Sway

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

I had never dated a guy who was keen to meet the family until Gage. It got to the point where he was actively bugging me about it. I didn’t want to go to Malibu, and I wasn’t eager to introduce him to Beth and her gold-digging friend, Shelby Clay. But Gage didn’t have a family of his own anymore. He had no one but himself and it was selfish of me to keep him from my family just because I had mixed feelings about them. So at last I stood in front of our beach house, clutching Gage’s hand.

Memories—none of them good—threatened to wash over me.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I kissed him, pressing my body against his. His arms tightened around my waist and he moaned against me. Even without the taste of chocolate, Gage’s kisses were like a melted dessert. I didn’t want to let go, didn’t want to stop tasting. Didn’t want to remember my family was waiting just inside the door.

I pulled back with a sigh. “Let’s get this over with.”

He kissed me again, hard and sexy, and then led me to the door.

“Oh, you’re here,” Beth said when we’d gone inside. She eyed Gage standing beside me with interest. A lot of interest.

“Who are you?” she asked, somehow conveying worlds of flirt in those three words.

“Gage Johnson,” he replied. c*****g a hip, Beth looked him up and down. Gage put his arm around me. “Ava’s boyfriend.”

“That’s nice,” she said. It was obvious she didn’t mean it.

Shelby appeared in the front entrance. She took one look at Gage and almost tackled him.

“I’m Shelby,” she said, standing right in his personal space and grabbing his hand. “You look really familiar, have I met you before?”

Gage introduced himself again and told Shelby that maybe she’d seen him on TV. Once Shelby heard that, she suctioned herself to him like a vacuum cleaner.

“I bet I’ve seen you in something. I would never forget your face…” She continued to gush. I eyed the blush covering her fake-baked skin, the tight, low-cut top, the tiny shorts, the wedge heels. Her gold-digging ways were obviously not limited to my dad.

“Down, Shelby!” Beth snapped. Shelby turned beet red and retreated. Beth turned back to Gage and gave him her most seductive smile. “Where’s Dad?” I asked.

“He’s in the living room,” Beth answered, her eyes never leaving my boyfriend’s face.

I pulled Gage out from under my sister’s covetous stare and into the living room. Our Malibu beach house was light, airy and beautiful. The floors were a glossy maple, the walls creamy, the furniture all shades of white and pale blue. Most of the windows looked out over the beach and ocean.

“Hi, Sweet Pea,” Dad said. With his legs resting on the ottoman, his jeans cuffed above his ankles, and his crisp striped polo shirt, my dad could easily have passed for forty. I didn’t know how he did it. Aside from Botox. And expensive face creams. A deal with the devil seemed likely.

“Hi, Dad.” I kissed him on the cheek. “How’ve you been?”

Dad folded his newspaper and set it on the coffee table. He sighed loudly. “It’s exhausting not having servants.” He pulled a baby wipe from his man-bag to scrub away any germs.

I copied his sigh, but for a different reason. “Dad, I’d like you to meet Gage Johnson.” Gage stepped forward, extending his hand. “Gage, this is my dad, Walter Elliot.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Walter,” Gage said.

Dad stood and clasped Gage’s hand in a manly shake. “Nice to meet you too. I’ve been waiting for Ava to bring you over, ever since your call.”

I turned to Gage in surprise. “You called him?”

Gage cleared his throat. “I was…anxious to talk to him.”

I stared at him. Was that weird, or was it just me?

“I’m happy you did,” Dad said. “George and I were the best of friends. We starred on The Time of Our Life together. Then there was that unfortunate business and everything changed. I’m afraid I couldn’t quite forgive him.”

I frowned. It was unlike Dad to have very strong feelings about someone unless they had a crooked nose or a lot of acne.

“I was so sorry to hear of his passing,” Dad continued, resuming his seat on the couch. “Especially when things were left so rotten between us.”

“My father wanted to make amends,” Gage said, sitting next to Dad. His tanned legs looked extra brown against the white couch. I took a seat across from them. “When he couldn’t, he made me promise that I would.”

“I appreciate that. And I appreciate you going to the trouble of reaching out. Your father would be proud.” Dad and Gage smiled at each other in a heart-warming father-son Hallmark moment. It was weird.

“I had an audition today,” Gage said, settling into the couch.

Dad smiled in genuine interest. They were speaking the same language. “What for?”

