Page 78 of Living with Fire
“He did. I was sitting in the living room with him. The first thing out of his mouth was, ‘I wish we knew where Savanna was so I could gloat over this’,” my grandma interjects, causing the three of them to laugh. “I told him it was rude to gloat, but he assured me you’d understand as a hockey fan.”
My grandpa smirks. “I also told her that you’d throw it right back if the situation was reversed.”
It’s a known fact in my family that it can take my grandparents time to warm up to someone new, but no one ever lets that stop them from bringing dates. I’ve always thought it took them time because all the cousins learned early to bring someone along if we didn’t want to face the aunts and their swarms of questions. It probably got hard for them to keep up on the revolving door of dates that were coming and going.
For them to already know Savanna, and obviously like her—did my grandfather call her sweetheart?—I feel mind-blown.
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” I ask, scratching the back of my head as I look between the three of them. “How do you all know each other?”
They exchange glances. I know there’s a story there judging by the looks that cross each of their faces, but it’s Savanna who finally turns to look at me, a blush creeping into her cheeks. “You remember the day we met in the elevator?”
I nod.
She shifts where she stands, her fingers fidgeting with the skirt of her dress. “Remember how I told you I was with clients, and walked in on that thing?”
I nod again, my eyebrows pulling downwards as I frown, thinking about that asshole of a boss she had.
Savanna gestures towards my grandparents. “Meet the clients.”
My mouth falls open. I stare at the three of them, putting it together. My grandparents were there, experiencing her boss fucking a woman in a boardroom?
They’re a little old fashioned; they believe in getting married before having kids, not living with your partner until you’re married, and if they had it their way, I’m sure no one would have sex before they’d said ‘I do’. They’ve had to evolve over the years, though, because I know not one of us from my generation has followed all those beliefs.
For them to walk in on someone having sex, not just in a place of work, but somewhere they do business, I can only imagine the outrage they felt.
My face and neck burn thinking about the hallway from a few minutes ago. The hallway in their house. I don’t even want to think about the outrage they’d feel if they knew what Savanna and I had been doing. What I’d wanted to do. What I’d been about to do if Jordan hadn’t walked in.
“We tried to reach you the next day, but the receptionist told us you’d quit,” my grandma says with a frown. “I was disappointed we couldn’t get a hold of you, but thankful to hear you weren’t working for them anymore.”
“I packed my stuff right after you left,” Savanna tells them, waving her hand in the air. “There was no way I could stay there after that. And, as it happens, I met Nate on my way out of the building.”
She turns her smile on me. I’m still reeling from the last minute of conversation, but I manage to return the expression, despite the fact I think Savanna’s lips are still red and swollen from our impromptu make-out session.
Her gaze turns perplexed, and she looks between me and my grandparents, a thought suddenly occurring to her. “But wait, how do you guys know each other?”
I gesture towards the couple opposite us. “Meet the grandparents.”
Savanna’s eyes move between me and them, widening. It’s her turn to put everything together, and I wonder if I looked as dumbfounded as she does now. “Oh wow. What a small world.”
Embarrassment aside, my heart warms as my grandparents watch us, and I watch Savanna. I squeeze her to my side, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “The smallest.”
“I like her, Nathan,” my mom says as she steps up beside me.
I’m standing on the upper deck, gazing down where Savanna is with my sister, and a few of my cousins and their spouses, around the large firepit in the center of the patio. Jordan came and stole her a little while ago, saying she wanted to introduce her to some of the family without me around. Savanna seemed more than happy to go with her, even though I was a little concerned what might be said without me around.
Again, I should have known better; every awkward situation I’ve put her in she handles with grace and ease. Her “I got this” attitude is so sexy. Watching her down there now, I can’t help but feel that she fits in perfectly with all the crazy that can go on in this family.
I glance at my mom. “Me too.”
“I know. I can tell.” With a knowing smile, she takes a sip from her wine glass. “Been a long time since you brought a girl to one of these things.”
I take a drink of my beer and nod, thinking about what Danny said earlier. He thought it was five years since the last time I brought a girl around, but I think it’s been longer than that. I’ve never been one to bring a date just so everyone would leave me alone. There haven’t been many girlfriends that I’ve felt serious enough about to introduce to this crazy bunch. Mostly because I didn’t want any of them getting the wrong idea about where things were headed when my aunts started talking about marriage and kids.
“This one is different,” I tell her, my eyes drifting back to the blonde below.
“I know,” she repeats, her voice near singsong. “I can tell.”
I raise an eyebrow, turning to her, amused she thinks she knows everything before I tell her. What I don’t admit is she normally does. “Oh yeah? What else can you tell?”