that someday.” He gave me a particular look, saying a lot without using words.
Man, he was smooth.
My parents watched us intently.
Then Cato made small talk with my parents, keeping up with their aristocratic tones and customs. He fit right in, like he belonged at this benefit. But then I remembered he did this for a living, so he had a lot of practice.
Cato politely excused himself then headed to the bathroom. When he was gone, my parents immediately rounded on me.
“I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”
“Where did you find him?”
“What about Joey?”
All the questions came out at the same time. I felt like I was in a batting cage and the ball machine wouldn’t stop throwing high-speed baseballs at me. “We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks and I really care about him. I think this is going to go somewhere.”
Mom’s eyes shined with joy, but there was also apprehension. She turned to Dad, having a silent conversation with him. I knew they were rooting for Joey, hoping we would settle down together. We’d been friends since we were kids. I wasn’t sure why they thought anything would ever happen between us. Men had come and gone from my life and Joey was never one of them.
“Honey, maybe you should at least give Joey a chance,” she said gently. “You guys are so perfect together.”
I tried not to snap. I knew she meant well. “Mom, no. It’ll never happen.”
“Even if you don’t love him, the marriage is so convenient,” Dad reasoned. “He’s your best friend and business partner. That was the original reason marriage was practiced.”
A loveless marriage was ideal for me. I would never love anyone else for as long as I lived. It wasn’t an option for me, and it never will be. I understood why my parents wanted a relationship with Joey to happen. It gave me what I needed.
But I didn’t want that. “No.”
Mom lowered her voice. “I was always under the impression that…”
“Things change.” I didn’t want to hear her say it. Even after all these years, it was still too painful. Perhaps repressing my emotions was making me feel worse but I couldn’t confront them head-on. I simply wasn’t strong enough. “I appreciate your concern but Joey isn’t right for me. He and I can still be great business partners as friends. It’s what we’ve always done.”
Mom and Dad fell silent, losing the argument.
Fortunately, Cato returned and his arm moved around my waist. “Did I miss anything?”
“No,” I said. “Nothing at all.”
***
Cato ate with perfect manners and I didn’t have to keep an eye on him. He made appropriate conversation with the people joining us at the table, keeping his hand on my thigh as he did so. It was unfortunate we didn’t get along personally because he seemed like a wonderful guy when he wasn’t sending jabs my way.
I sipped my drink and noticed Cato and I hardly spoke. He spoke to strangers easier than he spoke to me. He even traded phone numbers with a man from my office so they could go golfing sometime. Would anyone think it was odd that Cato and I hardly spoke to each other?
“Having a good night?” I asked.
“The food is good.” That was all he said. He didn’t even answer my question.
“And the booze?”
“That’s even better,” he said. “So, did I help you reach your goals?”
“I think so—for the most part.”
“Meaning…?”
“My parents still want me to be with Joey. They accept you and even like you, but they find our relationship a little odd.”
“Why?”
“I just don’t usually date.”
That caught his interest and he turned his full attention on me. “Why is that?”
I didn’t want to talk about it—especially with a man I hardly knew and who was rude to me most of the time. “I just don’t.” I took a drink after I spoke, something for me to do so I wouldn’t have to look at him.
He backed off. “Maybe they want you to get out a little.”
I ignored the jab because he
Man, he was smooth.
My parents watched us intently.
Then Cato made small talk with my parents, keeping up with their aristocratic tones and customs. He fit right in, like he belonged at this benefit. But then I remembered he did this for a living, so he had a lot of practice.
Cato politely excused himself then headed to the bathroom. When he was gone, my parents immediately rounded on me.
“I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”
“Where did you find him?”
“What about Joey?”
All the questions came out at the same time. I felt like I was in a batting cage and the ball machine wouldn’t stop throwing high-speed baseballs at me. “We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks and I really care about him. I think this is going to go somewhere.”
Mom’s eyes shined with joy, but there was also apprehension. She turned to Dad, having a silent conversation with him. I knew they were rooting for Joey, hoping we would settle down together. We’d been friends since we were kids. I wasn’t sure why they thought anything would ever happen between us. Men had come and gone from my life and Joey was never one of them.
“Honey, maybe you should at least give Joey a chance,” she said gently. “You guys are so perfect together.”
I tried not to snap. I knew she meant well. “Mom, no. It’ll never happen.”
“Even if you don’t love him, the marriage is so convenient,” Dad reasoned. “He’s your best friend and business partner. That was the original reason marriage was practiced.”
A loveless marriage was ideal for me. I would never love anyone else for as long as I lived. It wasn’t an option for me, and it never will be. I understood why my parents wanted a relationship with Joey to happen. It gave me what I needed.
But I didn’t want that. “No.”
Mom lowered her voice. “I was always under the impression that…”
“Things change.” I didn’t want to hear her say it. Even after all these years, it was still too painful. Perhaps repressing my emotions was making me feel worse but I couldn’t confront them head-on. I simply wasn’t strong enough. “I appreciate your concern but Joey isn’t right for me. He and I can still be great business partners as friends. It’s what we’ve always done.”
Mom and Dad fell silent, losing the argument.
Fortunately, Cato returned and his arm moved around my waist. “Did I miss anything?”
“No,” I said. “Nothing at all.”
***
Cato ate with perfect manners and I didn’t have to keep an eye on him. He made appropriate conversation with the people joining us at the table, keeping his hand on my thigh as he did so. It was unfortunate we didn’t get along personally because he seemed like a wonderful guy when he wasn’t sending jabs my way.
I sipped my drink and noticed Cato and I hardly spoke. He spoke to strangers easier than he spoke to me. He even traded phone numbers with a man from my office so they could go golfing sometime. Would anyone think it was odd that Cato and I hardly spoke to each other?
“Having a good night?” I asked.
“The food is good.” That was all he said. He didn’t even answer my question.
“And the booze?”
“That’s even better,” he said. “So, did I help you reach your goals?”
“I think so—for the most part.”
“Meaning…?”
“My parents still want me to be with Joey. They accept you and even like you, but they find our relationship a little odd.”
“Why?”
“I just don’t usually date.”
That caught his interest and he turned his full attention on me. “Why is that?”
I didn’t want to talk about it—especially with a man I hardly knew and who was rude to me most of the time. “I just don’t.” I took a drink after I spoke, something for me to do so I wouldn’t have to look at him.
He backed off. “Maybe they want you to get out a little.”
I ignored the jab because he
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