Page 31 of The Rebel
“We mostly gather at my parents’ house. Both sets of grandparents also live there.”
“That’s so cool. Growing up, my mom’s parents lived with us. It was pretty awesome, like having two sets of parents.”
“Mine weren’t living together when we grew up. Though I don’t think they were at odds anymore back then.”
I frowned. “Wait, they used to not like one another?”
He grinned. “Oh yeah. The families used to run rivaling businesses back in the day. They weren’t happy about Mom and Dad marrying at first.”
“This is fascinating!”
“Oh, it is.”
“But now they’re very close, right?”
“Yes, especially my grandparents. They buried the hatchet a long time ago. After retiring, my grandmothers decided they still wanted to work together and opened a fragrance shop.”
My eyes bulged. “At their age?” I clapped my hand over my mouth. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.”
He chuckled. “The whole family is thinking exactly the same. But they’re both very fit and like to feel productive. It’s fascinating that they became best friends over the years. How come your grandparents lived with you?”
We got refills of our drinks, and I immediately took a sip. “Mom had me at sixteen.”
This was deeply personal, but I felt at ease talking to him about my family after he’d shared so much about his.
Anthony whistled. “That is quite scandalous.”
I nodded. “Especially for a small town. My grandparents were up in arms, but Dad did the right thing and married Mom. She told me once that all their friends bet they were going to separate before I even turned one. But here they are, almost thirty years later, loving each other more each day. I envy their relationship.”
A strange expression crossed Anthony’s face. “Let me guess. You’re hoping for a relationship like theirs?”
My face suddenly felt hot. “I’m not even sure. I’ve never had a clear idea of what I want personally. I just knew I wanted to get out of town, go to college, and then move to a big city and have a fancy career. So, I did exactly that.”
“And you never gave your love life much thought?”
I shook my head. “Is that strange?”
“Not at all. I’m the same in that I just go with the flow. I focus on running the business and increasing profits every year to build on our family’s legacy. I enjoy time with my family, but I have goals set for my personal life.”
“I think that’s a guy thing, though. My friends all have dreams about weddings and know how many kids they want to have and so on. I guess I’m not built the same as them.”
“I’ll drink to that. Looks like we need another cocktail already.”
I gasped, looking at my empty cup. “I didn’t even realize I finished this.”
“The perils of being in excellent company.”
He tilted closer, just a smidge. A seductive smile played on his lips.
He wasn’t planning on being the consummate professional tonight, I was sure of it.
He was flirty Anthony once again.
And I liked it.
CHAPTER 8
DAISY
