Jesse and I said goodnight to Erica and we left the reception with his hand planted firmly on my ass. It seemed like everyone had knowing eyes on us as we made our exit. Were we that obvious? I tried to ignore their stares and focus my attention elsewhere. Luckily, Jesse looked dashing in his suit and tie, and he was a great distraction. As we walked across the parking lot, I couldn't help thinking about getting that snazzy suit off of him. By the time he opened the car door for me, I'd mentally jotted down about eleven different ways to use his silk tie for fun.
In the car, I was still a little annoyed about Jesse not letting me know he'd returned, but my attention was almost entirely focused on the gorgeous view of him sitting beside me. He was driving about twenty miles over the speed limit and comfortably lounging back in his seat like he didn't have a care in the world. His window was rolled down, his hair whipping with the wind. It reminded me of the way Alex's horses' manes flowed in the wind when they ran across the field.
My thoughts traveled to Alex, briefly wondering what he was up to, but my focus was brought back to Jesse when he placed a hand on my thigh, smiling confidently as he looked ahead.
The drive was almost entirely silent. Very little small talk was made. Eventually, we came to a fancy neighborhood with impressive and elaborate Christmas decorations lighting up every home. The area resembled the neighborhood Jesse lived in with the multitude of expensive cars and mansion-style homes. His Maserati fit right in.
"Where are we?" I asked while Jesse pulled into the long driveway of a gorgeous three-story house that had the brightest light display on the block.
He cut the engine and I paused for a moment, waiting for him to tell me what was going on. He didn't say anything and got out of the car. I followed suit a few seconds later.
Further up the driveway were several people gathered near the front door. They were all dressed very formally, and though I didn't know what the occasion was, I was glad that I was dressed for it.
Jesse's arm rested at my waist as he led me toward the house.
"This is my family's home," he told me. "My parents are having a Christmas party and I wanted to introduce you to everyone. Since you're already dressed for a party, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to have you meet my family."
Meet his family? I'd already met his sister, Lillian, whom I liked. She'd seemed so sweet when we spoke. But I wasn't exactly jumping at the chance to meet the rest of the family. It seemed too soon to be meeting them. Besides, Christmas party or not, I was not an invited guest. I felt like I was imposing.
As we walked up the narrow stone path, I wondered how Jesse was going to introduce me. We weren't officially dating yet. We were more like friends-with-benefits with a side of date nights. The last thing I wanted the Reese's to think was that we were fuck buddies. I didn't want to come across as the slut hanging out in Jesse's bed. I couldn't help wondering if he was going to refer to me as his girlfriend, though. I was anxious to hear what he would say to his parents, but at the same time, I didn't really want to meet them.
"Oh, okay." I nodded awkwardly as we reached the entryway.
The inside of the house was incredible. No – incredible was an understatement. There was a massive twelve-foot-tall Christmas tree in the middle of the living room. It was covered in sparkling ornaments and surrounded by presents wrapped in shiny paper and velvet bows. Every corner of the house was home to a vibrant gold pot full of bright red poinsettias. Every wall had twinkling lights strung across it. There was a grand stone fireplace crackling in the corner with lighted garland draped over the mantle and gold metallic reindeer positioned just perfectly. The entire house looked like something out of a magazine. I was waiting for the HGTV crew to appear any second.
I glanced down the hallway to my left where the dining room was decked out in Christmas decor also. A beautiful flower arrangement rested in the center of the long mahogany table. Almost everyone in the house was holding a glass of wine or champagne. I thought I saw a small minority drinking eggnog. Everyone looked so corporate and serious. It felt more like a business networking event than a Christmas party, and I was sure that's what all the guests were doing – networking.
"What do you think? A little over the top?" Jesse chuckled as he glanced around at all the decorations and snooty businesspeople.
I thought everything looked amazing. It was exactly how I'd want my home to look if I had the ability to decorate my own home that beautifully. But I was a little more old fashioned when it came to the guest list and what I thought the guests should be doing. To me, there's a big difference between an office Christmas party and an at-home Christmas party. But that's just me.
"No," I smiled, mesmerized by the dazzling tree. "It's beautiful. I love it. I wish my house looked like this."
Jesse nodded. "It is nice. I agree."
