The Boyfriend of the Month Club (31 page)

“Thanks for tagging along,” Sarah said, turning her car onto a side street. “What did Joe say? He had a family crisis to take care of?”

“Something like that.”

A man wearing an orange vest waved them forward to the next vacant spot along the grassy edge of the road. Grace estimated there must be over forty cars already parked. Brightly lit tiki torches lined both sides of the path leading to the front door.

“Parking attendants and everything. Very fancy,” Grace said. Just as they were about to step inside the house, Sarah grabbed her wrist. “Now be honest. Tell me if you hate it. Tell me if you think it’s too fussy.”

The house was a four-thousand-square-foot Mediterranean revival with a backyard view of the river. The floors were wall-to-wall polished Mexican tile. There were lots of leather pieces and dark woods, but it wasn’t overdone. Everything seemed to serve a purpose, giving the home a minimalist feel befitting the architecture. The color scheme consisted of burnt orange, gold, and brown, making the home feel warm and inviting.

Sarah guided her to a small hallway off the foyer and into the formal living room. Three floor-to-ceiling picture windows looked out into a small courtyard patio with a bubbling fountain. In the center of the room was the infamous floral couch. A baby grand piano sat in one corner. Grace had to admit, it was a more feminine version of the rest of the house, but it all flowed beautifully. She knew Sarah was good, but this was artistry.

“It’s beautiful!” Grace said. “It’s you, but it’s not. I mean, it’s like the house decorated itself the way it should.”

“Really? You like it?”

“No, I don’t
like
it. I love it.”

Sarah’s face glowed at the compliment. Grace couldn’t help a rush of envy. Sarah had known since high school what she’d wanted to do with her life. Charlie lived, breathed, and practically ate the law. Then there was Ellen, who would shrivel and die if she couldn’t quote a legion of dead writers. Grace loved Florida Charlie’s, but being the manager of a tourist store wasn’t exactly a calling.

“Sarah!” a deep female voice called, making them both turn.

“Nora Sherman, I presume,” Grace muttered as she and Sarah watched the elegantly clad sixty-something woman walk into the room. The Dragon was shorter than Grace had imagined, but then with a nickname like the Dragon, Grace had also been expecting her to be green and have scales. She had lively blue eyes and thick brown hair styled in a pageboy. She also emitted a high energy to which Grace was immediately drawn.

“Mrs. Sherman, everything looks wonderful!” Sarah said.

Nora Sherman frowned at their empty hands. “Where are your drinks? Why don’t you have drinks?” She hailed a tuxedo-clad server and demanded he bring them champagne at once. He instantly complied. Not that there was any doubt that he would. Nora Sherman had the air of someone who always got her way. Grace almost felt sorry for her doctor son. She also now knew why Sarah had given in on the floral couch. “That’s much better.” She gave Sarah a hug and smiled curiously at Grace. “And you brought a friend!”

Sarah made the introductions.

“Grace O’Bryan,” the Dragon mused. “Why does that name seem familiar? Are you related to the Fort Lauderdale O’Bryans by any chance?”

“No, ma’am, just the Daytona Beach O’Bryans.”

“You’re not Jewish, are you? Have I seen you at Temple?”

“Um, no.”

“Oh, well.” She linked her arm through Grace’s to pull her off to the side. “Has Sarah told you I’m fixing her up with my son?” Although Sarah was just a few feet away, she didn’t bother lowering her voice.

“She’s mentioned it.”

“Do you have a boyfriend, Grace?” Then, before Grace could answer, she said, “I don’t know what’s wrong with young people today! Take my son, a handsome, eligible doctor, and he’s still single and seems perfectly content to stay that way. Which leaves me all the work of finding him a wife. When am I going to have grandchildren? What’s there to live for if I don’t have grandchildren? What’s the purpose of this house, the purpose of all my money, if I can’t spoil
someone
rotten?”

Grace could only nod, mesmerized by the Dragon’s power. Poor Sarah. The Dragon might not let her leave tonight until the next generation of Sherman offspring was neatly tucked inside her uterus. Grace could hear her now: “But, sweetheart, the guests are already here!” A shotgun wedding and consummation all at once.

The Dragon dropped Grace’s arm. “You two stay right here. Don’t move a hair! Not one hair on those gorgeous heads of yours. I’m going to get Phillip right now.”

