23. Twenty-Three

23

TWENTY-THREE

“ H ey, Fruity Pebbles, I was thinking that we might go out for dinner tonight.”

Zach appeared from his room—which was essentially our room now—and stood in such a way that I had no choice but to look over at his ridiculous body, which was on full display since he was shirtless. Seriously, how did he have a body that good? Did he work out? I’d never seen him go to the gym.

“What’s up with that? Also, Fruity Pebbles is a no-go. That’s a dumb nickname.”

“It’s sweet, though. Just like you.” He flexed. “What’s up with what?” He obviously knew what I was referring to. Apparently, he was feeling flirty this morning.

“Your body,” I replied. “It’s all … bumpy … and stuff. Are you having an allergic reaction?”

His eyes narrowed. “You’re so funny.”

I laughed and shook my head before shoving the notebook I was working in to the side. “When do you work out?” Suddenly, I just had to know. Sure, his ego was being fed. There were worse things, though.

“I work out four times a week in the executive gym.”

“Really?” How come I didn’t know that? “Huh.”

“Do you like what you see?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“I do. Take off your pants, and I’ll like it even better.”

There was no hesitation when he went for the button on his pants. I was more than happy to watch the show, but at that exact moment, a tentative knock on the main door drew my attention away from my half-naked husband.

“Did you order room service?” Zach asked hopefully. His pants were halfway down his sturdy thighs.

I shook my head and got up. “That would be my mother.”

“Your mother?” Horror washed over Zach’s features. “What is your mother doing here?”

“She’s helping me with the dancers. She thinks they’re getting a raw deal.” I opened the door without looking over my shoulder to see if Zach had fixed his outfit. “Hey, Mom.” I hugged her before ushering her inside.

She looked nervous, as if she expected to find a clown lurking in the corner. She’d stopped freezing me out weeks ago and was now trying to make up for lost time, which I took as a good thing. When I looked back at the hallway, it was empty. Apparently, Zach had made it back to our room. At least that was something.

“So, I love what you’ve done with the place,” Mom started.

“We haven’t done anything.”

“I know. I was being sarcastic.” She shot me a look. “This place is sterile, Livvie. You really need to jazz it up if you’re going to stay here.”

The thought hadn’t even occurred to me. Sure, this was home. It was still as if we were living in a hotel room. Granted, it was a very large hotel room. It was a hotel room, nonetheless. “Oh, um…” What was I supposed to say here?

“Are you worried that Zach will be upset if you redecorate his bachelor pad?” Mom’s gaze was probing. Zach and I had been married for almost two and a half months at this point. I’d seen her several times since the big announcement. She peppered me with questions at each meeting, but she hadn’t really dug her heels in for information. That felt like it might be changing today.

“I haven’t brought it up,” I replied. “I’m guessing he likes it the way it is, though.”

“Who likes what the way it is?” Zach asked as he reappeared. This time he was in one of his crisp work shirts and his pants were buttoned.

“Mom doesn’t like our aesthetic,” I replied. “She thinks we’re crap decorators.”

“I didn’t say that,” Mom scolded, giving me a dark look. “Don’t make me out to be some sort of interior design monster.”

“That’s exactly what you were saying,” I protested.

“I merely suggested that you were afraid to tell Zach you wouldn’t mind a splash of color in this place.” She looked around again, her upper lip curling. “Really, Zach, I love you, but this place looks like a hotel room.”

“It is a hotel room,” he reminded her.

“I know but … are you guys going to stay here? I mean … you’re going to have a family at some point, right? Are you going to raise a family here? In a casino?”

The questions made me distinctly uncomfortable, and I darted a quick look toward Zach to see how he would respond. To my surprise, he was already shaking his head.

“That’s not the plan,” he replied. “I know Livvie wants a house. For the immediate future, we’re going to stay here because I have to jump through the hoops my father keeps throwing in front of me. It’s easier to be close. If everything goes as planned, though, by the middle of next year my father will be planning his retirement.”

“And you’ll be taking over?” Mom queried.

He nodded.

“And then you’ll be getting a house?”

“If that’s what Livvie wants,” he confirmed.

“And you’re going to give me grandbabies then too?” Mom was the picture of innocence when she asked the question, but there was no missing the glint in her eyes.

I almost choked on the iced tea I’d been drinking. “Mother!” I was scandalized.

“Hush now.” Mom waved her hand at me and kept her attention on Zach. “You want children, right?”

Zach looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Um…” He glanced to me for help.

“Of course Zach wants children,” I said to my mother. “He’ll make an amazing father. You said that last time we had lunch, when you broached this subject for the first time.” I wagged a finger. “Nothing has changed. We’re not planning on children in the immediate future.”

Mom’s lips curved down. “Why not? You will make lovely parents. If it’s about what I said regarding living in a casino, a baby will be fine in the casino for the first year. After that, you need a house. Toddlers need yards and outdoor playtime. You can get started now, though.”

