Chapter 12
twelve
. . .
Lulu
“There’s my Lulubelle,” Gramps said, as he pushed to his feet and pulled me into a hug.
“Good morning. We’re just going to take some photos with you, and then I’m going to take Rafe out on the boat.” I was putting it out there early so we could slip out shortly after the photos.
“Well, you certainly didn’t dress for family photos,” Charlotte snipped as her eyes scanned me from head to toe.
Of course, she was wearing red-and-blue-plaid dress slacks and a white collared shirt with a navy cashmere sweater. Her blonde hair was perfectly styled in a sleek bob, ending at her chin.
“It’s called fashion. This top and these boots are Laredo, and both were actually designed by my mother,” I said, before flashing my wrist that was covered in gold bangles. “And these are mine. So we’ve got all sorts of family representation here.”
“And you certainly wear them well, darling,” my mother said as she took me in. She strode over in a cream cashmere maxi dress and heels.
“If that’s the case, I think it would be best if we spoke with Lulu first—you know, just ask a few quick questions before we shift to politics,” Ray Coffee said.
He was one of the hosts of the Weekday Morning Show and a man who graced most people’s televisions every single day while they had their first cup of coffee.
“Of course,” my mother said. “She’d be happy to answer a few questions. You know her line just got picked up by Luxe, the largest retailer in Paris.”
Charlotte’s hands fisted at her sides, and I saw the veins on her neck pulse. “This interview is not for my cousin.”
Ray turned slowly, his mouth in a straight line. “I was very clear with you, Mrs. Wellington, that the only way we were going to do this story about Hunter was if we included your father and the rest of the family.”
“That would be Mrs. Sonnet-Wellington,” Charlotte hissed. “This isn’t a story about jewelry and lace bodysuits. My husband is making a difference in the world.”
“I happen to be a big fan of lace bodysuits,” Rafe said, and my head fell back in laughter. Talk about a gift for breaking up the tension.
“And you are?” Ray asked, extending a hand.
“I’m Rafe Chadwick. The lucky guy who gets to date this woman.” Rafe wrapped his arms around me, and my heart raced. We needed to be careful because we didn’t need that mentioned in the story.
“I heard you were dating someone new.” Ray leaned closer to us. “I’m happy to hear that, Lulu.”
I’d met Ray a few times at parties and events that my mother had been hosting.
“You’re not the only one, Ray,” Rafe said with a chuckle.
Ray looked completely enamored, and Charlotte was busy ordering everyone around for the photo shoot.
“Why don’t you go grab some breakfast, and I’ll take the family photo real fast, and then you and I can sneak out on the boat?” I shot Rafe a warning because Ray would start asking him questions if he seemed open to it.
“Nonsense,” my mother said. “We all want Rafe in the family photo.”
“What?” Charlotte gasped. “They aren’t married. We don’t allow non-family members in the family portraits.”
“They aren’t married yet,” Francois said, walking into the room holding a champagne flute. “I feel comfortable having him in the photo.”
“You aren’t even in the photo. In fact, I don’t know why you’re here,” Charlotte snipped, and Hunter placed a hand on her shoulder to try to calm her down.
“He’s here because my wife wants him here. And that’s all we need to know,” my father said.
“Listen, I can take photos with and without Lulu’s boyfriend, and you can decide which you would like to hang in the library,” Delilah said.
She was a world-renowned photographer and the daughter of some famous French actor, and my Aunt Louisa had insisted she take our family photos for the last decade.
“I’d like Rafe in the photos,” Gramps said, eyes hard. “It’s my birthday photo, and I have the last word. Let’s get this and the interview done so we can enjoy the day before everyone heads home.”
“This is ridiculous.” Charlotte stormed over to me and whispered in my ear, “You always ruin everything.”
Why did I care what she thought?
She was a miserable human being. She treated people terribly. I’ve known her my whole life, and she’s always gone out of her way to be cruel to me.
We all took our positions around the hunter-green velvet sofa in the library. It was Gramps’ favorite room in the house.
Charlotte and Hunter were sitting in the center of the couch, where the grandchildren always sat, and the aunts, uncles, and grandparents stood in the back.
Jasper, Serena, and Meredith were on one side, and I moved to sit on the other side, tugging Rafe along with me, but Delilah didn’t like the layout.
“I’d like Lulu and Rafe right here in the center. It doesn’t look balanced this way. Charlotte and Hunter, you move down to the end, please,” the photographer said.
