41. Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-one
Mia
I’m the last to arrive which is exactly what I planned.
I slide into the booth next to Ava and reach for the cocktail that’s already on the table with my left hand.
“What the fuck is that?” Ava shrieks from beside me. I don’t think the other two have seen it yet but they’re about to.
“Oh, this?” I causally hold my hand up and flash the absolutely massive ring on my finger so they can all see. “It’s my engagement ring.”
“Shut up!” Bella screeches.
“Ahhhh,” Harper screams.
Ava grabs my hand and examines the beautiful piece of jewelry. “Holy shit,” she breathes.
“What the shitting hell?” Bella splutters and I can’t help but laugh at the shock on her face — on all their faces. It’s not far off how I looked on Sunday.
“I’m getting married on Saturday.”
Bomb dropped.
“Shut the fuck up,” Harper gasps.
They all gape at me, probably wondering if this is my biggest prank to date.
“We have five days to plan a wedding.”
“When did this happen?”
“Yesterday.”
“Why are we only finding out now?” Harper glares at me like I’ve committed a heinous crime.
“Because I wanted to see this.” I point at all three of their faces.
“Fair,” Bella agrees.
“How?” Ava seems to have found her voice again.
“He took me out on the bike at sunrise, got down on one knee and slid the ring onto my finger.”
“What did he say when he asked?” Ava sighs dreamily.
“He didn’t.” I can’t help but smile at the reminder.
“He told you you were marrying him, didn’t he?” Bella smirks at me. Hudson and Reed are very similar, and I have a feeling her proposal was just like mine.
“That he did. Told me I didn’t have a choice in the matter because he won’t do life without me.”
“So fucking romantic,” Harper gushes.
Yeah, there’s probably something wrong with us. Don’t get me wrong, we’re strong, independent women, but there is something about a strong, bossy, possessive man that calls to all four of us.
“That’s just like the ring you mentioned from London. I can’t believe he found one like it over here.”
“This is the one from London.“ All three sets of eyes snap from my ring to my face.
“He bought it?”
“He said he knew the minute I put it on that he was going to ask me with that exact ring.”
“My ovaries are weeping.” We all snort laugh at Ava.
“Okay.” Bella rubs her hands together. “What do we need to do for Saturday?”
Hudson
While she’s out with the girls, I make a visit I probably should have made before I asked her.
The front door opens and an immaculately dressed woman stands before me. There are some similarities, but you wouldn’t know she was the mother of the woman I was in love with by just looking. She’s also much fucking closer to my age.
Too close.
“Ms Whitlock?”
“Yes?” Her eyes light up at the sight of me and I internally cringe.
“I’m Hudson Davenport.” I hold my hand out for her to shake and she eagerly takes it, her fingers stroking along my palm as she releases it.
Nope. I just about manage to hide my shiver of horror.
“How can I help?”
“I’d like to talk to you about, Mia. Can I come in?” She steps to the side as she holds the door open for me.
“You’re not any relation to the Davenports, are you?“ I nod as I walk through the door and her face flushes with excitement. “How is it you know my daughter?”
“She’s my fiancée.”
“I beg your pardon?”
This should be fun.
***
I sip iced tea in the formal living room of the house Mia grew up in like this is any normal summer afternoon.
Mia’s mother sits opposite me grinning like the cat that caught the canary.
Everything Mia has told me about her mother over the last few weeks has been cemented in the last couple of minutes.
She’s the ultimate gold digger, the complete opposite of the perfect daughter she managed to raise.
I thought this meeting would be difficult, that I’d have to convince her our relationship is real and we’re not rushing anything.
She’s never met me before and I’ve just told her I’m marrying her daughter this Saturday; most parents would show me the door.
But this woman, my future mother-in-law, couldn’t be happier.
I can practically see the dollar signs flashing behind her eyes.
“I always worried that Mia wouldn’t find herself a man.”
Her daughter is only twenty-two, I don’t think that’s anything she needed to worry about.
“Mia is career driven; it’s one of the many things I love about her.”
“Oh, of course, but I think she’ll like the home life with you so much more.”
“Mia will continue her degree, and I’ll fully support any career she chooses, in fact, I’ll encourage it.” I think this woman was born in the wrong century.
“Of course.” She nods like she’s agreeing with me, but her pursed lips and pinched brow let me know it’s not the outcome she was hoping for. “I just hope she has time to give me grandchildren with all of these extracurricular activities.”
Extracurricular activities? Did she honestly just refer to her daughter’s MBA and potential high-flying career as extracurricular?
Christ, I need to get out of here before I say something I can’t take back.
“I would like to think that we’ll have children when we’re both ready, but that’s a decision that Mia and I will be making together.” There’s no way I’m letting this woman know I plan on knocking her daughter up the first chance I get. “Now, is there anything you wanted to suggest for the wedding?”
“Oh,” she gushes. “Let me just get my notes.”
Oh, fuck no.