I looked between the two of them, already so at ease with each other. Their phone call must have been more than just making amends for past misunderstandings. Dad obviously knew a lot about Gage. It was like they were continuing a previous conversation while I’d gone invisible.

“That new HBO drama, City Secrets,” Gage replied.

Dad nodded. “I know the producer, Thea Hart. Excellent woman. Not a wrinkle and almost fifty.” A look of admiration crossed his face. “How did the audition go?”

Gage’s sigh blew through the room like a gust of wind. “You know how it is. A few dozen hopefuls all vying for the same role. I don’t know if I did enough to stand out.”

“It’s a tough business to crack,” Dad agreed. “But you’re a good-looking boy. I’m sure you’ll get the part.”

Gage’s mouth tightened. “I don’t know. I wish I knew how the audition went. Where I stand, if I even have a chance? Or what I could do to improve for next time, you know?”

“I’ll talk to Thea for you. Put in a good word.”

I tried to contain my surprise. Dad had never been supportive like this with Eric.

Gage protested. “You don’t have to do that.”

“No problem,” Dad said. “Everyone needs a leg up in this business. Your father would have done it. Since he’s not around, I’m glad to step in.”

Gage smiled. “Thank you, sir.”

* * * * *

I cooked dinner that night for my family, steamed organic vegetables and grilled chicken. Gage helped me, taking over the barbecue and kissing me when he wasn’t brushing the meat with marinade.

Aunt Rose arrived, anxious to meet my new boyfriend. I hadn’t seen her in weeks but I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. At the dinner table, she watched Gage and me, a smile on her lips.

“How did you two meet?” she asked.

Gage seemed eager to tell the story. “Nothing that romantic, unfortunately,” he said. “We met at a dance club downtown. Ava dropped her bottle of water and I picked it up. It was fate.”

He grinned at me. “When we danced, I knew that couldn’t be the end of it,” Gage continued. “I had to see her again. It wasn’t hard to find her, although it was a bit harder to convince her to go out with me.” He winked.

“How long have you been dating?” Shelby asked.

“Not long,” I said. “We’ve gone on a few dates.”

Shelby looked hopeful at that. Or maybe my dislike of her was clouding my judgment.

“The best dates I’ve ever had,” Gage gushed.

I stabbed my chicken with my fork. His over-the-top enthusiasm was starting to get on my nerves. Maybe I should’ve felt grateful that he wasn’t hiding his feelings for me in front of my family. That he wasn’t giving Shelby or Beth the time of day. But for some reason I felt breathless and suffocated by it.

“It’s about time Ava found someone like you,” Dad said.

My whole body tensed, my back rigid against the wood chair.

“First what’s-his-name,” Dad went on. I cringed, knowing full well who he meant. “And then some obscure tuba-player you brought around for Mari’s wedding.”

“Cellist,” I interrupted. “Kaz played the cello.”

Dad waved his hand dismissively and leaned toward me. “You hold on to this one,” he said, pointing at Gage. It sounded like a warning.

“Believe me, sir,” Gage said, “I have no intention of letting her go.”

Beth gagged into her vegetables. Despite being the oldest, maturity had never been her strong suit.

“Anyway,” I interjected, “how was your day, Aunt Rose?”

As Aunt Rose proceeded to tell me about how busy she’d been at work and her latest shopping spree at Chanel, I picked at my food, fuming inside. All it took was one afternoon and Dad and Aunt Rose were already crazy about Gage. I wasn’t sure why they liked him so much after such a short time. Why did that bother me?

After dinner, while Dad and Aunt Rose continued their bonding time with Gage, I went in search of Beth. I cornered her in her bedroom.

“I need to talk to my sister alone for a second,” I said to Shelby, who was reapplying her makeup at Beth’s vanity. She pouted but left the room. I turned to Beth.

“You need to be careful of Shelby,” I said. Beth put her hands on her hips and glared at me. “You know what she’s after.”

“What? Are you worried she’ll steal your boyfriend?”

I leaned against the doorframe. “It’s not Gage she wants.”

For a brief moment, Beth looked thoughtful. Then her face turned snotty. “Whatever. You’re just jealous.”

“Are you serious?” It was like talking to one of Aunt Rose’s Chanel handbags.

“Shelby’s my friend. She’s more fun to hang out with than you.” She moved to my spot in the doorway and put her face close to mine. “Maybe it’s not her you should be worried about.”

She stalked from the room before I could ask her what she meant.