18. Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Vic
T he bachelorette party is a huge success. Everyone has a lot of fun. We play games and take pictures. We eat the food Lis and her team prepared and drink the beer we bought from Hops Scotch Brewery. When the night is over, Tanner leans close to ask if I’m ready to go.
Sophie, Lis’ sister-in-law, calls out, “Are you guys going home to have sex?”
I meet her gaze and respond with utmost dignity. “What my husband and I do in the privacy of our apartment is our business.”
Tanner laughs. “Are you ready to leave then, Mrs. Marcus?”
“Yes, Mr. Marcus, I am.”
I take his hand and let him draw me to my feet. When I’m standing, we’re very close together and I gaze into his dark brown eyes. How did I end up here? Why am I not supposed to kiss him again?
“I think I’ve maybe had a little more to drink than I thought,” I whisper. “Damn Derek and that Drink If game. I’m certain he had some of those cards simply so I’d have to drink.”
We’d played it about a dozen times throughout the night, and I swear, every time we did, he made me drink for almost every card he pulled.
Tanner chuckles, wrapping his arm around me so he can help me stay steady on my feet. “It’s all right. I’ve had less. Quite a lot less, in fact. I switched to what the preggos are drinking about three hours ago.”
I pout. “You had fun, though?”
He guides me carefully down the stairs. “I did. It was nice to get to know a few more of your friends a bit better. The ones I haven’t gotten to see much.”
“How did you know who to invite? You’ve never even met Trish and Gina, let alone their husbands.”
We make it to the ground floor and he steers me to the door and out into the cool night. “Derek’s sisters. I left Spencer in charge of the guest list. I told him I wanted Wyatt and Addison here, but otherwise, he could invite whoever he thought you’d like to have.”
“That’s sweet. You’re sweet.”
“Only for you. Get in drunky.”
I blink, realizing we’re already at the car. I straighten. “I am not drunk.” I open the car door. “This is the passenger side.”
“Yes.”
I glance at him. “You’re driving.”
“Yes.”
I narrow my eyes. “You need the keys.”
He holds them up.
“I see you think of everything.” I slide into the seat and get my seatbelt buckled after only two tries. I don’t pay any attention at all, because what seems like ten seconds later, he’s parked and opening my door for me, helping me out and up to our apartment.
“Do you need help getting ready for bed?” he asks, after he unlocks the door and ushers me inside.
“Are you trying to get me naked?” I ask. Then I cover my mouth with my hand. “I shouldn’t have said that in my out loud voice.”
He rolls his lips together and I know he’s laughing at me. I step out of my shoes, losing the extra two inches they gave me. I reach behind me to the zipper on the back of my dress but can’t quite grab it.
Tanner’s warm hand catches me around my shoulder, stopping me. “Let me,” he says softly, sending a shiver along my skin. He tugs the zipper down, and it might be my drunk imagination, but I feel like he takes his time. “There you go,” he says, and his voice sounds a little gravelly. “Good night, Vic.”
My breathing is a little heavy, my eyes are closed, and I want to lean back against him. I want to feel his hands on my skin. Before I can say anything, a door clicks shut and I check behind me to see that he’s already retreated to his bedroom.
I don’t mention my feelings the next morning when Tanner is making me breakfast—shirtless. Again. My mind fresh and free of alcohol-induced insanity, I remember why sleeping with my husband would be a bad idea. We putter around the house for most of the morning, doing a few chores, before I settle into the couch to read a book and Tanner does the same. I’m reading a small-town romance on my eReader, while he has a chonky sci-fi paperback.
We’ve spent a bunch of afternoons like this, quiet and reading together. They’re nice. Though Tanner has warned me that the NHL season is going to start soon, and he likes to watch the games.
At 5pm, I get up with a sigh.
Tanner doesn’t look up at me, turning the page as he says, “We could skip it. I wouldn’t stop you.”
I snort. “Sure. Then Mom will be over here, dragging me out by my ear. It’s easier this way.”
“If you say so.”
I pause, turning back to him. “It happened.”
He looks up at me, confused.
“What happened?”
My hand drifts upward, but I catch it before I bite my nail and tuck my hair behind my ear instead. “Remember I said I tried to cut them off once?”
He nods.
“She came over. Told me in no uncertain terms that I would be attending the family dinner, like always, or else she would camp out in my living room until I do. In the end, I decided it was easier to go and ignore them than it was to try to actually cut them out. And Sterling and Blue Vista are in a similar sphere in the business world. Back then, I couldn’t afford to have Dad say anything bad about my company, not that I was sure he would. But he could have said something offhand that would have destroyed our progress. At this point, I don’t think that’s still the case, but I’m already in a smooth place. There’s no reason for me to rock the boat.”
