said, clutching
his chest. Too bad he couldn’t deny it. “It might interest you to know I’m
tryin’ to rectify that situation. That’s another thing I wanted to talk to you
about.”
“I’m listenin’.” Luc leaned back in his
seat and reached for his glass.
“I talked to Josh about this last night, so
I wanted you to hear it from me.”
Marisa appeared at the door, a smile
lighting her face when she saw her son. “I saw your car parked out front, and I
thought maybe you came to use the sauna.”
“No,” Ryan said, getting up to kiss her
cheek. “I wanted to talk to you and Dad about a couple of things.”
“You were sayin’ somethin’ about Josh,” Luc
said, gesturing with his hands. “Carry on.”
This shouldn’t be as difficult as it was.
Josh hadn’t disapproved, why should his own parents? “So, I, uh…” He could
actually feel the heat creeping up his neck. This was mortifying. He felt like
the five year-old boy who’d been sent home with a note from the teacher because
he stuck his foot out and tripped a classmate at recess. “Have feelings for
Brianna.”
“What kind of feelings are we talkin’ about
here?” Luc asked, eyeing him carefully.
Marisa slipped her arm around her son’s
waist in a silent show of support. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what he’s
talkin’ about, Luc.” She looked up at Ryan, smiling. “I’m so happy for you two,
honey. You couldn’t have picked a better girl. And I’m just so relieved that
you’re finally thinking about settling down-”
“Hold on,” Ryan said, extricating himself
from her grip. “I don’t want anyone orderin’ weddin’ invitations. I just wanna
take this slow-”
“I knew it,” Luc said, glaring at him. “I
can’t believe you’re even considerin’ this. What the hell’s wrong with you?”
Ryan tried not to lose his temper, but his
father tried his patience at the best of times. “I’m not askin’ your
permission. I’m tellin’ you what the deal is…” he said between clenched teeth.
“Before you hear it from someone else.”
“You’ve been friends with Brianna forever.
Why can’t that be enough?”
“Because I want more.”
“What you want is to get in her pants,” Luc
said, scowling at him.
“Luc!” Marisa said, reaching for Ryan’s arm
when he took a step toward his father.
“Don’t you ever say anything like that to
me again,” Ryan said, pointing at Luc. “That girl means the world to me, and I
want to be with her, only her .”
Luc looked at his wife. “Sweetheart, can
you give us a few minutes?”
Marisa looked back and forth between her
husband and son. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“We need to work this out on our own,” Luc
said, getting up and ushering his wife to the door. He leaned down and kissed
her. “We’ll be on our best behavior, I promise.”
She flattened her hand on his chest before
glancing over his shoulder at Ryan. “Just see that you are. And that goes for
you too,” she said to Ryan.
Luc closed the door and turned to face his
son. “You said she’s the only one you want to be with. Did you mean that?”
“Of course I did. I wouldn’t have said it
if I didn’t mean it.”
“Sit down,” Luc said, pointing to the
leather club chair by the fireplace. “I want to hear more about this.”
Ryan followed his direction, not because he
wanted to have a heart-to-heart, but because he wanted to get this over with so
he could make it back to the office before Brianna left for the day. He was
hoping he could talk her into going out for a drink with him so they could talk
outside of the office. His mother would understand if he bailed on dinner.
“What do you want to know?”
“I wanna know when you started having these
feelings for her.”
Ryan shrugged. “Does it really matter?”
“Yeah, it matters to me. Have you been
feelin’ this way for days, weeks, months…”
“Try years.”
“Jesus,” Luc said, sinking into
his chest. Too bad he couldn’t deny it. “It might interest you to know I’m
tryin’ to rectify that situation. That’s another thing I wanted to talk to you
about.”
“I’m listenin’.” Luc leaned back in his
seat and reached for his glass.
“I talked to Josh about this last night, so
I wanted you to hear it from me.”
Marisa appeared at the door, a smile
lighting her face when she saw her son. “I saw your car parked out front, and I
thought maybe you came to use the sauna.”
“No,” Ryan said, getting up to kiss her
cheek. “I wanted to talk to you and Dad about a couple of things.”
“You were sayin’ somethin’ about Josh,” Luc
said, gesturing with his hands. “Carry on.”
This shouldn’t be as difficult as it was.
Josh hadn’t disapproved, why should his own parents? “So, I, uh…” He could
actually feel the heat creeping up his neck. This was mortifying. He felt like
the five year-old boy who’d been sent home with a note from the teacher because
he stuck his foot out and tripped a classmate at recess. “Have feelings for
Brianna.”
“What kind of feelings are we talkin’ about
here?” Luc asked, eyeing him carefully.
Marisa slipped her arm around her son’s
waist in a silent show of support. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what he’s
talkin’ about, Luc.” She looked up at Ryan, smiling. “I’m so happy for you two,
honey. You couldn’t have picked a better girl. And I’m just so relieved that
you’re finally thinking about settling down-”
“Hold on,” Ryan said, extricating himself
from her grip. “I don’t want anyone orderin’ weddin’ invitations. I just wanna
take this slow-”
“I knew it,” Luc said, glaring at him. “I
can’t believe you’re even considerin’ this. What the hell’s wrong with you?”
Ryan tried not to lose his temper, but his
father tried his patience at the best of times. “I’m not askin’ your
permission. I’m tellin’ you what the deal is…” he said between clenched teeth.
“Before you hear it from someone else.”
“You’ve been friends with Brianna forever.
Why can’t that be enough?”
“Because I want more.”
“What you want is to get in her pants,” Luc
said, scowling at him.
“Luc!” Marisa said, reaching for Ryan’s arm
when he took a step toward his father.
“Don’t you ever say anything like that to
me again,” Ryan said, pointing at Luc. “That girl means the world to me, and I
want to be with her, only her .”
Luc looked at his wife. “Sweetheart, can
you give us a few minutes?”
Marisa looked back and forth between her
husband and son. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“We need to work this out on our own,” Luc
said, getting up and ushering his wife to the door. He leaned down and kissed
her. “We’ll be on our best behavior, I promise.”
She flattened her hand on his chest before
glancing over his shoulder at Ryan. “Just see that you are. And that goes for
you too,” she said to Ryan.
Luc closed the door and turned to face his
son. “You said she’s the only one you want to be with. Did you mean that?”
“Of course I did. I wouldn’t have said it
if I didn’t mean it.”
“Sit down,” Luc said, pointing to the
leather club chair by the fireplace. “I want to hear more about this.”
Ryan followed his direction, not because he
wanted to have a heart-to-heart, but because he wanted to get this over with so
he could make it back to the office before Brianna left for the day. He was
hoping he could talk her into going out for a drink with him so they could talk
outside of the office. His mother would understand if he bailed on dinner.
“What do you want to know?”
“I wanna know when you started having these
feelings for her.”
Ryan shrugged. “Does it really matter?”
“Yeah, it matters to me. Have you been
feelin’ this way for days, weeks, months…”
“Try years.”
“Jesus,” Luc said, sinking into
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