Page 18 of One Drink

“She’s dating my son,” Mr. Williams said before I had a chance to speak up.

I cringed at the sound of his words. There was so much joy and excitement in his tone. I hated that we’d lied to him. I should’ve insisted Jake told him the truth because now I wanted to run and hide. I wanted to object, but the look on Mr. William’s face stopped me, so I put on my best smile instead. All I had to do was get through this meeting and do my best to make sure all conversations remained focused on work. The last thing I wanted was to talk to others about a relationship that I hadn’t decided to partake in yet.

***

WHAT WERE THE ODDSof Jake’s father being involved with the same charity event I was heading up for the feature in the magazine? I wanted to sort out my emotions with regards to Jake without the rest of the world interfering. Was that too much to ask for? Every time I turned around, something reminded me of him, and how damn good his lips felt against mine. I was equally torn between needing his body pressed against mine again and completely wiping the memory of our night together from my memory.

My only saving grace was that this next week would be busy. The charity event was next Friday, and I didn’t have much time to prepare. I had to get my writer and photographer ready to capture the event and stage a photo shoot at the gallery, and I had to prepare to attend as Jake’s date.

Definitely not getting out of that now.

I needed to get as far away from Mr. Williams as possible before he brought up Jake and made me uncomfortable.

I said my goodbyes quickly and made it a half dozen steps down the sidewalk when I heard my name. “Stephanie, wait.”

Shit.

I turned to find Mr. Williams rushing towards me. I forced my best smile and did my best to calm my nerves. “What else can I do for you, Mr. Will ... Larry?”

“May I walk with you? I know you’re busy, and I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”

“Sure.” I liked Jake’s father. Unlike my father, he’d always seemed kind and supportive. But I couldn’t imagine what he’d have to talk to me about. “Was there something else you needed to discuss with the fundraiser?”

“I was hoping we could talk about Jake.”

I squeezed my eyes closed and inhaled slowly. I didn’t want to talk to him about Jake, but I didn’t want to cause Jake any issues with his father either. I opened my eyes and turned to face him. I hadn’t noticed until now that he had the same smile as Jake. In fact, father and son looked a lot alike. They shared the same kind, gray eyes, sharp jawline, and dark brown hair. Except Mr. Williams’ hair had turned silver in the temples. He was very handsome, and looking at him gave a good indication of how well Jake would age.

“Jake?” I tried to respond in a calm, even tone, but I failed. He had to see the nervousness in my eyes. “What about him?”

“May I be candid with you?”

I thought I was nervous before. Now my mind was running with the worst thoughts possible. “Please, I’d expect nothing less,” I replied.

“Well, how do I put this?” There was a sadness in his voice that wasn’t there a moment ago. “Jake has a way of pushing women away. He’s always struggled with trust.”

“Trust?” I wrinkled my brow. “Jake knows he can trust me.”

“As a friend, yes, but a girlfriend is not the same. I’m sure you’ve noticed Jake hasn’t dated a lot since college. It’s hard for him to hide the wealth associated with the family, and he’s struggled with trusting women to like him for who he is and not his money. He’s been hurt by every woman he’s dated.”

“Larry, I know that about Jake and I hope you know I’m not that kind of person. I’d never date a man just for his money.”

The concern in his eyes was heartbreaking. “We know that—his mother and I—but does Jake?”

“I certainly hope so. We’ve been friends for over ten years and if he thinks I’m dating him now because of his money, then he doesn’t know me at all.” As much as I tried to keep my tone calm, my voice cracked several times. Fuck, I just said I was dating Jake. And why was I upset by the thought of Jake thinking I could be after his money?

“I’m not trying to upset you.” His eyes softened and he squeezed my forearm the way a father would to calm down his own child. “We like you—always have—and it pleases us to no end that you two are finally a couple.”

“Really?” My eyes widened, and butterflies fluttered in my chest. I liked Jake’s parents too. They were everything I wished my parents could be—supportive, loving, understanding.

“Yes.” He chuckled. “Very much. To be honest, we’ve been hoping for years for this. We think you’re good for Jake.”

First Kate and Zoe, and now Jake’s parents. Even Jake admitted he’d been wanting this for years. Was I the only one who never saw us as a couple until now?

“I guess what I’m trying to say—yet very poorly—is don’t let Jake push you away. He can be very stubborn sometimes, and I’d hate to see him lose a lovely girl like you because he let a past experience cause him to doubt you.”

All I could do was nod. Jake wasn’t the one pushing away. That was all me. I was the one letting my past create doubt and mistrust, not Jake.

Jake had been more than ready to give a relationship a chance, but I freaked out. I didn’t just push him away—I ran. Jake was one of the most important people in my life, and if my actions broke his trust, even in the slightest, I’d be devastated.