Page 101 of Things We Fake
Cam smiled. “I inherited my first mechanical watch from my grandfather. A battered Seiko, nothing fancy, but it’s what got me hooked.”
My father nodded slowly. “It always starts with one. After that, it’s an obsession.”
“You can talk watches later,” my mom intervened, her smile graceful but firm. “Now let’s address the more interesting topics. Susanne, you didn’t mention your relationship was so serious. When I saw the pictures in the newspaper, I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
Cam and I exchanged glances.
“Well,” I said. “I thought you would be happy about it.”
“I am,” Mom said, her expression neutral. “It was completely unexpected though.”
Helen decided to step in again. “Love can be unexpected,” she said, gracefully gesturing with her wine glass. “In my career, I’ve learned the best things are often a surprise.”
My mother tilted her head, her expression gentle but calculating. “That’s true. What do you do, Helen?”
“I’m a psychologist.”
A silence fell over the table.
My brother’s eyes flicked to me and he smirked. “Sue, you are so screwed.”
“Paul,” Michelle hissed, nudging him.
She had Italian blood herself, which made her an excellent match for my brother’s fiery temper. I was still surprised they’d stopped fighting long enough to conceive a baby, which had brought an odd serenity in their relationship.
“Just saying.” Paul coughed. “I can’t think of a more intimidating job for a mother in law.”
“Paid assassin maybe.” Becky gave me a mischievous wink.
Helen smiled at Paul, the kind of sweet, knowing smile that made a person want to bolt for the exit. “Oh, don’t worry, dear. I don’t analyze people unless they’re paying me.”
Everyone laughed.
Cam kissed my temple and murmured, “Relax, baby. You’re doing great.”
Baby.How could that one word from his lips calm me down? He’d never called me that. Maybe just for a moment, I could pretend that it was true, that this wasn’t a huge farce and that we were here indeed to celebrate something real, something meaningful. I still wasn’t sure how my life had reached this point. All I could do was pray we could get through tonight.
The waiter appeared, ready to take our dinner orders. My father, naturally, asked a million questions about the wine pairings before he was satisfied. Cam ordered for me, which earned him an approving nod from my mother. God forbid I would get to run my own life without a man to make my decisions for me.
Paul and Becky got into an unnecessary debate over steak doneness. Michelle, bless her, quietly requested extra bread, whispering that she’d been craving carbs all day. Pregnancy did wonderful things for her already gorgeous complexion.
After the waiter left, my mother returned to the grilling. “Susanne, how did you two meet? You mentioned it was at school?”
I drained my wineglass. We had rehearsed this part, but that didn’t make me less nervous.
“Well, that’s when we were formally introduced,” I said. “But unofficially, we’d met the evening before.”
Cam came to my rescue. “Ah, now that’s a story.” His lips twitched. “Should I tell it, or do you want to, sweetheart?”
“Oh, please.” Becky grinned. “It has to be good.”
I sighed, bracing myself. “Fine, Cam can tell it. But let’s be clear, this ishisversion of the story.”
Cam cleared his throat, his words brightened by a wide smile. “I was fresh off a flight, looking for my best friend Sebastian’s apartment, and what do I find when I knock next door for the key? The most terrifying sight I have ever seen in my entire life.”
I pressed my lips together, glad that he hadn’t mentioned the date of said encounter. Had it only been a couple of weeks? Un-frigging-believable!
Becky’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, do tell.”
