Spinster? (14 page)

When her mom stood to give her speech the noise melted into silence. The last to have the mic walked over and passed it to her as she cleared her throat. Her usual confidence was replaced with a humble, almost nervous, countenance.

"I'm not one for speeches, so I'll keep this brief. The man we honor tonight is the best of men. He cares for people with his whole heart—reliable, as he is kind. It has been my absolute privilege to call him husband, and father to my two beautiful girls." Tears filled her eyes. "To say you mean the world to me, William, is not enough. Maybe the universe in it's infinite expanse would be close. But maybe, I should call you the sun, because my world, no matter how small, revolves around you. Please raise your glasses to a man who means so much, to so many. To William."

"To William!"

Tess wiped her cheek. She leaned into her mom and gave her a quick squeeze. Then she and Bristol group hugged their dad. Tess never remembered being happier. It felt as if they were truly a family, not just in name, but in feeling. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a picture in her minds eye. It was something she'd done since she was a little girl when she wanted to preserve a moment. And this was a memory she never wanted to fade with time.

The rest of the night was spent at her dad's side as the guests shook his hand.

Tess was whispering to her sister when she heard her father say, "Wesley, my boy, good to see you."

"Mr. Warner."
 

Her head swiveled like an old door at the sound of his voice. Her first emotion was excitement, smashing directly on the heels of another. Anger. He never called...and she'd wanted him to. She didn't know how much until that precise moment—standing in front of her, his attention squarely on her father.
 

Look at me.
 

"My father sends his regards. He was called away on business last minute, so I wanted to come on his behalf—to represent for our family and our firm."

"Have you brought your firm out of the stone age yet?"

"Working on it, sir, but I have my work cut out for me." They both chuckled.

Look at me.
 

"I heard you had Nancy Belosi crying like a baby...that she-beast needed to be taken down a peg. More interested in victory than ethics these days."

"It seems the story has embellished with each telling. There were no tears, but she was quite put out to earn her first loss in a decade." More mannish chuckling. Tess rolled her eyes...boy's club.

Look at me.
 

"
Wesley, do you know my daughter Tess? I believe you were at Crest Ridge at the same time."

She stood nailed to the spot by his gaze, her only movement the rapid blinking of her eyelids. "Yes, we're acquainted. Hello, Tess. Good to see you again."
 

It took her less than a second to throw her shoulders back and say, "You, too." Two words were all he was getting from her, but they weren't the two she really wanted to use. "Dad, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find my friends. I need some fresh air. It's feeling a bit stuffy in here." She kissed his cheek and walked off.

Part of her wanted him to leave her alone, but a bigger part of her wanted him to follow her. Damn it. She hated getting twisted up about anyone, especially a guy who acted like he was interested then blew her off.
 

"Tess, wait. Tess!" He put his hand on her shoulder, forcing her to stop.

"Oh, hey Wesley. What's up?"
 
She hoped her nostrils weren't flaring as she inhaled the scent of his yummy cologne.
 

"I've been meaning to reach out to you for weeks. I know you must be upset with me for not calling. I've had some family issues and then I got buried with my case load."

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Blah-bedy-blah. "I'm not mad." It almost sounded convincing.

He cocked his head. "Tess, please. I read people for a living. You're mad, and I don't blame you. I came on strong out of the gate and then disappeared. I really wanted to take you out...you look beautiful, by the way."

He did seem sorry, and despite her anger, she wanted to lick the spot right below his ear and run her hands under his shirt. Maybe lower...what was he saying?
 

"Forgive me?" Oh right, he was begging for her forgiveness. Well, he asked emphatically, so close enough.

She crossed her arms across her chest and pushed her lips out in a contemplative pout. He stepped closer until his lips were by her ear. "Give me a chance to make it up to you."

She stifled a shiver as an army of goose bumps marched along every inch of her skin.
 

"Okay."

"Okay?" he asked, surprised.

Tess nodded, letting her teeth make an appearance. "Just call me this time."

'I'll do even better. Let me take you to dinner."

Her head tilted to the side. "You made me that same offer before as I recall."
 

"This time it'll happen. I promise...have dinner with me, Tess."

"I do enjoy eating."
 

