Forbidden Love

I inhaled sharply. Was Elizabeth more interested in setting her daughter up with a proper family than for love?

Lourde quickly interrupted. “He cheated on me, Mom.”

Their chef set salads in front of each of us. Before he retreated, he smiled at Lourde and me.

Lourde and I thanked him while Elizabeth and Alfred exchanged scathing looks. I wondered if Lourde had noticed the not-so-sweet exchange between the powerful couple at opposite ends of the table.

Alfred picked up his fork. “Well, I’m happy for you both.”

“You’re the same age as Connor, aren't you, Barrett?” Elizabeth asked, and it was a fair enough question, one I knew she knew the answer to. The truth was, the age gap had never come into question when Lourde and I were together.

“I am, Elizabeth.”

“Lourde has always been an old soul. Age gap aside, I think you’re perfect for each other.”

Lourde squeezed my hand, and I exhaled, not realizing I was holding my breath. “Thanks, Dad.”

“I guess so. Just not what I was expecting, dear. I am a little blind-sided, that’s all. Barrett’s already part of the family.”

“Thanks, Elizabeth,” I said but stopped short of eating as everyone else had. “I want you both to know that Lourde means everything to me. She is a beautiful woman, inside and out, and I promise to be the best man I can be for her.”

The room went silent, and for a moment, I replayed what I had said, thinking I may have said something wrong.

I glanced around the table. Lourde stared up at me, a slow smile forming as my words sunk in while Alfred had a tender expression, and Elizabeth smiled.

“That’s very sweet, Barrett,” Elizabeth said, dipping into her salad.

Lunch went perfectly. Actually, it really couldn’t have gone much better. It was easy once we got the elephant in the room out of the way. Plus, there was the added bonus that I knew her parents well enough, it was just another meal shared like all the dinners we’d had before.

Alfred leaned forward so only I could hear him. “A word, Barrett?”

Okay.That had my fucking nerves shooting all over the goddamn place.

“Sure.”

I slid my hand away from Lourdes and slid out of my chair. She stopped mid-conversation with her mother about the various charity auction items up for grabs at the Diamond Charity Ball this year, then looked from her already-standing father then to me.

“Scotch time.” I smiled, reassuring her.

“At one o’clock?” She curled an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Just a quick one,” Alfred said. “Don't worry. You won’t even know he’s gone.”

Her father patted her on the shoulders, and I tossed her a smile, despite the nerves settled in the pit of my stomach.

I had nothing to be nervous about. They’d both been pleasantly surprised at lunch. Alfred even seemed happy for Lourde. So, nerves, take a back seat, would you? I walked into the den like I had hundreds of times before after dinner with Connor.

Alfred walked over to the liquor stand, removed the lid to the crystal decanter, and poured two scotches.

I took it from him and waited till he sat down on the leather armchair before following suit.

“Cheers, son.”

Son.

He held out his glass, and I held up mine as we met halfway and clinked in a toast.

“To Lourde.”

“To Lourde,” I echoed his sentiment as I took a sip of the amber liquid.

“Don’t fuck it up, Barrett.”

I nearly choked, quickly swallowing it down before it came out. “Noted.”

“She always liked you. You’d have to be fucking blind to miss that.”

“Well, truth be told, I think there was always something there. We just couldn’t do anything because of Connor.”

“Connor. Ha! Shit, does he know? I can’t believe I forgot about him.”

“We told him last night at Lourde’s housewarming party.”

“I see. How did that fair?”