He led me to the refreshments table where the smell of hot chocolate that had been tugging at my heartstrings originated. The first sip was like heaven in a mug. It had probably been a decade since the last time I'd had any.
"You don't, by any chance, feel like dancing, do you?" Jesse asked, snaking his arm around my waist again. "Because I hear All I Want for Christmas Is You, and you can't not dance to a song like that."
I started to shake my head when I saw that no one else was dancing, but Jesse wasn't about to take no for an answer. He took my hot chocolate and set it back on the table, grabbing both my hands and dragging me to the center of the room.
"We're the only ones dancing," I whispered, resting my head on his shoulder as we swayed to the music.
Jesse breathed a laugh and spun me in a perfect circle. My dress flowed outward as I turned and a smile broke out on my face.
People started to stare, probably judging us for not being as stiff as them. I wanted to tell everyone to lighten up.
I loosened up, myself, and started to really get into dancing. Jesse started a game of whispering to me every time he pulled me back to his chest, commenting something sarcastic about different guests. I was having a hard time stifling my laughter. Especially when he nodded to a man he said was a hotshot attorney and said the guy looked constipated. I nearly snorted, trying to hold in a laugh.
A slow song came on and Jesse pulled me tightly against his torso, wrapping his arms around my waist while I slung mine around his neck. His piercing blue eyes bore into mine and my breath hitched.
This man was every woman's dream guy. He had the looks, the car, the mansion-style house, the successful job. He could even dance better than anyone else I'd ever been with. His idea of a night on the town could probably make any woman scream with excitement. Not to mention, he was a superstar in the bedroom – and on the desk... and in the car... and in the kitchen... This man had everything a woman could want, and he was chivalrous and down to earth. If Jesse wasn't perfect, he was damn near close. I would be crazy not to accept if he asked me to be his girlfriend.
But what about Alex? He was his own brand of amazing. Alex was very attractive, gentlemanly, and determined. He had so many great qualities. He was a family man and devoted to supporting his mom. He clearly loved animals. He may not have the fanciest job title, but he was successful in his own right and he was trying to make a name for himself.
Like Jesse, Alex could cook, obviously, and he was very, very good at it. Sure, he didn't have the big, elaborate house or the shiny new sports car, but those weren't must-haves anyway, unless you're a Kardashian, I suppose. I didn't look for the handsome, rich type. That wasn't something I cared about. Alex was an equal contender to Jesse at this point, and that was the problem. I was going to have to make a choice eventually. Or as Selena often said, I'd have to "shit or get off the pot." Frankly, I was nervous as hell about making that decision.
"My mother is heading this direction." Jesse leaned closer to me to mumble in my ear, jerking me out of my thoughts.
I instantly felt anxious at the thought of meeting her. What if she didn't like me? What if she thought it was inappropriate that I was dancing around like an idiot at her party? I still had yet to see anyone else dance.
"Just wait. She'll want to tell you the history of the tree," he chuckled.
I frowned in confusion as he twirled me one last time. "What?"
"She never passes up an opportunity to talk about it this time of year," he quickly explained as Mrs. Reese approached us.
She wore an incredibly sparkly wine-red dress that dragged on the floor, hiding her heels. Her earrings were massive capes hanging down to her shoulders with diamonds that practically blinded you when the light hit them. Her necklace was equally glamourous. She held a champagne flute and strutted around the house like she was the Queen of England, looking down to everyone. I half expected people to bow when she entered the room.
"Oh, Jesse, darling!" she smiled brightly, pulling him into a hug that looked fairly uncomfortable for him. "It seems like it's been forever since you've been by! How was what's-her-name's wedding?"
She hadn't once looked in my direction and I was feeling more displaced by the second. It also grated on my nerves how she didn't refer to Erica by her name. The way she said it sounded on purpose, like she hadn't forgotten her name, but rather, she didn't want to say it.
"Erica's wedding was great," Jesse replied, emphasizing her name and then turning to me with a broad smile. "Mother, this is Kate."
Mrs. Reese's eyes traveled over my attire and I could tell she was judging my outfit. If I had known the party was going to be this extravagant, I would've worn something fancier. There were even butlers dressed in tuxedos making rounds with the champagne tray. I wondered if they called Mrs. Reese "Your Majesty."