“Why do I feel like we’re stuck in a modern day version of
Fiddler on the Roof
?” Grace said once they were alone again.

“Just play nice, and when she’s not looking, we can make a fast escape. Maybe we can even make the club meeting tonight. Ellen’s been sharpening her laptop. Should be interesting.”

Before Grace could respond, the Dragon was back, her arm looped around a surprisingly handsome man. Introductions were made. Dr. Phillip Sherman, cardiologist, mid-thirties, somewhere between medium and tall (which meant tall for Sarah), sandy brown hair, blue eyes. Phillip looked as embarrassed as he should be under the circumstances, and Grace couldn’t help but instantly like him for it.

“I’ll just leave you two young people alone.” She tried to wave Grace out the door. “Let me show you what Sarah did upstairs in my bedroom.”

Uncertain what to do, Grace looked to Sarah, who gave her the “leave and you die” stare. “Maybe later, Mrs. Sherman.”

The Dragon frowned. “How about I bring a fresh round of champagne,” she said, going after a waiter.

“We have about three minutes until she comes back with reinforcements,” Phillip said, eliciting a relaxed smile from Sarah. “So . . . you’re the decorating goddess my mother can’t stop talking about.”

“That’s me,” Sarah said, raising her champagne flute in mock salute.

“And I’m playing the role of best friend who’s come along to chaperone,” Grace added.

Phillip smiled, but along with the embarrassment there was also undisguised weariness in his eyes. “I love what you’ve done to the place,” he said to Sarah. “The lobster bisque color you used in the family room really makes that north wall pop.”

Sarah gave Phillip a discreet once-over that Grace immediately caught. “You think so? I almost told the painters to go entirely with the cream, but I wanted just a hint of something different.”

“It’s very subtle. Mother would never have thought of it herself.”

Grace listened to the two of them talk. Phillip was an avid sailor as well as an amateur photographer. He’d taken all the sailboat pictures that Sarah had strategically placed throughout the house. Sarah kept throwing little smiles Grace’s way and Grace politely smiled back.

“Here we are!” the Dragon said. Grace glanced at her watch. Her timing must be off. It had taken five minutes for the reinforcements. Nora had brought along another woman, maybe a couple of years younger than her and with a less animated air. “This is my sister, Lydia, who’s visiting from Fort Lauderdale but I’m trying to convince her to move up here, and if she does—and she
will
, because I always get my way—she’ll need a decorator. Sarah, darling, do you have your cards with you?”

Sarah pulled a business card from her clutch and handed it to the Dragon’s sister, who smiled and thanked her. Grace was instantly mesmerized. There was something familiar about her but Grace was positive she’d never met her before tonight.

“Joe! Sweetheart, come here, come here!” Nora Sherman called to someone in the foyer. That’s when Grace realized what was so familiar about Lydia’s smile.
It was the dimples!

“I have someone I want you to meet.” She winked at Grace. “My nephew, who by the way is also single. Not an MD, he’s a DDS.” She whispered in Grace’s ear, “Personally, a much better occupation for married life. None of those
terrible
overnight calls my poor Phillip has to take.” Then in a louder voice, “You didn’t know there’d be two of them, did you, Sarah! I have to say I’m surprised myself. Rarely do I have both my favorite men in the same place at the same time.”

Grace turned to see Joe stroll into the room, hands in his pockets. He spotted her and, for a second, stopped in his tracks, but then he forced a smile and pushed ahead. This was the family drama that had cut their weekend short? Why hadn’t he simply told her he had a familial obligation to attend his aunt’s party? Grace would have understood. Especially after meeting the Dragon. There was no way anyone could say no to the woman.

“Here he is! My other beautiful boy!” Nora stood on tiptoe to give Joe a peck on the cheek, then made a hasty round of introductions.

This wasn’t how Grace had imagined meeting Joe’s family. Maybe this was a good thing, though. There was no time to be nervous or second guess what she’d worn. She moistened her lips and smiled. “We actually already know one another,” Grace said.

“Really!” Nora’s eyes widened. “Joe, are you holding out on us?” She turned to her sister. “Lydia! Why didn’t you tell—”

“Grace is a patient of mine.” Joe smiled again and Grace froze. It was the same smile he’d given her in his office three months ago when he’d pretended he’d never met her before. Impersonal. Professional.

