take my hand and
show me what it's like
when the sun goes d o w n . . .
▪️▫️▪️
After a grand tour of the Hunt mansion, I'm surprised I still had enough energy to stay for dinner. Walking around that place was like doing an entire museum in under an hour. We were done a little after 7:30, and Josh had to rush it a bit just so we'd be ready in time for when dinner was served.
It was still mind-blowing though, regardless of how much time we spent in each room. Eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms, three living room areas, a gigantic indoor pool room, a library, and a kitchen that would send my mom to heaven. I counted a total of seven fireplaces in the entire house.
For as long as we could without freezing our asses off, we stood on a balcony that overlooks the entire backyard and I couldn't believe how vast it was. There was a spotless patio beneath us with chairs and tables, a staircase that led to the ground below it, and land that stretched for acres. Four acres, to be exact. Apparently there's a tennis court somewhere in the backyard, hidden between the trees, sculptures and greenery.
Josh and I descended the staircase, heading towards the dining room since it was time to eat. We crossed through the kitchen as the chefs ran about the room hysterically. I watched in amusement while they cursed in Italian to each other, waving their hands around with beet-red faces.
I felt Josh step closer to me as we both watched the frenzy scene in front of us.
"Dante," he said, pointing to the tallest chef who had a thin, lanky frame. Aside from their body shapes, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them all due to their uniforms.
"Ah," I nodded.
"Angelo," he gestured towards a second chef, a little shorter and stockier than Dante. "And Carmine," he said lastly, the shortest and heaviest out of the three men. "They're our chefs. They're here all the time – pretty much a part of the family."
"Cool," I smiled, briefly looking away from them to glance up at Josh. He just grinned back at me.
His hand reached for mine and he interlocked our fingers together, pulling me along to the dining room. That's the only room I haven't seen because people were running in and out of it, trying to set the table and prepare our meal.
I gasped obnoxiously when we walked in. "This is all just for us?" I asked Josh, my eyes darting all around the table.
"Yup. That's why my mom said I hope you're hungry," he chuckled quietly. I felt his thumb stroke the top of my hand, and I would have melted at the gesture if I wasn't currently drooling over the setup.
The table was stacked with food. There were ten, luxurious chairs seated at the table, with a chandelier hanging above of course. Jaclyn and Mr. Hunt were in the one corner, talking quietly to each other about something entertaining. Mrs. Hunt stood on the other side of the room, an intense look in her eyes as she observed the staff setting up. I didn't want to stare at her for too long before she gave me the same look and turned me to stone.
Once it calmed down a bit in the room, Josh and I took a few steps closer to see what we were actually going to eat.
"My mom would faint if she was here," I shook my head, and Josh chuckled along.
There were at least three different cuts of meat, three heaping bowls of pasta, two types of salad, four kinds of fresh bread, and all I could really think of is how much leftovers they're going to have after this. I don't even want to think about what could be for dessert.
"Well, take a seat!" Mrs. Hunt offered happily, clapping her hands together. I looked at Josh for an answer and he pulled out a chair for me, so I took that seat. He put himself next to me, while Jaclyn sat on my other side and the parents sat across from us.
Mrs. Hunt shot one of the servers a quick look, and he hurriedly ran out of the room, only to return with a sparkling bottle of champagne. He started carefully pouring it into everyone's glasses, rounding the table and pausing once he got to me.
"Would you like some champagne, Victoria?" Mrs. Hunt asked me.
"Uh, sure," I nodded with a nervous laugh. She smiled back, taking a gentle sip from her glass.
God, this woman is so intimidating. I have to think about everything before I speak. And I don't know if I like that feeling.
Within a few minutes and a single glance from Mrs. Hunt, the staff started cutting up the meat, slicing the bread and serving us. I had a plate full of food that I knew I wouldn't be able to finish, but everything smelled and looked so good that I'll have to push myself to fit it all in my stomach.
We kept the conversation light during dinner, following the basic outline of the meeting-the-family-for-the-first-time criteria. I had two glasses of champagne and I knew if I drank anymore, I'd start saying things that I'd regret tomorrow. I'm not the most appropriate person when I get hammered.
So far, I'd say it's going pretty well. His parents seem to like me and even though Mrs. Hunt is kind of threatening, she means well. She just wants the best for her kids and has high expectations for them.
From what I know, the twins are exceptionally smart. And with Josh being one of the top wrestlers in the state and Jaclyn dominating the Principle's List, it seems that they've got it made when it comes to school.
At home, it's not quite what it seems.
Once we all finished our dinners and the staff took the dishes away, we continued sitting at the table with our drinks, waiting for the dessert to be prepared. I'm pretty sure I heard something about homemade cannoli's and tiramisu. Either way, I'm happy with both.