"Are you free next weekend?"

"Um, I have plans Friday, but I'm free on Saturday evening."

His face split. That smile could melt the knickers off a girl. Good thing she wasn't wearing any.
 

"I'll pick you up at seven."

"Sounds good."

He brushed his lips against her cheek. "See you then, Tess." She watched him walk away. Really, she just watched his ass walk away. It was a nice ass.
 

She eeked to herself. She, Tess Warner, formerly known as Chubbles, had a date with Wesley Caraway. Double eek.

She must have had a look on her face when she approached her friends because Rebel blurted, "Did you have sex in the bathroom?" The group cracked up.

"No, you heifer. I would never have sex in a bathroom...What?...Okay, I would never have sex in the bathroom at a party thrown for my dad."
 

"So what's the far away, just had a magic moment look about?" Marin teased.

"Well, I happen to have a date with the most popular guy to ever walk the halls of Crest Ridge."

"I think I've heard of that school. Private, right?" K-Thor asked.

"Yes. I went to public until middle school and then finished there."

"Why do you care about some guy you went to school with almost twenty years ago? Wait, unless he's still hot." Emma added.

"Hot doesn't cover it, little chica." Tess fell back into a cushioned chair, landing in an unladylike slouch, feet sprawled in front of her. "It's with Wesley."

"The reunion interview dude?" Jen asked. Tess nodded.

"Wasn't he supposed to call you, then you never heard from him?" Damn Rebel and her steel trap memory.

"Yes, but he explained and seemed very sorry. He said he'd like to make it up to me." Tess wiggled her eyebrows.

"After not calling, there better not be so much making up, but a whole lot of going down," Jen teased.
 

"Good lord." Marin huffed, then a look of longing came over her face. No doubt a result of her current dry spell.

K-Thor only smiled at his girlfriend's comment. He was a keeper. Any man who came into their inner circle needed to be okay with certain things—such as all things vagina and the copious use of sarcasm.

"Does that mean you're waving your three date rule?" Ben asked with a smirk.

"Ben, you know I have a desirability clause built in. If he's hot enough, the aforementioned three date rule is null and void...Honestly, I might not even make it past the appetizer," Tess teased...well, kind of.

"Emma, no appetizer innuendoes," Willa threw out.

"I wasn't gonna say anything...at least not now, you party pooping ho-bag. There're only so many occasions where you can slide in a cocktail shrimp joke...ha ha, slide in a cocktail shrimp." Equal number of laughs and eye rolls.

This prompted the rest of the girls to throw out their favorite food double entendres. Rebel and Jen seemed overly fond of the meats in tube form references. The guys even had a few. Cameron's mayo addition to the convo prompted a chain reaction of snorts and chortles. It wasn't very original, but he was fairly straight laced under normal circumstances. You had to be reserved to date Rebel, who was always center stage.

"Anyone else want to raid the dessert table?" Tess asked. Alcohol always made her crave sweets. Alcohol...breathing...pretty much anything activated her sweet tooth.

"Did you see the tower made of truffles?" Emma asked.

"Oooh chocolate, let's go." Marin hopped up, grabbing Willa's hand. The guys passed, opting for a cigar and a scotch by a nearby reflecting pool.

Three rounds of dessert and two more glasses of champagne, and Tess was in a blissful haze. She found her father sitting on a stone bench under an arch of ivy. "Daddy, why are you over here all alone?" she asked, taking a seat beside him.

"I needed a time out."

Tess put her head on his shoulder. "Did you enjoy your party?"

"I did." The rumble of his voice tickled her ear. "Not sure I deserve all this hoopla, but it was affirming."

She pulled her head up. "What do you mean?"
 

He claimed her hand with delicacy, his skin warm and dry. "I know I wasn't always around for you girls. Being a workaholic seems to be an acceptable form of addiction these days." She started to protest. "Now, Tess, stop. I know you resented me for it. I saw it flit across your face sometimes. Oh, you tucked it away quick enough, but I noticed." She watched him for a moment. His hair was mostly silver and there were deep wrinkles on his temples. He was getting older, but was still as handsome in her eyes.

"Oh, dad. It wasn't as much resentment as it was longing. You're my hero, so I just wanted you to want to spend time with me...to notice me, I think."

