11. Drew #2
“We had a great team with you, didn’t we, Aiden?” David says. His father was still running the team when Dad played and he’s settled into being the elusive owner while David manages the team.
My mother’s smile is so brittle, I’m surprised it doesn’t break under pressure. She puts her hand on back, offering her reassurance and support.
A soft rattling has all eyes shifting to the newcomer joining the group.
I see David Caine’s eyes widen, his gaze sliding over Jules’s body, eyes lighting up in appreciation.
My fist tightens around my glass and it only takes my mother’s steady hand on my back for me not to slam my glass on the side of his head.
“And who’s this stunning woman?” David says.
“Aunt Constance was looking for you,” I say to Jules, drawing the eyes of my family. Lavinia gives me a questioning look because she knows I haven’t even seen Aunt Constance yet. She’s across the room talking to Kai’s grandmother.
“Oh, is she?” Jules looks around the room.
“I’ll take you,” I say.
Jules looks as startled as the rest of my family, but she follows me as I turn.
“Why was she looking for me?” she asks.
I feel her gaze on the side of my face, but I don’t look at her. I can’t explain this anger twisting inside me like a storm. David Caine has always been a slimeball, for all that he presents himself as a family man. I’ve seen him hit on other women and never batted an eye.
This time, he took it too far. He can’t hit on my… He can’t hit on Jules.
“I don’t know.” My voice sounds harsher than I want it and in my peripheral vision, I see Jules flinch.
I turn to face her. She stares up at me wide-eyed, and I know my anger shouldn’t be directed at her. I’ve said a lot of things to her over the years, but I’ve never made her flinch from me before.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have used that tone,” I say.
“Oh, uh…” Jules looks around, clearly unsure on what to do with my apology.
“It’s not you, it’s David Caine. I was just trying to get you away from him.”
I’ve never seen Jules’s eyes soften before. They look almost powder blue, bottomless doe eyes.
“Why would you do that?” she asks.
That’s harder to explain than it should be.
“Oh good, I found you two.”
Our eyes swing to Aunt Constance. She’s beaming at us with that same mischievous glint in her eyes as she always does. I know I’m in trouble before she even opens her mouth.
“I’ve been thinking about your dilemma,” she says.
“Which dilemma?” Jules looks at me in question and I shrug.
“About attending your friends’ wedding without a plus one since all of us are leaving tomorrow,” Aunt Constance explains.
I look at Jules curiously. Which wedding? Which friend? Why do I feel unsettled that I don’t know?
More importantly, why do I care?
“Oh.” Jules laughs. “I can attend the wedding alone, it’s not that big of a deal.”
Aunt Constance grabs her arm, looking at her seriously. “It’s bad luck to attend a wedding alone, Juliet. It sends the wrong signal to the universe.”
Jules frowns, a little unsure of what Aunt Constance is saying.
“Aunt Constance, that’s not a thing,” I say.
“As if athletes don’t have their superstitions?” Aunt Constance raises an eyebrow.
She’s got me there. Hell, even I have a superstition—I always keep the laces from my very first skates in my bag.
“I don’t really believe in superstitions, as surprising as that might sound,” Jules says.
Aunt Constance pats her hand. “Do it for me, dear. I’ll feel better knowing you’re there with someone.”
Jules melts and I’m surprised she doesn’t see the manipulation for what it is.
“Who do you have in mind?” Jules asks.
“Why, Andrew, of course.” Aunt Constance grins as I feel the earth slip out from under my feet.
Jules looks just as horrified at the notion. “I’d rather attend alone and take on the universe.”
“I’m not taking her to a wedding,” I say at the same time.
“Besides, the wedding is in New York,” Jules continues, as if I haven’t spoken.
“Andrew can take you,” Aunt Constance says, looking up at me.
“I really can’t,” I insist.
If it was in Boston, I might have considered it for a split second. But driving almost five hours to New York plus taking her to a wedding? That’s too much time to spend in each other’s company without a buffer.
Aunt Constance sighs, suddenly looking frail and elderly, her grip on my arm weakening.
“Well, what do I know? I’m just an old woman with her old superstitions.
Lizzie told me to keep quiet but I said no, I want to do it for the kids.
I shouldn’t have said anything. I hope I don’t live long enough to see anything bad happen. ”
Jules and I look at each other, our eyes rolling simultaneously. There’s not a day in her life when she’s been old and fragile. Aunt Constance is going to outlive us all by sheer will.
But the guilt trip has its intended effect.
“Fine,” I say through gritted teeth. “If Jules is okay with it, I’ll take her to the wedding.”
With any luck she’ll wear another one of these seductive dress and my heart will give out right there so I won’t have to live through more torture.
Aunt Constance turns puppy eyes on Jules, who looks between us in hesitation.
“If Drew is okay with it…”
It’s not like I have a choice other than to be okay with it.
“Oh, excellent!” Miracle of miracles, Aunt Constance is back to her energetic self. “This makes me so happy. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a gentleman making eyes at me from the bar and I’m going to say hello.”
She disappears into the crowd almost as quickly as she arrived. Jules shakes her head as if clearing away the fog. “What just happened? How did she convince us to do that?”
“You’ve just been manipulated by the talented Constance Kelly.” I look down at her. “When’s the wedding?”
Jules blinks in surprise. “This weekend, but you don’t have to come.”
“I’ve already said I will, and I’m not putting it above Aunt Constance to fake a health concern because I didn’t follow through on my promise.”
Jules laughs, the sound bright. Quite a few people--men--turn to admire her.
“Okay. We leave tomorrow. The wedding’s black tie.”
“Excellent, I can’t wait,” I say drily.
Jules laughs again, and I’m surprised to realize that I like the sound of that a little too much.