"Oh." She looked anything but pleased, staring at my hand extended for a shake as if it were going to bite her. She finally took my hand in hers for two seconds. "How do you do?"
"Very nice to meet you." I faked a smile, already anxious to leave.
I could tell she didn't like me and I wasn't interested in being around her any longer.
Her gaze turned to the Christmas tree and just as Jesse had told me, she began an enthusiastic narration of the story behind the tree.
"Just look at it!" she grinned. "It was my grandmother's and then my mother's, though she never decorated quite the way I have it done now. It's been in our family for generations. For being an artificial tree, it's held up quite well, don't you think, Kathryn?"
"It's Kathleen, actually, but I go by Kate. And yes, it's beautiful," I complimented, though I wasn't remotely interested in hearing about a hand-me-down tree.
Mrs. Reese nodded confidently. "Yes. I know it is. You know, this is a blue spruce, the most elegant of all trees, and my personal favorite!"
I tried to act as if I knew exactly what she was talking about, but really, I could barely tell you the difference between a birch and a maple. I didn't care what type of evergreen a Christmas tree was. I only cared that it looked nice.
"The blue spruce is highly prized as Colorado's state tree, you know. You did know that, right, Kelly?"
"It's Kate," I corrected again, knowing she was calling me the wrong name on purpose. "Are you from Colorado, Mrs. Reese?"
Her eyes narrowed. "No. I'm not. Jesse, how do you know this... young lady?" she asked like it left a bitter taste in her mouth to call me that.
Jesse and I shared a glance that told me he was equally as irritated by his mother's behavior as I was. I refused to say anything to her about it, however, unwilling to risk screwing up things between Jesse and I. If it were anyone else, though, I'd have probably already told them to grow up.
"We met in a coffee shop," he answered as if it weren't in the least bit cliché. "By some miracle, she agreed to go out with me. So far, I'm really enjoying her company."
Jesse smiled, eyes twinkling as he looked at me with his palm against the small of my back. I felt my cheeks heat up at the sound of his words. He started massaging his thumb against my back and I wanted to curl up in his arms.
Mrs. Reese didn't look so pleased. I assumed her problem was a classic case of no one being good enough for her son. I was probably at the top of the Not Good Enough list. It was obvious she didn't like me, and I knew it was going to be hard to convince her to give me a chance, but I really liked Jesse and I wanted her to see that I wasn't just interested in him for fun or because of his money. If things continued to go well between us, I could definitely see myself making a commitment in the future. I could see us enjoying a relationship. I hoped he felt the same way.
"I see." Jesse's mother raised her eyebrows as if to say it was improper to bring a girl whom her son met in a coffee shop to her home.
Jesse could tell I'd had enough and interrupted before either of us said something a little too rude.
"Well, Mother, I think we'll be going now."
I was sure Mrs. Reese was thrilled at the thought of me leaving.
"Thank you for dropping by, Jesse."
She purposefully ignored me. I wasn't surprised. I didn't expect her to say goodnight to me.
"Goodnight, Mother," Jesse sighed, hugging her before snaking his arm around my waist again.
As we made our way back to the front door, I made sure to speak loudly enough that Mrs. Reese could hear me.
"You know, I really prefer Douglas Firs over any other evergreen," I told Jesse, knowing she overheard.
I hoped it pissed her off that I wasn't as in love with the precious blue spruce as she was. I found it rather amusing.
"Goodnight, Kathy!" I heard her call from behind us. I acted like I hadn't heard her.
We walked back to Jesse's car in silence. I wondered where his father was. I had noticed Lillian across the room at one point talking to her husband and another older man. I'd hoped I'd get the chance to go talk to her, and I figured Jesse had planned to mingle for a little while, but the night didn't seem to be going as expected.
"So how come your mom hates me?" I asked while Jesse drove around the circular driveway back to the street.
He breathed a laugh, shaking his head and turned on the radio. "She doesn't hate you. She just has high expectations."
Almost as high as her drawn on eyebrows, I thought to myself.
"Expectations that I don't meet."
"Well, you just met," he shrugged. "She'll come around. You just have to give it some time."
