Page 52 of Claiming Her Cougar
Me: Hope you’re hungry because it’s just me.
Mom: Oh.See you soon.
A few minutes later, the headlights of my parents’ SUV bounce down the driveway.I wish they would’ve let me know they were coming earlier so I could have made sure everything was just right.It’s only me living here full-time, and I’m neat, but Mom can be so particular about things.She likes the glasses lined up just so in the cabinet and the condiments in a certain order in the refrigerator door.I guess it’s the engineer part of her brain that likes perfect order.I’m not an engineer.
“There’s my Mallomar!”Dad calls out as he and Mom enter the house carrying bags of treats.I can smell the greasy goodness of chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, and French fries.I pull out the ingredients for a basic salad in hopes of counteracting all the cholesterol we’re about to ingest.
Dad sniffs the air as he enters the kitchen.“Why does it smell like a wet cat in here?”
My parents laugh when they see my expression.I don’t know exactly how I look, but I’m assuming it’s a combination of wide eyes, slack jaw and either pale from blood draining or bright red from blushing.I may be cycling between the two for all I know.
“Just kidding.Your mother told me.Where is he?”
“He left.We are not in a ‘meet the parents’ kind of relationship.It’s just casual.”I hate having to say that to my parents.Not that I have any reason to be ashamed of being a sexually active grown woman.But just like I don’t want to know about their sex life, I don’t want them knowing about mine.
I dump the salad mix in a bowl with a sliced onion, cherry tomatoes, and jalapeño slices.It’s basic, but it’s not fried, so that’s a win.While Mom unpacks all the food, Dad grabs dishes, glasses, and silverware.I dish up salad for each of us and grab the bottle of Italian dressing out of the fridge.We sit in companionable silence, eating for a few minutes.I enjoy it while it lasts because I know the interrogation is coming.
Three…two…one.
“So, Mallory, tell us about your friend,” Mom says.
“No,” I answer.
Mom sighs the sigh mothers are gifted after going through the pain of labor.I guess it’s like compensation.
I can feel myself weakening.Be strong, Mallory.There’s no reason for them to know about any of this.There’s no relationship, and there’s no future.
“There’s nothing to tell.It’s casual.”I finish my chicken finger and get up to rinse my plate and put it in the dishwasher.I grab my glass of Diet Pepsi from dinner and nod to my parents.“Welcome home.I’m going upstairs to read.See you tomorrow.”I turn before they can say anything else.Or before I cry.It’s no longer as easy to say there’s nothing between me and Liam, that it’s only casual.It’s starting to feel like a lie.
21
LIAM
I fireup my laptop when I get back to my place.Yeah, my plan was to spend my Saturday night working, but for a moment, I had a much better offer with Mallory that beat any plans I had.Fucking hell.Clicking through my email, I see one that commands my attention.I’m dialing my dad as I finish reading it.
“Dad, can you come out here?I have news on the pier deal.”
“On my way.”I hear him call out to Mom as he hangs up.
A minute later, the door opens, and Dad comes in, carrying his coffee mug.“What’s up?”
He sits on the stool next to mine at the breakfast bar, and I slide my laptop in front of him so he can read the email I received.
“Wow,” he says.“I thought it would be about six months before they were ready.”
“Yeah, I know.I guess they decided they were done.What do you think?”
The deal we are considering is buying a pier on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.Currently it’s a mostly vacant shopping mall in need of updating.It’s a great location, right across from Devil’s Den, the casino Teagan owns.
Sipping his coffee, Dad looks at the email.“Are Teagan and Jake ready?”
Picking up my phone and dial.“Yeah, but let me get them on the line.”
“Call your uncle too,” Dad advises.
“Hey, you’re conferenced in and on speaker.My Dad is here,” I tell them when they each answer their phone.
“Hi, Liam, what’s up?”Jake must’ve been on the casino floor because I hear theding-ding-dingof slot machines fading as he probably enters a hallway behind the scenes.
