The Mechanic

Chapter Thirty - "Roses."

Joe chuckled before turning to me and placing his hand on my back. I stepped forward then, making my presence known to the woman I'd been so anxious to meet.

"Is this Demi?" She asked with a large smile. I nearly lost my breath at how perfectly exact her smile was to Joe's.

"Yes ma'am," I said back, beaming. "I'm so happy to finally meet you. Joe tells me so much."

"You are absolutely beautiful, dear!" She exclaimed, surprising me by pulling me in for a hug as well. I giggled at her energy.

"I was going to say the same to you!" I agreed as she pulled back. Joe's mother was, indeed, gorgeous. She favored Nick more than the rest of her sons; with her dark brown eyes and charcoal black curls. We were about the same height and stature, though she was thoroughly smaller in frame, and much more lean.

"Wow," she sighed happily, her eyes darting back and forth between Joe and I. "Thank you both so much for coming."

"Of course, Ma," Joe said as he took my hand. I watched her eyes follow this move, and when they did, she looked back up at me and gave me a smile. Then she turned to Joe, placing her hand on his bicep.

"Joseph, your father is out front getting some of the gift boxes out of the car. Why don't you go help him while Demi and I finish up some things in the kitchen?"

This suggestion caught the both of us completely off guard, and Joe looked at me unsurely. I could see what was running through his mind, and I felt it too, as we hadn't planned on parting from one another for the majority of the party. I could tell he was feeling a bit conflicted.

"Is that alright with you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

Truthfully, it wasn't. But I nodded and presented him the most convincing smile I could muster.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Hurry back," I said. With that, he leaned over, kissed my temple, and left.

"Follow me, hun," his mother said as she moved toward a long hallway. 

As we walked, the noise in the distance began to fade. All over again I was nervous, but she kept pace with me, her heels clicking against the hardwood flooring.

"I'm Denise, by the way," she said, looking over at me. "Joseph has told me much about you, as well."

"Really?" I asked, trying to control my heart rate.

"Yes," she nodded. "My son seems to have taken quite a liking to you."

Boy, was that an understatement.

Suddenly she stopped walking, and we never made it to the kitchen like I had expected. She turned to face me and pressed both her hands together.

"So, are the two of you dating?"

I blinked, surprised at the question.

"Oh, uh . . . no, not really," I replied honestly.

"But you're living together?"

I pulled my eyebrows together in confusion. We had only decided on that a few hours earlier.

"How did you know that?"

Denise smiled, tucking a curly strand of hair behind her ear; unveiling a white-gold hoop earring.

"It was a guess," she said, simply. "Joseph told me about your situation with . . . Wilmer?"

My heart stopped at the sound of his name.

"He - he did?" I swallowed. 

"Oh now, please don't be upset with him for telling me," she pleaded, taking me by both hands. "I apologize for bringing up such a touchy subject. Joseph and I are very close, and from the way he talks about you, I can tell that you are very special to him."