Easton chuckled. “Shut it, Trouble. So, those are your parents, huh?”
“Can you see why I never wanted to talk about them? Also, be prepared for the worst breakfast you’ve ever had. My parents have not met a restaurant or waiter they’ve liked. They will complain about everything and nothing will meet their standards.”
“Even you?”
“Especially me. They normally don’t visit very often, and when they do it’s mostly because I did something to disappoint them and they want to tell me to my face instead of over the phone.”
“Breaking up with Bradford?” Easton asked.
“Yep, breaking up with Bradford awarded me a visit with my parents. If I didn’t hate him already this would have solidified my hatred.”
“Do you hate him, though?”
I thought about it as I pulled into the parking lot of another café my parents were going to hate.
“No. If he hadn’t done what he did, I would be marrying him. And although it would have made my parents happy, I don’t think I would have been happy in the long run. Maybe not right away. It may have taken years, but it would have happened.”
“And you never would have gotten up close and personal with my banana.”
I smiled. “You are correct, sir.”
Easton glared at me. “Please refrain from calling me that. I don’t need a hard-on while we have breakfast with your parents.”
“Two things,” I said when I pulled into a parking spot. “They really don’t understand what I do for a living, and they hate Jules.”
Easton’s head whipped toward me, but I didn’t let him ask questions. I was already slipping out of the car to impending doom.
“This place is terrible,” my mom whined, looking over the menu. “And the coffee might be worse than yours.” She sipped her coffee as if she hadn’t just put it down.
“Sorry, we can go somewhere else if you’d like.”
It was a stupid move taking them to this particular café, mostly because I liked it and didn’t want the staff to hate me. After we ordered- my parents of course had many special requests that I was sure the chef was going to hate- I knew I’d never come here again.
Easton’s hand landed on my lap, and I intertwined our fingers, taking his support.
“So how did you two meet? You didn’t cheat on Bradford, did you? Oh, honey, he is never going to take you back. And you know this one is too good looking to want to marry you. You know he’s just using you because you’re easy. I told you not to give it away for free. You never listen to me, and I don’t want you to come crying when this one breaks your heart.”
Well, it appears my mom can hurt me still. Good to know.
She was too on the head with her comment about Easton not marrying me. They didn’t know about our arrangement, but it didn’t mean they weren’t fully aware I wasn’t enough to make Easton fall in love with me.
“I’m going to correct you and tell you that Rachel is way too good for me. I would marry her in a heartbeat if I knew she’d have me.”
I wanted to scream. Easton said what my parents wanted to hear, but also what I wanted to hear, too. I knew he was setting it up where it would look like I broke his heart, but my parents wouldn’t be fooled, and I would once again be the fuck-up that was their daughter.
“Ahh, that’s nice,” my mom said in a sickeningly sweet voice that showed she wasn’t buying it.
“My business partner’s sister hired Marketing Madams to launch her new passion project.” At the blank expression on my parents’ faces, Easton amended, “Rachel and Jules’ company.”
My parents nodded their heads as if they knew all along the name of their daughter’s business. “That Jules.” My mom shook her head. “I wish you would stop hanging out with her. She’s too loose in morals. I bet that was another reason Bradford broke up with you.”
“Well, being that she is my best friend and business partner, I think you’re going to have to get used to her. She’s not going anywhere.”
My parents scowled. The food came, and after sending it back three times individually, not each, we finally ate.
Although my parents tried to put me down between bites, Easton smoothly interjected with praise. I wanted to tell him to stop, mostly because they would never listen and he was making my heart fall even more in love with him.
By the grace of the universe breakfast ended. I watched Easton tip the waiter with an exorbitant amount of money and give him a very sincere apology. I helped my parents up and walked them out, not wanting my dad to see Easton tipping. He didn’t believe in the practice of tipping.