“I hear you, Pops.” Drix shifted Indy to his other shoulder. “You beating a dead horse now, man.”
“Alright. I’m done.” He held his hands up in surrender and I smiled.
I decided immediately that I liked Drix’s parents. I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting but they were better than I could have hoped. Even though they’d just found out about our marriage, they weren’t digging into us or expressing displeasure. They actively welcomed me into their family in their own way.
“Dinner is ready!” Chandler yelled from the kitchen.
“Thank God. Shit. I thought I was going to start choking with how hard Pops had me laughing in here.” Rome snickered a little as he climbed up and everyone followed suit.
Drix handed Indy over to her father and walked over to his dad to roll his wheelchair to the dining room.
The women had already set the food on the table and everyone gravitated toward seats that let me know they usually sat in the same spots.
“Right here.” Drix tapped the back of the chair he wanted me to sit in.
We sat side by side and I noted his eyes drift to the ring on my finger before my face. I did my best to hide my little laugh and he shook his head.
Dinner was nice. Everything tasted amazing and it was strange to see Drix with his family but humanizing all the same. It was hard to picture the aloof and standoffish man he presented on social media, interviews, and even in recording sessions being the way he was with his family.
Rome, however, was exactly who he was in the media. We’d only been at the table for fifteen minutes when he and Vienna both threw something across the table at each other.
Everyone talked about their weeks, starting with Vienna and Indy, then drifting to Hendrix, Joe, Lee, Chandler, Rome, and Drix.
Then Joe turned toward me.
“And what do you do, Myome?”
“I sing,” I announced.
“So the two of you met at work?”
“Yeah. My label hired Dr— Berlin”—I corrected myself—“to produce a song for our upcoming album.”
“So it was love at first sight?” she asked.
“Something like that,” I nodded.
“Well, you must be something special because I don’t think Berlin has ever done something without thinking it all the way through.” Hendrix smiled at me then him.
“And I’m glad he was even open enough to build a relationship worthy of marriage.” His mother beamed. “I’mproud of you, baby,” she told him. “And I’m honored to have you be a part of the family, Myome.”
“We both are,” Hendrix added. “And we want the two of you to have a long and happy life together.”
“Thank you.” I gave them the best smile I could but honestly felt bad about lying to Drix’s parents.
The entire family seemed to just get sweeter and sweeter as the night went on. When we finally headed out, I wasn’t sure how often I’d be able to spend time with them and keep up the lie.
Joe and Hendrix made me promise not to be a stranger and Indy and Vienna both gave me quick hugs with no urging from their family on the way out. When I collapsed into Drix’s vehicle, a sigh ripped itself through me.
Drix waved at his parents then walked around his whip to climb into the driver’s seat.
“I don’t know how you’re able to lie to your parents,” I said immediately.
“I never lied. I told them we were married. I told them I planned on upgrading your ring. I told them stupid ass Rome let me pick out the one currently on your finger.”
“Love at first sight?”
“You agreed to that statement. I didn’t.” He turned his key in the ignition and checked his windows.