I bit back a sigh, and not very well. “We just got married,” I reminded her. “We’re not ready for kids yet.” We might never be at all if you freak Zach out and he runs away, I silently added.

“Livvie, you’re thirty.” She said it as if that somehow explained something.

“I’m well aware.”

“Do you know that your eggs are considered geriatric when you reach the age of thirty-five?”

This time I sputtered on my iced tea when I choked. “What?”

“It’s true.” She was solemn. “You don’t want geriatric eggs, do you?”

I had no idea how I was supposed to respond to that. When I glanced at Zach, I found him smiling. “You think this is funny?” I realized.

He shrugged. “It’s kind of funny. The look on your face.” He shook his head. “Your geriatric eggs aren’t going to bug me for the record. I’ll be fine with your geriatric babies. Do you think they’ll look like Benjamin Button?”

I flipped him the bird, a gesture my mother caught out of the corner of her eye and shook my head. “We’re not having kids this year, Mother. We have some stuff we need to get squared away first.”

Like whether or not this is a real marriage.

“Fine.” Mom looked put upon. “If you’re staying here for another year, though, you need some decorations. This place is dire.” She made a clucking sound with her tongue. “Even a few throw pillows would make a world of difference, Livvie. I taught you better than this.”

In truth, I hadn’t given a lot of thought to the decorations. This was Zach’s space. Sure, we lived here together now—and might for some time to come—but this was still his territory.

As if he was reading my mind, Zach held out his hands. “If Livvie wants to redecorate, I’m fine with it.”

“You are?” That was news to me.

“I am,” he confirmed.

“Huh.” I absently scratched my cheek. “Well, I’ll give it some thought.”

“Just let me know what you decide.” He swooped in and gave me a surprise kiss—this was the first time we’d kissed in front of either of our parents—and then he dropped a friendly kiss on my mother’s cheek. “Get some lunch while you’re here. Make sure you charge the bill to me, Livvie. I’m starting to get annoyed with the fact that you insist on paying for sandwiches at the shop downstairs.”

I made a face. “I feel weird charging lunch to my husband. It’s very … 1950s.”

“Then charge it to the room and pretend you’re on vacation.” Zach shook his head when I opened my mouth to argue. “That’s one of the perks to living here. You heard your mother. We won’t be here forever. You should take advantage of it while you can. We have world-famous chefs on the premises. Eat something other than a ham sandwich.”

I glowered at him as he moved toward the door. “You’re not the boss of me,” I muttered.

“No, but your mother is.” He beamed at my mom, putting his charm on full display. “Make her take you somewhere good.”

“I’m on it,” Mom said chirpily. “It was good seeing you, Zach. I hope my grandbabies have your good looks.”

Outrage had my mouth opening and closing. “My babies will be cute too.”

“Your babies will be darling,” Mom agreed. “Zach is … Zach, though.”

When I looked up, Zach was winking at me as he sailed out the door. “Don’t forget dinner,” he called out. “We’ll talk about my pretty babies and your ugly ones later.”

I glared at his back. “You’re going to be eating dinner alone if you’re not careful.”

“Please. I plan on taking you for seafood. We both know who is going to win that argument.”

I hated that he was right. Once the door fell shut and I looked at Mom, I realized I had another reason to worry. She was grinning like a buffoon. “What?” I demanded.

“You guys are cute,” she said. “I was a little worried when you first mentioned you were married. That initial dinner, you were stiff. That was probably the dental surgery, though.”

“Yes, I was definitely out of it that night,” I agreed.

“You guys are clearly making things work now, though. I like it.”

“You do?” I couldn’t contain my suspicion. “Why do you like it?”

“Because he makes you laugh, and vice-versa. You guys are a good fit.”

“You didn’t think that when I was a teenager,” I reminded her. “You said he wasn’t going to stick around and that I shouldn’t get attached.”

“I did say that,” Mom confirmed. “He surprised me, though. I thought he would allow his parents to steamroll him. He didn’t, and I’m proud of the man he turned into.”

“Me, too,” I murmured.

“How are things going with his parents?” The concern was back in Mom’s eyes. “Have they been accepting of you?”

“Accepting? Yes. They’re weird, though. They live in a different world than we do. Ryder melted down about losing a golf tournament a few weeks ago. It was for charity. He actually wanted Zach to find a way to strip the winner of his stupid ribbon.”

“And what did Zach do?”

“We went camping.”

“You … went camping?” Mom cocked her head. “That’s an interesting way to combat Ryder’s meltdown.”

I shrugged. “Zach had never been.”

“And now?”

“He wants to go again.”

“See. You’re having a positive influence on him.”

“Things are going well,” I agreed. “His dad still puts too much pressure on him. I’m not sure how to fix that. Otherwise, things are good.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Mom patted my wrist. “Now, how about we take the notes you wanted to show me for the dancers and find one of those restaurants Zach was talking about to have some lunch? I’m not settling for a ham sandwich when we have our choice of exotic restaurants.”

