Page 19 of Mind

“My darling.” She smiles and pats Chase’s cheek as he kisses her on the forehead.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Davis,” I say awkwardly, still in the same spot at the entrance of the room where Chase left me to greet his mother.

Her gaze catches mine and her lips pinch tight. She brings her attention back to Chase. “So, you’re still seeing her?”

Chase smiles wide, walks over to me, and holds out his hand. “Oh yes. I’ll be seeing a lot more of her, too. Pretty much every day for the rest of my life,” he says proudly, putting an arm around my shoulder, bringing me tight against his side the way he prefers. His lips graze my hairline briefly. His mother’s face pulls so tight into a grimace, I worry it will stick. “We’re getting married,” Chase says happily. Probably the most emotion I’ve seen him share in front of others, ever. Normally he keeps his feelings and emotions pretty close to the chest.

“You’re kidding?” his mother says clearly taken aback.

“I’m not. Mother, Gillian has agreed to marry me.” The confidence with which he delivers his words melts my heart and I can’t help but swoon. He holds me tight and leads me to the couch across from where his mother is seated. I take a moment and scan the room. The entire right wall and a quarter of the ceiling is encased in thick glass allowing a perfect view of the land beyond. The Davis property is vast. A lot larger than I remembered from the night of his Uncle’s birthday party where we had it out about Megan “The Bitch.”

“When?” she asks tightly, bringing my attention from the lush landscape to her unhappy face. It’s obvious this news does not come with congratulations. If we weren’t here, she’d likely throw her teacup across the room. Briefly, I wonder what it would be like to see her lose control.

I move to answer, but Chase is faster. “Soon.” He grips my arm keeping me close. The smile on his face is huge. In the light of the early afternoon, he looks effervescent and completely at peace. It lifts me up, knowing I’m the one who’s put that smile on his face.

Colleen twists her mouth, trying but failing to hide a scowl. “But you’ve hardly dated. Don’t you think it’s a bit soon, to consider marriage,” she adds “my darling,” to soften the blow.

Chase finally keys into the fact that his mother is not altogether pleased with this news. “Mother, Gillian and I are in love. There’s no reason to wait.”

“And I’ll just bet she wants to turn around a wedding pretty quickly, don’t you my dear?” Her tone is scathing and meant to pierce.

“No, that’s not at all true!” I answer desperately wanting to clarify that the six-week timeframe was his decision, not mine.

“Mother, stop. Gillian actually wants to wait a year. I want to get married immediately. We’ve set the date for six weeks from now.”

Ms. Davis gasps, bringing a hand to her mouth. “You can’t be serious, Chase. You barely know her.”

“I know what I want. Gillian and I are getting married and I’d prefer you didn’t share any more of your opinions…” his voice lowers in pitch “unless it’s to congratulate your son and welcome his fiancée into our family.” His words are delivered with a side order of “fuck you” without even trying. I couldn’t be more proud of Chase for sticking up for me, especially in front of his mother. It’s still a mystery to me why she doesn’t like me. I’ve barely shared a few sentences with the woman since meeting her all those months ago at the charity event.

Just like a chameleon changes color, her entire being softens. “I apologize, my darling. My only concern is for you and your happiness. It always has been.” Her voice falters and cracks as she holds out a hand. He moves to her then kneels at her feet. I hate how much control she holds over his emotions. Holding back a retort, I watch as she clasps his cheek. “My darling boy, if she is what you want, she is what you must have.”

His smile brightens the room once more. His mother’s lips tip up sweetly then her gaze turns to me. “Welcome to the Davis family, dear. Looks like we have a wedding to plan.”

Chase stands and clasps his hands together. “Yes, absolutely! Mother is an amazing event planner. The two of you working together will be the perfect way to become friends.” I’m certain my eyes are about to pop out of their sockets. That is quite possibly the last thing I want in the universe. Instead of bursting Chase’s bubble, I smile and nod, not capable of anything else.

The door behind me opens and Chase’s Uncle Charles bustles into the room. “Did I miss tea service? I had business that ran late.”

Chase holds out a hand and greets his Uncle. “I was just sharing the news with mother that I have asked Gillian to be my wife and she has agreed.”

“Well done my boy!” He clasps him on the back and pulls him into a man hug. “Forget the tea, what this news needs is champagne!”

His uncle’s joy is contagious, and I finally release a bit of the pent up tension I’ve been holding since the moment I entered. “I couldn’t agree more,” I say as his Uncle pulls me up and off the couch into a full body hug.

“You’ll be a stunning bride, and a most welcome addition to the Davis family my dear.” He grins and kisses both of my cheeks. Charles Davis is nothing but glorious. His salt and pepper hair is slicked back into the quintessential businessman’s style giving him that dapper appeal. The dark grey suit on his wiry frame probably cost more than my car, and he wears it well. Even though he looks pretentious and unapproachable, his welcoming eyes and easy smile dispel the aura.

“Thank you,” I reach for Chase, and he pulls me against his side. Breathing in his woodsy citrus scent calms my nerves. Besides the moment I agreed to marry him, this is the happiest I’ve ever seen him, and I don’t want to ruin this moment with how uncomfortable his mother makes me.

“Charles, Chase, why don’t you go get some champagne and a couple cigars for yourselves, and let me chat with my future daughter-in-law, woman to woman.” Her lips twist into a forced smile that is anything but pleasant.

“Good idea, Mother.” Chase kisses me too briefly and starts to pull away. Before he can, I cup his neck and deepen the kiss. He pulls away and cocks his neck to the side to assess me.

“I’ll be back soon, baby,” he whispers and pecks me quickly.

“Hurry back,” I say hoping I put enough fear into my tone, without letting on I don’t really want to be alone with his mother.

“Enough. Chase darling, the champagne?” Her request is laced with irritation.

The two men saunter off. I watch Chase until I can no longer see him.

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