Page 19 of Christmas Rings

As they walked up to Jed’s parents’ front door, Alissa held her breath and squeezed his hand. They’d been together a month. As their relationship unfolded, easy and wonderful, she’d occasionally wondered if it could really be this easy. Was it as simple as finding the person you fit just right with? Did everything fall into place when it was right?

Last night, as they lay in bed holding hands and talking, he’d asked if she’d like to meet his parents. “My mother’s been asking who I’m spending so much time with,” he’d said.

Although her stomach had turned over at the thought, she’d agreed. “You won’t tell them about the club, right?”

“I’m not ashamed of it,” he’d said. “But if you’d rather they not know then it’s no problem.”

So here they were on a Sunday evening, waiting on the steps of a palatial estate on the shore of Lake Washington. Homes where high-tech moguls lived. Everyone had a boat and a dock, with views of the lake and the city.

“I’m scared,” she said.

“Don’t be. Remember that whatever they think doesn’tmean anything to me. Whatever happens, it’s you and me. No matter what.”

“You and me,” she repeated under her breath. The door opened, and a woman in a traditional black and white maid’s uniform greeted them. “Good evening, Mr. Marsh, Miss Mann. Mrs. Marsh is waiting in the family room.”

“What about my father?” Jed asked, as they entered a sparkling white foyer with marble beams and gleaming tile.

Alissa shivered and pulled her sweater tighter. After a text to her sister Hailey, seeking counsel, she’d chosen a simple sheath dress with a pattern of red poppies and paired with a white cardigan. The weather had turned warm the last few days. Flowers bloomed. The scent of mowed grass filled the air with spring and possibilities. All of which had made Alissa’s allergies arrive with a vengeance. She prayed the allergy medicine would keep her eyes from watering all night.

They followed the maid through the cold hallway. Alissa’s flats made a clickety-clack on the marble floors. They seemed too loud. And ugly. Suddenly, she hated her dress. Mrs. Marsh would know by the cheap fabric that Alissa had bought it from the outlet mall. She’d seen photographs of his mother and knew she dressed in designer everything.

A trickle of sweat dribbled down her spine as they entered a palatial kitchen that smelled of rosemary and olive oil. A trim woman, with tattoos on both her muscular arms, stood over a pot at the cooktop. From outside on the patio, the faint scent of grilled meat wafted through sliding glass doors. A swimming pool with cobalt-blue tiles sparkled under the afternoon sun.

“Hey, Amy,” Jed said.

The woman turned toward them. She was not as young as she’d seemed from the back. Her dyed black hair was cut in short layers, and she had the worn, almost gaunt look of a woman who exercised too much and ate too little. “Well, hello there, stranger.”

“This is Alissa,” Jed said. “Amy’s our caterer. She’s worked for my mom for two decades.”

Caterer? Was this a party?

Amy smiled as she wiped her hands over the front of a forest-green apron. “It’s nice to meet you, Alissa.”

“You as well,” Alissa said. “It smells great in here.”

“Thank you. I’ve made some rosemary bread to go with your steaks.”

“Is your son working with you today?” Jed asked.

“Yes, that’s him manning the grill.” Amy pointed outside to a young man with black hair, pulled back into a ponytail.

“Where’s my mother?” Jed asked.

“I’m not sure,” Amy said. “Your father went down to the cellar for champagne.”

Alissa gulped back a nervous twitter.Be calm and cool, she told herself.

Jed took her hand as they walked out to the patio. “Gary, long time. How’ve you been?” he asked the young man.

“Can’t complain.” Gary held up a pair of tongs in greeting. Several snake tattoos marked his neck. He wore the same apron as his mother, only his was untied and hung loosely over his skinny frame. There was something familiar about him. Had she met him before?

“This is my girlfriend, Alissa,” Jed said. “Gary’s working with his mom after attending culinary school.”

“Nice to meet you, Alissa.” Gary’s eyes were small and set too far back into his face. Alissa shivered as they slid down the length of her body, stopping briefly at her modest breasts. Jed dropped her hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Well, good luck with everything,” Jed said, tightly.

“You too, man,” Gary said.

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