HadI changed? Or had I been forcing a role on myself all these years, trying to stay in control in one small (very small, sadly, because I never had time for dating) area of my life?
It didn’t matter much, I thought woozily, rolling over onto my back with a sigh. Jesus, that felt good. Lying back. Not caring. All naked and clean and well-fucked, with my mate cooking me dinner downstairs.
It’d all work itself out.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew it damn well wouldn’t.
But right then, I didn’t care. And it was bliss.
Chapter 16
Your Father Smells Funny
My mother called me the next morning when Dimitri and I were halfway to the office. One benefit of that horrifically embarrassing visit of theirs the day we’d mated was that she’d stopped showing up on my doorstep.
On the other hand…
“Brook!” she screeched, the speakerphone failing to contain her evident irritation. “I have been waiting for you to get back to me on the issue of…Dimitri’s…family, even though I doubt—”
Oh, shit. “He’s in the car with me!” I practically shouted, desperate to interrupt her before she could share whatever rude, insulting thing was about to come out of her mouth.
As she fell silent, seething palpably even across several miles and a couple of cell towers, I glanced over at Dimitri in the passenger seat. His half-lidded eyes, loose necktie, and unbuttoned top shirt button gave the accurate impression of a man who hadn’t been happy about getting up at six. Well, too bad for him. I had a seven-thirty breakfast meeting.
He shrugged and closed his eyes.
Thanks a fucking bundle.
“Brook, are you listening?”
She hadn’t been talking, dammit!
“I’m right here. And I spoke to Dimitri about his family last night. Unfortunately, his sister’s been put on bed rest for a high-risk pregnancy and his mother’s unable to leave her until she’s given birth. Or for a while after,” I added hastily, hedging my bets. The party was coming up—shit, within the next couple of weeks. But I wouldn’t put it past my mother to reschedule it, no matter how much she hated that kind of thing, simply to paint me into a corner. She could be petty like that.
“They won’t be able to make it,” I continued. “I’m sure you’ll be able to find a way to make all the guests understand the circumstances.” The building silence on her end had an ominous, the-tornado’s-heading-your-way quality to it. Fuck, fuck, duck and cover… “They’ll be more focused on you as the hostess, anyway,” I went on desperately. “Everyone wants an invitation to one of your parties. They’re legendary.”
And they were, if you happened to be a middle-aged Idahoan social climber. But details. Flattery could get you everywhere, right?
It could at least get you partially out of trouble, as it turned out. “Fine,” she said tightly. “I suppose there’s nothing you can do about it if they’re too gauche to understand their social obligations. You have communicated our position as one of the most prominent packs in the west, haven’t you?”
Halfway through letting out a long breath of relief, I nearly choked. In other words, didn’t they know how far we were condescending by forming a mating alliance with them? And Dimitri was listening to this! But another glance to the side showed me the same picture of sleepy indifference. If she’d offended him, I couldn’t tell. Maybe he’d reached peak offense and simply no longer cared.
“I’m sure they regret not being able to attend even more than they would have otherwise,” I managed, sounding a lot dryer than I’d have liked.
Thank fuck, she let it pass with only a sniff of disdain.
“Then we’ll need to rearrange the receiving line. All right. Any more surprises for me, Brook, or may I assume that the reception will otherwise go off without a hitch?”
Blake would almost certainly find some way to ruin it for everyone, whether by causing a drunken scene or trying to publicly humiliate me, or both, but no point in mentioning that.
“No. No more surprises.” If I banged my forehead into the steering wheel, I might hit the SUV in front of me, and then I’d miss my breakfast meeting. Dammit. “We’ll be ready for our part of it, and of course you can tell me if I can help with any of the final arrangements.” Shit, I really didn’t remember when it was supposed to be. No way I could admit that. “Have you sent details to Jackie yet, or do I need to fill her in?”
“She’s fully informed. You can ask her to remind you, since you clearly have no idea what’s going on.” I winced. She might not like me much, but she did know me, apparently. “Brook, you’re very lucky that your family understands what’s necessary to maintain our position in…” And she was off to the races.
She kept it up full-steam until, with a silent prayer of gratitude, I pulled into my spot in the Castelli Industries parking lot. “I have to go, I’m at the office,” I interrupted her, and she hung up after a couple more sharp words about my inattention.
The company. The only excuse my mother ever deemed acceptable for blowing her off.
No wonder I was such a workaholic.
