The Weight of Words (The WORDS Series) (49 page)

“You consider that our first
date?”
I laughed.

“Don’t you?”

“Seriously? Vomiting in the washroom while the hot guy you’re trying to impress paces outside waiting for you? Not my idea of a great first date. Plus, you were still Miss Price-ing me that night. It wasn’t a date.”

“Funny how different things stand out for different people,” he said.

“Why? What do you remember?”

“Well, for starters, I remember you swearing. I think that was the first time I heard you say ‘fuck.’”

“Ah, yes, that’s terribly romantic.”

He smiled. “Then you elbowed me in the ribs.”

“Again, just a little something I do to turn guys on,” I added.

He took a step closer to me. “Then once the play started, I remember whispering something to you, and you had the most delicious expression on your face. I came close to kissing you right there and then.”

I racked my brain for a witty comeback, but I couldn’t pull anything together. He had that lidded-eyes-dropped-chin thing going on. He ruined me with that every time.

“So, yes, I’m going with that as our anniversary,” he said, tipping his hand forward and clinking my glass with his. We both took a sip of champagne.

“Okay, you win. Happy anniversary, sailor.”

“Happy anniversary, poppet,” he said, stroking my cheek. Then he sighed and shook his head. “Now, this sucks, but unfortunately we have to go. Tiffany gave me fair warning that the parking lot is about to get crazy. She said everyone tends to pour out at quarter to ten. I’m not concerned about the rush, but I would like to make an inconspicuous exit. We should probably leave.”

Of course. Right when things were getting good. But our actions were being guided by the need for discretion, and I couldn’t complain. At least not out loud.

“Okay.” I took another swig of my champagne.

We left our glasses on the coffee table, and Daniel led me out to the lobby, helping me with my coat and gathering my hair up to gently pull it free of my collar. I remembered him doing something similar the week before at the Four Seasons. Was this a trademark move? I sincerely hoped so.

Then we were out the doors and into the cold night air. Daniel took a cursory glance around the parking lot as we walked. I found myself doing the same, on high alert now, even more paranoid than I’d been the week before, though the odds of running into anyone we knew at the Palais Royale certainly seemed slim. Daniel was steering me toward his car when a blue sedan came to a quick halt beside us. The passenger window rolled down, and a voice echoed through the night air.

“Daniel? Is that you?”

Chapter 30

Compromise

And now the matter grows to compromise…
(
King Henry vi, Part 1
, Act V, Scene 4)

D
ANIEL
T
OOK
A S
TEP
T
OWARD
T
HE
C
AR
while I tried to stay out of sight behind him, deciding if I should make a run for it.

“Patty?”

Patty?
Not Daniel’s grandmother? Holy crap—we were screwed.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. It sounded like he was trying to keep his voice light and conversational.

“Having a night on the town, of course,” she said. “I could ask you the same question—this is seniors’ night. They aren’t supposed to let in the riffraff.” Daniel laughed. “Open my door, Daniel.”

He opened the door and helped her climb out. I hung back, hoping she had bad eyesight, but was unable to resist checking out this woman who’d been described as a “corker” by Penny. So this was Granny Wright. She was wiry and silver-haired with sparkling eyes and coral lip-sticked lips. She was wearing a knee-length fur coat. I had no clue whether the fur was real or faux, but if it was real, it had to have been hellishly expensive.

“Now give me a hug,” she ordered him. He did as he was told.

“So, you’ve been here all night?” Daniel asked her.

“Yes, of course. Gerald and I come here every month.”

“Gerald?”

“Yes, Gerald. And if you tell your parents about this I’ll disinherit you.” Patty was scowling and wagging her finger at her grandson. “The last thing I need is them prying into my personal life.”

Daniel leaned into the passenger side window. “Hello, Gerald,” he said, reaching in to shake the hand of his grandmother’s beau.

“Gerald, this is my grandson, Daniel,” his grandmother said, poking her head in the window.

Gerald’s jovial voice rang out clearly, “Well, it’s about time I met one of the boys. I’ve been doubting your existence. Nice to meet you, Daniel. Henny speaks highly of you.”

“Well, thank you, sir.” Daniel stood up and turned to me, pulling me forward.

“There’s actually someone I’d like you to meet as well, Patty. Aubrey Price, this is my grandmother, Henrietta Wright. Patty, this is Aubrey, a very good friend of mine.”

What in the living hell was he doing? Had he lost his frigging mind?

“Well, Aubrey, what a delight to meet you.” She shook my hand, her inquisitive eyes piercing my soul. Very unnerving. I stood there, smiling stupidly. “How lovely. Daniel, you’ve been holding out on me,” she chided him.

“Sorry, Patty. We’re not quite ready to go public. Mom and Dad don’t know. Not up to dealing with the Spanish Inquisition yet. You understand, right? I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine?”

“I see.” Granny Wright’s eyes flickered over to me briefly. “I understand perfectly. You know me. I’ll take your secret to the grave if that’s what you’d like me to do. Speaking of which, when are you coming for dinner? I’m not going to live forever, you know.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m sure you’ll give it your best shot. If only to piss a few people off.”

Daniel’s grandmother chuckled. “You’re right. That’s my strongest motivation to stay healthy—to drive your father mad.”

“Well, name the time and I’ll be there,” Daniel said. “Apparently we’ve got lots to get caught up on.”

“I’m an old lady, dear boy. Long range plans are inadvisable. How’s this Sunday?”

“This Sunday’s perfect,” Daniel said. “Will you be inviting Mom and Dad?”

