Suddenly Booked

Chapter 3.

I have been in awkward and unpleasant situations and attended just as many events before this, but for the life of me, I could not think of a single one that was worse than sitting here for this damn dinner.

From the moment mom and I had finally maneuvered my handy-capable self down the stairs and into the dining room, things have gone from okay to unbearable.

When mom and I were getting me ready, or at least I was getting myself ready as best as I could while trying to keep a modicum of decorum and some dignity for myself, while my mom kept trying to barge in on my shower and while I was getting dressed.

Once I had my underwear and bra on, I finally let her in to help me get dressed. Since the temp cast was a bit bulky, we ended up choosing an old white and yellow sun dress that she had along with some of my old clothes.

Mom didn’t have any shoes for me, but since I was in this damn cast, I knew that I wasn’t going to be going anywhere in the next day or two, plus walking on bare feet was easier to maneuver around.

Too bad I hadn’t considered what coming downstairs with french braids, a dress that was at least one size too small, and barefooted might look like to these two men who had somehow become a part of my life.

Mik, was standing by the massive oak table that had bench-style seating and was in the process of placing two large bamboo bowls on an already full tabletop.

I had just taken the last step down and into the small hall that lead practically right into the dining room, when mom quickly came around me and headed straight to Mik.

He opened his arms and pulled her into a tight embrace. Mik was a tall-tanned man with close-cropped salt and pepper hair on the top of his head and a mustache and goatee that really suited him.

Mik’s build was leanly muscled, and I noticed in the short sleeve button up that he wore, that he had one arm full of tattoos. If I would have seen him out and about, I would have assumed that he was some kind of biker.

But my attention didn't stay on my mother because as I scanned the room I was about to walk into, I saw a familiar face walk into the other entrance to the room.

Bastian Marquez, my old tutor from my freshman year and one of the biggest pains in the a** I’ve ever met, stared at me with a look of confusion, disgust, and annoyance all laced into one.

Mom was facing the hall that Bastian had just come through and quickly pulled away from her embrace with Mikael so that she could introduce herself to this newcomer.

It wasn’t until Mikael, who kept his arm wrapped around her shoulders as she slowly turned away from him, spun around and said the words that I had immediately started to dread hearing when I saw his face.

“Juliet, I would like to introduce you to my handsome son Bash, I mean Bastian.”

Nothing seemed to be working in that moment. It was like those words were the clincher and the imaginary dagger that was precariously hanging above my head fell right into my chest.

For someone who usually had way too much to say, nothing seemed to come to my mind and I was sure that I was just standing there looking like a broken doll, literally.

Bastian was facing my direction and I saw the gigantic smile that he plastered on his face as he shook my moms hand and then she pounced on him and brought him in for one of her annoying hugs.

It was a bit funny to watch because he had to bend down to hug her fully, but he had done it so easily that as I stood there watching, I couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed and sort of jealous.

Just then, my mom called out to me and brought my wayward thoughts back to the present. She was waving me over to where she stood with Mikael and Bastian and though I dreaded walking over, I had no other choice.

Too bad, I hadn’t been holding the crutches right, or maybe I wasn’t leaning on them correctly since it was my first time using them, but before I knew it the right one had slipped out and away from me and I could feel myself falling forward.

Two arms had rushed out and caught me and my face mere inches from meeting the floor, but they hadn’t been able to keep my knees from banging against the hard wooden floor.

“Uh, this really sucks,” was the only thing that came out of my mouth, thankfully, but I looked up to see who it was that was helping me up. I couldn’t keep the sneer from hitting my face fast enough.

“Are you okay Blayke,” crooned Bastian, who still had both his arms beneath me as he was still lifting me up, even though neither of our parents were close enough to see it. I saw the glare he gave me as he finally got me back on my feet.

“Oh Blayke, goodness, are you okay?”

“Bash, do you know Blayke already?

“Oh yes, it seems like you two are already acquainted.”

Both my mom and Mikael had come rushing over to where I was standing feeling totally f*cking embarrassed, and they were both throwing out questions that I had no inclination to answer aloud.

Of course, Bastian had no problem pretending to be a kind and generous young man. I didn’t miss the smirk he threw at me before turning towards our parents and giving the barest of answers, “Yes, we actually know each other from school.”

Ugh, our parents. How the f*ck had this actually happened?

I guess that’s what this dinner is for right. So that these two love birds can explain their whirlwind romance to their poor innocent children.

Well, innocent isn’t a word that I would usually use to describe myself, but in this situation I think it stands. As for Bastian, that word is definitely in his damn online profile. He is the definition of holier than thou pr*ck.

Mikael had come up beside me and reached out his hand to shake my own. Even though I remembered meeting him last night, I had a feeling that him and my mom were well aware that I was a little tipsy when I had gotten to the hospital.

Thankfully, he wasn’t making it too obvious that he was trying to reintroduce himself to me and was giving me the benefit of the doubt that I had remembered at least most of what had happened last night.

“Blayke, how are you feeling today? I hope that you are not in too much pain,” he said as we quickly shook hands. Mom had picked up my crutches and helped me get one under my arm, and she tucked herself on the opposite side.

Mikael had a look on his face as we briefly shook hands that seemed a bit sad, but if he thought he was going to get more than just a high-five or handshake from me, he was sourly mistaken.

I was not my mother and I did not give out affection easily, not even to her. Affection is a tool that one can use against others, but can also get twisted and others can use against you.

I had learned from a young age that respect was more important than love. Love was a meaningless word that people liked to throw around to manipulate people to do things that they would not normally do.

My mother had once been consumed by a sick and twisted love, and it had almost destroyed her life. She had taught me that for one to love someone, it makes them weak.

