Oh, Keep Your Shirt On - Michelle Pennington Page 0,66

“I mean, come on. Look at me. How could you?”

My smile was warm, natural, and brimming over with amusement. “How about if you use those lips to kiss me instead of bragging about yourself?”

“If you insist.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

I walked into The Loft the next evening for the first time since I’d been fired. Maybe meeting my mom here wasn’t the best idea in the world, but I didn’t know of another restaurant that was fancy enough to keep my mom from making a scene. There were a few things I needed to talk to her about, and I didn’t want her to dominate the discussion with one of her outbursts.

I carried a wrapped canvas under my arm. I wasn’t completely sure that bringing it was a good idea. More than any other work of art I’d ever finished, I was proud of it. So much of me was ingrained in each careful stroke of acrylic paint. No doubt she would hate it and point out my lack of talent, but that wasn’t the point.

“Good evening,” the hostess said. “Do you have a reservation?”

I smiled at her, the expression coming so much easier to me now. “I’m meeting my mother. I believe she’s already here.”

“Of course. Please follow me.”

As we went into the dining room, nostalgia rushed over me. The scents, the decor, and even the instrumental music playing softly in the background brought back so many memories. I wondered if Charlotte was working in the kitchen tonight. Hopefully, Bryce wouldn’t be our waiter. That would just be awkward.

For him more than me.

My mother sat with her head down, looking over the menu. She wore a pretty blue dress and rather heavy makeup.

“Sorry I’m late,” I said, taking the seat across from her.

“That’s okay. What’s that?” she asked, looking at my package.

“I’ll show you in a minute.”

“I was surprised to get your text. You’ve never invited me to dinner before.”

I caught the flick of accusation in her voice. “I know. I hope we can do it more often going forward.”

Our waiter came up then, and I was glad to see it was Connor. “Hey, Krista. How are you?”

“I’m doing great,” I replied with enthusiasm. Because I was. “Can I just have a water, please?” I wasn’t planning to stay long. “Oh, and a piece of chocolate cake to go. And tell Charlotte it’s for me so she’ll cut an extra thick piece.”

He looked surprised but didn’t question it. Which was good. A woman shouldn’t have to explain her need for chocolate cake. “I’ll have it right out,” he said, slipping away with an amused smile.

When he’d left, my mother said, “What’s the occasion? I hope it’s to explain why you kicked Victoria out last night. She didn’t tell me much about it before she had to leave for work this morning.”

I pushed my frustration down. I’d known this was going to be hard, hadn’t I? “I didn’t kick her out. She chose to leave because she saw that it was pointless for her to stay. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about.”

My mother waited, silently watching me as Connor set my water down in front of me. “Then what is it?”

I sighed. “Mostly, I just need to say a few things. First of all, I’m sorry that I didn’t do a better job of telling you why I moved out. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you where I was going. I was just a coward. I needed to get away from your toxic voice and escape the control you’re always trying to have on my life, but now, instead of running away, I’m simply going to draw a boundary. All of my emotional baggage from our relationship almost ruined my chance at happiness. In the future, if you want to be part of my life, you’re going to have to change the way you talk to me and treat me.”

She looked frozen except for her rapidly blinking eyes. “You brought me here to fight with me?”

“No. To tell you how you can have a relationship with me in the future if you want one.” I reached for the painting and unwrapped it. I propped it up on the chair between us so that she could see it but it wouldn’t be obvious to anyone else in the restaurant. “This painting represents the journey I’m on to embrace myself and my own happiness. I’m sorry that you’ve never been able to do the same. I wanted to give it to