AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Are you kidding me?” Marissa asks as she hands me my drink.
“We’re just curious!” she says while she runs her finger around the rim of her glass.
“Well, how old do you think I am?” I ask.
“Too old for Marissa,” Marissa’s father interjects and Marissa rolls her eyes.
I tense at his comment when I feel Marissa’s hand on my back rubbing in circles. “He’s joking,” she says before she glowers at her father. “Dad…”
“What?”
“You said you’d be nice,” she says and her father gives her a look that seems like he probably did not say that.
“I’m thirty-five,” I say in response to their question. Very close to thirty-six but no need to get into specifics.
“Hmmm, and how old are you again?” her aunt asks Marissa.
“Old enough,” Marissa responds with a fake smile before she reaches for my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.
“For what!?” her uncle chimes in. A chuckle follows right after and I like to think that they’re all just giving us a hard time.
“Kimmy says you’re Marissa’s boss. True or false?” Her aunt asks and I can tell she’s going to have a lot more questions for me as the night goes on, especially if she continues to consume alcohol at the speed she is.
Marissa groans. “Aunt Theresa…didn’t I say no questions?”
“I didn’t agree to that.” She takes another long sip of her wine and picks up her purse.
“Neither did I,” her father says. “You mind if we have a little chat?” he asks me.
I shake my head.“Not at all.”
Marissa gives my hand one final squeeze before I follow her father towards the back patio. I look over my shoulder and notice she mouths to me, You’ll be fine! Relax! She taps her cheeks and gives me a smile that makes me chuckle.
He closes the door behind us leaving us alone on their back patio and despite being outside the air feels tense around us. There’s a table and quite a bit of patio furniture with standing lights illuminating the space, and he takes a seat at the table.
“Take a seat,” he says, gesturing towards one of the chairs. “So, naturally I have a few questions.”
“Of course. I would imagine so.” I just hope I’m able to answer them truthfully without giving any information that Marissa doesn’t want them to know.
“My wife met you two and a half years ago.”
“That’s right.”
He scratches his clean-shaven jaw and leans back in his chair. “Why am I just meeting you now?”
“Well, Marissa has only been home from Paris for a few days.”
He raises an eyebrow at me. “Don’t insult my intelligence.” Marissa always described her father as lighthearted so I’m a little surprised at his demeanor, but I understand his skepticism.
“We weren’t together while she was in Paris, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Hmmm.” He taps the side of his glass. “Your company doesn’t care that she works for you?”
“They…don’t know about us.”
He frowns. “I see. So, then what’s the endgame here? If you two continue down this road, she has to quit her job? What happens if people find out? I assume that would all blow back on her.”
“I wouldn’t let that happen.”