No. She. Didn’t.
Serena and Meredith chuckled, and I tried not to look at Charlotte, who was not making any attempt to tone down her anger.
I squeezed in beside Jasper and made as much room as I could for Rafe, but he was a big guy, and Charlotte wasn’t allowing space for him to sit.
“I’m going to be on your lap if you don’t move over, Char-Char,” Rafe said, which caused everyone outside of Charlotte’s direct family to laugh hysterically.
Charlotte Sonnet-Wellington did not like nicknames.
“We could actually have Charlotte and Hunter stand on the end if that’s more comfortable,” Delilah said, completely unaware of how badly she was offending my cousin.
Charlotte moved over enough to make room for Rafe, but her hands were fisted so tight that her knuckles turned white.
“Okay, this works.” Delilah stepped back as Ray watched with Francois, both admiring the bookshelves in the background. “Yes. Yes. This is it. Natural smiles to start, please.”
We spent the next thirty minutes taking endless photos. Delilah had moved Rafe’s hand to rest on my knee, and every few minutes, he’d take his thumb and stroke the inside of my leg gently. As if he knew I was uptight and anxious and wanted to soothe me.
I appreciated it.
I was coming off the world’s best orgasm from last night, which was saying a lot, seeing as I was the only one touching myself. But it was the view in front of me that had gotten me there.
This tall, strong man stroking his erection as he watched me.
It was so hot, I’d never be able to get it out of my mind. I slept like a baby after that because it had been a long time since I wanted to be touched by anyone—a long time since anyone had made me want to even touch myself.
“Okay, that’s enough for me. Time to move on,” Gramps said.
Everyone agreed, and Charlotte asked to take a few photos without Rafe in them, but my parents stepped in before my grandfather did.
“We’re done, Charlotte.” My father’s eyes were hard, and Uncle Charles nodded in agreement, which surprised me.
“Okay, I’ll just hang out and take some candids while you all do the interview,” Delilah said.
Rafe gave me a look as he started to head for the kitchen to grab some food.
“Not so fast,” Ray said. “How about I start with Lulu and Rafe so they can take the boat out while I finish up with everyone else?”
“You have got to be kidding me,” Charlotte hissed. “Is this some kind of joke?”
“This is me doing my job. Laredo and MSL are huge brands, and not everyone is as interested in politics as you are, Mrs. Sonnet-Wellington.” Ray quirked a brow before turning back to me. “It won’t take but a few minutes. But I’d love to speak to both of you.”
Forty-five minutes later, he asked us far more than we were prepared to answer. Sweat dripped down my back the entire time, but Rafe handled it like a pro.
He never wavered or seemed nervous.
He told a great story about how we met, and I had no idea where he pulled that from.
He talked about my jewelry line with pride, as if he’d studied my website.
He talked about my gummy bear obsession, and then he pulled a mini bag of gummy bears from his pocket and handed them to me, making a joke about how he was always prepared.
Blasphemous.
This man was brilliant.
We made our way out to the kitchen, with my cousin Charlotte glaring at me when I told everyone we’d be back in a while. Mrs. Weston quickly packed up a few sandwiches that she was making, a large bottle of sparkling water, and some fruit in a basket, and we took it out to the boat.
“This is not good,” I whispered as we walked side by side toward the pontoon boat.
“What do you mean? I thought we did great.”
“Let’s get out on the water first,” I said.
We walked across the dock, and I stepped aboard, reaching my hands out to him for the picnic basket. Once we were both on, I moved to the front, and he offered to drive, telling me he grew up on boats on the river.
I nodded and pointed in the direction of my favorite peaceful spot on the water. The sun was out, but it was January, so I reached for two blankets beneath the seat and pulled them out. There was a cover on the boat, so it provided protection from the wind.
I pointed to the cove for him to pull into. He turned off the engine so we could just float out here. No one was out today, so it was quiet.
He moved to sit beside me, and I pulled the picnic basket between us, and we both started eating.
“So, what’s the problem? We killed it,” he said, and I tore open the bag of gummy bears he’d given me and popped a few into my mouth. They always helped me relax, like a shot of straight dopamine.
“That was the Weekday Morning Show, Rafe. The whole world is going to think we’re dating. This is a lot more than just my family and your boss.” I blew out a breath.
“So what? It’s not like we’re dating anyone else. No one is going to get hurt. Who cares?”