“Can I ask—” He cuts himself off, but I can guess what he was going to say.
“It was a bunch of things, all piled up. Looking back, the final thing wasn’t any worse than any of the others. Kind of a straw that broke the camel’s back situation. I’d just finished the quarterly earnings report for Blue Vista. We’d been in business for only two years and were already starting to turn a profit. We were in the black. Dad shrugged it off like it meant nothing. We’d built a business, amidst a pandemic, and made it successful in less than two years, but it was just a little event venue. Hardly worth noticing. I guess I realized they would never take me seriously, no matter what I did, so I stopped trying. I built this wall so no matter what they say or do, it can’t touch me anymore. There’s only one thing Dad’s done since then that made it through.”
I shrug and Tanner stands, coming toward me. “I hate how they treat you, Vic. They should be so proud of you.”
“That’s nice of you to say, but I’m over trying to get them to be proud of me.” I turn to go into my room, but he grabs my hand.
“It probably doesn’t count for the same thing, but I’m proud of you. You are amazing, Vic. Anyone who can’t see that is blind.”
It’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. I smile and back away from him before I can do something stupid like kiss him the way I really want to right now.
I go into my ensuite bathroom to brush my hair and tie it up in a neat chignon. Then I put on my makeup and a set of earrings. The only other jewellery I wear are my engagement and wedding rings. Finally, I put on a simple black dress and throw a soft, blue chenille wrap around my shoulders, meeting Tanner in the living room. He’s wearing one of his suits and one of his fun ties. I started noticing them shortly after the wedding. On first glance, this one looks like a black tie, but on closer inspection, it actually has a pattern of leaves on it.
“Is it time to enter enemy territory?” he asks.
“It’s not that bad,” I say, following him out the door.
“You’re right.” He grins at me as he presses the button for the elevator. “It’s worse.”
We take an Uber to the restaurant since there’s no good parking nearby. When we get out, Tanner takes my hand and we start inside.
“What was the one thing?” he asks.
I don’t bother to ask him what he means. I’m actually surprised he hadn’t asked when I’d said it. I bite my lip, but ultimately decide to tell him the truth. “He made you COO.”
Then we’re at the table where Mom is waiting alone, and I kiss her cheek before sitting across from her.
“Hello, dear,” she says. “Tanner. It’s lovely you can always make it.”
He shrugs as he settles in next to me. “I go where Vic tells me.”
Mom purses her lips. “Hm.”
I pick up the wine list. Even though I wouldn’t normally drink two nights in a row, I’m sure I’m going to want a glass or three tonight. I’d be happier with a beer, but Mom disapproves of it. “Where are Dad and Liam?”
“Working,” she replies with a sigh. “Your father had a business meeting this afternoon that ran long, and your brother is working on a big project. They should both be here soon, though.”
There was a time in my life when I would have been annoyed that I’m expected to be at these dinners—and on time—while Dad and Liam could be late or not show up at all. But as I said to Tanner, I’ve learned to care less and less about what my parents expect of me and just go along with most of it to keep the peace.
“Actually,” Mom says, bringing my attention back to her from the wine list, “I have something I wanted to discuss with you two before your father and brother arrive.”
“What’s that?” I ask.
The waiter arrives and Mom waits somewhat impatiently for me and Tanner to order drinks, a wine for me and a scotch for him. Neither of us are drinking what we would normally choose, I notice. He also usually prefers beer.
Once the waiter leaves, Mom continues as though there had been no interruption. “I’m wondering when you’re going to start trying to have a baby. I have a good friend whose daughter does acupuncture that’s supposed to help aid fertility. And you know fertility starts to decline once you hit thirty-five.”
“I’m thirty-two,” I remind her.
She waves her hand as though thirty-two and thirty-five are exactly the same thing.
I take a breath. I’m honestly surprised it’s taken her so long to ask this question. I’d expected it of her a week after Tanner and I were married, if not sooner.
“We’re not planning on trying to have a baby at all, Mom,” I tell her as the waiter returns with our drinks. I am more grateful than he can possibly imagine.
“Now dear, you’re not getting any younger. And you’re married. Surely it’s time to start thinking about starting a family.”
“I’ve told you at least a hundred times before. I don’t want kids.”
“Have you considered Tanner in this matter?” she asks, gesturing to him. “He’ll want to have children and as his wife—”
“Actually, Mrs. Sterling, I don’t,” Tanner cuts in, then takes a sip of his scotch, as though this is not earth-shattering news, though certainly it is to my mother.
