✿ Reid's POV

I watch her as she cautiously selects which sofa she should sit on.

“Would you like anything to drink?”

“Water is fine” comes Anika's reply.

Aileen smiles.

“I’ll get you a glass.”

My eyes are on Anika the whole time as hers are on Aileen till she disappears into the kitchen. Then she looks at me.

“How long are you going to keep this charade going, Reid?”

“Charade?”

“This act of the two of you being a couple and all this owning a house together nonsense.”

I straightened.

“I'm not following.”

“Don't play dumb with me Reid. I know this whole engagement thing is nothing but a sham. A ruse. Just to get back at me for getting engaged.”

“What?” I ask with a frown.

“Oh stop it already” she chuckles, then leans forward, “I can see right through your little act. I know your engagement to that girl is fake. All of it. We both know you'd never go for someone like her... a common baker—”

“Nikki, you're our guest here. And so I'm going to ask you to know your place and respect my fiancée. You're in her house after all.”

“Please” she scoffs, rolling her eyes. “We both know none of this is real. And I know you too much to know that you'd never do anything to tarnish your family's image... like marrying that girl. And that's how I know this...” she gestures around us, “... isn't going to take long to come to a sneeze.”

I chuckle.

“And so if you don't hurry up and end it, one of us will do it for you, and I promise you it is not going to be pretty, Reid” she fakes a pout, picking at the imaginary lint on my sleeve.

“Okay, I have your water right here...”

Anika pulls away, stands up, and smiles at Aileen behind me.

“Thank you.”

I turn to Aileen whose smile isn't reaching her eyes. Anika is about to take her seat when Aileen stops her.

“I wouldn't sit there if I were you.”

Anika arches a brow.

“Why not?”

I keep my eyes on Lee who looks at me and smiles sweetly.

“Oh you know... we had a little... the imprint from this morning is still fresh” she grins.

Oh.

My eyes immediately find Anika's and her smug look has long worn off and she's wearing a tight frown... or is it fear? And I can't help but smile at Lee. The doorbell goes off and she rubs my arm when I'm about to get up.

“I'll get it.”

The minute she's gone, Anika puts her water on the coffee table and scowls at me.

“You're having sex with her?”

“That's personal, Anika.”

“It's not exactly personal as she openly admitted to you two doing it on the couch!” she whisper-yells. “You wouldn't even embrace the idea of touching me in the shower and now you have sex in the couch and leave your imprints—”

“It's our house, is it not Anika? And like I've told you time without number, people change.”

“No, you've changed. Lee has changed you” she says more softly and picks up her water.

“What a quaint space” I hear my father's voice.

“Anika dear” my mother's voice floods into the room. “I thought I heard my ideal daughter-in-law's voice.”

My eyes move to Aileen who is lurking behind them.

“Mom, Dad, welcome” I greet, kissing my mother's cheek as she separates Anika from the hug they're sharing.

“Getting through the traffic to this side of the city is horrible. Remind me to never come down here,” my mother complains.

“Not now dear” my father says, looking around the living room.

I see the rare twinkle in his eyes. He was obviously awestruck at something.

The house?

I’d seen this look so many times before... only on rare occasions though. It was hard to get this twinkle to set in his eyes. So if he had this in my house, it was definitely a good thing.

“Dad” I smile and he looks away from the painting Lee and I had done on a part of the wall.

“That is some painting you're working on” he chuckles, opening his arms to me.

I chuckle back and hug him. Aileen flashes me a little smile behind his back.

“Where are the others?” I ask.

“Running late” my father replies. “Your niece couldn't find the perfect shoes but they should be here soon.”

Maeve.

“And Clay? Hernan isn't here either.”

“Your cousin has some quick business to attend to and Hernan went with him to pick up a housewarming gift for you.”

I chuckle.

“Does your air conditioning not work?” my mother's voice rings out, and like a secateur, rips Aileen's fully bloomed smile off.