"So, Victoria. Do you work?" Mr. Hunt asked me, the words easily coming out. I can see where Josh gets his suave attitude from.
"Yes, actually I babysit my mom's best friend's daughter," I nodded, and he raised his eyebrows as a response. "I've been watching her for a few years now, it's just sort of a way for me to make some extra money."
"I've met her before," Josh spoke up, and I smiled at him gratefully for helping me out with this question. "She's adorable. Her name is Gracie." His hand came over and wrapped around mine under the table, giving me a reassuring squeeze.
"That's nice," Mr. Hunt smiled. He's much easier to talk to than his wife.
Mrs. Hunt cleared her throat and leaned forward a little, looking directly at me.
"What are your plans for college?"
Fuck.
My throat tightened up on command. I felt myself squeezing Josh's hand a little tighter, as if begging him to get me out of this.
The one question I've been dreading all night. The one question that makes me seem like an idiot. At least, to this family it might.
It was my turn to clear my throat as I smiled uneasily at her. She just kept the inquisitive look on her face.
"Um, I'm not entirely sure yet," I spoke slowly, choosing my words carefully.
Mrs. Hunt's face tensed in the slightest, but I still noticed it. Josh rubbed his thumb over mine soothingly, getting my heart rate back to normal. "I don't have my mind set on anything. There are things that I'm interested in, I'm just not sure what I want a degree in," I explained, my eyes dropping to my empty champagne glass in front of me. I couldn't bear to look at her anymore.
I saw Mrs. Hunt nod softly and lean back in her seat, glancing at the doorway. I think I lost her vote.
On cue, two servers came in and placed dessert on the table, asking us each what we wanted. I decided on a slice of the tiramisu, eating it slowly without trying to shove it down my throat like a pig. But I can't help it because thanks to my mom, I'm a sucker for dessert.
Mrs. Hunt daintily dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin, then smiled at Josh. "Well," she started, boring her stare right into Josh's soul, it seemed. "Joshua is arranged to attend the University of Iowa on a scholarship for wrestling. Right, dear?"
Well this is news to me.
I looked to him with furrowed brows, waiting for his answer. His eyes widened as he slowly swallowed his bite of cannoli, then nodded at his mother. What?
"Y-yes," he said unsteadily, not even glancing my way once.
"Go Hawkeyes," Mr. Hunt said cheekily, raising his glass to Josh in a toasting manner. Josh sent him a dry smile.
I turned back to my cake and stuffed a forkful hastily into my mouth.
University of Iowa? How come I'm not aware of these plans? Why did he never tell me that?
I made a mental note to ask him about it another time. Preferably when the two of us are alone.
"And Jaclyn is still undecided," Mrs. Hunt continued on, her narrowed eyes shifting to said daughter. Jaclyn didn't say a word. I'd be terrified if I was her. "I'm hoping she can take over Darla's for me when she's mature enough."
I glanced at Jaclyn and she kept her eyes on her slice of cake, a bored look on her face as she twirled her fork around. She's clearly not amused or intimidated. Or maybe she's just ignoring her mother's remarks.
Suddenly, Mrs. Hunt looked back at me. "You know Darla's, Victoria?"
"Of course," I swallowed my bite and nodded eagerly. "When Josh told me that you're the head buyer there, I was in shock."
"Oh," she smiled now, seeming interested in me for a hot second. "Do you like fashion?"
I shrugged, wishing that the conversation would be about literally anything else but me. "I mean, I like to shop," I chuckled, and her smile never changed. "I keep up with some trends here and there, but it's nothing really."
"Well, I could always offer you an internship at Darla's if you'd like," she said simply. My heart plummeted to my stomach at the mention of a dream opportunity. "We're always looking for more help, and it'd be great to have on your résumé."
"Wow," I breathed, shaking my head in disbelief. "That's really nice of you."
"It's no trouble," she dismissed it with another smile. "Just let me know and I can make it happen. Anything for a friend of Josh's."
My face dropped.
I just got friend-zoned by Josh's mom.
She's got a point though. We're more than friends, but we're not really dating. So what the hell are we?
I quickly recovered with another small, thankful smile her way, then looked back down at my empty plate. My eyes darted over to Josh and I saw him staring at his plate too.
Nothing like a bit of the truth to ruin the mood.
We were all excused from the table not too long after that, as the staff came back in for clean up. I thanked Mr. and Mrs. Hunt over and over again for having me, and they brushed it off with a gracious smile. They disappeared to somewhere else in the house, but said that I could stay for a little while longer if I wanted.
Josh, Jaclyn and I strolled into the kitchen, standing by the doors that led out to the patio. The chefs spoke quietly to one another as they cleaned up the kitchen, paying us no mind.