The way he said that made me think I wasn't the only woman Jesse had brought home whom Mrs. Reese disapproved of. At least, I hoped I wasn't the only one.
"She didn't sound too fond of Erica either," I pointed out.
Jesse tapped his thumb on the bottom of the steering wheel, nodding his head slowly in agreement.
"My mother doesn't approve of my business relationship with Erica because Erica's brother and Lillian used to date. Everything turned out fine and they're still friends, but my mother continues to believe that Jeremy broke Lillian's heart. She's completely banned him from ever setting foot in their house or even speaking to Lilly." He rolled his eyes. "She automatically hates Jeremy's family just because they're related to him and she loves to hold a grudge. So when I told my parents that Erica and I were going to go into business together, my mother all but blew the roof off the house. She acts like I'm working with the enemy. She thinks Erica's got me fooled and that her true intentions are to climb the ladder to success and kick me to the curb."
"That's ridiculous." I shook my head in disgust. "But at least I'm not alone in the Women Mrs. Reese Hates Club."
Jesse drove me back to the reception which was still in full swing two hours later. I was surprised to see Kacey making out with Larry, the waiter, on the hood of a bright yellow sports car. Probably a third of the guests had left by then, but there was still an abundance of party goers enjoying every drop of the alcohol that was flowing.
"Listen," Jesse sighed. "I'm sorry about tonight. My mother can be a bit rude sometimes."
I raised an eyebrow. "A bit?"
He chuckled, nodding. "Okay, a lot. But really, I apologize. I didn't realize she was going to act like that or I wouldn't have taken you there." He looked at me with sad eyes. "I was hoping we could have a nice night at a Christmas party, and I could introduce you to some of my family and business connections. Lillian would've loved to have seen you again."
"Maybe another time," I said plainly, wishing our evening had gone as Jesse had planned.
My phone buzzed with a text from Selena telling me she hoped I had a wild, sexy night with Jesse. I wish, I thought to myself. I felt like I'd wasted my time going out with Jesse for no reason, and I hoped Erica didn't think I'd just wanted to get out of her reception. I really liked her and I wanted to get to know her better. I made a mental note to see if Erica, Kacey, and I could all get together for lunch sometime.
"Kate," Jesse breathed, his jet black bangs falling in front of his eyes. "Let me make this up to you."
I didn't feel like there was anything that needed to be made up, but I sure wouldn't mind seeing him try. If it meant spending more time with him, that was good enough for me.
"Okay."
"I'm going to leave work early tomorrow," he told me. "If you want to come over, I'd love to cook you dinner."
The offer was beyond sweet and I was honestly a bit surprised that he could cook. I shouldn't have been since he was part owner of more than one restaurant, but Jesse came across as the type of man who preferred to eat out or hire a personal chef rather than create meals himself. I briefly wondered if his cooking would be as good as Alex's.
I pondered the idea, debating whether or not to counter his offer with my own, remembering how I'd intended to make him dinner. I decided to let him go ahead and cook for me. I'd put on my chef's hat another night.
"That would be really nice," I smiled, imagining Jesse serving me some fancy meal like what we'd eaten at Chardonnay.
Of course, I didn't expect him to make me anything glamorous, but I wouldn't be surprised if he opted for fancy over ordinary.
"How 'bout I pick you up from your office around three-thirty?" Jesse suggested, tugging at the knot in his tie.
I nodded, trying to brush off the sizzle in my hormones at the sight of his simple motions. I wanted to undo his tie.
"That would be great."
We talked a few more minutes before I went to my car. I felt like a high school girl watching with hearts in my eyes as Jesse drove away. It sounded kind of lame, but I already missed him.
I waved to Kacey, who was still making out with Larry, but she didn't notice, not that I was surprised.
I made my way over to Selena's house, calling her halfway there to make sure it was okay to swing by. Once I arrived, she immediately began spilling out questions about my night with Jesse - or lack thereof. I told her how rude Mrs. Reese had been and she proceeded to tell me how she would gladly kick her ass, if necessary.
We stayed up until almost two o'clock eating cheesecake and talking about Jesse and Alex. I couldn't decide who I liked better or who I was more interested in. Even as early as it was to be making any decisions, it was beginning to really frustrate me.
What if I can't decide between them? I thought.