“Do you want to see my gown since you’re here?” Mia said at last, finding a topic and changing the subject. She headed for the bedroom without waiting for an answer. Instead of the tension lessening, however, Mia felt it increase. This was an important moment in her life. She should be thrilled to have her mother surprise her on her birthday, to be there for her wedding. But she wasn’t thrilled; she was angry with her mother for being there. And she was angry with herself for caring. She was trembling and underneath she felt an unwarranted anger and couldn’t quite place it. Her face felt hot and flushed as she opened the closet door.
“Here it is,” she said, lifting the heavy bag from the closet.
“Is this the gown that Ashleigh made?”
“Yes,” Mia answered. “Do you want me to try it on?”
“No, that won’t be necessary.”
Her mother smiled oddly, her expression sending chills skittering down Mia’s torso.
“Is there something wrong, Mia? You’re acting kind of funny, more like your brother. What’s up? You’re not happy to see me?”
For a moment Mia toyed with answering that question truthfully, for she wasn’t happy to see her mother. “I’m just surprised, that’s all. If you thought I was getting married weeks ago, why didn’t you show up then? Why now?”
She watched while her mother’s smile changed into a scowl and her voice lost the sweetness.
“You’re getting more and more like your brother every day. Nothing I do for the two of you has ever been enough. Look at my thoughtfulness in bringing you a gift. Are you grateful? Nooo, and what does your brother do? He attacks me. Sometimes I wonder why I try so hard with the two of you. I’m here now, be happy with that.”
Then she turned on her heel and marched out of the room, leaving Mia to stare after here.
“Be happy,” Mia muttered to herself. For what?
Exactly what am I supposed to be happy about? That you didn’t care enough to find out exactly when I was getting married or that it was convenient for you to stop by now because you probably need a place to stay?
Mia caught sight of her own face in the mirror and recognized the bitterness in her eyes, for it was in her heart. She shook her head, trying to let go of the feelings, but they persisted and she couldn’t deal with them at the moment. She had Damien, Keefe and Ashleigh waiting for her to take her out to celebrate her birthday.
Well, happy birthday to me
.
Mia stepped back into the room in time to witness her mother pressing her body into Damien, backing him into a corner. If Lillian weren’t her mother, she’d be tempted to snatch her bald. As for Damien, she wanted to smack the silly grin off his face. Why didn’t he move away? It was as though her mother had sensed her presence and had orchestrated her little performance for Mia’s benefit. That thought was confirmed when her mother turned to her and smirked.
“Mia, I can’t believe you’re going to wear the gown that Ashleigh was going to wear to marry the man that Ashleigh was going to marry.”
She burst into laughter at the same moment embarrassment flamed Mia’s cheeks. This was payback for what had happened in the bedroom. She should have known not to cross her mother.
“Mia looks stunning in that gown. It was made for her,” Damien interjected, moving away from her mother at last and returning to Mia’s side.
“It was made for Ashleigh,” her mother cut him off, “to marry you.”
“The gown belongs to Mia,” Ashleigh volunteered. “Damien’s right. She looks gorgeous in it.”
Though she was looking down, Mia could see her mother turn and focus on Ashleigh.
“So what? Mia is a gorgeous girl. She would look beautiful in rags. She’s my daughter. But the gown wasn’t made for her. It was made for you.” She turned toward Mia. “And if I were you, Mia, there is no way I would wear it. It’s bad luck, pure and simple.”
“That’s nonsense,” Keefe snarled. “It’s only a gown. No luck is tied in with it. Mia’s wearing it. It was bought and paid for and she loves it. She’s going to wear it.”
“You’re still worried about money, aren’t you, Keefe? You bought the gown I suppose?”
When no one answered she continued. “Mia, who do you think Damien’s going to see coming down the aisle to meet him, you or Ashleigh? Or will he be able to tell the difference?” She smiled sweetly again. “I’m only thinking of you, sweetie. I don’t mean to offend anyone.”
