Beneath the Surface (32 page)

She watched him try to cover a wince as he reached across the table to scoop up some of her chocolate mousse.

Tabitha checked her watch. They had a little time before they needed to be at Eric’s, but she wanted to make sure. “I’ll be right back. I’m just going to the Ladies.”

Eric got up as she left the table, and she went to the Ladies’ Room, stopped in the lounge to pull out her cell phone.

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After three rings, no one picked up and Tabitha wondered if maybe anyone was at Eric’s at all before she started to leave a message and Angela intercepted it to answer the phone.

The noise in the background was deafening, and she could only imagine the condition of Eric’s loft.

“Hello Tabitha, how are you?”

“Sounds like you’ve got a full house over there.”

“We do, and it’s crazy, but we’re getting everything all set up. We should be ready in another hour or so.”

Another hour or so?

Her silence must have said it all, because Angela got back on the line and said, “I know it’s a lot to ask of you, but do you think you could keep him out just a little longer than we planned. Until about nine-thirty instead of nine? Everyone and everything should definitely be here and in place by then.”

“I’ll, uh…I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you so much, Tabitha. You don’t know how much I appreciate this.”

“Sure.”

“How’s everything going? Is he enjoying himself?”

She wanted to tell her that he was enjoying himself so much he was ready to collapse, but she didn’t think that would go over so well with his overprotective older sister.

“He’s having a nice time. We just finished dinner.”

“Did he eat a lot?”

He hadn’t, Tabitha realized, remembering how he’d picked at the chicken and collards, and just barely finished the potato salad. “He ate, but I’m sure he’ll have plenty of room left over for whatever you guys are cooking up.”

“I hope so, because there’s plenty.” Angela laughed. “How about you? How are you holding up?”

“Me?” God, she hadn’t even considered how she was doing, surprised and touched that Angela had bothered to ask her. “I’m fine. Your brother is good company.”

“He is that…”

Tabitha heard the “and” at the end of Angela’s sentence, thought she could have filled in with a , “We always have a good time together” but didn’t want to be too effusive or give Angela the wrong idea. Not that the woman didn’t already have the wrong idea.

“Everything is all right between you two then?”

Tabitha frowned, wondered what stories Eric had been telling his sister.

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Gracie C. McKeever

Had he mentioned the Jade incident? Or maybe the Frankie incident?

She thought of asking Angela but in the end just said, “Everything’s fine.”

“Good, glad to hear it.” Angela paused then said, “Well, I’d better get back to it.

We’re still putting up the decorations if you can believe that.”

Tabitha laughed with Angela before signing off and hanging up.

She took a deep breath, left the lounge and headed back to their table and found Eric leaning on it with one elbow, chin in his palm as he watched some of the other patrons cutting the rug on the dance floor.

One of her favorite Sade songs was playing, and she decided she couldn’t pass it up.

She approached the table from behind Eric and tapped his shoulder.

He glanced up with tired eyes that immediately brightened at the sight of her, and Tabitha’s chest filled at the idea that she could do that to him, pep him up. That ability would definitely come in handy for the rest of the night.

“Care to dance, sir?”

“My pleasure.” He stood up and proffered an arm.

Tabitha hooked an arm through his and they made their way out to the dance floor.

She put one arm around his waist and the other on his shoulder as he did the same with her, pulled her close as they slowly moved in synch to the beat of the music.

“If I haven’t told you thank you for the day yet, thank you.” He bent his head and tenderly kissed her on the forehead. “I had a great time.”

“Even the racquetball?”

He laughed, and she could hear the mucus rattling in his chest. “Yeah, even the racquet ball. You looked as good in your shorts and top as you do in this dress.” He lowered a hand to pinch her ass for emphasis and Tabitha slapped it.

“Behave yourself.”

“But it’s my birthday.”

She giggled and rested her head on his chest as he held her tight against him and swept her across the floor.

Tabitha didn’t think she could have enjoyed the day any more had it been her birthday, liked that he was so appreciative and had enjoyed his day, thought that the Vega clan appeared to be a very appreciative group overall.