“Oh, I'm sorry. I'll go turn it down” she apologises, hurrying off.

My mother gives me a look.

“Let's go home, my sweet boy” she sighs dramatically. “That woman isn't good enough for you.”

“Mom—”

“Would you like anything to drink?” Aileen's voice comes back.

“My water's still fine” Anika replies.

My mother frowns at Anika.

“Is it even room temperature, dear? And did you see where she got the glass from or if she washed it right? How did she handle it?” she asks, plucking the glass away from Anika with a disgusted face. “Don't drink that, please Nikki dear. I'd hate for you to go down with typhoid or something worse” she eyes Aileen.

“Mom,” I say firmly.

She eyes Aileen who is looking away at nothing in particular.

“What?” my mother frowns at me. “Is it a crime to be concerned about my health?”

“Your health is fine,” I say. “I'll get you a Hibiscus-Earl Grey. Anika, how does sparkling lemon water sound? And Dad, there's a bottle of Jack Daniel's with your name on it.”

My father looks away from the pictures on the wall.

“Like I'll ever pass on the chance to day drink out of my own house” he chuckles.

I smile.

“I'll be right back.”

“Wait, wait. Are you going to get the maid to do it or...?”

“There's no maid, Anika,” I say to her.

Like she already didn't know.

“Oh God, she's turning my son into a—”

I walk away, stepping in front of Lee.

“Hey, are you—”

“I'm fine.”

She doesn't meet my eyes.

“Well, you wanna help me get their drinks—”

“You can handle it” she cuts me off.

“Lee—”

The doorbell rings and she's already walking away from me.

Right.

✯✯✯✯✯✯

✿ Aileen's POV

I'm fuming as I walk away from Reid.

His mother insults me and all he can say is “Mom”?

I roll my eyes.

Unbelievable!

It's a good thing this was all fake because I can never marry into a family like this. The doorbell rings again and Portia's annoyed voice rings out of the living room.

“Aileen” Maeve grins at me, her parents' grin not even coming close to hers. “Good to see you.”

She moves it for a hug and I can't push her away.

They don't exactly know what kind of daughter they have and it's not my place to tell them.

I gently pat her back and practically push her off in the name of wanting to hug her mother so badly.

“How are you, Lee?”

“Good. Please, come in” I smile at her and her husband.

I barely make it to the living room after closing the door when the doorbell rings again.

Can't they all come at once?

“I can't wait for this day to be over” I sigh, turning back to get the door. “Hernan” I grin.

A figure steps out from beside him.

“And Clay” I add, less enthusiastically.

He touches his chest dramatically.

“Are you still upset about our meet-cute?”

I scoff.

“That was far from a meet-cute, Clayton,” I say with a pointed look.

Hernan looks between us and I turn to him with a smile.

“Come on in. The others are in the living room.”

He nods, stepping into the house with Clayton following.

“Cute place” he comments as Reid and Hernan's goofy boyish greetings rumble from the living room.

Clayton sniffs at God knows what in the air.

“Is that paint I smell?” he asks.

I do a good job of not flinching.

“Yes, it is.”

He cocks an eyebrow.

“Did you two just buy the house?”

Ugh!

“Your cousin and I have owned it for six months, Clayton. You smell paint because we're trying to paint a little mural on our living room wall.”

“Really?”

“Go see for yourself.”

He moves into the living room and barely glances at the mural. Drinks flow and I'm practically excluded from the small talk... courtesy of Portia Dalton. Till Ellen and Hernan presented me with the housewarming gifts they got for me.

A personalized cutting board with Reid and my names on it from Ellen and her husband, a ceramic baking dish, and a wine gift bag from Hernan... which gave Anika the perfect opportunity to comment on me not being a wine girl and allowing Portia to disrespect me even more. Then Maeve adds to it by giving me a sill potted money tree.

Of course.

I force a bright smile at her.

“Thank you so much, Maeve. I'll take very good care of it.”

