Misty Blue (10 page)

“So is this payback?” Her eyes filled quickly with tears and she blinked them away. “Did you put your father up to this?”

Damien pulled away an inch or two to study Mia. “I knew getting together wasn’t going to be good. We’re fighting, and I don’t know why. If anyone other than my father was treating you like that I would have slugged them already.”

“So your father can do what he wants?”

“Mia, think about what you’re saying. Let’s not go there. No family feuds. It’s only going to escalate. We both come with people that the other may not like but we have to try and get along. I’m not trying to continue the fight, but at least my father talked to you. Your brother has only glared at me for the past month and we both know the reason for that.”

“You’re changing the subject.”

“Don’t you think we should?”

Mia saw Charles heading for them and knew what was coming. “Yeah, I think we should.” She held Damien tighter. “I don’t want to dance with him,” she whispered as Damien looked in the direction of his father.

“Please, baby, one dance. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

Mia gritted her teeth and held on to Damien. She loved him, surely she could dance once with his father.

“I want to cut in,” Charles said with a swagger in his voice as well as his step. “Maybe that’s how we should get to know each other, Mia. If you like Damien’s moves, you’ll love mine. I taught him everything he knows.”

Mia shivered and glanced at Damien who had a pleading look in his eyes. “Of course.” She attempted to smile. “If Damien doesn’t mind.” She looked at Damien and he nodded his head. She went into his father’s arms thinking she would have her revenge when and if her mother arrived. She was worst than Charles. She would be all over Damien. A sobering thought hit Mia. She didn’t want her mother’s hands all over Damien.

She looked at Damien watching them dance from the sidelines and she knew. He didn’t want her dancing with his father. That thought made the dance easier. She and Damien had even more in common than they’d discussed.

* * *

Damien stood for a few more seconds watching Mia, knowing that his mere presence would only make things worse. His father would not release her until he left. It was as if he were trying to prove something to him and using Mia to do it.

Looking toward the table, he saw the sad look on his mother’s face as she sat there alone. He walked toward her and sat down. “Why is he being so nasty to Mia?”

“Because he’s about to lose his playmate,” his mother answered.

“What are you talking about?”

“You and him. You’ve been following in his footsteps from the time you were born. He’s your hero. He knows that. He hasn’t grown up and he never thought that you would. He never thought this day would come.”

“What, me getting married?”

“Charles doesn’t care about you getting married. He can’t stand the fact that you’re in love with Mia.”

“Mom, that makes no sense.” Damien stared at her, then at the dance floor. When he caught Mia’s gaze he looked away. “He’s treating her like that because I love her?”

“Yes. When you were with Ashleigh, he knew you didn’t love her. My God, Damien, you were with anything that moved when you were with that girl. But Mia, she goes against everything that he’s taught you to not want. It’s almost like you’re rejecting him.”

“That’s stupid,” Damien muttered.

“That’s your father.”

Before Damien could answer Mia came stomping back to the table. She was angry and looked as if she were going to either cry or pitch a fit. Damien groaned, wondering what had happened. He looked at Mia first and she refused to meet his gaze, so he turned to stare at his father. “What happened?” he asked.

“I told her a couple of jokes,” Charles answered, shrugging. “And she thought I was too close on her. That’s the problem with virgins. They always imagine things.”

Damien closed his eyes and counted to ten. When he opened them he ignored Mia’s glaring look. He didn’t need it to know that it was time he put his father in his place.

“Lay off Mia, Pop. I don’t intend to tell you again. I didn’t bring her here for you to make her uncomfortable. And I’m not going to ask her to remain here if you continue to treat her this way. She’s trying, why can’t you?”

“I thought I was. Sorry, Mia. I didn’t know you couldn’t take a joke.”

Mia glared at both Damien and Charles and left for the bathroom. She was shaking so hard that she could feel it reverberating through her. She heard Kathy behind her calling out to her but didn’t answer her until she was inside the lounge of the ladies’ room.

“Welcome to your future, Mia,” Kathy said.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Damien. I tried telling you before. He’s just like his father. He’s my son and I love him, but I’m warning you that this is what you have to look forward to.

“I don’t blame Damien for the things Charles said. Why are you?” Mia turned from the sink to face Damien’s mother. “I thought you said you liked me.”

“I do, Mia.”

“Then why are you constantly trying to make me doubt Damien? We’re getting married in just a few more days.” Mia wanted to cry. She’d done her best to like Damien’s mother and in some ways she did, but the woman made her uncomfortable. For some strange reason she reminded Mia of her own mother and that she didn’t like at all.

“Listen,” Mia said, trying again. “You don’t have to worry. Damien would never treat me with disrespect. You heard what he said to Charles. He loves me, he won’t hurt me.”

“Trust me, he will. You’re new, this relationship is new. Yes, Damien is in love with you. In time the newness will fade and he’ll hurt you. Ask Ashleigh. She thought the same thing. Look how the two of you met. That doesn’t bother you? It should. Mia, you met the man when he was at his ex’s home trying to beg his way back in. If she had said yes, do you think you would be here right now with him? He has no idea how to be faithful.”

Mia gazed at Kathy in disbelief.
What’s wrong with everyone
, she wondered.
Even if they’re not
,
can’t parents stand the thought of their kids being happy?
A picture of Charles lashing out at Kathy flashed before Mia, making her decision for her. She would not do the same; the woman needed someone to be kind. Mia could do this. It was her profession.

“Why are you saying this?”

“I’m not trying to hurt you, Mia. I’m trying to save you.”

“I don’t need saving, not from Damien.”

