nervous about tonight.”
“I know, poppet. So am I.”
That had my eyes popping wide. “What? That’s not helping, Matt.”
He chuckled and brushed his lips across my temple. “They won’t be able to resist your charms. I couldn’t.”
“How bad is it going to be?” I asked, needing to know exactly what was in store for tonight.
Matt chewed his lower lip, a pensive frown forming between his eyebrows. “My parents will be stand-offish. Ignore it. Hannah, she’s the eldest, will probably warm to you once she realizes how much you mean to me. And, Adam, you two met last night, so don’t worry about him. The twins are seventeen and self-absorbed as all teenagers are. They’ll show some interest but, look, let’s not get worked up over this. We’re going to have a lovely time tonight.”
I scoffed softly.
“They’ll be unfailingly polite, Madi,” Matt assured me. It made me feel worse. Unfailingly polite. Great. Tonight was going to be awkward.
“Just—” He broke off and stepped back with a weary look on his face.
“What?” I asked tersely. “Just what, Matt?”
“Just remember it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about our relationship, Madi. They’re entitled to their opinions.”
My mouth curled down. “You’re basically saying they won’t like me, and I should prepare myself for it.”
He sent me a tight smile and held his arm out. “Come on, poppet. Let’s go meet my family.”
It was with longing I watched as George close the door after us, wishing we were inside the house instead of sitting in this stupid, ostentatious car. Why did Matt have to make me go? He knew as well as I did that tonight would be stressful.
An impatient tapping of his fingers over the steering wheel reminded me to buckle up.
I tried one last time as he started the car. “This is bullshit. No one meets their boyfriend’s family so quickly. I should have at least a few months’ grace period.”
The engine purred into life and Matt sent me a sidelong glance. “We’ve been together for a few months already, albeit secretly. It’s happening, accept it. Remember to smile tonight. No one can resist your smile.”
I frowned at him and folded my arms, mentally preparing myself for a night of underhand comments that probably wouldn’t be deemed as openly racist, but would cause feelings of inferiority and pain.
“Do you love me, poppet?” Matt asked as we drove off.
“Maybe not as much as I did this morning,” I muttered bad-temperedly.
He snorted in amusement. “Do you trust me?”
“Uh, have you forgotten the background check drama?” I asked dryly. “What do you think?”
Matt fell silent for a moment before saying, “You know how I feel about you and tonight isn’t going to change that. Once my family gets to know you—”
“They’ll all love me, too,” I finished sarcastically.
“Yes.” Matt ignored the sarcasm. “They will.”
I sighed and looked out the window. Matt was deluded if he truly believed his family would accept me. If I was a braver person, I would have told him the real reason I didn’t want to meet them was because I couldn’t bear the thought of him seeing me through their eyes—a black woman with no social standing who was trespassing into their elite world. Why wasn’t there a comprehensive book out there about swirling with a billionaire? I’d buy it, heck, I’d hunt the writer down and make them tell me every little secret, willingly or not. The car sped up and Matt twisted his head to smile reassuringly at me. He was right. It didn’t matter what they thought…right? I swallowed my nervousness. It would be fine. I mean how bad could it possibly be?