I turned to Jaclyn suddenly, wanting to bring up the thing that's been eating at me this whole time.
"I didn't mean to step on your toes back there," I gestured to the dining room. She just arched an eyebrow in confusion. "When your mom was talking about you taking over Darla's and I just hopped in the conversation. And then she offered me the internship and-"
Jaclyn chuckled and shook her head, waving it off. "Please. Don't apologize," she assured me.
"I just felt bad," I breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Don't worry about it," she shrugged, brushing it off. "She lives in her own fantasy world. I could tell her that I'm dropping out of high school to join a nudist colony and she would still think I'm taking over that damn place."
"Oh," I laughed awkwardly, not knowing what to say to that. "Well again, I'm sorry."
"It's fine," she smiled, putting her hand on my arm. She glanced from me to Josh a few times, the grin on her face widening. "She's a good one, Josh," she said, sending me a wink as she headed towards the doorway. "Don't fuck it up!"
"Thanks," he called after her, rolling his eyes with a low chuckle.
He looked down at me for a second and smiled, then grabbed onto my hand and laced our fingers together. Before I could protest, he was dragging me out of the kitchen, back into the foyer.
"Where are we going?" I asked. We passed the stairs and turned down the hallway, our footsteps echoing in the long tunnel. We breezed by the pool room, the library, one of the living rooms, and I was completely stumped as to where he was taking me.
He stopped walking right before the entrance to another room at the end of the hall, looking at me with a grin. "There's one room I haven't shown you yet," he spoke softly.
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow, but I couldn't help the smile from poking through on my lips.
"Mhm," he hummed. He lifted my hand that's intertwined with his and kissed my fingers, our gaze never breaking. "It's the sun room."
Once he nudged me along with him to walk through the wide doorway, I realized that I hadn't been in that room. With all the places in this house, it's hard to keep up. I wonder how they don't get lost in here.
And again, I gasped when we entered.
The ceiling is probably two stories high, like the pool room, and completely made out of glass. Three chandeliers are hanging down from it, coming to life as Josh flicked on the lights.
The entire room lit up and I realized that the walls were pretty much all windows too, overlooking the garden on the side of the house. There's a huge, luxurious couch in the center of the room, a dining table with chairs around it, and a grand, white piano in the corner.
I spun around and looked at Josh in awe. "This is so cool," I gushed.
"It's my favorite room in the house," he said, leading me towards the center of the room. I kept jerking my head around and looking at everything in utter amazement. "It's really secluded and private. I like to come here and think; it's so relaxing."
"Wow. Can your house get anymore amazing?" I breathed. When he didn't answer, I turned to see him smiling at me. "What?" I chuckled.
"You're adorable, that's what," he chirped, tapping my nose with his finger.
I blushed, opening my mouth to say something when I noticed another presence in the room. We both saw Giovanni standing there, grinning at us.
Now I'm really blushing.
"Would you like to hear a song on the piano?" He asked us as he approached the huge instrument.
I looked back at Josh and smiled, and he chuckled at my expression. "Sure, G," Josh told him. "He's a really good pianist. He's been playing since he was five," he whispered to me, and I nodded.
Giovanni bowed and took a seat on the bench, carefully placing his fingers on the keys with no sheet of music to go by. It took a few seconds for him to start, but suddenly the smooth sound of an unfamiliar slow tune filled the room.
As we listened to the song for a minute or so, admiring Giovanni's skills and getting a feel for the rhythm, Josh turned to me with an outstretched hand. I blushed again and giggled as he smirked at me, but I nodded to it and took his hand in mine.
He abruptly pulled me closer to him and rested that hand on my waist, keeping his other hand occupied in mine. I placed my free hand on his shoulder and followed his lead, the smiles growing on both our faces as we tried our best to dance elegantly. But we both know that we're just a couple of goofy teenagers.
With the tempo of the song speeding up a bit, Josh and I twirled around the room, laughing at our footwork.
I can already feel myself falling harder and harder for him. But at this point, I don't mind.
He's the only guy worth falling for.
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A/N - so uh.... there's been a confession. actually a couple of confessions but the biggest one is josh going to ui?!? a school pretty far away from vermont?!?! wtf!?!?! any thoughts on this? more opinions on josh's family? maybe some predictions? idk talk to me.
so so sorry i missed the update yesterday! i was out christmas shopping literally all day and then i had dinner at my friends house and we watched movies and i got home super late so i apologize but here it is a day late!!! as always, thanks for reading and i hope everyone has a radical holiday season! i love ya lots and lots.
dedicated to: katelyn_gravity :)
song: take my hand by glimmer of blooms
photo: champagne poppin'
xoxo, sabbbycat