She giggles. “I’d pay money to see that.”
Nineteen
Tessa
Three Weeks Later
My father has news. He called it Big News with a capital B and capital N. If my hunch is correct, I’m getting a new stepmom. The timing’s perfect. The dreaded day has come and I’m not making the same mistake as Olivia. Leverage is leverage, and this is the perfect time to share my joyous tidings.
Three weeks ago, he introduced me to a twenty-two-year-old girl named Hope with long legs, big boobs and a flawless blonde ponytail she wore high on her perfect head. She looked like a living Barbie doll, but Dad swore she was an old soul who made him happier than he’s ever been.
Although there were brief moments of confusion and horror, I said nothing negative. I’m not a hypocrite. She seemed nice, and if Daddy thinks she’s the one, who am I to judge?
Fearing my rejection, he lent me his prized Porsche and funneled a sizable amount of cash into my dwindling checking account. He said he wanted me to have fun. According to him, I’m too much like my mother and don’t enjoy life nearly as much as I should.
I have a feeling he’s ten minutes from a healthy dose of stunning remorse on that front.
“Are you sure this is the right moment, baby? Restaurants never work. People assume the other party won’t make a scene and it always blows up in their face.” Calvin takes my hand as I lead him into Monsieur Le Blanc’s. It’s Daddy’s favorite place in Upper Manhattan and conveniently located two blocks from Calvin’s brownstone. I moved in two weeks ago, but I’m not comfortable calling it mine yet.
Not until next week.
“I’ve procrastinated long enough. We get married in eight days.” I scan the room from left to right and search for any signs of my father. He’s notoriously late, but considering today’s topic, his nerves might light a fire under his ass and force him to arrive on time.
Calvin kisses my hand. “I begged you to let me speak to him earlier. This feels wrong, angel. You don’t steal a man’s daughter and tell him over French cuisine. You talk to him man to man over brandy or whiskey.”
I scoff and bring my narrowed gaze to his. “Steal me? Brandy? Whiskey? I’m not a fat little cow to be bought and sold for three lambs and six chickens. I belong to no man, sir.”
I take a step into the dining room, but Calvin winds his arm around my waist and stops me dead in my tracks. “I beg to differ, my love. You better believe you belong to me.”
His deep growl is nothing more than a whisper, but the warm vibration against my cool skin prickles my skin and makes me stifle a giggle. “You know what I mean.” I pat his hand and look over my shoulder. His piercing blue eyes smolder with a latent fury that will probably involve corporal punishment of the nastiest kind.
“Your rebellious spirit better be nerves, young lady.” A smirk replaces his frown and heat blooms between my thighs. He’s incorrigible, and my exploding libido only encourages him. In three weeks, this man has turned me into his love slave.
“Not here, Cal. I think I see Daddy. It’s game time. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Let me do the talking or I swear to God, I’ll cut you off and go live with my mother until the wedding.” I release his hand and march ahead.
“No, you won’t.” He chuckles. Dr. Know-it-All thinks he’s God’s gift to my panties. We’ll see about that.
“Yes, I will.” I whisper and wave at my father.
“No, you won’t.” He pulls out my chair and offers my confused father his hand.
Goddamn it.
“Sweetheart?” Daddy refrains from shaking Calvin’s hand. Maybe he can’t see it. His eyes look as though they’re about to fly out of their sockets.
“We should sit.” Calvin and I reach for Hope’s hand and she politely shakes one after the other before helping my petrified father into his chair. An awkward unease hangs over the table while we exchange insincere pleasantries.
“Thanks for meeting us.” Hope speaks for her tongue-tied date.
“Thank you for inviting us.” I swallow the lump in my throat and try to get a read on my father’s stony expression.
“I don’t believe I invited him. I invited you.” My Dad’s gruff response is unexpected. And pretty ballsy for a man dating Malibu Barbie.
A nervous laugh escapes before my eyes flash fire. “I told you I was bringing a date. Calvin is my date, Daddy.”
Calvin groans, unhappy with his classification.
“Excuse me, that’s not what I meant to say. I mean, Calvin’s my… lover.” Bubbles of nervous laughter burst out at once. Hope follows suit and spits white wine on the table.
“Teresa Franco! Have you lost your ever-loving mind!” Daddy slams his hand on the table and nearly lunges for Calvin’s throat.
I hold my hand out. “Stop that! I’m twenty-years old, not sixteen. Why did you bring me here? You’re getting married, right?”
Hope nods, but Daddy remains silent.
“Right?” I stand firm.
“Well, you’ve ruined my Big News.” He straightens his lapels and takes a sip of wine, utterly oblivious to the hypocrisy of his anger.
Calvin’s finally had enough and addresses Hope. “How did your father take it?”
She shrinks in her seat. “We haven’t told him yet.”
“I see.” Calvin and I chant in unison.
“Little girl...” Daddy thinks he’s going to bring me down a notch, but I quickly put an end to his ambitions.
“No, sir. You ruined my formative years by leaving my mother for one of your girlfriends. I forgave you because you’re my Dad and I wanted both my parents to be happy. Now you tell me you’re marrying a woman two years older than me and twenty-five years older than you. You should be ashamed of yourself. We could be sisters!”
I don’t care. Not in the slightest. But my outrage is as good as his.
He interrupts me. “Sweetheart, it’s not like that. We’re in love.”
I shush him. “We’re in love too. Madly in love. Calvin and I are closer in age than the two of you. We’re getting married. Mom knows, and she’s already given us her blessing.” I flash my ring and snuggle into Calvin’s embrace.
He tries to speak, but Hope’s hyper clapping catches him off guard. “Oh, my goodness. Congratulations! You need to tell us where you’re registered.”
Maybe she is an old soul.
“We’re sorry to tell you this way. I would have come to you sooner, but Tessa wanted to wait. I love your daughter. With all my heart. With everything I am. I wasn’t looking to fall in love with someone half my age, but when you’ve waited all your life to feel this way, you know it’s a gift. Tessa’s a gift. I’ll never take something so precious for granted. We’re marrying next week, and we’d like you to come.” Calvin squeezes my hand and then promptly hands me his handkerchief.
“What did I tell you about getting sentimental?” I whisper through faint sniffles.
“I know. I’m sorry.” He kisses my forehead.
“Give me some time to get used...” Dad tries to be stern, but Hope chimes in and puts an end to his mischief.