Page 35 of Doc Showmance
“In what way do we need to move faster?” Amber pressed her lips together and shot me a pained look.
“We have made some future plans for you two. Plans off-site.”
“As in date locations?” I asked.
“You two are going to Ian’s family house for Thanksgiving. As a couple.”
“What?” we both asked at the same time.
Marianna’s lips tilted upward into something that wasn’t about humor or happiness, but all about evil manipulation.
“My parents? As in up to San Francisco?” Bile burned the back of my throat as a shudder swept through me.
“I just got off the phone with your mother, who is a delightful lady by the way. She is thrilled to have you bring along your new girlfriend. Miffed a bit you didn’t tell her about your relationship, though.” She put a hand over her mouth in anoopsmove. “Guess I let the cat out of the bag.”
“There’s no cat in the bag.” I covered my face. “No.” My head swung back and forth. “No. Just no. I didn’t plan to go up there for the holiday. I can’t. Amber doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near that level of crazy.”
Shit…oh, shit. I’d never—as in never ever—taken a girlfriend home. And for good reason. Between my mother’s schemes to get me hitched, my father’s desperation to force me into the family business, and the over-the-top showiness of holiday party events, I couldn’t subject a woman to that. The only sane one of my family was my uncle, who owned two auto repair shops. But he never attended my mom’s holiday dinner parties.
“It’s a done deal.”
“I already have Thanksgiving plans,” Amber said. “I usually do an event for the foster kids I mentor. We do one at Christmas and one at Thanksgiving. Gives them a chance to connect with each other.”
“Sounds like that’s a hell of a lot more important than us seeing my family,” I offered.
“Organize your event for before or after your time up there seeing his family.” Marianna’s glare communicated she wasn’t open to negotiation. “The show will pay for you to cater their thing and take them to one of those restaurants with video games or something. But you’ll do it on a daynotwhen you’re visiting with Ian’s parents.”
“That’s so thoughtful of you,” Amber said sarcastically. “I don’t want to meet his family. This isn’t some prime time low-budget romcom where the fake relationship people do the disaster of the family meetup. It never goes well because the couple is inadequately prepared for the grilling.”
“Then I guess you two better start studying up for it.” Marianna clapped and stood. “It’s happening. It’s in your contract that you have to do a few field trips of my choosing. This is the first one I choose.”
* * *
Hours later,I tapped on Amber’s car window where she’d just gotten in, now about eight o’clock.
She rolled down the window.
I held up a bag of food. “I brought you dinner. Figured you missed the meal.”
“Were you lurking out here like a psycho stalker, waiting for me to be done?” She blinked up at me.
“I had your surgical tech text me when you were done. Went and picked you up some food.” I smiled not because I wanted to, but I worried she’d shut the window and drive off.
“What is this about?”
“Stop overthinking it. We can sit in your car and eat. Ten minutes. Maybe we can talk strategy on how to get out of going to my parents’ place.” I looked around. “I don’t think there are any cameras. If so, they won’t know what we’re saying.”
She squinted like she hated me, which almost made me laugh. I swallowed it because she might punch me if I got her angry enough.
Her stomach growled.
“Are you going to pass up free food?” I jiggled the bag and held up two Dr Peppers in my other hand.
“Give it to me and walk away. I’m not in a social mood.”
“That’s not the price of eating.”
She gripped the steering wheel tight and groaned. “I’m tired, which means I’m grumpy. I want to go home and shower. I don’t want to be forced into small talk hell with you.”
