Chapter Twenty-one
Jennifer smiled at Eric as he opened the door for her. She took the hand he offered her as she slid out of the truck he’d borrowed from Patrick. She smoothed down the simple black dress she was wearing as he handed the keys to the valet.
She could see the look of confusion on the man’s face and cringed a little inside. It wasn’t that she disliked the truck, but it certainly didn’t match the luxury cars that usually came to the place. At least it wasn’t the bike though. She doubted the valet would even know how to drive one.
Her stomach fluttered for about the millionth time. Maybe having Eric have dinner with her parents was a terrible idea. They could all just continue on like they had been without anyone ever crossing the other’s path, right?
Jennifer glanced over to Eric and reached up to button the top button of his suit jacket.
“I hate this shit,” he grumbled for about the millionth time. “I wouldn’t do it if it were anyone else.”
She sighed loudly, ignoring him as she buttoned it up. “First impressions are everything,” she said brusquely.
A small smiled lifted at the corner of his mouth. “First time I met them, you were on your knees in front of me.”
A blush spread across her face as she looked around to see if anyone had heard. The doorman glanced away, and her blush only spread.
Jennifer looked back to Eric. “All the more reason to make a new impression.”
Eric frowned. “I like the first one just fine.”
She shook her head and moved toward the open door, Eric following behind. The man at the reservations desk smiled warmly at her and then looked over her shoulder at Eric. His smile faltered slightly.
“We’re meeting people,” Jennifer said. “Name is Jen Harrington.”
The man scanned the list and shook his head. “I have a Jennifer Harrington.”
She blushed. With all the time she’d been spending with Eric, the name Jen just seemed to work for her now.
“That’s me,” she said.
The man nodded and waved for them to follow.
Jennifer glanced behind her as Eric followed quietly. Despite everything, she wanted her parents to like him and hoped they could all get along. She gave him a small smile when she caught his eye.
When she turned around, she could see her parents in the back of the restaurant and frowned a little. It was so unlike them to sit so close to the kitchen, and she wondered if it was done on purpose.
“Oh, Jennifer, you cut off your beautiful long hair!” her mother exclaimed.
Jennifer wasn’t surprised that was the first thing out of her mother’s mouth. She sighed as she took her seat next to Eric who helped push in her chair. “Hello, Mom. I’m fine. How are you?”
Her mother huffed loudly. “Well, excuse me for noticing when you cut your hair.”
Jennifer took in a deep breath and held it for a moment. She smiled when Eric linked hands with her under the table. It was all the strength she needed.
“Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Eric Hall.”
Her father eyed him from across the table for a moment before speaking. “Yes, well, I suppose we haven’t been formally introduced.”
Jennifer glanced over to where Eric sat. She could see the tension in his face as each of the men stared the other down. “So, how has work been?”
The older man frowned slightly at her.
“I believe you’re a judge,” Eric quipped.
She watched as her father reddened slightly and wondered just what was going on. Either way, they were headed toward a code red, and there wouldn’t be any coming back from that.
Desperate for any sort of intervention, Jennifer did the only thing she could do.
“Mom, how’s the club?”
Her mother’s face lit up at the mention of the club, and she knew it would buy her just enough time to get dinner started. All they needed to do was make it through this one meal, and she was sure things would be much better between them all.
* * *
Eric ate his steak and wondered what about it made it worth forty dollars. It was smaller than the size of his hand and no better than the ones he’d grilled himself. The only bonus he could see was the mashed potatoes and the sauce covering the two. Too bad they only gave out about two spoonfuls of both.
He ate slowly, mostly ignoring the conversation and the piercing stare Jen’s father was giving him. Not that he could totally blame him. He would have a hard time not hating the guy who was fucking his daughter.
A small smile passed over his face as that particular thought came to mind. It was the payment he planned on collecting after being dragged to this fiasco. Not that he thought Jen would protest much.
“Have you given any thought to the job opportunity I sent you?” Jen’s father said.
Eric pulled out of his dirty thoughts to turn and look between Jen and her father. She took a drink of her wine before glancing his way.
“What job?” he asked.
He was hoping Jen would be the one to fill him in, but instead her father puffed out his chest.
“I know a local jeweler that is impressed with her work at the bar,” Jen’s father said.
“Pub,” Eric interjected.
The older man ignored him and turned back to Jen. “He’s very interested in what you have to offer,” he said. “Jordan is a great man running… a legitimate business.”
It was clear by the way he said it who exactly was the illegitimate business owner.
Eric looked over to Jen to see her response to what her father had said. She opened her mouth and took another drink of her wine.
“You know this is a great opportunity,” her mother pushed. “Who knows when another chance like this might come up? Especially after what happened last time.”
Eric frowned. Were they still talking about jobs? He had a feeling there was something more to the whole job offer. “When’s the interview?”
Jen turned to stare at him. Her face had gone pale. “Can we just talk about this later?”
Eric frowned and stood. “Thank you for dinner,” he said to her parents. “But I’ve lost my appetite.” He made his way to the front of the restaurant and signaled to the valet.
“Eric, wait,” Jen said, following him outside.
He turned to stare at her.
“I was going to tell you,” she said.
Eric frowned. “When? After you’d already gone and gotten the job?”
She huffed loudly and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know why you’re so mad. We talked about me getting another marketing job someday. That was always on the table.”
Eric shook his head. Frustration bubbled up inside of him. “Right, but I thought we’d talk about it first. Like a couple. Not have it sprung on me at dinner with your parents.”
Jen seemed stunned by his words and clearly hadn’t thought about him at all in her process.
He pointed to the restaurant. “I came to this dinner for you. And this after being threatened by your father the judge. I came because I knew it was important to you, and I want to support you.” She started to speak but he held up a hand. “I’m not going to be like them.” He waved a hand at the door. “I’m a man who owns a pub, drives a bike, wears jeans and t-shirts, and loves his woman. You need to figure out just what you want because I’m never going to fit into that world.”
He turned as the truck came into view.
“What about dinner?” Jen said.
Eric nodded back toward the door. “Go finish dinner.” He made his way to the truck. “I’ve got my illegitimate business to go run.”
He quickly handed the valet a twenty and climbed in. No longer able to even look at her because his heart might break into a million pieces, he drove off, leaving her there.