take Justine’s order, Mattie poked West in the leg, subtly so she wouldn’t draw attention to herself.
“You don’t seem like the type to speak French,” she said softly.
“I’m a man of many talents,” he replied. “And spending most of my life around this family has forced me to learn certain things.”
McKendrick and Justine made small talk until the first course arrived. Emeline reappeared. Mattie noticed his slight scowl, and her heart went out to the guy. Mattie unrolled her napkin and managed to knock one of the many spoons lined up beside her plate to the plush carpeting.
Emeline giggled and made some inane comment that made Mattie want to smack her. She wasn’t sure whether she should leave the spoon or pick it up. She wasn’t sure what she would do with it once she picked it up, but she didn’t want to look uncouth by leaving it lying there. She decided to compromise and move it under her chair.
As she leaned down to move it over, the table cloth shifted and she saw Justine’s foot rubbing her brother’s ankle, all the way above his sock. Her hand was on his thigh.
Eww. Oh man . Mattie forgot the spoon and sat up straight, trying her best not to look at Justine, who sat prim and proper, like nothing at all even slightly disgusting was going on under the table.
West gave her a funny look. “You all right? You look a little pale.”
She nodded. “Yeah, just sat up too fast.” After the main course was finished and cleared, McKendrick steepled his hands on the table top.
“Now, Matilyn. As I said, you aren’t the first woman to claim to be Elaine. Most of them I know right away cannot be Elaine. You, on the other hand, bear a striking resemblance to both my wife and my mother-in-law in her younger years.”
West shifted in his seat and narrowed his eyes at her, studying her. Mattie stuck her tongue out at him. He stifled a laugh and rolled his eyes at her.
McKendrick cleared his throat again. Reluctantly, Mattie broke eye contact with West and turned her attention back to the other man.
“The results of the DNA tests should be in within a day or so, and my private investigators will be researching your background. If you’ve got anything to hide or that you don’t want brought to light, I suggest you reveal it now.”
“I have nothing to hide, Mr. McKendrick.”
“We’ll see. If you do prove to be my daughter, you’ll be awarded three different trust funds from my mother-in-law and her late husband. There are stipulations that must be met before you can have any of them, but I don’t believe any of them will be an issue for you. They total over seventeen million dollars.” The restaurant dipped to the side and got really dark all of a sudden. Pin pricks of light flashed in front of her eyes.
No, that’s the chandelier over the table. Why am I looking up at it? West’s face appeared over hers, his eyes wide with concern. Was that his arm under her head?
Crap, she was in his lap! Mortified, she struggled upright. The entire restaurant was watching her, staring. The waiters gathered by the low wall jut watching. Good thing I wasn’t choking to death. The owner shoved through the bunch. McKendrick was on his feet, mouth open like he was about to yell for help.
“Mattie, are you all right?” West asked, helping her back into her seat.
“I—yeah. I just got lightheaded there for a second. I’m good.”
West handed her a water goblet. It wobbled in her hand, and a few drops splashed out onto her lap. West closed his hand over hers and helped steady it all the way to her lips.
“O-M-G, I swear,” Emeline said. “We just need to start calling you Borat.”
Mattie groaned. “Lay off me for a little while. And calling me Borat makes no sense whatsoever. If you’re going to use pop culture to humiliate me, at least find a character that matches the situation, Regina .” There was no way Em would understand the Mean Girls reference.
Hmm .
“You don’t seem like the type to speak French,” she said softly.
“I’m a man of many talents,” he replied. “And spending most of my life around this family has forced me to learn certain things.”
McKendrick and Justine made small talk until the first course arrived. Emeline reappeared. Mattie noticed his slight scowl, and her heart went out to the guy. Mattie unrolled her napkin and managed to knock one of the many spoons lined up beside her plate to the plush carpeting.
Emeline giggled and made some inane comment that made Mattie want to smack her. She wasn’t sure whether she should leave the spoon or pick it up. She wasn’t sure what she would do with it once she picked it up, but she didn’t want to look uncouth by leaving it lying there. She decided to compromise and move it under her chair.
As she leaned down to move it over, the table cloth shifted and she saw Justine’s foot rubbing her brother’s ankle, all the way above his sock. Her hand was on his thigh.
Eww. Oh man . Mattie forgot the spoon and sat up straight, trying her best not to look at Justine, who sat prim and proper, like nothing at all even slightly disgusting was going on under the table.
West gave her a funny look. “You all right? You look a little pale.”
She nodded. “Yeah, just sat up too fast.” After the main course was finished and cleared, McKendrick steepled his hands on the table top.
“Now, Matilyn. As I said, you aren’t the first woman to claim to be Elaine. Most of them I know right away cannot be Elaine. You, on the other hand, bear a striking resemblance to both my wife and my mother-in-law in her younger years.”
West shifted in his seat and narrowed his eyes at her, studying her. Mattie stuck her tongue out at him. He stifled a laugh and rolled his eyes at her.
McKendrick cleared his throat again. Reluctantly, Mattie broke eye contact with West and turned her attention back to the other man.
“The results of the DNA tests should be in within a day or so, and my private investigators will be researching your background. If you’ve got anything to hide or that you don’t want brought to light, I suggest you reveal it now.”
“I have nothing to hide, Mr. McKendrick.”
“We’ll see. If you do prove to be my daughter, you’ll be awarded three different trust funds from my mother-in-law and her late husband. There are stipulations that must be met before you can have any of them, but I don’t believe any of them will be an issue for you. They total over seventeen million dollars.” The restaurant dipped to the side and got really dark all of a sudden. Pin pricks of light flashed in front of her eyes.
No, that’s the chandelier over the table. Why am I looking up at it? West’s face appeared over hers, his eyes wide with concern. Was that his arm under her head?
Crap, she was in his lap! Mortified, she struggled upright. The entire restaurant was watching her, staring. The waiters gathered by the low wall jut watching. Good thing I wasn’t choking to death. The owner shoved through the bunch. McKendrick was on his feet, mouth open like he was about to yell for help.
“Mattie, are you all right?” West asked, helping her back into her seat.
“I—yeah. I just got lightheaded there for a second. I’m good.”
West handed her a water goblet. It wobbled in her hand, and a few drops splashed out onto her lap. West closed his hand over hers and helped steady it all the way to her lips.
“O-M-G, I swear,” Emeline said. “We just need to start calling you Borat.”
Mattie groaned. “Lay off me for a little while. And calling me Borat makes no sense whatsoever. If you’re going to use pop culture to humiliate me, at least find a character that matches the situation, Regina .” There was no way Em would understand the Mean Girls reference.
Hmm .
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