“Better that done my son's money” Portia scoffs.

Ellen gives me an apologetic look and smiles. Reid was just letting this happen, huh?

And where's my family when you need them the most?

Clayton finishes his drink and slaps Reid on the back.

“You ready for your surprise?” he asks.

“You got me a surprise?”

“Yep.”

“With my father's money?”

Don't seemingly harmless comments like that harbor hatred in the black sheep of the family in all the movies and TV shows?

In this case, Clayton is that sheep.

He laughs.

“Very funny.”

His smile makes me uncomfortable and I'm surprised Reid doesn't feel it.

He can't even see how his mother has it out for me this bad when she's right under his nose.

My thoughts draw me to Portia's much younger nose job. I'm not able to discover it as the screeching of tires and the burning of hot rubber fill the air.

If it's not bad driving from my family, I don't know.

“Your surprise has arrived, bro” Clay smiles again.

Everyone gets up and eagerly heads outside. I wait a few seconds, drink some water, and then go outside too. When I do, Portia Dalton is smiling. Genuinely smiling that her whole face lights up... something I'd never seen, or thought I could ever see. Then she moves in to sweep the person she's smiling at into a hug.

“Oh, my darling girl!”

I lean against the doorframe and watch everyone take turns hugging this woman. Reid goes in for his hug last and it lasts about a minute as they take turns whispering God knows what into each other's ears. And everyone has smiles on their faces.

They must all really like this girl.

“Whoever she is” I mutter.

They finally pull away from the hug and I hear a, “Now, where's the new one?”

New one?

“It's going to be a long day” I sigh.

Reid turns to my direction and every eye follows. My smile appears just in time and I step down from the front stairs. The girl gasps and grins.

“Hello, I'm Lee,” I say politely.

“Bonjour Le! I'm so 'appy to meet you” Her French accent is thick, sexy, and sultry that I can't even courageously correct her from saying my name wrong, because it sounds right coming from her lips. “Ça va?”

How's she even French?

I mean a massive overbite, yellow teeth from chain-smoking, and hips and a massive butt from eating calorie-filled French pastries, full-bodied wine, and stinky cheese, is a true French woman.

Not this statuesque goddess with perfect olive skin, perfectly contoured cheekbones, and thick, shiny, wavy, and frizzless coiffure, who introduces herself to me and kisses both my cheeks.

“Oh je suis désolé, are you alright?”

I blink, realizing I'm staring.

“Oh yeah yeah.”

I took Spanish in high school.

She smiles.

“When I 'eard the news I knew I just 'ad to see for myself and it's all true!”

I smile.

“It is.”

“So tell me, de quoi vivez-vous?”

I had no idea what that meant. But from my earlier encounters with Reid's family, my occupation... aside from my 'skin color' stuck out like a sore thumb. So she obviously asked about what I do.

“I'm a baker.”

“Ouu. So you do like weddings and stuff?”

Nailed it.

I nod.

“Yes, I do.”

“'ow many weddings 'ave you done?” she asks.

I try to count the number in my head. Although we cater different events, weddings are always my favorites.

But I haven't done nearly as much as I would hope.

“I'd say about seventy to eighty.”

“In a year?” Ellen asks, her brows arching in some sort of pride.

“Don't be silly, sweetheart. I'm sure she means in her entire life” Portia snickers.

“Ah c'est bon!” the French lady presses two dainty fingers on her full lips, ignoring Portia's comment.

I don't even know her name.

Or did she say it and I didn't catch it underneath all that accent?

“So you are an expert then, Le” she continues.

“Expert?” I chuckled. “I'm good... not an expert.”

“Cela n'a pas d'importance. If Ben says you are the one for him, then I believe 'im” Her smile flashes before me again and I'm nearly incapacitated by the perfectly white rows of pearls.

So, no crooked, yellow teeth then?

