Something Forever
Page 25

When we got there, Jenna rang the doorbell. I knew Matthew’s parents were well off, but holy crap! They lived in a mansion, the kind you would find in a magazine that you could only dream about. For some reason, this made me even more nervous.
Before the door opened, I quickly ran my fingers through my hair, straightened my sweater dress, and asked Jenna if I had anything on my teeth. Her lips pinched together, trying not to laugh. “Don’t worry, Becky. They’ll love you.”
Just as she said her last word, the door opened.
“Hello, Jenna,” a lean, well-dressed lady, wearing black trousers and a magenta cowl neck sweater, greeted us. She had beautiful blonde, shoulder-length hair and was a little bit taller than Jenna. After she gave Jenna a hug, she turned to me and offered one, too. “You must be Becca. I’ve heard so much about you.” I had to smile at that. I wanted to tell her my real name, but decided not to. After that hug and seeing her beautiful friendly smile, I became relaxed.
“Mrs. Knight, it’s such a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from Matthew and Jenna.” Even though I really hadn’t other than the fact that Jenna told me that she was really sweet, I fibbed. Matthew and I mentioned our parents, of course, and the topic of them came up, but we never went into details.
Mrs. Knight’s cheeks turned a little flushed. “Call me Ellen, and please...come in.” She stepped aside.
I tried my best not to gawk, but I couldn’t help it. The foyer was absolutely beautiful. From the crystal chandelier, to the table that held a tall vase, and the double staircases, I couldn’t wait to see what the rest of the house looked like. Having been on her yacht, I already knew she had elegant taste.
“These are for you,” I said, “but we’ll help you carry them to the kitchen.”
“Thank you. You shouldn’t have.” Her eyes beamed with happiness. “Max and Matthew are in the backyard. They don’t know you’re here. I wanted to say hello first.”
After we set the dessert and the flowers on the counter, I was re-introduced to Carlos. He clearly remembered me from Valentine’s Day. His friendly greeting and smile indicated that he did. I didn’t know why I felt so embarrassed...maybe it was the fact that he knew Matthew and I had sex on the yacht.
“You can go out this way.” Ellen opened the door for us with a smile. Before we had a chance to take a step, a tall man appeared. At first I thought it was Max, but it was Mr. Knight. The resemblance was uncanny. With salt and pepper-colored hair, he was dashingly handsome. If this was how Max would look in his older years, Jenna was very lucky.
“Jenna.” Mr. Knight was excited to see her. After giving her a hug, he turned to me. “And you must be Becca. It’s a pleasure to meet the first woman Matthew has brought home in a very long time.” Mr. Knight reached for me with uncertainty, but when I leaned toward him, he embraced me warmly.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Knight,” I said, still in his arms.
Mr. Knight released me with a grin. “The pleasure is all mine. Please, call me Rob.”
I smiled at that and turned when I saw a body from the corner of my eyes. Knowing it was Matthew, I diverted my attention away from Rob.
“Becca.” Matthew planted a quick kiss on my lips.
Matthew kissing me in front of his dad made me feel embarrassed all of sudden. It wasn’t like he smothered me; it was just a peck. Perhaps it was the fact that his parents were a well-known couple...a couple I’d admired and read about in the newspaper.
“Good to see you, Becca,” Matthew said, his eyes piercing mine, bringing me back to attention. I could see so much affection for me in those eyes. Sometimes I wondered if he was real. Did I really get lucky this time? Was this forever?
“Time to eat,” Ellen said, walking out of the kitchen back door with Carlos.
Matthew seized my hand and took me to the table where Jenna, Max, and Rob were already seated. Had Matthew and I been staring into each other’s eyes that long? Time seemed to stand still when he looked at me that way.
The backyard was bigger than I had imagined it to be. With a swimming pool, tennis court, basketball court, and a section for golf, this could be a mini vacation place, especially when the palm trees and the décor made you feel like you were on a tropical island.
Most of the dishes were already displayed on the table. Carlos brought out the last one and headed back in. There was more than enough to feed the six of us. I was very grateful that they would go out of their way for Jenna and me, to make us feel welcomed.
“Please, help yourself and eat plenty,” Ellen said, handing the plates to us.
Matthew took the initiative and started scooping food on my plate. No guy had ever cared enough to put food on my plate before. This wasn’t the first time Matthew had done this, but every time he did made me feel even more blessed and special. Seeing Max doing the same thing for Jenna made me respect him as well. When I saw Rob doing the same for Ellen, I knew that Max and Matthew must have learned this simple but meaningful gesture of love from their dad.
“Thanks,” I said softly.
“Becca,” Rob started to say until Max interrupted.
“Dad,” Max chuckled. “Becca’s real name is Becky. Matthew likes to call her Becca. I thought you should know.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Rob leaned back into his chair, looking slightly embarrassed, then took a sip of his wine.
“That’s okay,” I said quickly. I glanced at Matthew with a small laugh. “I’m getting used to it. I kind of like it.”