Misty Blue (11 page)

“Keefe doesn’t live with me. He doesn’t even live in the same building. He has several apartment buildings.”

“And your brother doesn’t have a key to your apartment?”

“Of course he has a key.” Mia winced. This was harder than she’d thought. “But I also have a key to his apartment.”

“Who cares? There is no chance that Damien is going to walk in on your brother. But he can walk in on you. Are you going to get your key back from him?”

Mia sucked on her tongue and glanced once again at Damien, who was watching her with a curious expression on his face. She’d never thought of the fact that her brother had a key to her apartment. “I can ask for it back,” Mia said softly, ignoring Charles and speaking instead to Damien.

“You don’t have to do that, Mia. I don’t mind that your brother has a key. In fact, I think it’s a good idea in case of emergencies and stuff like that.”

For a long moment Mia stared at Damien. Then she smiled. “If you’re sure you don’t mind,” she answered.

“Damien!” Charles nearly screamed. “Man, what kind of bull is this? I knew this girl had you whipped. Now she’s got you kissing her brother’s ass too. She’s punking you.”

“But it’s me she’s punking. Evidently I like it.” Damien stared hard at his father before seeing the pleading look in his mother’s eyes. Then he glanced at the woman he loved, at Mia and knew he’d let things go on much longer than he should have.

For thirty years he’d been a pawn between his parents, each of them using him for their own purposes. His mother constantly found fault with him in order to have his father step in and parent. Only it had never been to parent him but to see her, if only for a few brutal words. Then she’d soothe his father with food and sex. Damien had watched the game for many years. His father had told him in plain English how weak his mother was and although he’d known his father was right, he had still felt sorry for his mother for pining over his father, a man who was mean, ill tempered, and charming only when it suited him.

He’d tried telling his mother that more than once. But she’d either not wanted to listen or she’d cried. What was Damien supposed to say to that? He’d gone along with both of their manipulations all of these years because it hadn’t mattered. He’d always known what they were doing. The only thing he hadn’t known was why. He didn’t fully believe he was their main reason for fighting.

He glanced again at Mia. For one night he’d hoped that Mia could work the same magic on his parents that she’d worked on him, that his mother would become strong, that his father would become a little less mean to his mother, that maybe he could have a normal family with sane parents, just maybe.

Well, it was obvious that wasn’t going to happen. It appeared that the best he could hope for was to start his own sane family. He should have never allowed his father to bully and disrespect Mia. If lines were to be drawn in this family saga, from now on the battle would be more in Mia’s favor. The two of them were now a team, because he was joining in. He was joining Mia.

He leaned over and kissed Mia, then stuck his fork in her salad. For the look of love she’d just given him, he didn’t give a damn at the moment what his father thought of him.

He grinned at his father. “If this is being punked, then I’m for it. Maybe if you tried it you’d stop yelling at everyone. Fine, Mom’s not the one to make you feel this way, so go find someone who will. Mia makes me happy.”

Charles grunted. “Happy?”

“Yes, happy.” Damien turned from his father, ending the conversation. “I’m sorry, baby girl,” he whispered to Mia. “I should have stopped him sooner.” He tilted her head slightly, kissed her throat, felt her tremble and was grateful he’d not lost her love. Then he pulled Mia into a deeper kiss, right there at the table.

The ride back to Mia’s apartment was quiet. Damien would have liked nothing more than to cuddle up with Mia, kissing her until she threw him out. But not tonight. Tonight he had to set things straight with his parents, sever ties if need be.

He sighed out loud. He knew in his heart he didn’t want it to come to that. But tonight was the last night he would stand by and listen to his father abuse Mia. It wasn’t going to happen again.

“What’s wrong?” Mia asked.

“Nothing.”

“You’re sighing. You have something on your mind and you don’t want to tell me.”

Damien smiled and dared a peek at Mia. “Are you reading my mind, baby girl?”

“Would you mind if I did?”

“If you’re reading it right now I don’t mind.” His mood was lifting. “Tell me what I’m thinking.”

Mia laughed. “What you’re always thinking. That’s not so hard to read.” She laughed again before issuing a sigh of her own.

“Okay, now you’re doing it,” Damien said. “Suppose you tell me what’s got you doing it?”

“I was just thinking that I wish I had listened to you, just hopped on a plane with you and eloped.”

“We still can.”

“Keefe would kill me.”

“Family,” Damien said. “That’s the problem we both have. Too many people in our lives we’re trying to please and they’re causing a problem.”

There was a tightening in Mia’s belly that quickly spread upward. “Do you think we’re rushing things?” she asked softly.

“Rushing things?” Damien answered. “Do you know how long it’s been? I’m about to burst from all this pent up energy. No way, baby, are we rushing things.”

“Don’t joke. Not about that, not tonight.”

“What’s wrong? You sound so serious. You know I’m kidding.”

For a moment she didn’t answer, but just looked at him, licking her lips as she searched for the words.

“When your mother and I were in the bathroom she warned me about you. She said basically that I was a novelty, that no woman had ever turned you down.” Her voice trembled and she stopped. “I know that you love me, Damien. I know that. But…I…I just wish you would stop saying that…you know…like what you just said. It does sound like you’re marrying me for one thing.”

Damien didn’t answer. He shook his head instead. What did he have to do to prove to Mia that she was more important than sex? Even though he kept an erection whenever he was near her, and he wasn’t going to lie about that, sex didn’t have a damn thing to do with why he wanted to marry Mia. He needed her and more than anything he needed her to continue believing in him.

He rubbed his palm against her thigh and sighed again. This time she didn’t ask what was wrong. She merely laid her head on his shoulder and entwined her fingers with his. In a few minutes they reached her apartment and he walked her upstairs, pulling her into his arms for a kiss, making no move to enter the apartment.

