Ineffable by Sherrod Story

traced his fingers path over her now bare lips.
    She shrugged, picking up her purse and leaving him to lock the door behind them. “I got more. Nice,” she said of his Benz. Then, “Make the sun roof work. I need to air out without screwing up my do.”
    “So is this like a test?” she asked, applying lip gloss in the visor mirror.
    “Probably,” he admitted. “But the only person who cares if you pass is my father.”
    “Will he like me?”
    “Probably not. But like I said, I don’t care.”
    “Well, why are we going then?”
    Nori shrugged. “He has to meet you sometime.”
    Joy, Margot thought. She had a feeling tonight was gonna be a riot.
     
     
    Nori didn’t want to go either. He and his father got along, but he was still a father, and he had very strong opinions, not all of which Nori agreed with. But Aro did need to meet Margot.
    As they approached the house Nori said, “My father and I don’t always have the best relationship. If he says anything,” he paused.
    “I understand, baby. Just because I don’t have any family doesn’t mean I don’t value it. I know about uneasy family situations.”
    He slanted her a look in the dim car. That had been said with an undercurrent of, something. Unfortunately, they were pulling into the driveway. Now was not the time to continue his never ending effort to pull personal information from this rarity among females – a woman who did not like to talk.
    He wondered what she saw as she looked at his childhood home. Blonde brick, pillars, classic lines, manicured lawns, lights twinkling merrily down on the expensive looking cars that lined the curved drive. It was large, impressive, set on a huge tract of land in an enclave, one of three vastly different houses. He felt nothing when he looked at it.
    The red front door opened as they approached. His father’s slim elegant figure stood waiting, sharp eyes taking in their clasped hands before he smiled and stood back to allow them entrance.
    “Good evening, Ms. Temple. My name is Aro, I’m Nori’s father.”
    Shaking the large hand offered, she said, “Good evening. Thank you for the invitation. Please call me Margot, Aro.”
    “Son.”
    “Father.”
    “Now, son, you know most people here tonight. Old family friends,” he said, smiling at Margot.
    Nori neatly blocked his father’s usual move, to put a female guests arm through his own, and clasped her hand warmly. He smiled into strange faces, easily producing the Gallic charm this pretentious crowd would expect.
    “Hello, handsome,” cooed one fat lady whose name he’d forgotten. He kissed her cheek so elaborately the old bat actually blushed.
    He could still remember his father staring at him critically when he was 12, “too pretty,” he pronounced, then dismissed him with a waved hand to his tennis coach. Ever since then, whenever someone complimented his physical beauty in his father’s hearing, Nori had to restrain a smirk.
    “Frank, Daphne, Rod, Luanne, please come and meet Margot Temple. You all remember my son Nori.”
    Hands were shaken all around, and Margot stood comfortably as she was quietly but thoroughly assessed.
    “Dolce, right?” Luanne said of her black lace dress, a last minute replacement when Tommy decided the orange needed alterations. “I think I just saw one of my favorite bloggers wearing that dress.”
    “Yes, and if the blogger’s name was Tommy, this actually is her dress.” Dissatisfied with Lani’s offerings, her girl had literally taken the dress off her back and given it to her.
    Luanne laughed, delighted. “Really? Is she a friend of yours? Her style is impeccable. I follow her Instagram feed every day. I’ve been trying to get her to plan my annual garden party, but I can never quite seem to catch her with any free time on her hands.”
    “You’re not, but you must be,” Daphne whispered. “Are you Margot Temple the jewelry designer?”
    “Guilty.”
    Daphne clapped her hands together in glee. “I