“Isn’t that a coincidence? Not that Daytona Beach is that big, but still, what are the odds? Now that we have a happy four-some here, I say we leave the young people alone to do what they do best. Lydia and I are going to mingle with the old stodgy folks.” The Dragon took her sister by the hand. Joe’s mother smiled apologetically and let herself be dragged away.

Had Joe really just introduced Grace as one of his
patients
?

Sarah cleared her throat nervously, and Phillip looked on, confused, because he could tell something was happening, only he wasn’t sure exactly what it was.

Grace set her champagne flute on a table and made fast tracks for the front door.

“I’ll just follow her,” she heard Sarah say.

But Joe caught up with Grace first. His hand touched her elbow. “Grace—”

She spun around. “Oh! It’s my dentist, Dr. Rosenblum. Fancy meeting you here.”

He winced at her sarcasm. “Let’s go outside where we can talk.”

“I can talk perfectly fine in here. Is there something constricting your larynx? Maybe you can get your cousin the doctor to fix it.”

“Grace, please.” He looked a suitable combination of guilty and miserable, giving Grace a modicum of satisfaction.

“I can’t believe you,” she said, hating how her voice came out all wobbly. Now wasn’t the time to get soft. It was the time for
Mal Genio
to make an appearance. She should be mad. But she wasn’t. She could feel the tears pooling behind her eyes. If she started crying, she’d never forgive herself.

“Let’s go outside and talk. Please.”

What was he going to say? I’m sorry, I panicked, please forgive me?

Grace felt herself soften. She could understand that.

Without asking for permission, he took her by the hand and led her through the house to the backyard, winding their way around the other guests. She was reminded of how earlier in the day she’d walked through the streets of St. Augustine like this, her hand in Joe’s warm, confident grasp. Joe hadn’t lied to her. He’d just left out the fact that the family emergency was a party. She could deal with that. Family situations were complicated. But the other part? The part where he’d basically pretended he didn’t know her? She really hoped he had a good explanation for that.

They ended up on a narrow wooden dock, which was deserted and quiet and far enough away from the house that they would be assured privacy. The river was dark and still. For a second
Mal Genio
thought about pushing Joe into the water. Grace had to admit, it was tempting. But then she’d just have to jump in after him to make sure he didn’t drown (although Joe was a perfectly fine swimmer), and she didn’t want to ruin her dress.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the party,” he said. “My mother and my aunt have been on my case for the last week to attend, but I wanted to spend the weekend with you.”

She’d been so stunned earlier that she hadn’t noticed much. But now that the shock of seeing him had worn off, she could take in everything about him. He wore tan slacks and a black long-sleeved turtleneck and expensive-looking leather shoes. He’d come dressed to impress. Had he known his aunt might try to fix him up?

“Go on.”

“Obviously, I had no intention of being here, but this afternoon my cousin called and asked me to come. And I couldn’t say no to him, Grace. If Sarah had needed you, I mean really needed you, would you have said no to her?”

Grace sighed. She knew exactly what Joe was referring to. She could understand why he’d ditched their weekend, but it still didn’t excuse his pretending she was nothing but a patient.

“Your aunt has no idea, does she? About Phillip?”

Joe looked surprised. “How did you know?”

“Sometimes a woman just senses this kind of stuff. Why doesn’t he just tell her?”

“He plans to tonight. After the party.”

“So what are you supposed to be? Backup?”

“Something like that.”

“Nora’s a smart woman. So she’s a little pushy, but I like her. She doesn’t seem the type to faint dead on the spot just because she finds out her son is gay.” He didn’t say anything. “Are the two of you close?”

“Like brothers.”

“So how come you’ve never mentioned him before?”

“I haven’t?”

“No, Joe, you haven’t.” A sudden wind rippled off the water, making Grace shiver. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms to warm herself. “You have a cousin who you’re obviously close to, who lives here in town, and you’ve never talked about him, let alone introduced me to him. And instead of telling me why you had to cut the weekend short, you give me this cryptic excuse. And honestly, Joe? I’m okay with that because, like you said, we don’t have to know every little thing about each other. Not right away anyway. And I get not wanting me to meet your family yet, because, I agree, it’s a big deal and it has to be thought out. But Joe, if we’d run into my family at a restaurant, I sure as hell wouldn’t have introduced you as my
dentist.”