His theory was proving to be right.
But dinner with his mother felt…too real.
“Stop fidgeting. You look perfect, Sena. Seriously, I’ve never seen a woman more beautiful,” Vaughn whispered in my ear as we rode the private elevator up to their home.
“What if your mother hates me?” I asked nervously.
“She won’t,” he promised, though his tone wasn’t all that convincing.
Mrs. Richards might have owned the Jet Times, but it was rare anyone actually saw her. She retired just before I started working there and was happy to live up in her castle, blissfully unaware of all the hard work we did.
The elevator doors opened, revealing a swanky party in full swing. Women in evening gowns were walking around, every square inch of the home was decorated for Christmas. Greenery and trees covered each corner. Waiters carrying trays were passing out cocktails and food. “May I take your jacket, miss?” a man to my right asked.
“Oh. Sure,” I clumsily replied before Vaughn helped me take off my coat and handed it to him.
“Hey, Jefferey,” Vaughn greeted with a nod before placing his hand at my lower back and guiding me to the dining room.
“Who even are all these people?” I hissed.
“No idea. My mother likes to beef up the guest list every year. Ah—thank you.” Vaughn grabbed two flutes of champagne and handed one to me.
“What if they recognize me from the drunk walkout I did at the holiday party?” I asked while nervously looking around. “What if your brother says something?”
“My brother was high as hell at the holiday party. He probably doesn’t even remember.”
That was reassuring. Yet another reason I wasn’t really looking forward to working with him, should I accept the new position at Jet Times.
“Oh! Vaughny!” a woman exclaimed. “Come here, son.”
I straightened my spine and turned around to look at the woman that called Vaughn. She was wearing a emerald green sequined Christmas dress that fell all the way to the floor and had a slit up to the thigh. Her bottle blonde hair was curled tightly against her head, and the bright diamonds on her fingers glistened under the twinkle lights. She had red lipstick, false lashes, and a plastic expression. She looked like she had spent a lot of money on Botox, and her stiff expression echoed that. She held out her hands for a hug, and Vaughn sighed while gliding over to her.
“Mother,” he greeted, though there was no warmth in his tone.
“Oh, darling, it’s so good to see you,” she exclaimed loudly before wrapping him in a hug and saying, “You were supposed to be here an hour ago. It’s embarrassing.”
He pulled away, his smile tight. “I apologize, Mother, I was helping Sena pick out a Christmas tree today, and we lost track of time.”
It had been a wonderful day. Vaughn, Adam, and I went to a local tree farm and spent hours comparing heights, branch thickness, and the overall aesthetic of each tree. Adam was exceptionally picky about his Christmas trees—as he was about everything else. Vaughn and I spent most of the time hiding and stealing kisses.
“Oh? And who is this?”
Vaughn placed his hand on my lower back. “Mother, this is Sena. She works at the Jet Times. I’m hoping she will be my replacement.”
“Oh! A coworker. Nice.”
My cheeks burned from embarrassment. Vaughn and I hadn’t exactly explained our relationship to one another. Labels felt a little too intense at the moment, especially since I was still talking with Mary about the San Francisco opportunity. But I was definitely more than a coworker. What exactly did you call someone that you were regularly hooking up with? Friends with benefits? Trial run girlfriend? Vaughn must have sensed my unease, because he opened his mouth to speak once more. Unfortunately, I’d never know what he was going to say because his mother interrupted him.
“Julia Love is here. The mayor’s daughter. She asked about you, and I promised her you’d sit at her side for the dinner. I think you two would make a cute couple, don’t you think?”
“Mom. That’s not—”
“Oh! There she is. Julia! Come here!”
My cheeks burned from embarrassment, and I turned to look at the woman approaching us, immediately wishing I could hide the moment I saw her. Julia Love was stunning and exactly the sort of woman I’d seen on Vaughn’s arm over the years. Model-like looks. Plush lips. Long legs. Breasts that were practically spilling out of her designer dress. “Vaughn! It’s so good to see you again,” she said before leaning in and kissing the corner of his mouth. I took a step backward. Yep. I wanted out of here.
He cleared his throat. “Good to see you too.”
“Why don’t you show Julia the patio? She’d love the view of the city,” Mrs. Richards insisted.
“I don’t want to leave Sena—”
“Nonsense!” Mrs. Richards exclaimed. “I’m sure she’ll be just fine. Go! Have fun.”
My eyes burned as Julia grabbed Vaughn’s arm and started walking him to the door. “Please? Oh, I’ve heard it’s just beautiful.” Even her voice was perfect. Sultry. Soft.
Vaughn stared at me, panic on his face. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
I swallowed and nodded. “Sure thing.”
I watched his back as the two of them disappeared outside, a heavy feeling in my stomach. It suddenly became painfully clear why I was so terrified to make things official with Vaughn. This was his life. He was always around women like Julia Love and attending wealthy parties.
“I know you,” Mrs. Richards said before taking a sip of her drink. She looked me up and down, the sweet pleasantries of earlier gone.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You’re the girl that Vaughn resigned for. The girl that got drunk at the holiday party and made a spectacle of herself.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but I didn’t know what to say. “Mrs. Richards,” I began, but my words died in my throat.
“Do you see them out there? Julia is a nice girl. Ambitious. Comes from a good family. They look”—she paused— “right together, don’t they?”
I followed her gaze and frowned when I saw the two of them looking over the skyline and laughing about something. Julia touched his shoulder. She leaned in. Her face was inches from his…
“Why don’t you go home, Sarah, was it?”
“Sena,” I corrected her, my throat clogged from emotion.
“Whatever. Merry Christmas.”
With that, Mrs. Richards walked off.
I stared at Vaughn for a moment longer, all my fears coming to a head. I let out a shaky exhale and made my way back to the elevator, not even bothering to grab my coat.
I didn’t belong here. I certainly didn’t belong on Vaughn’s arm.
Once I was on the sidewalk below their towering building, my phone began to ring. Vaughn. I stared at the screen for a long moment before sending it to voicemail. There was only one person that could salvage my night.
“Adam?” I said after he answered on the third ring.
“Are you okay?”
I sniffled. “I don’t have a jacket.”
“It’s twelve degrees outside!” he exclaimed. “I sent you the weather report before your date!”