Page 59 of Serving the CEO

I watched from the corner of my eye as my mother greeted a second cousin from my father’s side, both of them exchanging air kisses and smiling like my mother wasn’t intimidated by a petty bitch who lived for the times she could cut my mom to ribbons over any perceived mistake. Bernice Thomas was a shrew, and she turned into a shark without somebody to keep her in line.

Her eyes landed on my mother’s elegant necklace, and I saw the comment forming.

“Mom,” I said, not knowing why I did it. “A word?”

Both Bernice and my mother looked up as I stepped away from my date and toward the two older women. I gave Bernice a hard look and watched as she wilted and faded into the crowd. Turning my attention to my mom, I asked, “Did you need another drink?”

She looked startled, but then a hesitant smile came and went. “No, sweetheart. Thank you.” My mother came closer, and I stiffened, not wanting her to engage in conversation with me, Jessica, or Drew, but all she did was place a hand on my arm and said, “It’s good to see you, Derrick.”

After a few seconds without another word, she walked off, melting into the crowd, greeting people around us and stopping here and there to make polite conversation, but still standing apart from everything.

Lonely.

The thought came out of nowhere, and I brushed it off.

It was hard not to compare this coolly sophisticated birthday party to the laid-back get-together Jessica had invited me to with her family. Shitty beer aside, I’d rather be there, with Jessica leaning against me as I listened to some absurd story about her and her cousins or somebody teased her parents because they’d been cuddling again.

I looked over at where Jessica was talking with Drew and thought of how her eyes had softened when she’d seen her parents dancing as the fireworks went off over them.

A song had come on, some ballad from the eighties or nineties I couldn’t place, and Don had pulled Charlotte up from their blanket, saying that it was their song. And she’d smiled at him, looking more like a teenager in love than a woman with a grown daughter. They’d danced the whole song in silence, just looking at each other.

Half the people in the yard had been sneaking glances at them, some smiling, like Jessica. I’d been trying to remember the last time I’d seen my parents speak a civil word to each other when it wasn’t required of them.

Back in the present, I watched Drew lean in closer to Jessica and say something in a low voice. She burst into laughter, a bright, happy sound that was as out of place at this cool, refined party as my parents would have been at her family’s warm and friendly cookout. She clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle the cheerful sound, but her eyes danced as she looked at my friend.

I wanted to shove him away from her and yank her to my side. I was halfway to them when I recognized the foreign emotion coursing through me.

Fuck.

I was jealous.

“You’re terrible,” she said, still watching him as she lowered her hand, her tone playfully scolding.

Neither of them had seen me coming back and that just pissed me off even more. How could I be so aware of someone and she wasn’t even wondering where I’d gone because she was talking to my asshole of a best friend.

“You can’t deny it’s true.” As he looked down at her, a deep grin flashed a dimple her way.

Before she could answer, I snapped, “Are you going to keep flirting with my date, Drew, or get one of your own?”

His head jerked to me, eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

I knew how he felt. I’d seen him actually come on to women I planned to sleep with, and I’d never even blinked.

Not bothering with an explanation, I took Jessica’s hand. “Come on…let’s get a drink. I wanted to introduce you to a few more people.”

It was a lie. I’d only brought her because I couldn’t stand the idea of not seeing her today, and I couldn’t miss my little sister’s birthday party for anything. Besides, Amelia and Jessica had hit it off and Amelia told me that if I didn’t bring Jessica, I’d ruin her birthday forever. As accustomed as I was to Amelia’s love of hyperbole, I’d always found it difficult to deny her anything, and this wasn’t even something I didn’t want to do. If anything, Amelia’s request just gave me permission to do what I’d wanted to do anyway.

I was beginning to regret it now. I could’ve just stayed at the party for an hour or so and then spend the rest of the day with Jessica.

We bumped into my sister on our way to the bar, and Amelia grinned at Jessica. “Are you bored out of your mind yet?” Then, in a flash, Amelia’s smile disappeared, and her eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Jessica said quickly. “It’s a great party.”

I frowned. Something was off about Jessica’s tone. I slanted a sideways look at her, but she didn’t look back. Which, of course, just confirmed my suspicion that something was wrong, despite what she told Amelia. I suspected Amelia had noticed that something wasn’t quite right, but she didn’t push the subject.

“You’re a very good liar, or you’re very diplomatic.” Amelia leaned forward and said in a low voice, “I’mbored…and I’ve got presents to open. A lot ofthemwill be boring, too, but some might be fun. If the birthday girl is bored, everybody else is bored.”

“It’s not that bad,” Jessica said. But her lips twitched.

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