“Okay that's enough now my darling girl” Portia steps up and gently tugs the girl away from me. “Let's get you inside the house before you get sunburnt.”

“And drop the accent, Asha. You're not French” Reid chuckles.

She's not French?

“Do you have to be such a buzz kill, Ben?” the Asha girl laughs in the most American of American accents.

She's not French.

“I wanted to see how long it took her to figure it out.”

Oh, so she decided to test my intelligence less than two seconds after learning my name.

“Hello, Lee. I'm Asha Dalton. That handsome old man's niece” she smiles.

Eros laughs.

“So you're Reid's—”

“Cousin, yes” she cuts me off. “I hope you're not upset with the whole French act. It's just something I do to people I like.”

You just met me.

I smile.

“No harm done.”

“Cool. And I am happy to finally meet you.”

Don't trust her. Tomorrow she's going to show up at my shop and offer me twice what her niece did to get out of her precious Ben's life.

“I can see why he kept you a secret for two years. I’d want to keep a beautiful woman like you all to myself as well.”

I smile.

“Shall we all go inside now?” Clayton asks.

“Well, I'm not standing around to wait for her people to get here so” Portia heads up the stairs.

The others follow and I'm left standing with Reid.

“Lee, I didn't know she was going to—”

“It's okay” I cut him off. “Any more family members expected to join us? Should I be prepared to meet her parents too? Your grandmother?”

Reid shoots me a look.

“No. She flew in from Australia to surprise me. So no, just her.”

I nod.

“Wonderful.”

I brush past him into the house.

“Hey, you!” Portia calls out, snapping her fingers at me. “Get me some ice huh? Did your parents not teach you how to host important guests?”

“She's an orphan, Portia, remember” Anika doesn't do a good job at whispering.

Asha's face falls.

“Twenty-three years ago. I'm over that” I smile. “I'll get you your wine.”

“Ice.”

“Right, ice.”

I hurry off into the kitchen and when I open the freezer, I wish I could just step inside and hide till this entire lunch is over.

What was I thinking even agreeing to go ahead with this in the first place?!

“Snap out of it Aileen. You will not let those people intimidate you. No way.”

“And please don't” I hear Asha's voice.

I spin around.

“Hi, did you want something?”

She steps away from the archway.

“Are you alright?”

“Oh yeah yeah. I'm not bothered about your aunt's... uniqueness.”

“She's rude Lee. It's okay to be bothered.”

I smile.

“Well, I'm not Asha. So if you don't need anything, I'll get her ice to her.”

“Okay.”

I walk away and deliver Portia's ice.

“Can I get you anything else?”

She just gestures with my hand for me to step away from her. The doorbell rings and she pushes her son back into his seat when he tries to stand. Portia Dalton looks at me.

“What are you standing there for? Your family is already very late. Get the door.”

I'd like to throw you out the door.

I smile.

“Of course.”

I turn on my heel and fume all the way to the door.

Please be over soon.

“Lee!” Camari jumps at me the second I open the door.

Like magic, my anger fades away. Well not completely. Because the moment I lead my family into the living room to introduce them, the little flame of anger left inside flares into an inferno at the sight of Portia's already disapproved expression, doubling.

Eros gets up, a smile playing on his face as he sips his drink. Reid smiles at Camari perched protectively on my hip.

“Hello Cami” he smiles.

She gives him a little smile back and Reid's eyes twinkle with 'progress'.

“Oh my goodness they have a pool!” Tracy suddenly exclaims, making us jump. “And Lord, that view” she sighs dreamily. “Hey Lee have you two had a—”

“Tray!” Nora cuts her off.

She turns and smiles when she notices the elegantly dressed people in the room with us.

“Oh the in-laws are here!” she chirps. “Don't tell me who's who. I know these things” she smiles, breezing past me to do the unthinkable.  

Oh God.

She tugs Portia Dalton into a hug.

Thank you for reading!
Please don't forget to vote.
Ciao
~the_atticwriter