When it came to me, she explained that I was a weakness that she treasured and that the love we had for each other was the only kind that she ever truly wanted, and I had come to accept and appreciate her words.

Maybe it was betrayal that I was feeling as I sat on the cushioned bench and watched my mother and Mikael serve the four of us and settle into a comfortable ease that I had never seen in her before.

Try as hard as I might, I wasn’t able to keep Bastian from talking to me. While he had explained that we knew each other from school, he hadn’t said in what capacity we had met, or how we had parted ways.

Thankfully, I had been able to switch the conversation to where I really wanted it to lead and that was to an explanation.

“So are you going to leave us in anticipation or are you two going to shed some light on how you both came to be able to update your status on your profile from single to newly married?”

Where mom smiled and turned a soft shade of pink in her cheeks, Mikael seemed to be beaming and had a smile on his face that spread from ear to ear.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Bastian stabbed his fork into the piece of steak on his fully loaded plate.

We had all been served the same food, but for some reason, even though the food looked delicious, I couldn’t bring myself to take even a single bite.

The two of them started talking at the same time and then both stopped to let the other continue. This happened twice until Mikael reached out and placed his hand atop my moms, “why don’t you start, and I’ll jump in with anything you miss love?”

Public displays of affection have always been a big no no for me. Every guy that I dated or hooked up with knew that from the beginning. So witnessing the ways that these two behaved was beginning to trigger me a bit.

I’m sure that it had something to do with the fact that I could count on my hand the men that my mom has dated over the last twenty or so years.

I couldn’t help but watch in shock and awe as she vividly explained their entire story. Mom used her hands, and even added a few sound effects.

Who was this lady? Bewildered, but trying to keep it from showing on my face was probably the hardest part of listening and watching this little reenactment, but I felt like I was doing a decent job since no one called me out, yet at least.

Mikael had jumped in a few times to add small, insignificant details that didn’t feel like they were absolutely necessary, but when he did I would give him my full attention.

His hand never strayed from my mother's and if their fingers were not interlocked, their bodies touched in one place or the other.

Listening to her story was like listening to one of the audio books I binged when I would work out or when I couldn’t deal with real life. I hadn’t realized that she had asked me something until she repeated herself a bit louder.

“So? I know this seems a little sudden or strange, but neither of us wanted to wait once we realized what we wanted. I hope you two can understand and learn to accept us as a family.”

This time I felt Bastian gazing at me, but there was no way that I could take my eyes away from my mom. Anyone who knew this woman would be able to tell that there was something different about her.

Even in my condition last night, I had been able to tell just from the few moments we had been reunited. Regardless of how I may feel about this whole thing, I was not about to bring her down.

“Wow, that’s a crazy story. What a small world. I think…”

Bastian decided to jump in right then and if I would have been a bit closer to him, and if I had two good legs, I might have reached out and kicked him underneath the table.

“I am incredibly happy for the two of you and am more than happy to welcome you and Blayke into our family. Honestly, dad and I could used to having some good women in our lives.”

Nobody missed the side glance that he sent me, but I think that my mom and Mikael might have thought that he was trying to extend an invitation or being kind.

Too bad I knew that he wasn’t being kind or friendly. On the contrary, he was saying the complete opposite of what he thought, about me at least. He had basically said the exact thing to me the last time we had spoken.

Unable to hold it in any longer, I finally turned my face away from my mom and Mikael and let my gaze slide over to Bastian.

His dark black hair was messy on top of his head and his bangs hung low enough to almost cover his dark gray eyes, but it didn’t hide the glare that he was giving me.

“Yes, you’re right. It would be nice for you to have some good women in your life, too bad you are stuck with me.”

I winked at him and then laughed out loud as I turned back to my mom and Mikael, who looked a bit confused at first but then laughed along with me, but I didn’t miss the quick eyebrow raise that Mikael threw to his son.

Let him pretend to be something he isn’t in front of them, I could care less. Just then mom squeaked, “Blayke, why aren’t you eating? Do you not like the food?”

From the moment I had seen the different plates and bowls of food I had known that my mom had not cooked this. She is as sh*tty a cook as I am, which meant that Mikael had probably made all of this.

“Sorry, I was just so wrapped up in your story that I had forgotten all about my food. I’m so sad that it’s gotten cold by now.” Smiling as innocently as I could, I pushed the food around softly on my plate.

“No, please don’t apologize, I completely understand,” Mikael said, and I saw that he was about to stand and go for my plate. Unsure if he was going to dispose of it or warm it up for me, I turned towards Bastian with big puppy dog eyes.

“Bastian, would you mind going and warming it up for me? I don’t think I can carry it and walk on my crutches at the same time.”

The room was silent as everyone watched to see what Bastian would do and for a moment he looked a bit lost for words, but as we stared at each other, he quickly got his bearings.

“Of course, Blayke, I would be happy to do that for you. Is there anything else that I can get you or that you might need?”

Damn, I have to admit that he was good. But no matter how quick he was, I was better.

“Oh goodness, now that you mention it. I would love to get some lemons for my tea if you have any.”

Bastian’s nostrils flared quickly, but nothing else gave away the fact that he was probably steaming right now.

“Of course. I’ll see what I can find in the kitchen.” Leaning over the table, he grabbed my plate and winked at me as he turned towards the other entrance to the dining room that I assumed led to the kitchen.

“Well, isn’t he a sweetheart,” I heard my whisper to Mikael, but didn’t listen to whatever it was that he responded with because it didn’t matter.

Bastian had told me exactly what he thought of me three years ago, and I knew that nothing would make him change his mind, so as I sat there waiting for his return I was beginning to realize that this would either be the worst or best summer depending on how I played my cards.