I sighed. “Fine. If he’s taking me out for seafood tonight, though, then maybe we should hit the Mexican place.”

“I think that sounds like a grand idea.”

MOM, WHO WAS NEVER MUCH FOR DRINKING, went straight for the jalapeno margarita when she ordered. Amused, I arched an eyebrow.

“It’s kind of early,” I hedged.

“Unless you’re carrying my grandbaby and keeping it to yourself, there’s no such thing as too early for a margarita in Vegas,” Mom countered.

I didn’t disagree, so I went with the watermelon margarita. Once our orders were in, talk turned to the dancers.

“Do you think the bar owners are negotiating in good faith?” she asked.

I nodded. “Actually, I do. Well, most of them. There are a few who are purposely difficult. They can’t argue with the casino owners, though. They’re deadly serious about wanting their whales to be happy and the bar owners need them. I think we’re getting close.”

“What seems to be the sticking points?”

Before I could answer, the chair between Mom and me was pulled out, and the one person I wasn’t expecting to join us for lunch plopped down.

“Hello.” Cora grinned from ear to ear as she looked between us. “I heard you were down here. I thought I might join you. Just us ladies.”

I recovered from my shock relatively quickly. “Of course,” I said automatically. “I didn’t realize you were here today. Otherwise I would’ve invited you to join us.” That was a lie. I didn’t seek out Cora for meals or gossip. I didn’t want to be rude, though. She was my mother-in-law. There was a chance, however slim, that she was going to stay my mother-in-law. We had to find common ground.

“I had to stop in and talk to Ryder about something,” Cora explained. “Zach was in with him, and he told me you were here, Patty. He didn’t know what restaurant you ended up at but suggested I find you and make sure you weren’t eating a ham sandwich. Whatever that’s supposed to mean.”

“It’s just an inside joke,” I replied.

“Yes, apparently Olivia has issues eating food she doesn’t pay for,” Mom agreed. “It’s ridiculous if you ask me. I would be taking advantage of this situation before grandbabies arrive on the menu. I mean … it will be a fun adventure for a year or so. She’s kind of a prude when it comes to certain things, though.”

“I am not a prude,” I argued.

“Oh, yes, you really are.” Mom patted my shoulder but turned her focus to Cora. “How is Ryder?”

“He’s an asshole,” Cora replied, not missing a beat.

I jolted in my seat. “What?”

“You’ve heard the word ‘asshole’ before, Olivia,” Mom chided. “Don’t be weird.”

“It’s the right word to describe my husband,” Cora volunteered. “He is a difficult individual. He always has been. The older he gets, however, the more of an asshole he turns into.”

I was caught between the absurd urge to laugh and hiding under the table. “What’s he doing today?”

“Still whining about losing the charity event.”

I stilled as I reached for my water. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Nope.” Cora shook her head. “He’s an absolute idiot. Like… I really want to shake him until his head falls off. He just won’t let it go. He’s complaining about the dancers too.”

I froze. “I’m not stopping what I’m doing,” I declared out of nowhere. I had no idea if that was Cora’s goal when she tracked us down, but I had to draw my line in the sand somewhere when it came to her. Otherwise, she would run right over me.

Over, and over, and over again.

“I’m not asking you to stop what you’re doing,” Cora replied. “In fact, I looked over the latest proposal that your team sent over. It was on Ryder’s desk. I happen to think it’s more than fair, and I suggested to Ryder that he lean on his team to get this deal done.”

“You did?” I couldn’t hide my surprise. “I didn’t think you were on my side for this.”

“While I wouldn’t have gone the route you did and put myself out there so publicly, I admire you for your dedication to the cause, and I agree these women deserve some support.”

“Well … thanks.” What else was I supposed to say? “I appreciate your support.”

“I do support you.” Cora seemed to be making up her mind. “In fact, I’m going to join your cause.”

I was convinced I’d misheard her. “Whose cause?”

“Your cause.”

“It’s not really my cause. I’m just helping.”

“Well, I’m going to help too.” Cora was firm. “I’m sick of Ryder talking down to me as if I’m twelve and he’s so much smarter. He claims I do nothing but fritter his money away. I’m going to prove to him that I do more than that.”

I glanced at Mom and found her nodding encouragingly.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Mom said. “We’ll all work together. We’re family after all, it should be that way.”

“I agree.” Cora grinned and it was something straight out of a horror movie. If I were her husband, I would be hiding the knives. “I’ll show him who does and doesn’t do anything.”

I didn’t like this. Not one little bit. There was nothing I could do about how things were playing out, though. “Okay, um, let’s start coming up with ideas. The more attention that’s drawn to the plight of the dancers, the better it is for us. Let’s start there.”

“I have a few ideas.” Cora shimmied her shoulders. “This is going to be fun.”

She was the only one who thought that. However, I was stuck with her. I had to make the best of it.