writes for is really reputable. His column is one that most people read weekly. I know I do.”
“Well,” Barbara sighed. “It certainly is an interesting subject matter. Bars. Clubs. Concerts.”
“And restaurants,” Claire pointed out. She didn’t bother mentioning that someone else covered musical concerts for the magazine.
“I suppose it suits him,” Barbara remarked, seeming a little unconvinced. “It’s a good job for when you’re young, but when he settles down . . .”
“ If he settles down,” Amelia cried as she waltzed into the room and settled onto a loveseat.
Claire smiled uneasily. “Sometimes we just hang out at home and watch television. Boring stuff.”
“Fascinating,” Leslie said, her expression one of pure intrigue. Claire glanced self-consciously around the room. Sure enough, heads tipped in thought as they stared at her, as if waiting for her to say something more.
“And do you spend the night at his home?” Milly asked, pursing her lips like a little bird.
Claire’s heart began to drum as the heat rose in her cheeks, and she wrestled with what to say, what would be the realistic answer to such a probing question, when Amelia shot her aunt a look of scorn and cried, “Aunt Milly! This is Ethan we’re talking about!”
“Yes, but I didn’t know if it was different, what with Claire being his actual girlfriend and all. I may be old, but I’m not naïve, dear. For all we know, they’re living together!”
A simultaneous gasp went up around the room and all eyes stared at her. The silence crackled as Claire gripped her wine glass until she feared it might shatter in her hands.
“No,” she finally said, happy to be honest. “We don’t live together.” She didn’t mention that she’d considered it, though, given her current living situation and all.
She frowned, thinking of the call from Hailey she still hadn’t returned. It was easier to avoid her somehow, until she’d figured out what she was going to do. Or what she was going to say when they eventually talked.
“You must excuse the interrogation,” Barbara said, giving her a conspiratorial smile. “It’s just that Ethan hasn’t dated anyone seriously in so long.”
So long ? Claire frowned.
“No,” Milly added sagely. “Not since—”
Barbara cleared her throat, and Milly reddened a bit in the cheeks before immediately cramming her mouth with a mini quiche.
“Let’s just say that Ethan hasn’t brought anyone home in a while,” Leslie said mildly.
“There’s more to life than dating,” Amelia said a little hostilely.
“I’m so thrilled to hear you say that!” Barbara beamed, and Amelia shot her an angry look.
“Yes, what is it that you do again, Amelia?” Claire asked, eager to interfere at the slightest hint of conflict that seemed to keep brewing to the surface.
“Oh, I’m between jobs at the moment,” Amelia said, skirting her eyes to the left.
The room fell silent, and Claire feared she had touched upon yet another touchy subject. She reached for her wine, taking a small sip because she felt the need to keep her wits about her, lest she slip and admit that she and Ethan weren’t actually, technically, madly in love. Perhaps she should hint that there was trouble in paradise so that they all wouldn’t be so shocked when things ended? Or perhaps, given Ethan’s track record, they already saw her fate, before Claire, well, girlfriend Claire, saw it for herself.
She suddenly felt a little sorry for the fake Claire, sitting here, meeting her boyfriend’s family for the first time, somehow none the wiser that her beloved boyfriend was known to play the field and that she didn’t really stand a chance.
She frowned. That fake Claire felt an awful lot like real Claire. When she’d been with Matt.
“It takes time to meet that special someone,” one of the younger cousins encouraged, and Amelia gave a derisive snort in return.
Before anyone else could say something, Amelia
“Well,” Barbara sighed. “It certainly is an interesting subject matter. Bars. Clubs. Concerts.”
“And restaurants,” Claire pointed out. She didn’t bother mentioning that someone else covered musical concerts for the magazine.
“I suppose it suits him,” Barbara remarked, seeming a little unconvinced. “It’s a good job for when you’re young, but when he settles down . . .”
“ If he settles down,” Amelia cried as she waltzed into the room and settled onto a loveseat.
Claire smiled uneasily. “Sometimes we just hang out at home and watch television. Boring stuff.”
“Fascinating,” Leslie said, her expression one of pure intrigue. Claire glanced self-consciously around the room. Sure enough, heads tipped in thought as they stared at her, as if waiting for her to say something more.
“And do you spend the night at his home?” Milly asked, pursing her lips like a little bird.
Claire’s heart began to drum as the heat rose in her cheeks, and she wrestled with what to say, what would be the realistic answer to such a probing question, when Amelia shot her aunt a look of scorn and cried, “Aunt Milly! This is Ethan we’re talking about!”
“Yes, but I didn’t know if it was different, what with Claire being his actual girlfriend and all. I may be old, but I’m not naïve, dear. For all we know, they’re living together!”
A simultaneous gasp went up around the room and all eyes stared at her. The silence crackled as Claire gripped her wine glass until she feared it might shatter in her hands.
“No,” she finally said, happy to be honest. “We don’t live together.” She didn’t mention that she’d considered it, though, given her current living situation and all.
She frowned, thinking of the call from Hailey she still hadn’t returned. It was easier to avoid her somehow, until she’d figured out what she was going to do. Or what she was going to say when they eventually talked.
“You must excuse the interrogation,” Barbara said, giving her a conspiratorial smile. “It’s just that Ethan hasn’t dated anyone seriously in so long.”
So long ? Claire frowned.
“No,” Milly added sagely. “Not since—”
Barbara cleared her throat, and Milly reddened a bit in the cheeks before immediately cramming her mouth with a mini quiche.
“Let’s just say that Ethan hasn’t brought anyone home in a while,” Leslie said mildly.
“There’s more to life than dating,” Amelia said a little hostilely.
“I’m so thrilled to hear you say that!” Barbara beamed, and Amelia shot her an angry look.
“Yes, what is it that you do again, Amelia?” Claire asked, eager to interfere at the slightest hint of conflict that seemed to keep brewing to the surface.
“Oh, I’m between jobs at the moment,” Amelia said, skirting her eyes to the left.
The room fell silent, and Claire feared she had touched upon yet another touchy subject. She reached for her wine, taking a small sip because she felt the need to keep her wits about her, lest she slip and admit that she and Ethan weren’t actually, technically, madly in love. Perhaps she should hint that there was trouble in paradise so that they all wouldn’t be so shocked when things ended? Or perhaps, given Ethan’s track record, they already saw her fate, before Claire, well, girlfriend Claire, saw it for herself.
She suddenly felt a little sorry for the fake Claire, sitting here, meeting her boyfriend’s family for the first time, somehow none the wiser that her beloved boyfriend was known to play the field and that she didn’t really stand a chance.
She frowned. That fake Claire felt an awful lot like real Claire. When she’d been with Matt.
“It takes time to meet that special someone,” one of the younger cousins encouraged, and Amelia gave a derisive snort in return.
Before anyone else could say something, Amelia
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