The more she thought about his family all gathered at the loft waiting for them to arrive, the more nervous she got.

She hadn’t considered before now just what the night entailed for her, hadn’t considered what she’d be walking into, or how she’d act around Eric’s family.

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Would they like her? Would she like them? What would she do if they didn’t approve of her? What would Eric do?

Tabitha already knew that Angela liked her, half-suspected that she and Evelyn were behind the scenes pushing Eric and her together, wouldn’t put it by either sister to act as matchmakers.

She almost laughed at the idea that Eric needed anyone to find him a woman.

Sade’s
Love Is Stronger Than Pride
segued into Billy Ocean’s
Suddenly
and Tabitha quietly sang along with the opening bars as she pressed her hips forward and felt the growing bulge in his trousers.

Eric pulled back is head to glance at her and smiled. “You have a pretty voice.”

“Don’t sound so surprised.”

“Not surprised. I just never had the pleasure.”

“Wish I could say the same.”

He laughed. “Are you referring to my
Peg
rendition?”

“All I can say is don’t give up your day job.”

“I already gave up a day job for creative pursuits. Once in a lifetime’s enough.”

She put her head back on his chest, felt his erection pressing against her belly, heard the sound of him inhaling the scent of her hair. She wasn’t surprised when he leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Let’s get out of here.”

Poor thing. He was in for a surprise when they got home, and it wasn’t her and him alone and in their birthday suits.

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Gracie C. McKeever

EJ couldn’t wait to get in bed and hold her close as he slept. Sex at this point wasn’t even a consideration; he was too tired to entertain any form of it, and hoped Tabitha wasn’t too disappointed especially after the way he’d rushed her out of the Shark Bar to get home.

He paused outside his loft door, bent his head to give her a lingering kiss on the lips. “I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday than spending it with you.”

“I had a good time, too.”

“Will you stay with me tonight?”

“Um—”

“You can sleep in one of my T-shirts if you’re worried. Or nothing at all.” He leered, just couldn’t help himself from teasing, even though he knew damn well he was in no condition to back up any proposition.

“That, uh, sounds like a plan.”

He frowned. “Why are you so nervous?” He noticed she’d been jittery since they’d left the restaurant, wondered if it had anything to do with their earlier conversation about children, wondered whether she worried if he’d push the issue.

“I’m not nervous,” she said

He peered at her an extra few seconds before turning to unlock his door. When he flung it open the lights inside came on in a blinding display and at least fifty people jumped up from behind furniture all screaming, “Surprise!” at the tops of their lungs.

“Oh, God.” EJ covered his eyes with a hand and shook his head.

Tabitha came up behind him, slid an arm around his waist and whispered,

“C’mon, birthday boy. Your guests are waiting.”

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Beneath the Surface

“You were in on this.” He stared at her, couldn’t believe she’d managed to keep this from him all day, that he hadn’t even thought to scan her and find out what she was thinking, what she had planned. He didn’t know if that lapse was a good or bad thing, just that he felt comfortable enough with her to not worry about what she was thinking every second of the day.

Like a real, ungifted boyfriend.

“Oh, my goodness, and he’s brought a girl,” Emilia said as he and Tabitha entered the apartment holding onto each other.

“He hasn’t brought a girl home to meet the family since—”

“Sinclair,” Donna said, interrupting Evelyn.

A hush fell over the room and EJ quickly broke it when he muttered,

“Technically, I haven’t brought a girl home to meet the family now. I’ve brought a woman home to
my
house, you’re all trespassing, and I should kick you out right now.”

“Eric, be nice.”

“Oh, that’s so cute. She calls him Eric,” Emilia said.

“And he
lets
her,” Nick piped up.

“Oh, please, give it a rest and let’s get on with my little surprise party,” EJ

quipped, trying to brush off his blushing, but liked that Tabitha was the only one who called him Eric. It gave their relationship a dimension of exclusivity he had never before considered.

He and Tabitha circulated the apartment together, EJ alternately trying to avoid kisses, accepting hugs and well-wishes, and introducing Tabitha to his family and friends.

