Page 35 of Demetri
"You plan on hangin' around for a spell?" Jake asks as Glory slides from her seat and walks in my direction, her eyes never leaving mine.
"I plan on taking my woman home," I reply, and Jake chuckles.
"Prez," Sam yells from across the room, as he stands just outside the opened clubhouse door. His thumb points over his shoulder. "There's an older couple with a Basset hound at the gate claiming to be Glory's parents."
16
Glory
"Oh, shit," are the words that come from Grace's mouth, followed by a giggle. It takes me a moment to comprehend what Sam just announced.
"Glory!" My mother's voice calls out, and I inwardly cringe.
"Jesus take the wheel." Closing my eyes, I tip my head back and mentally prepare myself for what is about to go down. I love my mom; I adore her. But she is too damn nosey. Growing up, I had always wished for a brother or a sister — someone to take my mother's focus off me. Unfortunately, my parents couldn't have any more kids, so my mom had no other children to unleash her crazy on. "Mom, Dad, what are you two doing here?" I ask, making my way toward them. My mother is sporting the biggest smile as if she's not causing the most awkward scene, whereas my father grins and shrugs; going with the flow.
"Well, I figured you must be missing Bo something terrible, so I brought him for a visit." My mom chirps as if the words that came out of her mouth are not the most ridiculous thing we've heard. I cut my eyes to the sofa where my dog has made himself at home.
"Don't let your mom fool ya, baby girl. She's here to check out your new suiter."
"Charles!" Mom elbows my dad.
"My new suiter? Really?" I say, rubbing my temples. "This is not happening," I mutter.
Stepping away from mom, my dad holds out his arms and gives me a warm smile. "Come here, baby girl."
Being the daddy's girl that I am, I roll my eyes when he gives me a knowing wink and step into his embrace. I wrap my arms around his middle; breathing in the familiar scent of Old Spice when I rest my cheek against his chest. "It's good to see you, Dad."
His body shakes as he chuckles. "You're lying, but I figured I would tag along and act as a buffer."
I laugh. "Now who's lying? You tagged along for the show." I pull back and look into a set of eyes that match my own and see them dancing with mirth. "You're getting a kick out of this, aren't you?"
"You bet your ass I am." My dad kisses me, his stubble scratching my cheek. "Best go on and rip the band-aid off."
I look over at my mother to see her waiting expectantly for my manners to kick in and introduce her to the man standing behind me. Only I don't have to because Demetri beats me to it. I feel his heat as he steps behind me and places a possessive hand at the small of my back. He greets my father first by extending his hand. "Mr. Keller, I'm Demetri Volkov. It's nice to meet you." Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as my mother clasps her hands together and swoons at the sound of Demetri's voice. I hear Grace cackle behind me and know my best friend is getting a kick out of my apparent discomfort.
"It's good to meet you, Demetri." My dad shakes his hand.
Demetri then turns his attention to the woman standing to his left and gives her the biggest grin. "Karen."
Wait. Karen? Why the hell is he on a first-name basis with a woman he's never met?
"Demetri," My mom gushes, pulling him in for a hug. "You're just as handsome as you sound on the phone."
I narrow my eyes. "What are you going on about? Have you two been calling each other?"
My mother turns to me. "Your boyfriend and I had a lovely conversation the other day."
"Oh, Jesus Christ. Do you not understand boundaries, Mom?"
"What? It's not like you were going to tell me about him anytime soon. I had a sneaky suspicion you were up to something when you called me to pick Bo up at your apartment. A mother always knows when her child is keeping secrets. That's why I called Grace. I knew I could get what I needed out of her."
"Hey!" Grace gripes.
My mom waves her hand. "Child, please. The two of you were never any good at getting your stories straight. Besides, you're not very good at lying, Grace." My best friend crosses her arms over her chest with a pout, and it's my turn to snicker.
Jake cuts in, "How about we take this gathering outside? We can fire up the grill and have some grub while everyone gets to know each other."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Jake," my mother boasts. "Doesn't it, Glory?"