“Oh, heavens no. I’d actually like to have a nice time.” She scowled at him while she winked at me. Amusement nudged at the corner of Daniel’s mouth. “I’ll expect you at five o’clock,” his grandmother said, a tone of finality in her voice.

“Sounds wonderful. What can I bring?”

“A bottle of red wine. Not one of those skinny little things either. Don’t be a cheapskate like your father.”

Daniel laughed. “Deal.”

“And bring your young lady, too. I’d say she needs some feeding.”

Daniel looked at me and smiled. I felt like I’d stumbled into an episode of
The Twilight Zone.

“Open my door, Daniel.”

Patty was finished. Her word, it seemed, was law.

Daniel did as he was told, holding her hand while she backed herself into the car and swung her legs in. “Gerald, it was nice meeting you,” Daniel said, closing the door carefully.

Patty peered out the window and held up a warning finger. “Fencepost, Daniel.”

“Fencepost, Patty.”

“Give my love to your brothers and tell them to call me if they know what’s good for them. And get your young lady there some food.”

“I’ll get right on it.” He took her gloved hand and kissed it. “Love you, Patty.”

“I love you too, my boy. Now move out of the way. It’s past my bedtime. I need my beauty sleep.”

She closed her window, and we stepped back. As Gerald drove off, Daniel raised his hand to wave at the retreating vehicle. Then he turned to look at me, a goofy grin on his face.

“Are you out of your freaking mind?” I asked him.

“What?”

“What do you mean
what?
You just told your grandmother my name, and now we’re going there for dinner on Sunday? Are you high?”

He steered me down the path toward the car. “I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not a problem. Patty meant what she said. She won’t tell my parents a thing. Plus, I’ve got something on her, too. She doesn’t want my folks knowing about Gerald.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m one hundred percent sure. I’m her favorite.” He winked at me. “She won’t breathe a word of this to my father. Wow, I can’t believe she was here all night.”

“I know. What are the odds? Do you think we’re being punk’d?”

Daniel laughed, opening my door and waiting for me to get settled before closing it. When he climbed in and started the car, I was still shaking my head in disbelief. Daniel tried to comfort me.

“Do I look worried? Believe me, if there was something to worry about, you’d know.” He turned the heat on high. “Listen, if it was anyone else, you can bet your sweet ass I’d be having a frigging cow right now. But it’s not. It’s Patty. Trust me. Everything’s going to be fine, okay?”

I sighed and nodded, trying to shake off my uneasiness. He seemed completely unfazed. “Hey, she fenceposted you.”

“And I returned the favor,” he said, grinning at me. “You know what that means. In my family, a fencepost is an unbreakable bond.” He turned the heat down a notch; the air was gradually warming up. “I’m sorry if you felt railroaded, though. Are you sure you’re free to come with me on Sunday?”

“Of course. If you think it’s okay for me to go, then I’d love to join you.”

He smiled and grabbed my hand, pulling it onto his thigh as he pulled out of the lot and onto the road.

“So, what did your grandmother mean when she said she wasn’t inviting your mom and dad because she wanted to have a good time?”

“Patty and my father haven’t always seen eye to eye. My grandmother finds my dad a little, uh,
rigid
, shall we say? She’s a firm believer in seizing the day, and my dad’s morals are so firmly entrenched. He can’t do anything without dragging his principles along for the ride.”

This was an interesting analysis. I’d always admired Dean Grant so much. But perhaps living with someone who always took the high road would get a bit wearing after a while.

“I can’t believe I’m going to dinner at your grandmother’s,” I said. “It’s kind of nerve-racking. What if she doesn’t like me? What should I wear?”

“I guarantee she’ll love you. And wear something comfortable. Some nice pants and a sweater or something.”

“Okay.” I settled back again. Hell, if he was totally cool with it, who was I to worry?

He glanced at me from time to time as he drove, his face brighter than I’d seen it in a long time.

“I’m so glad we talked. Now there’re no more secrets. It’s very liberating.”

No more secrets? Well, shit. Maybe as far as Daniel was concerned that was true, but a little gnawing voice reminded me that I hadn’t been completely honest with him. Not telling him the truth about Matt was eating me alive. Did I dare take the risk? And hadn’t Daniel just taken a huge chance by sharing his Oxford story? He’d finally opened up to me completely. I owed him the same courtesy.

“Um, Daniel, there is
one
other thing that I need to tell you. You might not like it. Actually, you probably won’t like it at all. You might want to pull over.”

He looked at me worriedly. “Well, that doesn’t sound good.”

He pulled into the right lane and turned into the next parking lot. It was a picnic area, dark and deserted at this time of night. We parked in a corner, and he looked at me, brows furrowed.

“What is it?”

“I wasn’t going to tell you this because I knew you’d probably take it the wrong way, but I feel like it needs to be said, and you’ve shared everything with me. I don’t want there to be any secrets between us, either, but promise me you won’t freak out?”

“I’ll do my best. Go ahead.”

“Okay. Since we got together, you’ve been worried about Matt, assuming something was going on with us. There’s honestly nothing—and I mean
nothing
—but friendship between us. The only thing I can compare it to is your relationship with Penny. But to be truthful, there was a time when we did sort of toy with the idea of possibly getting together.”

He closed his eyes and swallowed. “When was this, Aubrey?”

“In first year, we kissed at a party, but it didn’t go beyond that. We both realized it wasn’t meant to be.”

“So you kissed him four years ago?”

“Yes.”

“The idea of you
ever
kissing him doesn’t necessarily thrill me, but I think I can cope with that.”

“Yes, but that’s not all,” I said.

Daniel grimaced.

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. “On Valentine’s Day, we went to Canoe for dinner, as you know.”