“You-you don’t?” Mom stutters.
“Nope. That’s something Vic and I agreed on before we got married.”
It isn’t. We never talked about kids. Partly because our marriage is going to end in less than a year and we’d agreed to not have sex. I look at him now, trying to contain my shock at his statement, at his ease of lying to my mother.
“But you come from such a large family,” Mom says.
“Exactly.” Tanner takes my hand, offering me the warmth of his presence. “There’s already so many kids in my family. I don’t need to add any more. Besides, how can I keep favourite-uncle-status if I have my own kids to chase after and spoil?”
Mom gives her fake laugh, the one reserved for not-funny jokes said by people she’s supposed to impress.
Dad arrives and saves us from continuing the conversation or trying to find a way to change the subject. He kisses Mom’s cheek like I had done and takes a seat next to her.
“Hello, everyone,” he says. “I got a call from Liam a few minutes ago. He said he’s pretty tired after working all day, so he’s going to skip dinner tonight. He’ll see us in two weeks.”
I roll my eyes, but say nothing.
The waiter comes and takes our orders. We chat about business. Mom brings up babies again and Dad is on her side. Tanner shuts them down quickly, though, repeating that he doesn’t want kids any more than I do. I appreciate his support in this, even though I’m not really sure if he’s being serious or just having my back.
“Didn’t I hear that Spencer’s wife is pregnant?” Dad asks after the waiter leaves our food.
“Yes,” I say. “Lis is about five months now. Adalie is also pregnant. She’s just started telling more people. She’s about three months.”
“Adalie is your HR manager?” he asks now.
I refrain from sighing in annoyance, opting to take a sip of wine instead. “HR Director . Also, one of my best friends. She was my bridesmaid at my wedding.”
“What does her husband do?”
I don’t bother to correct him that they’re not married yet, partly because they will be by the end of next year, and partly because it’s none of his business.
“He and his brother own Hops Scotch Brewery.”
Dad nods. “Breweries are doing well right now. It’s a good market.” He turns to Tanner. “We should add one to our list of companies to consider for next week’s planning meeting. See if we want to expand the portfolio in that direction.”
Tanner dips his chin in acknowledgment, but doesn’t respond otherwise.
“I’m sure he’s glad his wife is giving him a child to carry on his legacy,” Dad says before taking a bite of his steak.
“That wasn’t as subtle as you thought it was, Dad,” I tell him, my voice as dry as the Sahara. “Besides, Nate already has a daughter to carry on his legacy , if that’s what he wants.”
Dad shakes his head in a way that says I’m being foolish. “Daughters don’t carry on legacies, Victoria. They get married and change their names to their husbands’ name. They help carry on his legacy.”
“Of course,” I say. “My mistake.” Tanner should hear the sarcasm in my voice, but my parents won’t.
Mom drums her fingers on the table, eyeing me in that critical way of hers. “This idea that you don’t want children doesn’t have anything to do with,” she lowers her voice and looks around the restaurant, “all that bisexual business, is it? Because you’re married to Tanner now, so it’s all irrelevant.”
I close my eyes in a bid for patience. “First of all, no. It has nothing to do with the fact that I’m bisexual. In fact, Lis’ sister Daze is pregnant right now. She and her wife are happily expecting a baby around the same time as Adalie is.” We’d found out last night at the party when she was drinking the same thing as Lis and Adalie. “Secondly, just because I’m married to Tanner doesn’t make me any less bisexual. My sexuality doesn’t change if I’m with a man or a woman.”
“Really, darling, do you have to be so… loud about it?”
I clench my teeth and repeat to myself over and over that I don’t care what she thinks. I haven’t cared for a long time. I’m only here because it’s easier than the alternative of having her camp out in my living room until I do what she wants.
Then a hand touches my back, and I look over at Tanner, who’s watching me. I can read the question in his eyes. Do you want to leave?
He doesn’t say the words out loud, but somehow, I know I could stand up right now and he would be with me. I could kiss him for that. I smile and shake my head, very slightly so only he notices. Then, he changes the subject, asking Dad about a property.
Apparently, they’re having some trouble with the acquisition of this property. It’s a restaurant in Whistler next to the spa that Sterling Properties already owns. They’ve been having difficulties coming to an agreement with the current owner on the appliances.
“I told him he can take them with him if he wants, since I’d be replacing them all, anyway. But if he does, I’m going to be knocking a few thousand off the offer price.”
