Cupidity (Sequel to Cupid's Daughter)

Chapter 21~ My Ex-Boyfriend's Best Friend's Mom Has Got It Going On

"So tell me about your internship!" My father insisted as we-- 'we' being myself, Sam, Kiely, JC and dad-- sat around the dinner table later that evening.

I prodded at my mashed potatoes with my fork. "It's great!" I lied smoothly. "I got to decide the cover art for this month's issue."

My dad's grin grew so huge it almost swallowed his face up. "Issy that's incredible! I have to admit that when Sam told me about your internship in LA I thought that you'd be getting coffee and cleaning toilets but... but having a real say in the magazine! Isabelle you've really landed a dream role here." My father gushed, taking a sip of wine from his glass.

I smiled half-heartedly and pushed my food around my plate. "Yeah, definitely."

"What about the people? Any new friends?" He queried, which caused Sam to snort.

"Are you serious, Mr C? Haven't you seen MTV? She's practically joined at the hip with Ethan Black, Melissa Black's son. They moved in together!"

Both my dad and JC looked at me with shock. "It's nothing. He's letting me rent out his spare room. We're just friends." I muttered.

JC pursed his lips. "Is that so?"

My dad cleared his throat and set his cutlery down on the table. "Speaking of relationships, I have something to tell you Isabelle."

Sam squeezed Kiely's arm in anticipation and I shot them both a curious look.

My dad smiled and twisted his fingers together anxiously. "While you've been away at college and in LA, I met someone, Issy. Her name is Darla and things have been going well for us." He peered up me, biting his lip as he waited to gauge my reaction.

Relief filled me as I exhaled. There had been a part of me that had always wondered if my father would move on from my mother. After Courtney left to pursue her television matchmaking career when I was little, my dad had been so heartbroken that he'd barely even looked at another woman. He'd immersed himself into his work and taking care of me-- which had been fine  up until I graduated and moved away from home. Loneliness wasn't something I wished upon anyone, especially not my father.

"Dad I'm so happy for you." I told him sincerely, leaning over to lay my hand over his.

He smiled, visibly relaxing into his seat. "I'm glad to hear you say that Isabelle, because I'm going to ask her to marry me."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise as Kiely and Sam squealed. "Oh."

"I know it's sudden for you," He said quickly, "and I swear that if you meet her and don't approve then I won't ask her. But I love her, Isabelle, and I haven't felt this way about anyone since... since your mother."

I stared down at my feet thoughtfully. "I thought you and mom were still married."

"We finalised the divorce papers last month. Legally, your mother is Courtney Van Drew, but we agreed that she could continue to use my surname solely for the sake of her show." He paused. "We had the chance to reconnect, Isabelle, and we left things in a good place. There's no bad blood between us anymore."

I studied my father's hopeful eyes before turning to Sam, who nodded encouragingly at me.

"If you're happy, then I'm happy. I'd love to meet her."

My dad clapped his hands together and checked his watch briefly. "Wonderful! I invited her to come over for dessert tonight." Almost on cue, the doorbell sounded-- since when had we had a doorbell?

Wait what? I was going to meet my possible future step-mother now? As in, right now?

"Thanks, honey." A muted woman's voice could be heard from the hallway and panic rose in my chest. Sensing my alarm, JC reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. I smiled appreciatively at him as Sam started clearing the table to make room for dessert, but I suddenly felt so nervous that I couldn't move.

"Kids!" My dad called out, rounding the corner with a petite, smiling female attached to his arm.

We stood up around the table and Darla smiled at me warmly as she took a step towards me. "You must be Isabelle, your father and JC have told me so much about you."

I glanced at JC curiously and then back to Darla. "Oh, you know JC?"

Darla covered a smile delicately with the palm of her hand as my father wrapped his arm securely around her shoulders. "You didn't tell her?" She murmured, just loud enough for me to hear.

"I didn't have time." He whispered back, at the same time that JC joined the two of them and planted a kiss on Darla's cheek.

"Hi mom."

***

The rest of the night passed in a blur of ice-cream and the Transformers movies. After the initial shock of finding out that not only was my dad about to be engaged, but my step-brother would be JC wore off, I actually had fun.

Darla was so sweet and clearly head over heels for my father, which made me like her instantly. Dad was radiant and rarely stopped smiling-- it was the happiest I had seen him in years.

I was currently sandwiched on the sofa between Kiely and JC as Megan Fox's hair rustled luxuriously in the wind on screen.

"So I called Noah." I whispered quietly to JC, crossing my legs beneath him.

JC's steady breathing quickened and he continued to stare at the movie. "What did you say?"

I frowned and shifted my gaze to my fingers. "I told him that if he didn't call me with an explanation by the end of the weekend then I was done with him for good."

JC stayed silent for a moment, not looking at me. "If that's what you really want."

"I do. I'm sick of being the clueless girlfriend."

JC finally turned to me with a blank gaze. There was a long pause. "I think he's sick of not being able to let you in."