“Ready to go?” Ash asked with a smile. “We can grab dinner anywhere you want. Wait down in the lobby and I’ll get my things.”
“Honestly? I’m really tired. I was hoping we wouldn’t have to rush back out tonight. Is it still okay to do dinner here?” she asked.
This wasn’t going to be good.
He nodded his head and stepped off to the side, allowing the beautiful woman to enter. He bowed to the inevitable as his mother’s heels fell along the hallway that dumped into the living room. She’d have to meet his mother sometime anyway. So, why not?
He embraced Kallie and he felt her sigh into him. She’d had a hard day, and he wanted to make things better.
And somehow, he knew things were about to get worse.
“Ash? Who’s this?”
He watched Kallie’s eyes widen before he stepped off to the side.
“Mother, this is Kallie. The woman I’m seeing. Kallie, this is my mother, Sylvia.”
Chapter 22
Kallie
Kallie was surprised to see the woman standing in Ash’s living room. His mother had a very large glass of wine in her hands, and the idea of it being Ash’s mother made her weak in the knees. Her nerves grew and her hands began to shake, and suddenly she felt very out of place. Like she’d barged in on a moment not meant for her. Why hadn’t Ash told her his mother would be there? Why didn’t he at least tell her she was coming over?
Kallie felt cornered, and she didn’t like it.
“Kallie,” the woman said.
Like his mother was trying her name on the tip of her tongue.
The woman was wearing enough jewelry to blind a man and the clothing on her back was obviously expensive. Kallie was painfully aware of her fake jewelry and her department-store clothing in the presence of a woman like her. She watched as Sylvia raked her eyes up and down her form. A small crinkle formed at her nose, like she didn’t enjoy what she saw.
“So what brings you back to the city?” Sylvia asked while ignoring Kallie. “Did you finally grow tired of screwing tourists?”
Kallie’s eyes widened before they shot up to Ash.
“You’re being inappropriate, Mother,” he said.
“So, you’re screwing locals then,” Sylvia said.
“Enough,” Ash said.
“Well, whoever you choose to spend your time with, just be mindful of who you are. Our family has a reputation to uphold in this country, whether you choose to be in it or not. Slumming around and lowering your standards won’t help you if you want to get serious about your life.”
Kallie watched as Sylvia took stock of her again and her stomach dropped to her toes. Was his mother talking about her?
Ash stepped forward and Kallie watched the scene unfold. Ash grabbed his mother by the elbow and not-so-gently escorted her toward the door. She was fighting against her son and he wouldn't let up, and Kallie stepped off to the side to give them room. To get out of the way. To hopefully melt into the walls, so she couldn't be seen.
“You’re not allowed to come into my home and talk to my friends that way,” Ash said. “Go crawl back under the rock you’ve been hiding under for the last year and leave me alone.”
“You’re being an idiot,” Sylvia said. “Just like your father. Always thinking with your dick instead of with your head.”
“Pretty sure cocks have heads,” he said flippantly.
Kallie watched them disappear around the corner and walk down the hallway. They were still talking, but she couldn't hear what they were saying. She gripped her hands and tried to quell their shaking. She leaned against the edge of the couch and closed her eyes. Her heart was slamming against her chest and all sorts of familiar feelings were rushing back to the forefront of her mind.
This was how James’s mother used to treat her.
Kallie didn’t look up until she heard the door shut firmly. Her eyes rose to meet his and sorrow dripped from Ash’s eyes. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close as she trembled on the couch.
“I’m sorry for my mother,” he said. “My family is full of assholes with inflated egos. There’s a reason I pulled away from them a long time ago.”