"Money is not the issue here. And honestly? I don't care if he's interested in the money. It's been so long since I've felt like this. I love being this happy, and he's the reason for it. Haven't you ever met someone that made you feel magical?"
I snorted. "Magical?"
"Yes, Cory. Magical. Like everything else feels surreal because this person is the realest thing you've ever seen. You've never felt this way? Even if it was just for one date?"
One date… my thoughts wandered back to last night with Emma. It had only been a way for me to both take care of the wine shattering incident to take some of the humiliation off her, and of course, to take her out and learn more about the stunning strawberry blonde… But one date with Emma certainly didn't feel like enough. Not even close.
The way she squirmed as I licked her. How her cheeks flushed the deepest red all the way down across her chest as I fucked her tight pussy with all I had. Even how she curled up on her side against me as she fell asleep… All of it was the kind of hot passion I felt like I'd never have again with someone that way. I couldn't help but smile, thinking about her.
"Mm-hmm. So you have, then. Honey, I can see it written all over your face! But I haven't heard anything about this woman… Who is she? Do I know her?" Mom interjected into my thoughts, dragging me back into the present.
"It's nothing." I wasn't about to go down that particular road with her, anyhow. "We're not talking about me right now, so don't try and change the subject," I said, smiling at her knowingly.
"Me? Never!"
We were both quiet for a minute, sipping our wine and thinking. Emma's hair on the pillow. Her smell on my sheets… Dammit, I was going to have to stop thinking about all that or else I'd pop a boner in the middle of lunch like a damn kid.
"So, Jeremy," I sighed. "I guess at the very least you're not married to him quite yet. I may have some time to get your head on straight."
The blood immediately drained from Mom's face as she turned away, her hands fiddling with her napkin in her lap.
"Am I missing something?" I asked, my eyes narrowing at her.
"I guess I might as well tell you now. We uh, we're already technically married. At least according to the State of Texas," she added, still not meeting my eyes.
"Mom, are you crazy? What were you thinking?" I asked through gritted teeth, not wanting to create a scene.
This time she did look at me, a determined expression on her face. She wanted me to know she wasn't going to just back down. "No need to worry, Cory. He signed a pre-nup. I love him… and when it's love, it's right. I want to spend every breathing second with him. Haven't you ever felt like that?"
"He better not be my age," I grumbled, ignoring her. "I don't think I could stand it."
She tilted her head to the side, folding her arms across her blouse. "Well, I guess you're going to have to wait and see, won't you? Which is fine, because you'll be seeing him very soon."
"Oh yeah?"
"We're leaving for St. Lucia on Friday, for our own little twist on the wedding. And Cory? I expect you to be there."
I didn't know whether to laugh or yell. "So I'm being dragged to this circus, then, am I?"
Her face softened and I knew right away that I'd hit a nerve. As much as I hated seeing so much happen outside of my control, and as much as I was sure this whole marriage thing wasn't going to turn out in the end, I hated seeing the hurt look on her face. "I'm sorry, Mom. Of course I'll be there."
Chapter 8
EMMA
* * *
"God, that was brutal. I'm pretty sure I messed up about half of my notecards during my presentation. How do you think you did, Emma? Emma?" Justin, a friend from class, interrupted my thoughts.
"Hmm?" I'd been so tired from going over my notes last night that I'd ended up having a dream about my senior thesis literally coming to life and trying to ruin my presentation of ‘Adult-Children Discourse in Real-life Conversation versus Classic Children's Literature.’ There may have been a giant talking lion and a man in a yellow hat involved.
Justin waved his hand around in front of my face. "Hello? You in there?"
"Sorry. I'm just a little… out of it, I guess. Let's just say I'm glad that's over. I've been dreading giving that presentation all term," I admitted, smiling at Justin as he nodded.
"Yeah, I feel you there. You want to go grab some lunch? Maybe celebrate with some of the other guys from class?"
Everyone else was milling out of the exam room, several of them looking as if they'd just finished running a marathon. I knew exactly how they felt, with this class being the very last for me. "Actually, I think I'm going to go back to my room and cry sweet tears of relief. I'm sure we can all celebrate maybe tonight, though."
"But toil without song is like a weary journey without an end," he replied in a sing-song voice, nudging at me with his elbow.
"Ugh, I hate when you quote Lovecraft at me. You know how I feel about him."
We made it out to the hallway's exit, and Justin pushed the door open for me, gesturing for me to go through. "Duh, why do you think I do it? Don't hate the man just because he's a cat person."
I rolled my eyes. "He was a complete narcissist who worshipped cats, loathed dogs, and hated everything else right along with them. I'm definitely heading to bed now," I said, waving at him as he chuckled at me.
It was amazing how even though it felt so normal to just walk to the other end of the campus, it was going to be the last time I did so. I thought I might end up feeling a little nostalgic about it, but it turned out that I was just ready to get on with my life. There were bigger and greater things waiting ahead of me.
The voicemail notification buzzed in my tote bag, and I pulled it out to listen.
"I'm so, so proud of you baby. I know you probably just passed your last final with flying colors, so I think congratulations are in order, if I'm not mistaken. So here's what I need you to do. You listening? Good, because I want you to pack your bags. Make sure to pack lightly because I have a special surprise for you. And it's not just the trip we're taking to St. Lucia tomorrow morning, either! I have someone important for you to meet. I'll be there to pick you up first thing tomorrow, so be prepared. Love you, Emma-girl," Dad's voice echoed through the phone as the message ended.
Completely shocked, I didn't know what to think, except… Holy hell, first Italy, now St. Lucia?
Pulling my rolling suitcase behind me, I shielded my eyes from the sun, wishing I'd thought to take my sunglasses out of it before I'd loaded up. I thought it was weird that we were going to the smaller airport instead of Austin-Bergstrom International, but I kept quiet.
The moment Dad led us through to the tarmac outside, I had to stop and wonder just what the hell was going on. "Dad… why are we out here?"
Without turning around, he answered, "To get on a plane, of course."
"Yeah but… how?"
This time he looked back at me, something hidden in his expression. Then it slowly dawned on me once we'd stopped and I looked up.
"Why are we in front of a private jet?" The engines were already on, my hair whipping all around my face as I watched the reaction on his. Whatever was going on, Dad had wanted to wait to tell me about it.
"Okay, kiddo, here's the deal," he began, yelling over the jet noise. "I met someone very special, and I'd like you to meet her."
"All this for a new girlfriend? What about the plane, though?" I yelled back. As a literature professor at Concordia University he made decent money, but not flying-off-to-St. Lucia-in-a-private-jet kind of money.
He shook his head. "Look, I'm not good with beating around the bush and I know you don't like when I do… I've met someone who I'd like you to meet and the thing is, well, she's super special to me and I think that if you just—"
"Still beating around the bush."
Hanging his head for a moment, he recomposed himself. "You're going to be, well, um, meeting your new stepmother and stepbrother."
My ears must have been ringing. “Sorry, that sounded way off. What?” I yelled over the noise, cupping my ear.
“I got married, Emma!”
The blood drained from my face instantly. I’d heard him clearly the first time yet it didn’t make a lick of sense. "Wait, what? What the fuck? Dad!" I shrieked but he was already pulling me along to the steps of the plane, tapping me to go first.
I somehow managed to make it to the top, not having a single moment to question him about well, any of it, just as I was sure he planned. Leave it to my father to spring something like this on me without giving me a chance to process any of it.