He felt for the woman trying to remember so many names and faces—and he could see her actually trying, rather than just relaxing, having a good time and letting things happen—before they finally got to his parents.

“Hey, Mom.” He leaned in to give her a hug and a light peck on the cheek, hoped he wasn’t too contagious, because at this point he was sure he had the flu.

“Hey, bambino. Happy birthday.” His mother squeezed him tight and returned his kiss, pulled back and eyed Tabitha with interest.

EJ’s heart pounded as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to his side as his father joined them. “Mom, Dad, this is Tabitha Lyons. Tabitha, these are my parents, Viviana and Joe Vega.”

“Aren’t you Evie’s personal shopper?” Joe asked as he offered his hand and shook Tabitha’s.

“Uh, yes I am, but now I’m Eric’s, too.”

“Oh, you’re a little more than that.” Viviana smiled. “I can tell by the way my boy looks at you that you’re much more than that.”

“Viv, don’t stress the boy about his girlfriend. His brother and sisters are going to give him enough of that tonight.”

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Gracie C. McKeever

“They certainly will.” Viviana laughed, stepped to Tabitha, briefly hugged her before pulling back to say, “Welcome to the family, Tabitha.”

“Enjoy yourself,” Joe put in, slapping his son on the back and squeezing Tabitha’s arm as he and Viviana left them to wander the living room.

“Cute couple,” Tabitha said once they’d left.

“You think they’re going to be saying that about us in a few years?”

“According to Miss Stanford, we already are a cute couple, remember?”

“Oh, yeah. I almost forgot.” EJ put two fingers to a temple and massaged in a circular motion. “I am so out of it tonight,” he admitted.

“I noticed, and you haven’t even had anything to drink yet.”

Before the words completely left Tabitha’s mouth, Angela made her way over with two glasses of sparkling cider. “Don’t be so rude, EJ. You haven’t even begun to circulate.” She handed one glass to him and one to Tabitha.

“I like what you’ve done with the place,” EJ said and meant it.

The combination Christmas and birthday decorations and balloons alone must have taken an hour or more to put up. The spicy enticing aromas suffusing his apartment told him that his mother and sisters had knocked themselves out preparing the food.

“Thank you. I thought you’d appreciate it.” Angela leaned in to give Tabitha a squeeze and kiss on the cheek. “Thanks so much for keeping him out. Your timing was perfect.”

“Yeah, thanks for keeping me out, Tabby.”

“Oh, don’t get in a tiff with her. She was just doing what I asked her to.”

“I’m not in a tiff. I’m just not going to make it much beyond an hour. I think I’m coming down with something.” God, it killed him to admit that. Especially to Angela who would start hovering and fussing over him any minute.

With that thought his sister frowned and put a palm against his forehead. “You are feeling a little warm.”

“Angie, I don’t want to ruin everyone’s good time, and I really don’t want everyone to know,” he muttered.

His sister turned to Tabitha, and both women shook their heads in unison and chorused, “Men.”

“Look, I’ll hang in as long as I can, but anything beyond midnight, and we’re going to be pushing it.”

“Well we’ll just have to make sure we start wrapping it up around then.”

“Promise?” he asked, hated sounding so pitiful, but whatever this was, it was really starting to come down on him.

Angie put an arm around his shoulder and squeezed. “You just do your part and smile when you open your gifts and blow out your candles, and call us even.”

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Beneath the Surface

If his family, especially his sister, had gone through all this trouble for his thirty-fourth, what were they going to do next year?

* * * *

As promised Angela, with her take-no-prisoners efficiency and drill sergeant’s bearing, got most of the Vega clan out of the loft and started the enormous task of cleaning.

The rest of Eric’s sisters, Evelyn, Donna and Emilia, helped, washing pans, vacuuming, mopping and sweeping the loft into an acceptable state of cleanliness, while Eric went to bed and Tabitha endured the special brand of good-natured teasing and grilling that went with the territory of being Eric’s “official” girlfriend.