Chapter Ten—Jace

The look on my mother's face compared closely to a scorned version of Satan after his great fall from Heaven. Her face looked unnatural underneath the mound of makeup and her perfect-slicked bun on the top of her head.

For several seconds, I couldn't even focus on the fact that my father found this amusing, because I felt a new sensation traveling along my bottom lip and into the depths of my stomach. Lust. I hadn't thought twice about kissing Lidia, to start this rendezvous off right with my parents, plant no doubt in their minds about me marrying Lidia.

I clutched the back of her seat, brushing off the feeling vigorously as she stood up and introduced herself. Of course, my mother wasn't having it. "Jace, you've got explaining to do. I want to know why I just found out my son was engaged—let alone dating someone—by Cynthia Gates down the street!"

Lidia shrunk back against me, probably realizing I'd gotten her into a bigger mess than she agreed to. Clearing my throat, I led Lidia over toward my parents, sliding my hand against her back.

"Mom, Dad, this is Lidia Lambert. She's my fiancé."

Mother's face looked like a mixture of confusion and the urge to vomit, and even though I knew it wasn't anything against Lidia, she didn't. Dad stepped forward and offered Lidia his hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Lidia. Call me Henry."

Lidia did an awkward bow thing that made me want to laugh. "Nice to meet you too, Sir."

Lidia turned to Mom who looked closed off with her arm wrapped around her waist and the other pressed against her chest. Mom's gaze traveled down Lidia's arm to Grandmother's ring hanging on her ring finger.

"Oh, dear Lord," she mumbled. "Is this a joke? Are you trying to keep up with Seth, because you know it's not a contest, Jace?"

I rolled my eyes. "Mom, if I've learned anything from my family it's do what makes me happy, and Lidia here," I said, hugging her close to my side, "makes me happy."

Mom gave me a skeptical eye and pursed her lips. "Where did you meet, huh?"

"Here. She's my assistant."

She scoffed and leaned onto her opposite foot. "What do you like about her, Jace?"

The question should have taken me off guard, but it rather slipped out. "Her laugh, Mother. The way she doesn't care what anyone thinks, including you and the fact that you're being extremely rude."

We held an awkward stare down before she let out a hushed breath. "Okay. You're right, I'm sorry." She turned to Lidia and smiled, halfheartedly. "I'm Amy, it's nice to meet you. I'm just a little taken off guard."

Lidia shrugged her off. "That's okay, I can't imagine what my parents are going to say."

"They don't know?" Mother cried. "Oh my … Jace, this isn't right. You're supposed to ask her father for her hand."

I scoffed. "This isn't the eighteenth century—"

"It's polite and I know your father told you that."

Dad clasped his palm over Mom's shoulder and shook her a bit. "Calm down, Amy. Leave the boy be. You're going to scare them off. We just wanted to come by and introduce ourselves so your mom won't be humiliated if someone else brings it up and she doesn't even know her name. How about we get together this weekend for dinner?"

"Who all is coming?" I asked.

Mom waved her hand around. "Just us and probably Seth."

Of course. Why wouldn't they invite him to crash our get-together? I wanted to object, but objecting would make mom made. She wanted us to be closer and get along, so I ignored it. One dinner with them wouldn't hurt.

"Fine," I said, sliding my palm into my pocket. "We have to get back to work now. The exhibit for Darby is this Friday, if you want to stop by."

"I'm flying out Thursday, but your mother will stop by," Dad said.

Mom gave me a sad look but walked toward the door without another word. Dad grinned at me and offered Lidia a hug. "I'm so glad my son is tying the knot. Feel lucky, this guy doesn't get around a lot."

Lidia beamed at my dad. "Who are you telling? Doesn't like to laugh either."

He chuckled. "He gets that from his mother."

I inwardly groaned and ushered Dad toward the front door. When I walked back up, Lidia was writing in that dang notebook but shut it before I made it to my desk.

"That went … well," she laughed. "Your dad is right; you got your personality from your mother."

"Funny," I said. "She's just shocked."

"As she should be," Lidia said, examining the paper Rebecca brought up before we got here. "I wish they would have gotten a better angel. I look chubby."

I stood up and grabbed the paper for a better look. I'd only stared at it for an hour before she woke up that morning. I memorized the headlines and the tipsy smile on her face. Sure, I'd been on plenty of local art magazine covers.

When I took over the position at the gallery, when we hosted the biggest exhibit of the year two years ago, and when I brought that Instagram model as my date to that artsy ball grandfather always held.

None of them compared to this one. Archer Gallery's Owner, Finally Tying The Knot. Who Is His Blushing Bride To Be?

Lidia took it from me. "Can I frame this?"

I couldn’t help but laugh which made her smile bigger. "Why would you want to do that?"

She shrugged. "Don’t know. I guess because I'll never be on a cover again."

My phone rang, and I went over to take it. We worked in silence most of the morning, until lunch came around, Lidia wouldn't let me forget it. After numerous of attempts at getting my attention, she tossed a paper wad at my head.

"Excuse you," I said, shutting my laptop.

"Feed me, hungry," she said in a caveman's voice. When I didn't laugh, she shoved from her desk and stood up. "I'm going next door to the barbeque place, which sounds so good right now."

