The Fake Engagement

She slid her hand within his pocket, and it was so close to his dick that he tensed up. Eliza didn’t seem to notice as she opened the apartment door.

“I’m sorry. My feet are killing me.” She kicked off her shoes, losing a couple of inches in height as she flexed her feet.

He kicked his door closed, and Eliza was behind him, locking the door.

Another difference between his hometown and city. Locking doors.

Get a grip.

He couldn’t keep making comparisons. He loved the city life.

“Do you want to take that to the table?” she asked. “I’ll grab some forks.”

“What about plates?”

“You eat takeout food on plates? The whole point is not to do dishes?”

“Then no plates.”

He carried the food to the table, and Eliza joined him with a couple of bottles of beer and two forks. They were just starting to eat when his cell phone rang.

Pulling it out of his pocket, he groaned. “It’s a video chat with my parents.”

“Okay. Do you want me to leave?” she asked, already getting to her feet.

He grabbed her arm. “No. No. You stay. They can meet you tonight,” he said.

“That sounds fair.” She nibbled on her lip.

“It will be fine. They’re my parents,” he said as a way of explanation.

“Of course, they’re your parents. It will all be fine. Totally fine.” She ran her fingers through her hair.

“You look great,” he said.

“Yes, thank you. You look great as well.”

He accepted the call. “Mom. Dad, hey,” he said.

“What’s wrong, Preston?” his mother, Marsha said.

“Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m just surprised by your call.”

“He’s surprised. Hey, big bro,” Andrew said, coming into view.

“When are you going to get your ugly butt down here?” Trudy said.

“The whole gang is there,” he said.

“No, the whole gang is not here because you’re not here,” Kian said.

“They’re all excited to meet your fiancée, sweetie. We all are. It’s not every day that your eldest son brings a girl home.”

“Mom, you have three sons, married. They did one better than Preston,” Trudy said.

“I know. I know. They are all married and have given me grandchildren, but you all know how I worry about Preston.”

If he wasn’t careful, she was going to start crying, saying how he was always fighting settling down. He grabbed Eliza’s hand, giving her no choice but to lurch toward him, where he moved so that she sat on his knee.

As an employer and employee, this was deeply inappropriate. As an engaged couple, this was normal.

Silence rang out on the line, and Eliza sucked up the noodles she’d been starting to slurp up.

“Everyone, I want you to meet Eliza Drake. My fiancée. Eliza, this is all of my crazy family I’ve been telling you about.”

He heard her swallow. She held up her hand. “Hi, everyone.”

Silence.

He’d never known his family to be so silent before. Maybe he should spring fiancées on them more often. He rested his hand on Eliza’s hip, becoming increasingly aware of how full it was.

“Eliza, honey, we had no idea that Preston was so serious,” Martha said. “Oh, Greg, look, she’s so beautiful.”

Eliza cleared her throat, putting the carton of noodles onto the table. He watched her grab a napkin and discreetly wipe at her mouth.

“Preston has told me so much about you. I can’t wait to meet you all.”

“Yeah, we can’t wait to meet you. You’ll be a new little sister in the house. What are you, twelve?” Kian asked.

He growled at his brothers.

“I will take that as a joke and not an insult,” Eliza said. “I’m twenty-nine. Not that big of an age gap.”

“Boys, enough, enough. I want to talk more with my new daughter-in-law,” Marsha said.

“Mom, we’re not married yet. You’re going to scare her off.”

“No, I’m not. She looks like a woman who doesn’t scare off easily. Am I right, Eliza?”

“You’ll be the first mother I’ve met.”

Preston turned to look at her.

“Now that surprises him. See, Preston is surprised,” Trudy said. “Trouble in paradise already?”

“No trouble at all,” Preston said. “At this rate, you’re all going to be lucky to even get the chance to meet her if you scare her off.”

There was some more commotion and before too long, his brothers and sister were out of the line of the camera. His parents sat, similar to how he was with Eliza. His mother in his father’s lap.

“You are coming? There isn’t going to be some last-minute cancelation or you finding another reason to cancel on us?” she asked.

“Mom, I told you, I didn’t mean to cancel all of those times. I was busy. Work got in the way.”

“It is always work, work, work with you. Son, we miss you,” Greg said.

“I’m coming home, and you’re going to get to meet Eliza.” The conversation was becoming more stilted with each word spoken. “I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you soon.” He ended the call. “Sorry about that.”