“Aren’t you coming in?” she asked.

“Not tonight, baby. Tonight I have to deal with my parents. I can promise you, Mia, that you’ll never have to live through another night like tonight.”

“You can’t control your father.”

“No, but I can control myself and if he ever acts like that toward you again, we’ll get up and walk out.”

“Don’t feel too bad. You haven’t met my mother yet. After you do, you might be the one having second thoughts.” She laughed, but he didn’t.

“Say you didn’t mean that, that you’re not having second thoughts?”

“It bothers you that I said it,” Mia teased. “No, I’m not having second thoughts. But how would you like it if I kept saying that?”

“I wouldn’t.”

“Then stop saying you’re marrying me so that you can sleep with me.”

“I’ve never said that.” Damien looked at her. “At least not like that.”

“It doesn’t matter. That’s how it sounds.”

“Mia, I told you the first day I met you that I wanted to sleep with you. You’ve never agreed, so I don’t see why you’re getting so worked up.”

“Because then it was different. Now we’re getting married.”

“And now that we’re getting married my mind is supposed to be off sex?” Damien groaned. “Tell me that isn’t true.”

“Stop making me laugh. You know what I mean.”

He took her in his arms and kissed her thoroughly. “Mia Black, you’re working my nerves but I love you. Now good night. I would love to continue this conversation but I have to go home and scold my parents.”

“Good luck.”

“You know what we need?”

“I can just guess what you think we need.”

“Well, you’re wrong. We need to go on a date, just the two of us. What about tomorrow? I just need to run by the zoo for a couple of minutes and I’m free.”

“I thought you were off tomorrow.”

“I am but we have a bear cub due any day and I’ve been trying to catch the birth.”

“That’s why you’ve been spending so much time at the zoo?” Mia grinned. “Now I’m in competition with the animals.”

“You’re in competition with no one. But the animals are a pretty close second.” He laughed. “Do you think you can drop everything and spend the day with me?”

“I can always drop everything to spend time with you.”

“In that case I’ll pick you up at ten. We can go to Navy Pier and ride the Ferris wheel.” He kissed Mia again, then ran down the stairs. As usual he glanced at the window to see her waving goodbye at him.

* * *

Mia’s other senses kicked in once she wasn’t in such close proximity to Damien. She heard her answering machine beeping and went to answer it.

“Mia, got your invitation to the wedding. Thanks for inviting me. I was surprised that you wanted me to give you away but of course I’ll do it. Give me a call, okay
?”

Mia listened to the message, stunned. This was really happening. Jerry was going to give her away. She couldn’t believe it. The next voice stopped what could have been an emotional meltdown.

“
Mia, I thought you’d gotten married already and forgot to call me. You said a month, and it’s way past that. I talked with your cousin, Tanisha. She told me you won’t be getting married for two more weeks. Give me a call and I’ll see if I can make it.”

Mia pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and sucked down on it, then shook her head and lay across her bed. She hadn’t called her mother since the last disastrous time.

She replayed the message. It was clear that her mother had heard her but hadn’t even bothered to find out when the wedding was. Mia didn’t know why her mother now wanted to come. As for herself, she wondered why she’d never bothered to call her mother back.

She shuddered, acknowledging the reason. She didn’t want her mother to come, not after all the things she’d said. She put both her hands atop her head, sliding her thumbs downward to massage the base of her skull.
Let it go, Mia
, she commanded.
Let it go
. But this time the pressure remained. Too many things were happening too quickly.

For the first time in her life Mia wished her mother would do as she’d always done—miss another important moment in her life. Damien had been right. Their families were proving to be a problem.

* * *

Damien walked into his home knowing that it would be unpleasant, but it had to be done. He had no intention of letting his father get away with what he’d done tonight.

“Didn’t expect to see you back here tonight,” his father sneered. “Oh yeah, I forgot she won’t give you none, so you come back here like a whipped puppy.”

“Stop it, just stop it and leave Mia the hell alone,” Damien shouted. “I didn’t expect to see you here. You don’t live here, just like you told Mia. So why are you here?”

“Unlike you, I won’t be sleeping alone tonight.” Charles glanced over at Kathy, a sneer on his face. “You couldn’t pay me to date a woman like Mia—too much work.”

“Who the hell asked you to date her? She’d never have you.” Damien was angry. It was the first time he’d ever shouted at his father but he didn’t regret it. His father’s face stretched with fury and for a moment Damien thought his father was going to hit him. Chuck stood only inches away from Damien’s face and shouted back at him.

“Boy, who the hell do you think you’re yelling at? Don’t disrespect me like that.”

“That’s nothing compared with the way you disrespected Mia tonight. I’m not going to just stand still and let you talk to her like that. You’re not messing things up with Mia, either one of you.” Damien glared at his father before turning to include his mother.

“Why would you tell Mia that I was only marrying her to get into her pants?”

“I like her, Damien. I didn’t want to see her get hurt.”

“With the number that Pop was pulling on her,” Damien stopped and shook his head, “I could have lost her. Don’t you see that? Listen, Mom.” He turned to his mother, shutting his father out. “I want to believe that you think you’re helping and I know that you think I’m going to treat her the same way…,” he paused, “that you’ve been treated. But I promise you I’m not. I might be my father’s son,” he walked toward his mother, “but I’m yours also and I would never treat a woman the way you’ve been treated.”

“But you have.” Kathy teared up. “Don’t you know how many women you’ve hurt, women that loved you? What about Ashleigh? You were going to marry her. Do you think you can just say you’re sorry and that makes it all okay? Yes, I told Mia to be careful. You tell me that I’m wrong. Tell me she’s not the first woman to say no to you.”