I watched her walk toward the door. "Wait," I said, standing up. "I'll go with you."

She batted her eyelashes. "I feel so honored to be accompanied for a meal with you, Mr. Archer. But please don't embarrass me with your fame."

Unable to help it, I gave her a soft love tap to the back of her leg with the toe of my boot.

She stopped. "Being around my is loosening you up. I think I like it."

I cleared my throat, ignoring the truth of that statement as we descended the stairs. Rebecca sat at her desk, eating a salad, not looking up from her phone to greet us.

"Want anything from next door—"

"No," she said.

Lidia kept walking out into the hot Houston sunlight and laughed once we made it next door. "I think she's still mad."

"I'd say so," I said.

Truth be told, I wasn't a huge fast-food eater, and meal prepped most of the time. But with the festivities of the last few days, I hadn't had time this week. Lidia made her way to the counter and ordered a barbeque sandwich with extra coleslaw and a side of curly fries.

I didn't know where she would put that food, but I ordered the same. She went to pay but I stopped her. She smiled big as we took our food and sat down at a metal table for two in the corner.

"I think I can get used to free food," she said with a grin. "Which Scott normally pays for my stuff."

I took a bite and stifled my moan. This is good. "What's the deal with you and Scott?" I asked.

Lidia drenched her fries in ketchup and took an unladylike bite of her sandwich. "Oh my gosh, this is good," she said, pointing at her sandwich. "Uh, nothing is the deal," she said. "I've known Scotty since elementary. We've been friends forever."

We continued to eat for a few moments. "Yeah, but he seems awfully protective of you. Does he have a crush on you?"

She snorted. "No. Never. It's not like that. I didn’t make girl friends in school easily, I didn't dress like the other girls, and they made fun of me. He took my underneath his wing and I just stuck—like glue."

I snagged the ketchup. "Why is that?"

She glanced up from underneath long natural lashes. "Why is what?"

"Why do you dress different? I've … noticed you don't show a lot of skin and you don't care what anybody thinks about it."

She twirled a curly fry into her mound of ketchup and ate it slow. "I think it's a privilege to see my skin. If a man wants to see, he can work for it."

I watched her devour her meal, and leave only crumbs, which I mimicked because it was delicious. We were on our way out when I heard, "Lidia Lambert?"

"Oh no," she whispered, trying to hide behind me but I pulled her out and stared at the guy walking toward us.

He stared at Lidia as if she held the world, a wide smile and heavy jawline. I didn't like that he ignored me standing beside her and went in for a hug. With light hair, his dark eyes stood out against tanned skin. "It's been so long, how are you?" he asked.

She tucked her hair behind her ear, suddenly nervous and laughed awkwardly. "I'm good. How about you? How's your mom?"

"Great. She asks about you all the time. I ran into Scotty the other day. He said y'all were still rooming together. How's that going?"

"Same ole, same ole," she said, eyeing me quickly.

I cleared my throat loudly, drawing her attention. He glanced like he didn't realize I'd been standing there. "Oh, my apologies," he said. "I'm Kyle. You are?"

"Jace Archer."

"Cool, y'all work together?"

"Yes—"

"We're getting married," I blurted out. I wasn't sure why I needed this guy to know that, but he needed to know. He needed to know that he couldn't openly gawk at her the way he was, especially when I wasn't around.

Kyle looked down at Lidia and mouthed, "Oh. I had no idea you were dating anyone. Congratulations."

"Thanks," she mumbled awkwardly.

"Well, I better get going. I have to be back to work in ten minutes. It was nice to see you, Lid."

Lidia high-tailed it out of the restaurant and took a deep breath. "Ugh," she mumbled. "That was so awkward."

I shoved my hand into my slacks and tilted my head at her. "Why? He seemed nice."

She eyed me. "Long story."

"I have time."

She looked at her imaginary watch on her wrist and pointed toward the gallery. "We only have a few minutes left."

I grabbed her elbow and drew her near me. "Good thing I know the boss. Who was that?"

She glanced down the sidewalk. "Kyle."

I gave her a deadpanned look. "How do you know Kyle?"

She sighed deeply. "We dated a year or so back. He … asked me to marry him."

I must have looked taken aback because she narrowed her eyes at me. "Why is that surprising."

"I wasn't expecting that. And you obviously said no, why? You didn't like him?" I asked.

Lidia looked down at her flats. "It wasn't right, ya know?"

"I do. Did he … did he earn the right to see skin?" I couldn’t believe I asked that, and I bit my bottom lip quickly. Why did it matter who had seen her naked? It didn't.

Lidia scoffed. "Nunya business, Mr. Archer. I bet I'd need a checklist for all the women that's seen you naked."

"Give or take," I said. "Listen, Lidia," I said pulling her off to the side of the sidewalk, watching the emotions dancing along her face. "I didn't mean to pry or get into your business. I just briefly thought if he had, it must have been something for him to propose to you."

The deepest crimson red tinted her cheeks. "Don't worry about it," she said. "You won’t be finding out."

I laughed. "What are you talking about? We're engaged, of course I will," I said matter-of-factly.

Lidia gave me a deadpanned look and started back to work. I couldn’t help but laugh when she opened the door dramatically and said, "You wish."

And for the briefest moments … I did.