Page 26 of Filthy Commitments
“Oh.” Mom looked a bit ashamed. “Allow me to do that.” She whisked Asia off to meet my mother’s parents then she hurriedly made an introduction to my father’s parents before she, my fake wife, and the party planner were gone.
I was alone. Well, not entirely. That would’ve been so much better.
“Come, boy,” my father’s father called out as my dad and grandparents moved to form a circle at, which I was in the center. “Now tell us how you went about marrying a girl you barely know.”
“And we want to meet her family, Jett.” Grandmother Shapiro, my mother’s mother, said.
“Oh, I doubt they could make it. They have work. Her mother works at a law firm. Her father… well, I’m sure he’s busy too.” Her father was out of work, is what she’d told me. I didn’t know if Asia wanted everyone to know that or not.
“They could come for the weekend, at the very least.” Dad was pretty intent on getting them to come. “I can send a car for them. We really should meet them. They’re your family too now. That makes them ours, as well.”
The sentiment was sweet, but the lie of a marriage made it a stupid thing to do. Her parent’s involvement wasn’t part of the plan. I couldn’t ask her to go to those lengths for me.
Grandmother Simmons patted the empty space next to her. “Come, Jett. Sit down and tell us all about your whirlwind romance that left you hitched.”
It was funny, without Asia at my side, I kind of forgot our little story. I took a seat. “We like to tell our story together. I’ll wait for her.”
“Nonsense.” Grandmother Simmons wasn’t taking no for an answer. “How’d you know she was the one, Jett. After all this time, How did you know?”
“First of all, I am not some old man. I’m twenty-eight. Why does everyone in this family act like that’s too old to be single?”
“It’s your lifestyle, son. I’ve told you.” Dad shook his head as if that answer alone justified how they thought.
“Is it some kind of lust-filled attraction, Jett?” Grandfather Shapiro asked me. “Because those kinds of relationships never last.”
“No, no, it’s nothing like that. We have a lot of things in common. We like the same things, think along the same lines, mostly. I never feel alone. Even when we’re not right next to each other, I feel like I’m a part of her. It’s odd, but in a great way.” The funny thing about me saying that, is that it was completely true. I just hadn’t thought about it before.
Both my grandmothers’ white heads bobbed as they agreed with me. Then Grandfather Simmons abruptly asked, “And is the sex hot? I mean it needs to be hot in the beginning. Every couple needs a thread of passion that connects them to each other, you know.”
I felt heat flush my face. “Yes, sir. We have hot sex.” And just as I said that my mother and fake wife were back in the room and both had gaping mouths.
Asia went scarlet. “Jett!”
I hopped up and hurried to her. “Baby, you have no idea the questions they’ve been asking. I didn’t mean to say that. I swear it!”
The set of rogues who had me saying such a thing got a nice long glare from my mother. “Okay, you nosey lot. Let’s leave these two alone for a bit. I think we’re overwhelming them.” Mom kissed my cheek. “I’ve had Rock take your things to the Monte Carlo Suite. Show Asia your bedroom and then you two can come back down whenever you’re ready to.”
Draping my arm around Asia’s shoulders, I took my fake wife and headed out of the sunny room full of my closest relatives.If they were that tough, what would the rest of them be like?
Heading to the back staircase, I led Asia up two flights of stairs to the third floor where the Monte Carlo Suite was located. “Mom’s named all the rooms. I suppose she gave us this one, because we said we got married in Vegas. It’s got a gambling theme to it.”
When I opened the door, and we went inside, I guess Asia felt like it was finally safe to talk. “Oh, God, Jett. They want my parents to come!”
“Yeah, I know. Don’t worry, I’ll make something up.” I went over to the bar that was in the room and looked for something to make another drink. Mine had been lost in the solarium and Asia’s was gone too.
“Your mother wants my parent’s phone number. She wants to call and invite them herself. She asked if we’d gone to introduce you to them and I didn’t know what the hell to say, Jett. It was like I had a mouthful of gum. I mumbled, yes. I’m an idiot! How are we going to fix that lie? This is too much!”
“Calm down!” I wasn’t finding what I wanted in the bar. There was wine and spritzer, water, soda, but no Goddamn whiskey of any kind in that damn bar. “What kind of fucking bar is this?” I shouted out of frustration.
“And what’s up with the drinking, Jett? You don’t drink like this. Are you planning on staying lit up this entire week?” She shook her head and fell back on the bed.
“I wasn’t planning on it, but now that I’ve seen what it’s going to be like, I might just stay drunk. Want to join me?”
She laughed. A crazy, maniacal sound that had me joining in. “This is crazy, Jett!”
“I know!”
I fell onto the bed beside her then rolled over and pulled her to face me. “Thank you for being here. I know I paid you to, but thank you for trying so hard to make this work for me. Perhaps we could hire some people to play the role of your parents.”
