Chapter 103

Jason's pov :
"Why are you so nervous, my boy?" Barbie smirked and wiggled her brows.
"Of course, I'll be! It's my girlfriend's dad, and it's our first time meeting with them and that too, with the whole family. You know what I mean, right?" I shrugged and sighed to calm my anxious nerves.
I hated my mother but Kristen insisted on inviting everyone in my family including my parents and sister. At least, her mom cared about her love life and took some interest in that. My mom never asked me who the girl was, she ran into the restaurant that day. Mrs. Casano never cared for Barbie either, I didn't think she would even know anything about our lives.
My dad finally came back home after one and a half years so I was super excited to spend this Thanksgiving and Christmas with my dad and girlfriend.
"Take it easy, Jay! Mom will be here soon, and dad is already waiting for you downstairs. Lia's dad won't kill you so just be yourself and try your best to impress him by treating Lia good in front of everyone, okay?" Barbie patted my shoulder and fixed my tie.
"I always treat her well even in everyone else's absence so you explain to me how to impress him?!" I shrugged and gave attention to her white gown, she was looking gorgeous. "Oh, my! You're looking gorgeous. Theo should be here to see his girlfriend."
She waved me off and we started walking downstairs. "We have plans after your dinner date with Lia's dad so he'll see me in this pretty gown and I'll probably be late so I need a favour from you."
I bowed to her and smiled. "What can I serve you, ma'am?"
"Just handle dad's questions when I'll be late tonight. He doesn't know about Theo yet."
"Why don't you invite him on Thanksgiving? Well, I'm gonna invite Lia so you can consider it."
"I was planning the same but that stupid friend of yours is too scared to come."
"Don't worry! I'll help you."
When your sister dates your best friend, you're supposed to help both of them like sometimes helping your sister in cheering up your best friend and sometimes helping your best friend choosing the best dating places and gifts for your sister so that was part of my duty as a good brother and best friend.
We both hugged my dad and our dad mouthed cool for both of us. That's how our dad praised us whenever we got ready for a good occasion.
"Nervous?" Dad asked, noticing me wriggling my hands while sitting on the couch, waiting for my businesswoman mother.
I nodded and took a deep breath. Barbie chuckled while looking up from her phone, I was so sure that she would be chatting with Lia.
"Let's take a shot of vodka! It'll boost your confidence," my dad implied and stood up from the couch to take the vodka.
"No way!" My mother finally showed up in a dress with a shopping bag in her hand. Thankfully, she didn't wear any business suits for dinner. "Your dad did the same and ended up messing everything with my dad. Did you tell him that?"
"No, he didn't!" Barbie chuckled and jumped from her seat.
"Drinking vodka before meeting your girlfriend's dad is not a good idea. I can't believe you're suggesting the same thing to your son, such a brainless act!" She mocked my dad and he just simply suppressed his lips while rolling his eyes.
I stood up from the couch and stood beside my dad. "At least, my dad is not heartless. I'm glad that you made it on time and you're here to cheer me up." My words were surely going to hurt that woman but she never cared about us either.
"Jay!" Barbie and my dad warned me in unison but my mom waved them off and walked to me.
"Anyways, it's not a good idea to go to someone's place for dinner empty-handed so I bought this wine and this hazelnut and walnut dessert. I read in an interview of Mr. Watson, he loves this dessert." she took out the wine bottle and dessert box to show us.
I bit my lips as I felt that this time, she was right and it completely slipped from my mind to buy something.
"Um, I ordered my secretary to buy two bouquets for Lia and her mom. You should give them flowers by yourself while your dad and I will offer these presents," she instructed and placed everything back in the bag.
Barbie came closer and whispered in my ear, "you should say thanks to mom, you're saved from being embarrassed at your girlfriend's house."
I frowned at her request but she was right. "Thanks for this!" I uttered and made my way to the car where the chauffeur was waiting for us, without waiting for her response.
Everyone else followed me and we reached my girlfriend's mansion in fifteen minutes. In the meantime, my mom advised me how I should politely smile and offer help to Lia like pulling the chair for her, she didn't know that I was doing it willingly since I fell in love with her.
"Don't seem nervous in front of her dad, he doesn't like cowards and being nervous is being a coward in his eyes!" She instructed and plastered a tight-lipped smile to her face before entering the mansion.
I wish I would have read the interviews of Lia's dad so I could also know about those things. The one thing I knew about her parents was that I was invited there because I was the heir of the richest man in the town. Plus, my mother didn't know that Lia's parents never cared about her so it was all about power and money.
Luckily, I had both and all I needed to do was to show my arrogance because that's how the heartless rich people like them could be impressed.
"Hello, Kristen!" I gave the flowers to her mom first who welcomed us and then did a formal handshake with Mr. Watson. Our parents met each other and started the formal conversation about business and all.
I wasn't interested in anything but seeing my girl who was nowhere to be seen. Richard came and we shared a side-hug before sitting together.
