Page 23 of Beach B!tch
I should have put extra gloppy mayo on his sandwich, the traitor.
I looked to Beth, ignoring Stefan. "We met, officially, a couple weeks ago, at the beach, and then later at my friend Esa's housewarming party. We've talked a few times since and now Dean's my trainer. I'm rehabbing an ankle sprain." I hoped that amount of information would keep her satisfied.
"Have you kissed yet?" Beth threw out it out there nonchalantly as she took a bite of her sandwich.
I blinked.
"Uh..." The blush was back full force. How the hell was I supposed to answer that?
"Mom. Come on. If you want Brinley to ever come back, you can't embarrass her like that. I'm happy to answer your questions later, but leave Brinley alone." Dean jumped in to deflect the questions from me, but softened his voice. "I'm asking you nicely."
Her eyes widened. "So asking if you've slept together yet is totally off the table?"
"Mom!" Dean gave Beth a look I hoped to never see directed at me. I wouldn't have been surprised to see smoke coming out of his ears, like a cliched cartoon character.
Beth startled, dismay and apology evident on her face, then looked back at me. "Honey, I'm sorry. I don't mean to embarrass you. I never get to meet any of Dean's girls, so I was trying to figure out how serious you two were. Maybe we'll wait for a private girl talk session later, huh?" She smiled, relieved all was well, and went back to eating her sandwich.
She seemed kind of crazy.
Maybe this was just how moms talk. I wouldn't know. I'd have to ask Esa and Bailey about it later and get their opinion. Even if the questioning was normal, I needed a breather. My heart was pounding and there was a layer of sweat on my upper lip: a clear sign I was bombing in a social situation and needed to eject ASAP.
I glanced over at Dean and widened my eyes in the universal sign for 'help me'. He bobbed his head in a short nod and then pushed his chair back. "Mom, we gotta go. I was only supposed to have Brinley for the morning. Thank you for lunch. I'll see you tomorrow, Stef."
He and Stefan did that clapping hands, fist bump thing guys do while Beth fussed about me not finishing my sandwich. I barely got out of my chair before she rounded the table and tackled me in another one of her oddly comforting hugs. I wrapped an arm around her and took the hug in the spirit in which it was intended. She meant well. It wasn't her fault I couldn't handle social situations and didn't know how to navigate a simple family conversation. Besides, family meals from my childhood were nonexistent at best, and physically painful at worst. I'd take her friendly form of torture any day.
Dean was at my side the minute his mom let me go. He put his hand on my lower back and led me to the front door.
"Make sure you come back, Brinley! I want some girl time with you! We'll bake cookies next time, okay?" Beth called out after us. She had this super eager, puppy dog look on her face and I couldn't help but smile back and give her a thumbs-up in agreement. Dean rushed me out and shut the door before she could pin me down on a specific day and time.
Dean helped me up into his truck again, his hands lingering on my waist. Before he pulled back to shut my door, he caught my eyes and gazed at me for a moment. I stilled as I waited for what he seemed to need to say.
"Thank you for meeting my brother and for not being weirded out by his disability. That means the world to him, and to me. And I'm sorry that my mom was all over you and asked you those ridiculous questions."
I tried to interrupt him, to let him know it was okay, but he squeezed my waist and kept going.
"I'm aware we don't know each other that well and meeting my family was a little over the top, but I'm glad they know you. And I want you to seriously consider what Stefan told you about slowing down and just focusing on what you need to do to rehab. Don't rush things, okay?" He was now begging me with his eyes and I knew brushing off his concern wouldn't fly. How could I brush it off when he'd taken me to meet Stefan, a guy who knew all too well how long it can take to get where you want to be. I would be an idiot to disregard his advice, born from years of experience.
I spoke with all the sincerity I could muster. "I got you. I'll rehab properly and not rush things, I promise." I lifted my hand, my pinky held out.
He glanced down, grabbed my pinky with his, a smile warming his face. Then he leaned down and kissed our intertwined pinkies. "I really want to kiss you right now, but there's no way in hell I'm doing that where my mom can see us from the living room window. It'd give her too much satisfaction."
I looked over his shoulder and saw his mom's face pressed to the window, the curtain draped over her body as she leaned forward to get a better view. She saw me looking at her and waved enthusiastically, not concerned in the least I'd caught her spying on us.
"Oh my God," I whispered, before bursting into horrified laughter.
