The Critic (30 page)

Bentley took my hand. “You look beautiful. I’m glad most of Brett’s friends are taken, or I’d have to break some arms today.”

“Yeah, okay.” I smiled and shook my head. “It wouldn’t matter if they weren’t. I’m yours.”

“Mine. You better believe it.” He kissed me hard and deep, and I let out a slight groan.

“Hey, bro, want to keep it PG in Mom’s driveway?”

We broke our kiss, and Bentley chuckled as we turned to see Brett on the porch. We walked up to the front door, hand-in-hand. He hugged Brett with his free arm, never letting go of me.

“Hey, man, happy birthday.” Bentley pulled a card from his back pocket and handed it to Brett. “Don’t spend it all in one place.”

Brett kissed my cheek. “Hey, Andi, it’s great to see you again. I hope my bro is treating you well.”

“Yes, very well. Thank you.” I felt my cheeks rise with my smile.

“Great, well, everyone is just about here. Let’s go inside before Mom misses her favorite child.” Brett’s smirk was adorable.

Bentley countered with, “Does she even know I’m here?”

I enjoyed listening to their banter. Those guys really loved each other, and I was glad to be there. We followed Brett inside, and I took a moment to look around. Although the home was large, it looked comfortable and not pretentious in the least.

“Sweetheart! You’re here.” A pretty woman walked up to Bentley and hugged him. Her hair was deep brown and in a perfectly-styled bob.

Bentley looked over her shoulder at Brett and mouthed, “Told you,” and held up his index finger.

Brett shook his head and rolled his eyes, making me smile.

“Mom, this is my girlfriend, Andrea Jordan. Sweetheart, this is my mom, Madeline Chambers.” Bentley pulled me to him, and I felt my cheeks redden.

“Andrea, it’s so nice to finally meet you. Bentley has told me so much about you.” She gave me a gentle hug.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too. Please call me Andi.”

“Well, Andi, I’m very glad you’re here. All the kids are on the back patio. Come, let’s go.”

She took my hand, and I heard Brett and Bentley snickering behind us. We walked outside to a gorgeous patio. Sun bounced off the water of the in-ground pool, making it sparkle. I looked at the others, who were laughing and having a good time. A pregnant, pretty woman sat on a chaise lounge between the legs of a man who was rubbing her belly. Bentley’s cousin Lyn was eyeing Tyler, who was playing cards with an older gentleman. When his eyes met mine, I instantly knew he was Bentley’s father.

He walked over to us. “Son, it’s great to see you.” He clapped Bentley’s back. “And who is this beauty?”

“Dad, this is my girlfriend, Andi.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to finally meet one of Bentley’s girlfriends.”

“Pleasure to meet you too.” My voice was a little tense, and I could tell Bentley heard it.

“Excuse us, please.” Bentley pulled me toward the pool. “I’ve never brought a girl home before.”

“Never?”

“No, never. They’ve briefly met my dates before, but I’ve never brought a girl over for a family function or dinner.” He kissed the top of my head. “Just you.”

I felt my body relax. “Good. Unbelievable, but good.” I couldn’t help being happy about that. At least I knew they wouldn’t compare me to anyone else. I took his hand, and we walked toward the others.

The pregnant woman looked at me and stood to greet me. She swatted her husband’s hand when he grabbed her ass. “Hi, I’m Aubrey. I’m so glad to see you. There’s way too much testosterone out here.” She laughed.

Her husband came up behind her and placed his hand back on her belly. He outstretched his other to me. “Hi, I’m Alex.” He looked at his wife. “Baby, you know you love my testosterone.”

Aubrey rolled her eyes and giggled. I noticed Brett look at them with a hint of sadness. I didn’t know if it was because the one he loved wasn’t there or because Aubrey’s protruding belly made him think of his situation.

Lyn came up and gave Bentley a hug. Then she turned to me and did the same. She was absolutely stunning. Her skin was perfect, and I knew what theatrical makeup could do to someone’s complexion.

She sighed. “Andi, it’s so great to see you two together.”

“Are you okay?” I couldn’t help noticing she looked sad.

