“Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins,” I say, pulling forward and away from Cap’s embrace. “It’s great to meet you.”
Jared’s smile is warm and inviting, but Victoria’s doesn’t quite meet her eyes. Though, now that I’m looking closely, that might just be from a little cosmetic help called Botox.
“How lovely to meet you, doll,” Jared says, and it reminds me so much of Cap, I grin over my shoulder to let him know.
He rolls his eyes, but it’s pretty clear he knows. He comes by his large personality honestly—genetically.
“Who is this beauty, Cap?” Jared asks. His wife rolls her eyes at the use of the nickname, but neither Cap nor Jared pay it any attention.
Instead of waiting for Cap’s colorful commentary, I hold out a hand to Jared. “Ruby Rockford, sir. I work for your son. Thanks for having me here tonight. And happy birthday.”
“Thank you.” He smiles as he looks between Cap and me, and I can only imagine the things he’s thinking. I’m just about to nervously chatter myself into a corner when Lena shoves into the middle of our circle and smiles.
“What? Family reunion time, and I wasn’t invited?”
Her father melts, clearly smitten with his grown baby girl, while her mother literally rolls her eyes. “You’re always invited LeeLee,” Jared murmurs, wrapping an arm around Lena’s shoulders and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
I suddenly feel extremely out of place. I shuffle backward, intent on finding my way out of their group, but Cap grabs me by the hips and redirects me right back in. I shoot a glare over my shoulder, but he just grins. The bastard.
“It’d be nice if you started making your own family circle, dear,” Victoria comments. “You’re getting old. I’m not sure how much longer you have before no men find you desirable.” The whole mood of the group takes a nose dive, and I wince.
Gah. Cap wasn’t kidding about how shitty it must have been for Lena having Vicky as her mom.
My mom is neurotic and paranoid, but more than any of that, she’s loving.
Lena bites her lip against what must be an onslaught of emotion and then visibly gathers herself. For her part, Vicky may as well not even be a part of the conversation.
Lena’s talking to Jared, and she’s talking to Cap, and she’s even talking to me.
But to Vicky? Her eyes don’t even bother moving in her mother’s direction.
I have to admire her strength.
“I actually have some news,” Lena says, and a small, slightly uncertain but mostly excited smile lifts her mouth. “I got into the Milano Fashion Institute. So, I’m happy to tell you that I’ll be going to Italy in late December for their winter semester.”
“Fashion design school in Italy?” Jared asks and Lena nods. “For how long?”
“I’ll be over there about a year.”
All of a sudden, Jared looks surprisingly sad. I’m not sure I understand why, though. This is exciting news.
Cap squeezes my hips, seemingly to communicate something to me. What it is, I have no idea, but I decide to keep my mouth shut just in case.
“Congratulations, Lena,” Cap declares with just enough enthusiasm that his father turns his frown around. “We’re all really excited for you. Right, Dad? Mother?”
Vicky nods noncommittally, but Jared pulls Lena in for a hug before whispering in her ear just loudly enough for the rest of us to hear.
“I’ll miss you, Leenie Bean. But if this is what you want, I couldn’t be more thrilled for you.”
“Thanks, Dad,” she says quietly as she melts into his side.
“Congratulations,” I say, and even though it feels awkward coming off my lips, Lena’s responding smile is thankful.
Jared, Cap, and his sister dive into a conversation about her plans and what she’s hoping to get out of fashion and design school in Milan, but I have a hard time following their chatter.
The intensity of the moment—hell, the intensity of this entire night—begins to weigh heavy on my shoulders.
The dancing.
The fact that I actually told Cap my narration name.
His penetrating, damn near addictive gaze.
The almost-kiss.
It all feels too…intimate.
And now, standing in the middle of his family circle, overhearing their conversation and indirectly getting to know more and more about the larger-than-life man standing beside me, it’s simply overwhelming.
The room starts to feel a little too warm, and the urge to flee the scene is too strong to ignore.
“Excuse me,” I mutter to the group and then, on my tippy-toes, whisper into Cap’s ear, “I need to head to the ladies’ room.”