To a human, it might sound trivial, but for a shifter like him, it was everything. Humans got married and divorced all the time. Mates were forever--the mantra his mother told him over and over since childhood.
His mother had been a widow for ten years since his father succumbed to his illness. But not a day went by that his mother had forgotten about him. She still set plates for dad at the dinner table. She chose the clothes he was going to wear in the morning, even though at the end of the day, they all went straight back into the closet. The memory of dad lived in her heart.
Vanessa wrinkled her nose, thinking hard. “No, I don’t remember.”
“I’m not going to tell you then,” he decided.
“Why not?”
“You need to find that out yourself.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’ll know soon enough.”
“I don’t get it. Did I ask you to kiss me?”
He only smirked.
“Did I blackmail you?”
“You don’t have dirt on me.”
“Then what it is? The suspense is killing me.”
“Patience is a virtue, Vanessa.”
She gave up. “Right. Quinn Alexander, man of mystery.”
He snorted. The traffic was bad but they’d still get to the airport on time. From JFK, they would fly straight to Denver. His family had a vacation home in Aspen. Since his father passed away, his family always had a get-together after the New Year when everybody wasn’t constrained by their schedules. His mother was born and bred a socialite; she was always busy with her galas and charity dinners.
His brother Trent was an intelligence office in the Air Force so he was rarely home. His youngest brother, John, was a music producer. He split between his residences in New York and LA. The few weeks after the holiday were the only time the family could find time together. That was why his mother had insisted she meet Vanessa this weekend.
Quinn was an introvert when it came to his personal life. So when the video of him kissing a girl surfaced, his mom pressed him to introduce her.
Vanessa cleared her throat. As if she was channeling his thoughts, she asked, “What did you say to your mom about me?”
“Hmm? I told her you’re my girlfriend.”
“Did she asked how long had we been dating? Where did we meet? Don’t you think we should come up with a story first? You know, coordinating our lies?”
“She knows you work for me. And you are one of our star employees.”
“You don’t seem very concerned about this. Don’t blame me if your mother finds out about our charade.”
“My mom’s just happy I’m bringing home my girlfriend.”
“Why is that?”
“I’ve never brought one home before.”
She gave him a weird kind of look. “Why?” she asked. “A man like you must have a lot of girlfriends.”
“None that I would take home to meet my mother.”
“Why is that? Wait, let me guess, they didn’t meet your parents’ standards.”
“It wasn’t like that. I just never met the one.”
“I never pegged you as a romantic.”
His jaw twitched. “What about you, Vanessa?”
“I’m not a romantic. I can tell you that.”
“Even a village idiot could see that.” A question sneaked into his mind. “What kind of guys have you dated in the past?”
“I’m not going to discuss my personal life with you.”
“We’re not at work. I’d like to know more about you.”
“There’s nothing interesting about me.”
“Let me be the judge of that. How many guys have you dated in the past?”
“Why, Quinn, that’s awfully personal.”
“I thought we’re having a discussion to establish our story. Don’t I need to know that kind of information?”
She cringed. “I don’t date.”
“Ever?”
“Not in the sense of a relationship. I hate complication and drama. I prefer to keep things simple.”
“So, you never had a boyfriend, ever?”
“I had one in college.”
“And?”
“Once I saw past his cute face, his intelligence and emotional level left a lot to be desired.”