"The person for whom you're looking for is waiting for you in the kitchen, she asked me to give you this message," he mumbled and before I could ask him anything, he simply stood and started walking upstairs.
Fuck! Here I was already nervous and she was playing tricks with me. I couldn't resist seeing her either so I had to make an excuse.
"I need to attend a call, excuse me?" I excused myself as they nodded and walked away from the hallway and finally when nobody was looking in the kitchen's direction, I rushed over there.
Searching everywhere in the kitchen, I asked two chefs who were cooking there about Lia and they stifled a chuckle.
Fuck! It was a prank on me by Richard! Lia was indeed right about him, having a younger brother like him was fucking annoying. Rolling my eyes, I made my way out of the kitchen and saw Richard smirking like a devil.
Reaching my seat, I found a girl who had occupied my seat and I was stunned by her. "You look-"
"Hey!" Lia rose from the couch and hugged me. Or I could say that she saved me, I was about to say fucking sexy but she interrupted me.
"Fucking sexy!" I whispered in her ear and she pulled herself out of the hug, blushing like hell.
We both kept staring and flirting with each other, thanks to Barbie who was sitting beside me and helping me to behave normally because I just wanted to disappear from this formal dinner.
"Let's start dinner!" Kristen announced and all of us started walking towards the dining table. Mr. Watson didn't miss a chance squinting his eyes at me when I kissed Lia's hand and intertwined our fingers.
I immediately wanted to remove my hand but then I remembered my mom's words that he didn't like cowards so I held her waist instead and we sat beside each other on the dining table.
"So Jason, what are your plans for the future?" Her dad asked and I held Lia's hand under the table.
"I'm studying business and planning to join the company after Thanksgiving," I confidently uttered and smiled.
"Hmm, good! After all, you should be responsible for your responsibility. I mean, you're gonna inherit everything unlike the people who work hard to get there with experience so you have the double work to do," he shrugged and took a bite of the fish that the servant served him a minute ago.
Alright! So he was trying to offend me, I wasn't surprised because I knew that that's what the rich people did. Pulling each other's legs, showing off their wealth, and offending each other so nothing was new to me.
Even though I didn't go to the company or meeting before, I remembered the time when my parents used to take me to parties with them.
"Right! If you have time, why don't you teach me how to do that best?! Because my parents don't have that inheritance experience which you have as they are self-made rich," I took a bite of grilled bacon and noticed that everyone had stopped eating including Lia and they were gawking at me as if I said that I was pregnant.
Lia held my hand tightly and started eating, her dad's eyebrows were still raised and my mom had a concerned look on her face.
"Ahem! You are suitable," Lia's dad cleared his throat and continued eating.
I smirked at Barbie whose jaw was still dropped, Richard giggled seeing that face and she rolled her eyes at him.
Listening to his words, Kristen sighed and everyone else looked relieved. "My arrogant boyfriend, you're amazing!" Lia uttered while looking down and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. I couldn't even check her out completely because I was afraid her dad would find out and I would seem like a creepy boy.
All I noticed was a pretty cute purple dress and straight hair with a slight touch of makeup. I was sure that her mom caused her to wear that dress and makeup because I had never seen her in that kind of heavy make-up.
Instead of natural blush, there was a pink blush on her cheeks and her eyes were highlighted with a thin line of eyeliner and slight mascara.
That purple dress was one of the dresses I bought for her when she was going to stay at the beach house.
"And you're sexy," I mumbled and caressed her bare thigh and I liked her dress. She slapped my hand and smirked.
When the servant was ordered to bring dessert, my mother interrupted Kristen, saying that she had brought wine and dessert as a present. Kristen thanked her, asking the servants to serve the walnut pie and hazelnut tarts along with the wine.
"Let's raise a toast to this beautiful evening we spent together and the beautiful couple we are looking forward to getting engaged soon!" Her dad clinked his glass of wine with me first and later with my dad.
Lia was looking a bit uncomfortable but she still managed to smile and clink the glass with me and later with my mom and sister.
When she was going to her room, obviously making an excuse to leave, I stretched my leg out and the glass of wine fell on my expensive tuxedo. "Are you okay?" I had already pulled her in my arms so I didn't need to ask that but I didn't want to show that I created that scene.
"Oh My God! Lily, when will you stop being clumsy, honey? Now, please, help Jay in cleaning!" Kristen gave me an apologetic smile and I mouthed it's fine.
"Sure, mom!" Lia bitterly smiled at her and then raised her eyebrows at me. "Start explaining!"
I rolled my eyes, why was my girl so smart? I embraced the silence until we reached her room. Closing the door, I wrapped my arms around her belly but she removed my hold, my pissed off girl!
"You don't want to get engaged, right?" My words made her face me, she took tissues and started cleaning my shirt.
"I want to, trust me, I want to. But after achieving my goals. That's it!"
I kissed her forehead and snatched the tissue from her hand. "It's fine! We are still teenagers so it's not a big deal."
Giving me a small pack on my lips, she screamed I Love You before running away from her own room, giving me the punishment of cleaning my shirt myself.