“Yes, thank you.” She kept stealing glances at Tyler.

I leaned in and whispered, “He’s very good looking.”

She smiled, blushed, and countered with, “And doesn’t know I’m alive.”

I looked up and saw Tyler staring at her. “You’re wrong. Don’t look now, but he’s coming over here.”

“Hey, ladies, can I get you a drink?” His movements were effortless, and his voice oozed sex. He really was something, and I could tell he affected Lyn.

“I’m all set,” I said. “I think I’m going to head over to the others.”

Lyn’s eyes opened wide, but she could handle him. I shot her a wink and walked away.

We spent the afternoon laughing and getting to know each other. They were a great group of people, and I was happy to be a part of them. The guys talked about baseball and if the Mets were going to show up that year. Alex laughed and said there was only one New York team—and it wasn’t the Mets. Their witty banter and team bashing was all done with obvious love and respect. I loved being there.

Tyler broke up the MLB talk by mentioning the upcoming events at the club. He said his cousin Jake’s band, Raging Urge, would be making an appearance at the club. Alex hadn’t been keen on the idea at first—something about a rock band playing at his club was abnormal. Tyler had told him that they needed to broaden their scope. Lyn smiled and nodded, but I thought she would have agreed with just about anything Tyler said.

“I saw them in upstate New York a few months ago, and they were fantastic!” I said with excitement.

Everyone just looked at me.

“Didn’t you have their concert shirt on at Brookstone?” Bentley’s brows lowered as he tried to remember.

I beamed at his recollection of my attire that day. “Yeah, I did.” My smile grew as I watched his do the same.

“Well, you can’t go wrong with rock ’n’ roll, and if Andi likes them, then I’m sure I will too.” Bentley kissed my temple and whispered, “Do you know how sexy you are?”

My cheeks heated, and I crossed my legs. I shifted my eyes toward him. “Ditto.”

Aubrey became very excited as she said, “Well, Walker-Stone is handling the marketing announcements, and according to Julie, Raging Urge has quite a following. She went to see them play in a bar upstate too when she came back from Europe, and she said they were very good and easy on the eyes. Maybe you were there at the same time, Andi. Julie is the best, not to mention so much fun. I’m sure you’d love her.” She let out a schoolgirl giggle, which surprised me. Alex shot Aubrey a pained look as she looked toward Brett, and her cheeks paled. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to . . .”

Brett forced a smile. “It’s fine. You can’t avoid your best friend, and neither can I, since she heads the marketing for the club.”

The air became thick and heavy, and it had nothing to do with the humidity. Alex and Tyler grimaced at Brett sympathetically. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable and out of place. I knew some of the history, but apparently there was a lot more.

Alex turned toward Bentley. “So Brett tells me you’re moving to the UK? That’s awesome. We love Europe.”

I placed my hand on Bentley’s shoulder. “I think I’m going to see if your mom needs anything.”

“Want me to come with you?” Bentley asked.

I smiled. “No, thank you. Stay out here and hang with your friends.” I kissed his cheek before I made my exit. We’d been skirting around the “moving” issue for a while. Whenever it came up, my chest felt heavy and sadness enveloped me. I needed to get away while they talked about his new job.

The home was so lovely, and I smelled coffee brewing. In the kitchen, I found Madeline putting candles in a beautiful two-tiered cake. She looked at me, and her eyes actually looked as if they were smiling.

“Hi there, Andi. Were they getting crazy out there?” She stuck the last candle in the top tier and clapped. “Another year gone. I can’t believe it.” Her hand went to her heart.

“Time does fly. Can I help you with anything?”

“Have a seat, sweetie. How about you and I have a glass of wine before we take out the cake and coffee?” She pulled out two crystal glasses and set them on the granite countertop. “Is white okay, or do you prefer red?”

“White is perfect, thank you.”

She poured us each a glass. “Come let’s sit for a minute.”

I should’ve been nervous, but I was quite calm. Madeline seemed genuine and kind. We sat at the kitchen table, facing each other.

She sipped her wine before smiling at me. “So, Andi, tell me a little bit about yourself.”

