“So, honey, you told me you had some news, too?” my mom asks, as she puts down her glass.
“Oh, yes, though I don't think I can follow that announcement,” I hedge with a smile.
“Please! You sounded excited on the phone,” she encourages me.
“Well, I got a lawn room,” I reveal. My mom gasps in excitement, but I see Pierce glance quickly at his son.
“I thought you said that they hadn't announced it yet,” he says quietly.
“I…I knew you'd be disappointed. I was waitlisted. It was difficult, juggling two varsity sports, a double major—” Nate replies. I glance at my mom and then between the two men. Nate is looking down at the tablecloth.
“I was selected for a Lawn room, too,” Pierce says, interrupting him and turning to me. “It's an important accomplishment.”
“Thank you…” I say hesitantly. Nate looks so miserable. “Being waitlisted is impressive, too.”
He glances up at me sharply, his eyes flashing. Shit. I heard it, too: pity.
“Well, congratulations, both of you,” my mom breaks in. “I have no idea what I'm going to order! Everything looks so wonderful.” She runs her finger down the menu in front of her. Having grown up in a family of Irish immigrants, my mom has always avoided conflict like the plague, though this time I'm glad for the change of subject.
I decide to order the steak since money doesn't seem to be an issue, and we each order a cocktail in addition to the champagne. Something begins to tug at the back of my brain after the waitress leaves to put in our food orders.
“Pierce, I'm sorry if this is an ignorant question, but were you in office? Your name sounds so familiar.”
“Yes,” he replies, looking pleased. “I'm a former congressman—”
“—For Virginia. Now I remember. You helped pass the campaign finance reforms.” I smile.
“Good memory.”
“One of my majors is Political Science, so I try to keep up with it.”
“And your other major?”
“Global Health.”
“You know, I run Thornhill and Co. Consulting of K Street, and we're still looking for a summer intern. Interested?”
“Dad, I thought you were going—” Nate breaks in before I can respond.
“And I thought you were going to get a Lawn Room,” his dad replies, keeping his voice light. “So, Brynn, what do you think?”
“Well, um, I was just going to get a summer job back in Maryland to help pay for tuition,” I murmur. Did Pierce promise his son the internship? I don't want to start off this relationship with Nate on the wrong foot.
“You don't need to worry about tuition now, honey,” my mom says softly. I look at her in surprise. Oh my god—is Pierce going to pay for my college bills? The thought hadn't even occurred to me. I look between them as they stare back at me calmly.
“Oh, oh, I didn't think—I mean, I'd love to, but I just—if Nate wants the—”
“Then it's settled,” Pierce cuts in. “I tend to go into the office quite early, but we have an extra car you can use.”
“Sorry? I don't understand.”
“Well, Pierce and I are moving in together. I mean, I basically live there now, but I'm officially selling the old house, now that we're married.”
“Right. Of course.” My brain scrambles to process all the new information. Just as I'm working it all out, I feel a hand on my knee. I look down in surprise to see Nate's arm disappearing under the tablecloth. I glance at him. He's looking straight ahead as though nothing's happening. I struggle to maintain my composure as heat travels from his hand and all the way up to… “So, this summer, I'll be living with you then? All of you?”
Nate turns to smile at me politely. His hand moves another inch up the bare skin of my thigh. I widen my eyes at him but he doesn't react.
“That's right. We'll all be living at Pierce's house—”
“Our house,” Pierce corrects my mom with a smile.
“Our house, in Potomac. It's got tons of space, beautiful views of the river. It'll be wonderful to have the summer to bond with each other, and really become a family.”
Nate's hand moves another inch up my leg. I can feel the rough, calloused skin of his palm. I've never been so turned on in my life, but I'm struggling against it. What is he thinking? We're at dinner with our parents!
“I know you have some stuff at the old house, but we'll have it moved to the new one. Everything will be all set up when you get home,” my mom says, smiling at me.
“Mmm,” I reply, trying to focus on her words. “I wasn't that attached to the old place anyway,” I add with a shrug. We'd moved a couple times after my dad left, so no one place has ever felt like home.
Nate's hand moves another inch up my thigh, pushing up the hem of my dress so his fingers rest under it. My whole body is tingling. Holy hell, I can barely breathe. I'm shocked Pierce and my mom don't seem to notice that anything's happening. With his other hand, Nate takes a calm sip from his champagne flute. Where's the waitress? He'll have to move his hand when the food comes.
He moves his hand up another inch. I can't take it any longer—another second and I'm going to start moaning. As my mom moves her head to Pierce's ear to murmur sweet nothings, I slide my fork off the table and press it tongs-first into the top of Nate’s hand. I hear him make a sharp intake of breath and then his mouth twitches as he tries to hold position through the pain. I press down harder.
Suddenly he yanks his hand away and I just manage to stop my hand in time so the fork doesn't hit my leg. He turns to me and smiles, a wicked glimmer in his eyes.
He was fucking with me, I realize. That’s his way of taking revenge for me showing him up in front of his dad? What a goddamn creep!
I lean toward him with a fake smile plastered on my face. “If you’re that pissed about it, bring it up with your dad, don’t take it out on me. I did try to turn it down.” I hiss into his ear.
He turns to me with an equally fake smile. “I’ll do whatever the hell I like, Sis.” He says quietly so our parents can’t hear.
The rest of the meal passes without Nate making another fake pass at me. The gears in my brain begin to move as I think about how I'm going to be spending the entire summer, and potentially many other seasons, living with this guy. My life has been completely upended tonight, and I need some time to process everything.
After the waitress clears our coffee cups and Pierce takes care of the bill with a black Amex card, we stand up to say goodbye. They're going to drive back to Maryland tonight since it takes under three hours. I hug Pierce goodbye, then my mom.