They all watched as she turned on her heel and strutted over to Damien, her hips undulating to some unheard music. She was acting like a seductress and it was obvious she didn’t care that they were all watching her vulgar display of sexuality. Mia knew that what her mother was doing was meant either as a reminder of her warning or as a direct challenge.
Daring a glance at Damien, Mia saw that he was staring at her mother, and her heart fell. Of course he would find her mother attractive. She was beautiful. And the one thing her mother had always been good at was turning the heads of men. But Damien was her man. Mia wished she could take back what she’d said and done to her mother since her arrival so she would stop. She wished now she had hugged her. Maybe then she wouldn’t have to witness her mother making a play for Damien. Now she had to stand there and pretend with everyone else in the room that it was a joke.
Mia turned slightly to look at her brother. His scowl spoke for him. With a grunt of disgust, Keefe left the room. With what she knew was a sick smile on her face, Mia glanced at Ashleigh, who gave her a pitying look. Mia blinked, pretending to herself as well as Ashleigh that nothing was wrong. But as she watched her mother grinning up into Damien’s face, her own skin burned with shame.
“I’ll bet you’re still a dog, aren’t you, Damien?” her mother drawled as she glued herself to him.
“I used to be before Mia,” Damien answered, “but not anymore.” He pushed her away gently but firmly, then pulled Mia into his arms. “There’s only one woman for me,” he said, hoping Lillian would get the message.
“I still think there’s a bit of a dog in you. It would just take the right woman to bring it out. And frankly, I don’t think Mia’s that woman.”
“Would that woman be you, Mom?”
All eyes turned toward Keefe. None of them had heard him reentering the room.
“Keefe, I was only teasing with him.”
“I know teasing and I know you. You were flirting with the man Mia’s going to marry.” He glared at her, then turned to Mia. “Mia, he’s your fiancé. What do you think?”
What do I think
? Mia cringed inwardly.
I think I want to
die
. To think that only a few seconds before she’d wanted an intervention, but not this. She stumbled to speak. It wasn’t that she didn’t agree with Keefe because she did. And it wasn’t as though she weren’t used to him rushing in to save the day, to save her. She’d always encouraged it. But with everyone looking at her, she felt like an incompetent child.
“I think we’d better get going,” she answered her brother. “This is my birthday and I’m ready to celebrate.”
“We’re taking Mia and Damien out for Mia’s birthday, Mom. We’ll see you when we get back,” Keefe said, heading for the door.
“You’re crazy if you think I’m staying here while the four of you go out on the town,” Lillian countered.
“We have reservations. It’s too late to change it all now.” Keefe answered.
“That’s bull,” she retorted. “I’m not staying here. I’m going with you. If you made reservations at some fancy, smancy place, that’s not my fault. Either call and change the reservation to five, or pick some place else, because I’m going.”
They all watched as she stormed to the door and stood as sentinel. If anyone had lit a match at that moment no doubt the room would have gone up in flames.
* * *
Damien looked at Mia, then Keefe. He’d felt the undeniable tension from the moment he came into the apartment. Had Mia not told him about the relationship her brother had with their mother, he would have been confused but it made sense.
And regardless how pompous he thought Keefe was, he was right about one thing: Lillian had definitely not been playing. He’d seen the hunger in her eyes and knew that her come-on was serious. He’d been taken aback and had waited as long as he dared for Mia to handle her mother as he’d handled his father. When he’d seen that wasn’t going to happen, he’d been forced to push the woman away. If he hadn’t, Damien wondered how far she would have gone. It was obvious that she didn’t care that Mia had witnessed her actions. But it wasn’t up to him to chastise Mia’s mother. That was Mia’s job.
