Chapter 25 The Photo
When her family arrived on the scene, the restaurant got a new infusion of energy. Their excitement to see Emily and take in the beautiful views was palpable. It was not only Emily’s parents but her younger brother Nick who had made the trip.
“Hi pooky,” her mom exclaimed, embarrassing her from the get-go with the childish nickname. Then she went over to Byron. “I’m Chiara, Emily’s mom, as you probably know.”
“Uh... mom, this is my boyfriend Byron,” Emily said.
They had agreed to maintain the fake relationship with everyone to ensure the perfect secrecy of their plan.
“In the old country they call me Giovanni,” her dad jumped in, “but here everyone calls me Johnny.”
Everyone was talking at once, hugging, and ordering lots of coffee.
“Emily didn’t tell us about you,” her dad said as they sat down at the table.
“She did mention she was seeing someone,” he mom corrected, “but it was very vague. Emily can be so secretive!”
“It’s hard to judge the timing in a relationship,” Byron offered, coming to her aid, “I think Emily needed to evaluate me properly and make sure we were serious enough before telling you.”
Her parents hit it off with Byron, something Emily would not have expected. Her dad had always been critical of any boyfriends she brought home and not too shy about sharing his opinion, but now he was engaged and smiling through the whole conversation.
Even her eighteen-year-old brother, who was going through an angsty teenage phase and started out aloof when he first arrived, was now passionately discussing his favorite punk bands with Byron. It was amazing how that man could find common ground with anyone.
The time flew by, and Emily found herself relaxing and enjoying the day instead of worrying about any awkwardness.
As the family was about to take off and do more sightseeing, Emily had a brief chance to talk with her mom one on one.
“I’m sorry about the sudden visit,” her mom said, “But we thought it would be nice if Nick went to school here for a while. Maybe you could keep an eye on him? You mentioned your roommate left... And we could help you with rent until he gets settled.”
“Oh! Okay.” Emily was a little miffed that they sprang this on her so suddenly, but it definitely solved her financial problem, and now she didn’t have to be homeless. Having her brother as a roommate would definitely be annoying, but kind of nice too. She hadn’t seen him in ages.
When Byron drove her home, Emily was relieved it had gone so well, but part of her were still worried. Her family adored him. Pam was crazy about him. But they weren’t as close to him as she was, and they didn’t seem to notice the hidden despair that Emily sometimes detected in him. When she had dated Josh, her parents were blissfully ignorant of how relentless his stalking would become.
She knew Byron was not like that, but she worried that somehow he would snap. One of these days, he would reveal his darker side.
The next day, she got an email from him. He had sent her a picture taken from that morning’s issue of a local magazine. It usually reported on food, culture, and high society news, and now there was a picture of Emily under the headline “Billionaire’s Mysterious New Fling.” It was taken just the previous day when Byron had dropped her off outside her apartment. The photographer had perfectly captured the intimate moment when Byron leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.
She still remembered the soft touch of his lips. It didn’t seem possible that a kiss on the cheek could leave her with such a sensuous and passionate feeling.
But now she wished it hadn’t been photographed. It felt like her most private feelings had been invaded. Maybe it was worth the sacrifice, not seeing Josh ever again. She had not been followed by anyone in a while, so the plan was working.
The message from Byron said:
Our first publicity photo! I know it probably feels weird, but it’s for the best. Dinner at my place tonight?