“Well, I’m an actress, but you know that already. I’m between shows right now, but I have some temporary things lined up.” I brought my glass to my lips and savored the tart liquid.

“Yes, Bentley told me you were originally cast in the show our theater guild sponsored.” Her brows rose, and that small gesture spoke volumes.

Had he told her why I wasn’t in it anymore? My pulse quickened, and I was sure she could tell I was nervous now. I swallowed hard. “Yes, I was, but it didn’t work out. It was the best thing really. I wasn’t right for that part.” I tried to keep my voice even. “You see, Bentley reviewed the show, and let’s just say it wasn’t a glowing review.”

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, but one has to do what’s best for them. You landed on your feet though. That’s very commendable.” She rotated the stem of her glass with her thumb and forefinger. “I heard his review was rather . . . strong.”

”Yes, it was. After I read the review, I tracked down your son and gave him a piece of my mind.”

Madeline laughed. “I heard. Good for you! You should stand up for yourself. My son definitely has a way with words. I’ve taught him to always be truthful but also as kind as possible.” She shrugged. “In his defense, his words have made him who he is—professionally, anyways.”

“Yes, well, after that, Bentley really helped me dig deep and find the actress I needed to be. For that, I’ll always be thankful.”

“How are you handling his upcoming move? He told me he asked you to go with him.” She took a sip of wine, her eyes peering at me over the rim of the glass.

“He did.” I fiddled with the small napkin on the table.

“Can I assume by your lack of enthusiasm that you aren’t going?” Her tone was kind and laced with some sort of womanly understanding.

“I love your son, I truly do, but this is a big decision. I just don’t know.” I shrugged.

“What are you two talking about?” Bentley’s voice echoed through the room. “You’re not giving up my childhood secrets, are you, Mom?” He chuckled.

Madeline walked back to where the cake was sitting, carrying her wine glass in one hand and waving him off in the other. “Andi and I were just having a little girl time.” She winked. “Now make yourself useful and carry this cake outside. Andi and I will get the coffee.”

Bentley chortled. “Yes, ma’am.” He kissed his mom’s cheek before he lifted the cake off the counter. When he walked past me, he whispered, “I love you.”

We decided to stay at Bentley’s place since it was closer to the Hamptons and we were both tired. In the car, he grabbed my hand. “My parents really liked you.”

I rolled my head on the headrest to look at him. “I liked them too. Your mom is wonderful. When she speaks of you, she just oozes love. She’s very proud of her boys. I can tell.”

“Yes, she is. When Brett and I were younger, my mom never missed an opportunity to tell us she loved us and that she was proud of us. I remember when I was a teenager, I once told her I wanted to be a stripper just to get a rise out of her.” Bentley laughed with me. “And you know what she said?”

“What?”

“‘That sounds lovely, dear, as long as you’re happy and you do your best.’”

“Really? Wow, my parents would’ve freaked.”

Bentley chuckled. “Wait, she wasn’t done. Then she hit me with, ‘Let me know when you’re performing so I make sure that isn’t the same night I go with my girlfriends.’” He shuddered as I burst out laughing.

“That’s priceless! I assume you never took to the stage?”

“That would be a negative. It was bad enough trying to get rid of the mental image of my mother stuffing a dollar bill in someone’s G-string.”

“Well, I’m sure she was kidding, right?” That didn’t sound like something Madeline would do.

“I have no idea, and I honestly don’t want to know. The point is my mom never said we couldn’t be what we wanted to or that she wouldn’t be proud. She just had a way of guiding us without actually giving blatant directions.” His face softened as he spoke of his mom.

“I wish my parents would’ve been like that. Can you imagine if I said that to my mom? Instead of Ivy League colleges, she would’ve had a convent on the phone.”

“Not that you wouldn’t rock a nun’s habit, but you’d kick ass as a stripper. Maybe I should have a pole installed in my home to test that theory.” He winked and turned the corner.

I gaped at him. “Ha-ha. You’re very funny, Mr. Chambers, but I don’t think that’ll happen.” We laughed as we pulled up to his apartment.