“I wish someone had done this for me. You’re going into this thinking that everything is going to be all roses, that the two of you are going to love each other always and that Damien is never going to look at another woman. I thought the same thing about his father.”

“Damien is not his father.”

“That’s what you think. The two of them are alike. He loves his father, he looks up to him and his father intends on making him remember his old ways, their old ways. I’ll admit Damien has changed since he met you but for how long? I don’t believe he can keep this up. Maybe you can be happy, but just don’t count on Damien being faithful.”

“You’re his mother. Why would you tell me this?”

“Because you’re a woman. I can see how much you love Damien. I see the stars in your eyes. I’m just trying to tell you what’s in your future.” Kathy paused.

“Mia, as horrible as it’s been for you tonight, I think it was good that it happened. Charles will always be a part of Damien’s life. If you marry him he’ll also be a part of yours. At least you can see now what you’re in for before you make a mistake.”

Mia ran her teeth back and forth over her top lip in a sawing motion. It was becoming clear that talking rationally to the woman wasn’t working. This was the last thing Mia needed today. She didn’t want to remain in a bathroom with Damien’s mother trying to convince her that things would be different between Damien and herself. She wanted to say, “Shut the hell up!” But if she were going to be good at her job she couldn’t tell her patients to shut up, could she?

“Are you saying that my marrying Damien is a mistake?”

“I’m saying that it’s a mistake if you think my son is going to be faithful to you. I believe he finds that your being a virgin is some kind of prize and he’s determined to be the one to win.”

Mia cringed and an uneasy feeling settled in her stomach. Her own mother had said the same thing. Even Mia had thought that the night Damien proposed. She didn’t know how much more of this she could stomach. Kathy was not her patient and even if she were, her patient wouldn’t be discussing Mia’s private life.

She stared for a long moment at Kathy. “Listen, I think it’s best if we don’t discuss my sex life.”

“That’s the point of this conversation. You don’t have one. You’re a virgin and all men are intrigued by virgins.”

“Damien never pushed me, even before he found out that I was a virgin. I think you’re wrong.” Mia’s voice was firm, her resolve to be kind slipping a bit. But then the woman was butting into her private affairs, in places she didn’t belong.

Kathy smiled at her. “I hope you’re right, but don’t ever say you haven’t been warned.”

Both their heads turned as they looked toward the door, wondering who was knocking.

“Mia, you okay in there?” Damien’s voice called out. Both women shared a glance.

Mia blinked several times, feeling the tension building inside her like a pressure cooker that was about to blow. But she wouldn’t right now; she didn’t have the time. Mia looked toward the door, then smiled at Kathy. “He loves me.”

“I know. I never said that he didn’t.”

“Mia,” Damien called again, “are you okay in there?”

“I’m okay,” she answered and glanced back at Kathy as she walked out of the bathroom.

Damien lifted her chin with the tip of his finger. “I’m sorry about my father. We can go if you want. I thought he would love you. I know he was nasty the last time you met but I thought it was because he’d been drinking. I’ve only seen him act like this with my mom.”

Mia had a brief flash of insight. Of course! Charles was jealous of the women that Damien loved. It made perfect sense. She felt proud of herself for diagnosing the man’s behavior so quickly. Maybe she was cut out for the line of work she’d chosen.

“Listen, I should have been prepared for this.” She smiled at Damien. “I’m going to make my living giving advice to people on how to get along with…well, people they may have problems with. So I might as well give it another try with your father.”

“You sure you want to? I meant it when I said you don’t have to. I’ll take you home if you want to go. ”

“It’s important to you that your father and I get along, so it’s important to me.”

Mia walked back to the table and smiled at Damien to show him that she was definitely going to try.

“Did I hurt your feelings, Mia?” Charles asked with disgust in his voice.

“Not at all,” she answered. “I have allergies and something in the food must have triggered it.” She smiled indulgently at him and dug into her salad.

“Glad to hear that,” Charles answered.

Mia continued to smile, not answering because of the food she was chewing, but she knew Charles was hoping his actions would drive a wedge between her and Damien. She’d have to keep her guard up and remember that.

“So where are the two of you going to live?”

Charles looked at her, glared for a few seconds. Then his glare turned to a definite leer and his eyes fastened on her bosom. It was official. The man was deliberately trying to make her angry. Maybe he was trying to show that he was the one Damien would choose should it come to a showdown.

Mia was saved from saying anything when Damien spoke. “We’re going to stay in Mia’s apartment.” He glanced toward Mia. “She has a very nice place.”

“But it’s hers.” his father said.

“So what? Once we’re married it will be ours.”

“No, it won’t. If she wants to kick you out she’ll tell you, ‘Get your ass out of my house.’” He turned to glare at Kathy. “Won’t she?”

“I won’t,” Mia said. “I have no plans on ever saying those words.”

“Plans,” snarled Charles. “Every woman has plans until they marry you, then those plans change. Damien, listen to me. Don’t live in a place that belongs to some woman. Get your own.”

“I thought you always thought that was okay?” Damien said to his father. “I remember you told me that I shouldn’t ever have to pay rent if I could find someone else willing to do it.”

“That was before you lost your mind and decided to get tied down with one woman. Now I’m telling you, don’t move into Mia’s apartment. Give me one good reason why you should.”

“I own the apartment,” Mia intervened.

“You own it?”

Mia bit her lip slightly, knowing she’d said the wrong thing. “Actually my brother Keefe owns it, but I don’t have to pay any rent.”

“And you think your brother is going to keep that arrangement when Damien moves into it? Do you think your husband is going to want your brother living in the same crib?”