The room was completely silent for more than a minute after Keefe told Lillian she wasn’t going to dinner with them. Damien noticed that Ashleigh, too, was aware of the tension and was attempting to make conversation with Lillian. Mia and Keefe, however, were standing no more than a foot apart and staring at each other. And Damien could swear they were communicating. He watched as Keefe jerked his head angrily to the side and Mia’s head tilted up as though pleading with him. When Keefe clenched his fists and closed his eyes, Damien knew he’d been right. Brother and sister had been communicating without words.
“Mia, I was just thinking you’re not going to have much time alone with Damien before you get married. Your going out when you have only a few days to complete things was a bad idea. I’m sorry, that’s my fault for not planning this better. Maybe instead of going out tonight, you should stay home. It’s going to get crazy in the next couple of days.”
“But you’ve gone to so much trouble,” Mia answered. “It would be selfish of me to change all the plans now.”
Damien was amused at the interplay between the siblings. It was obvious what was going on. Mia no longer wanted to go out to celebrate her birthday if her mother was tagging along. That had been the reason for Keefe’s clenched fists. He had to take dear old mom off Mia’s hands. Damien smiled at Mia and waited for his cue.
“Damien, would you mind if we stayed in? I am sort of tired and there are some things I need to do.”
“Mia, it’s your birthday. You’re not even married yet. Do you want this hot man to think you’re some little stick in the mud, stay-at-home drudge?” their mother chimed in.
Though Mia was avoiding looking at him, Damien had his cue. “Mia is definitely not a drudge, nor is she a stick in the mud.” He saw Mia’s eyes lift toward him and continued. “I would love for us to be alone, baby girl. We can order a pizza.”
“Pizza? What kind of birthday is that?”
“The kind that won’t kill her,” Keefe growled. “At least it’s not peanut brittle. Besides, it is Mia’s birthday. She can do what she wants.”
“Then I’ll stay here and have pizza with Mia and Damien.”
“God, don’t you get it? They want to be alone. You’ll go to dinner with us. Come on, Mom.” He took his mother’s elbow and steered her toward the door, ignoring her protest.
Keefe glared at Mia as he walked out, confirming for Damien what had just happened.
“So your brother saved you again, huh?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I was watching. I saw what just happened. You asked him to get your mother out of the apartment. I gather she was getting on your nerves. It’s the first time I’ve seen you jealous. I like it, though you had no reason to be.”
“I wasn’t jealous.”
“Like hell you weren’t. You wanted to kill her, don’t lie.”
“I wanted to kill you. Why were you encouraging her?”
“I didn’t encourage her. Don’t you dare put that on me. She had me backed into a corner.”
“And you were too afraid to move? Ha.”
“Mia, don’t start. I tried to give you a chance to put your mother in check. You didn’t. I did. If I didn’t do it fast enough to suit you, maybe you should have said something.” Damien grinned.
“Were you tempted?” Mia asked, hating herself for having to ask, hating that she had been jealous, hating that as a professional she didn’t have better control. A chill went through her body and she attempted to walk past him. But he reached out for her and tugged on her arm until she relented to his touch. “Were you tempted?” Mia repeated.
“I’m tempted, baby girl, by you and only you.”
His lips came down and she let go of her hurt, her passion rising to the surface with the speed of lighting streaking through the sky. She was trembling. She wanted to seal their marriage, have it slut proof, prove to her mother that she wouldn’t be able to turn Damien’s head.
“What’s wrong, baby girl?”
“I don’t know. I just…I wish she hadn’t come.”
“I thought you had invited her.”
“I did, weeks ago. But after she said some really nasty things, I never called her back. Now I’m wondering why she bothered coming. I can’t get over the feeling that she came here to start trouble.”
Mia couldn’t voice what she really thought. How could she tell the man she loved that she believed her mother, the world’s biggest slut, had come there deliberately to take him from Mia. Damien would think she was crazy. He wouldn’t believe her. Who would?
“You okay, baby? You’re shivering.”
“I’m okay. Tell me something. How did you figure out what Keefe and I were doing?” Mia said, forcing a grin.