Page 17 of Silver Fake

His stern expression catches me off guard. I clear my throat as my cheeks flush pink.

"No, of course, I didn't," I reply softly. "But that's not the point."

John's shoulders relax. Then he reaches across the table to spoon some shrimp onto his plate. "You should try this shrimp cocktail by the way. It's delicious."

He holds out his plate and I reluctantly take a piece of shrimp, my stomach growling in response.

Finally, I break the silence. "You can't distract me with food forever you know."

To my surprise, Johns's expression softens and he gives me a warm smile. "I'm not trying to distract you. I'm saying thank you."

Now it's my turn to quirk an eyebrow. "Thank me for what?"

"For the party at the firm," John answers, his eyes meeting mine. "I know you were the one who organized it. And I'm also thanking you for how hard you worked on the Patterson case. You went above and beyond, and I wanted to show my appreciation. So, thank you, Lisa."

His voice is sincere, and I find myself taken aback.

"You're welcome," I reply.

We spend the next few minutes eating in silence, but somehow it doesn't feel as awkward anymore. As we eat, I can feel something shift between us. It's almost like John is finally comfortable enough to relax around me.

A woman's shrill voice comes from behind us.

"John Alexander Barton! What's this I hear about you having a girlfriend?"

I turn around just in time to see an older couple stepping out from the elevator. The woman is a petite lady with snowy white hair styled into a neat bun, her blue eyes twinkling with mischief as they land on John. Beside her, the man sports a matching mop of white hair, his face lined with age but brightened by an easy-going smile.

John rises from his seat, a panicked expression flickering across his face before it's replaced by his usual mask of professional calm. "Mom. Dad," He says brightly. "What are you doing here?"

The woman, apparently John's mother, saunters over to our table and gives him a hug. "We're here to meet your new girlfriend, you silly goose," She reaches over and pinches me on the arm. "Your father and I got back from the hardware store and all of the staff is buzzing about it."

John shakes his head and groans while his father chuckles and pats him on the back.

"Are you going to introduce us to this lovely young lady?"

John gives me a look and I give him a faint nod. Then he clears his throat. "Of course, sorry. Mom, Dad this is my girlfriend, Lisa."

John's mom immediately lights up at the introduction, her eyes sparkling even brighter. She extends a slender hand towards me, her sea of pearl jewelry clinking softly.

"It's so lovely to meet you, Lisa. I'm Nancy, John's mother," she gushes, her warm grip firm in her enthusiasm. She then turns toward Bill, linking her arm through his. "And this is my wonderful husband, Bill."

Bill, a tall man with a strong build despite his age, breaks into a broad smile, his eyes sharing the same warmth as Nancy's. He reaches over to shake my hand, his grasp kind but solid.

"Nice to meet you, Lisa. John's spoken quite highly of you. We're both very pleased to finally meet the woman who's captured our son's heart." The sincerity in his voice coupled with Nancy's contagious excitement makes it impossible not to feel welcomed.

We may have just met but I can already tell John's parents are wonderful people, and I cannot bring myself to burst this bubble for them. I stand up and gesture to the empty seats at our table.

“You should join us,” I say. “The view is really beautiful out here, and I was hoping to meet you both soon so I’d love it if you could sit with us for a bit.”

As if by magic, follows in behind them bringing an extra set of chairs.

“Oh, thank you,” Nancy says.

Bill pulls a chair out for her before sitting himself, and I sit back down once they’ve joined us. John’s eyes find mine and he slowly reaches his hand across the table and puts it over mine. With a gentle squeeze of my hand, he gives me a small smile. Combined with the soft look in his eyes I am sure he’s trying to silently thank him for going along with his lie.

“I can’t tell you how happy we were when John told us he was bringing you to the wedding,” Nancy says. “We weren’t sure we would get to see you so soon, though. He was worried you couldn’t get out here before the wedding.”

I smile through the deep breath I have to take to keep my mouth shut so I don’t say what I’m thinking.

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