Page 54 of Cruel King

“This way,” the woman said with a wide smile.

“What service,” my mother said, delighted.

“We’re always pleased when Mr. King graces our restaurant. We’ve reserved you the best table,” she said, gesturing to a seat at the window overlooking the city street beyond.

“Thank you,” Gavin said with his winning smile. He pulled my seat out for me. “After you.”

“Thank you. I didn’t realize you were a regular here.”

“A man has to have his secrets.” He shot me a look with one arched eyebrow. There was jest in his eyes.

This must have been where he took dates. Classic Gavin.

I forced back a laugh as my parents took their seats. Dad groaned slightly as he settled into his chair. My mom fluttered about him, but he just pushed her off.

“Leave it, Cynthia.”

“Walter,” she whispered.

He glared at her once and then scooted his chair in. She dropped it with a gulp and then forced her cheery smile back into place.

We perused the menu. I saw my mom wince at the entrée prices. We were pretty well off, but still, a couple hundred dollars for a steak wasn’t a regular meal. She probably hadn’t considered where a King would take them for dinner. That was the Upper East Side for you.

Gavin ordered a bottle of wine for the table as we went around and ordered. I wasn’t surprised that my mom got a salad or that she sneered at me for getting steak. If I was going to get a King dinner, I was going to get a King dinner.

Gavin just smiled when I ordered and looked up at the waiter and said, “I’ll have what she’s having. She has good taste.”

My mom’s face pinched at those words. Caught between wanting to tell me to eat less to please my future husband and the realization that Gavin didn’t give a shit.

“So, tell me all the details,” Mom said once the waiter was gone. “How did you meet? How did he propose?”

I glanced at Gavin. Well, at least we’d practiced this much. “We’ve known each other for a few years. We met before I moved to California.”

My mother looked aghast at this news. As if we could have been married then.

Gavin reached across the table and took my hand. “I was glad that Whitley took the job in LA. It was perfect for her,” he said as if we’d rehearsed this part. “She deserves every good thing in her life. We were a classicright person, wrong time. But when she moved back to New York, I didn’t miss a beat.”

“That’s right,” I said, catching on to the part of the conversation we’d actually said in Midland. “It was a whirlwind. I’ve only been back a few months.” I glanced down at the ring. “The whole thing was unexpected.”

“How romantic!” my mom gushed. “And the ring is beautiful. Where did you get it?”

“It was my grandmother’s,” Gavin said, confirming what the rumor train had already told my mother. “When she passed, my mom entrusted it to me. She said she always knew I’d find the right person to give it to.” He was looking deep into my eyes now. I was ensnared. I couldn’t have possibly looked away if I wanted to. “And I found her.”

My mom dabbed at her eyes. “Oh, isn’t that romantic, Walter?”

“I’m happy that our Whitley has finally found love.”

I cleared my throat and removed my hand from Gavin’s. I was supposed to be playing a part. Playing up our love and all that. But the more Gavin stared lovingly into my eyes and held my hand and treated me like I was the most precious thing on the planet, the more something happened in my stomach. Butterflies of excitement. A new pull to him, like a string connected us and he was tugging me ever closer.

The wine appeared, breaking the connection. Gavin tasted it first and approved it with that same dimpled grin. Wine was poured, and we all held up glasses to toast the wedding.

“So, will the wedding be here in New York?” Mom asked. “Or back home in Dallas? Or would you prefer to have it in Midland?”

Gavin turned the full weight of his attention on me. “Whatever you want, dear.”

I nearly scowled at him. “Definitely New York.”

My mom sighed, as if she’d known I would say that. “Are you sure you don’t want to come back to Dallas for this? All of your family and all of Gavin’s family are in Texas. It would be much harder—not to mention, more expensive—to get everyone up here.”

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