I nod. “It would probably be easier to do it that way, anyway. When Blue Vista bought those two restaurants, they came with the appliances. Lis said none of them were up to the standards we have at the Vancouver venue. Selling them after the fact was a huge hassle I wish we hadn’t taken on.”
“Mm,” Dad says.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing, it’s just your little venue business isn’t as complicated as Sterling. There’s so much more involved with—”
Tanner stands with a sigh. “We’re done here,” he says, taking my hand, so I rise with him.
“What is this about, Tanner?” Dad asks.
“This is about how much you belittle your daughter. About how you can’t seem to see how talented and successful she is. I’ve been listening to it all night. If you’re not badgering her about reproducing, or who she is as a person, you’re ignoring everything she’s accomplished. She’s not just some woman. She’s your daughter . She’s your daughter. And she deserves more from you than how you treat her.”
We’re all staring at him in complete shock. I’ve never seen him stand up to my father before. Maybe he does it at work, but I haven’t ever heard about it. I have to admit, it’s really sexy.
He waves over the waiter, who rushes to the table.
“Is there a problem, sir?” he asks.
“Not with the food, or the service,” Tanner assures him. “Can you please pack these up and bring them to us? I also need the bill for our meals and drinks. We’ll wait at the front.”
I roll my lips together to keep from smirking at that statement. Dad always pays for dinner. It’s a power play for him. I’ve always gone along with it, but Tanner paying for us will be a huge slap in the face.
He turns to my parents again.
“We’ll be back in two weeks, but if you can’t stop insulting Vic, we’ll leave again. Good night.”
I follow him to the front of the restaurant where we wait for the bill and our leftovers. As we wait, he rubs a hand over his face. “I’m probably going to hear about that tomorrow. If not sooner.”
I place my hand on his arm, gently pushing it away so he’ll look at me. “I appreciate it, but you probably shouldn’t have said anything. It doesn’t bother me what they say.”
“Doesn’t it?” he asks, pinning me with those dark brown eyes. “I don’t understand how none of it gets to you. They were after you all night. I’d seen it before we were married, too. How they can’t seem to see you for who you are.”
I sigh and shake my head. “Don’t worry about it, Tanner. It’s not really a concern.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. It is a concern. You are my concern. Because you’re my wife.” He tilts my head up so I look him in the eye. “You’re my wife, Vic. And whether you like it or not, that means your problems are my problems.”
I’m shaken by how nice that feels, to know I don’t have to hold my problems alone. I could ask any of my friends for any help I might need. I’ve never asked. I never asked Tanner, either, and he’s simply done it, taken it upon himself to be there for me because we’re married. Even though our marriage is temporary.
What would it be like if it wasn’t?
I reach up, taking his face between my hands and guide him down to me. I kiss him softly and his fingers flex on my chin as though he wants to hold me in place. He doesn’t and I step back.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
We’re still holding each other, standing so close together, and I can see the way his eyes search mine, then drop to my lips. I wonder if he’s going to kiss me next. Then the waiter arrives with our food and the bill.
Tanner pays and we take our leftovers, heading outside where an Uber is already waiting for us, Tanner having ordered it as soon as we walked away from the table. As we drive, the kiss is definitely on my mind, but so is something else that has been bugging me since before his dramatic end to the dinner. Once we’re home and we’ve taken off our shoes and Tanner brings our leftovers to the kitchen, presumably to heat them so we can finish eating, I decide to bring it up.
“Tanner?” I say, sitting on a chair at the pass through. “You didn’t have to lie.”
“I don’t…” he begins, his brows drawn down in confusion.
“To my mom. About not wanting kids. We didn’t talk about it before the wedding, but that’s because I didn’t think it would matter. We’re not going to be together that long, so our opinions on kids aren’t really relevant, right?”
He stares at me for a long time before he says, “I didn’t lie.”
“You didn’t?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t want kids. So much so, I got a vasectomy about four years ago.”
Yet again, I’m in shock. “A vasectomy?”
He smiles and I know he’s laughing at my expression.
“So you can’t…”
“Well. The doctor said there’s a 0.005 per cent chance it could fail, but I don’t mind those odds.” He shrugs. “I figure, with odds that low, if I get a woman pregnant, it was meant to be. You want yours heated up? Or in the fridge for tomorrow?”
“Um. Heated. Let’s finish eating.” I watch him as he puts the food onto plates and heats everything up again, starting with mine.
How did I not know Tanner doesn’t want kids? He comes from such a large family, I’d always assumed he would want some of his own. But he doesn’t.
Not that it makes any difference for the future. Right?