He turned to her and kissed her temple. "Baby, I always saw you, always."

Now, as an adult, she believed it. Balancing career and family can't be easy. Sometimes it was hard enough for her to juggle the career part. She felt the love, it was a gentle, steadfast kind.

"You're loved, daddy. If you were ever in doubt, tonight was proof."

He chuckled. "Yep, they really rolled out the red carpet for my old ass." He stood up and put out his hand for her. He pulled her to stand and she wrapped her arms around his waist, putting her nose in his coat. She loved his smell. It was childhood and comfort. "Whelp, I better go find my bride. Care to escort me, lovely lady?"

"I'd be honored."

He stopped short and looked down at her, his expression soft. "Go easy on your mom, Tessy. I know it's hard to tell sometimes, but...she sees you. And believe it or not, she wants you to see her, too."

"But does she like what she sees? That is the million dollar question."

"Never doubt it, baby. You and your sister are her crowning achievements." They started to amble towards the dwindling crowd.
 

Tess wasn't sure if she agreed with her dad, but she figured if anyone knew the inner workings of Tiffani Warner's heart and head, it was him. Maybe the key to understanding parents was to let go of what you'd grown to believe. Instead, look at them as humans doing the best they could.
 

She would try, but thirty-four years of programming wouldn't be undone in one night of mild revelations and a shared smile over a plate of pâté-covered crostini.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"Damn it!" Tess threw her brush onto the counter with a shrill crack. She'd been bra and panty-clad in front of her vanity for the last thirty minutes and still couldn't get her hair to cooperate. She pulled it up on top of her head, then balled it at the nape of her neck. She even tried a floppy hat, a la JLo. If she'd had shears within her grasp she would have pulled a G.I. Jane.
 

Huffing, she pulled the coppery wheat strands back into a slick ponytail. "I give up." For once her wardrobe had been the easiest to nail down. The dark skinny jeans and Royal blue silk top had been on the hanger on the door knob of her closet for four days. Her makeup looked great, so hopefully Wesley wouldn't notice the last ditch effort pony. Men usually didn't.
 

She wasn't sure if the feeling in her stomach was anticipation or trepidation. This was kind of a second date, if she counted the lunch they'd shared. But since it happened months ago, she didn't feel as if this was a second. Her stomach and sweaty palms had first date written all over it.
 

Her sister had come over earlier that day to give her a pep talk. "Just think, this time next year you could be giving me pep talks about dates," Bristol had said, her smile genuine, but her eyes were brimming with tears. She'd asked her cheating chump of a husband to hit the bricks. Even though she wanted it, and knew it was the right decision, it still hurt. Her boys had taken the news alarmingly well, further solidifying the knowledge that Stewart wouldn't be receiving father of the year award either.
 

Tess had pulled her sister into a firm hug. "You
will
date again. And who knows? You might enjoy not having a two legged man-child to take care of. I think they're more high maintenance than any toddler." Her sister laughed through her tears and wiped her nose on Tess's t-shirt. "Hey, use your own shirt!"
 

"What? Hell no. I got this at Anthropologie. You're wearing a Target special, no doubt."
 

Tess laughed and shoved her sister in the shoulder. "There's the snob I know and love."

Bristol's face fell.

"Hey, I'm kidding," Tess said, rubbing her sister's shoulder.

"I know...it's just, Tess...I've been such a bitch. Can you ever forgive me?" Her platinum blonde bangs lifted with the shift of her brows.

"Bri, it's already forgiven. I'm just glad to have my sister back." She wasn't sure how long they sat on her couch, clinging to each other. All she knew was that a hollow part of her heart had filled. It was a wonderful feeling.

Tess smiled as she pulled on her fawn colored peep toe ankle boots, thinking about her sister. The split was going to be rough and painful, for that she was sorry. She had an inkling they too, would relax without the looming oppression of their father. One positive was spending more time with her nephews. Tess's animosity towards her brother-in-law was no secret and had a direct effect on the amount of time she saw her nephews and her sister. It was refreshing to think, her family script hadn't been set in stone. Maybe she was changing, too. The knock on the front door pulled her into the present moment.