Mystery Of You (Pub 5)

14 - Whine

Ian felt uncertain as he went through his strengthening exercises on Saturday morning. He had enjoyed his dinner the night before. She wasn't looking for a serious relationship, but he didn't know if she had just said all the right things. He wasn't a cynic, but women knew how to say what others wanted to hear. Olivia was the queen and had lured him into doing things he didn't want to do more than once. She reminded him of a spider patiently waiting in the intricate web she had spun.

It was uncertainty for her true motives that kept him from tasting her lips although they were very tempting. His celibate status hadn't been a bother until he started thinking about her. Not all guys would be interested in a short, curvy woman, but Ian knew tall ones weren't looking at guys who were only five-ten.

After his grocery order arrived, Ian showered for brunch. He looked forward to their tradition. It had started years before when Ian was too busy as a co-ed for dinner with his father. Andrew insisted his son carve out two hours on Saturday morning. Going out for brunch started so it would force Ian to sit and talk with his dad. More than once he sat at the table hungover hoping he wouldn't throw up. By his amused smile, his father always knew. It had become a time Ian looked forward to each week.

He frowned when he walked into the restaurant to find Andrew and Margot seated already. Never had brunch included anyone but father and son. In fact, when David and Rose went away to a convention, Andrew made pancakes at home for Brooke and Ian. She was a child, but a sticking point for his previous relationship was he left her on Saturday mornings. It was the unwritten rule. A rule his father had broken.

"Hey dad." Failing to force a smile with his greeting. "Margot."

"Ian." Andrew stood and offered his hand. As Ian shook it, his father gasped Ian's arm with his left hand. "I'm pleased you and Margot can get to know one another."

Ian had spent his evening getting to know a different woman, not the one his father was sleeping with. At Ian's age, the knowledge of his father having sex shouldn't make him feel like a teenager.

As he sat down, he nodded to Margot. "This is a surprise. How was the Vineyard?"

Margot laughed. "It was Nantucket, and a lovely weekend."

"Right. Good and you two?"

Andrew cleared his throat and smiled at Margot. "We're great."

"Great. Uh? Good." He poured himself coffee from the carafe on the table.

"What's new?"

Andrew looked at him the way he always did, but with his arm casually across the back of Margot's chair and his hand caressing her shoulder. It was something he had seen Kurt do to his mother, but his dad was different. His plan had been to share the help desk debacle.

"Mom's coming next weekend. I'll need to make an appearance."

If he couldn't get a ride, he would have to take the green line and an Uber to the Steele's house.

"Is your sister coming too?"

He shrugged. "She didn't say."

The server took their orders. Ian hadn't bothered to look at the menu.

Margot said, "Your mother is a book agent?"

His chin dropped as he nodded, furrowing his brow. "You talked about my mother."

"Yes, she asked, and I answered."

"But you hardly know her."

"That's not true. We raised you together which required lots of phone calls."