The Dragon’s E-Mail Order Menage

And that was when it all promptly began to fall apart. He should have known better than to count his chickens before they hatched. That was another one of those clichés Levi had heard and never really given any thought to until it was something that actually applied to his own life. But now, sitting in this fancy, five-star restaurant and watching everything go to pieces, he thought that he understood it perfectly. Things were starting to move in slow motion and even though it all felt so unbelievably slow, there was not a damned thing he could do to change it, to stop it in any way.

“I must say, Maggie, you are just so much better than I hoped for. One never does know, and there is no more critical person about her son’s partner than his mother. Of course I was anxious to meet you but now that I have, I can’t think of anyone I would rather be the mother of my grandchildren. I don’t think I could have found someone better had I hand-picked someone. I suppose giving him his freedom paid off, at least in this case.”

The changes that took place after those comments were almost imperceptible and Levi was certain that his parents didn’t pick up on it at all. But he did, without a doubt. He knew that Maggie was reeling. He could see it by the way her face suddenly reddened and then almost completely drained of color. He himself actually choked on his drink, but his parents didn’t seem to notice that, either. They were in one of their blissful, drunken hazes. They had decided that everything was wonderful and so, in their world, everything was.

It must be so convenient to live life that way. When you didn’t have to worry about the way the things you did affected the people around you, well then all bets were off, weren’t they? Part of him wanted to stand up in the middle of the restaurant and tell them both to keep their money and then tell them to go straight to hell, but even in his state of panic he knew that would only make things worse. He needed to get them out of there and he needed to do it right away, if not sooner. He couldn’t make Maggie sit there and make conversation like she thought what his mother had just said was the most normal thing in the world. That would be just beyond sh*tty.

“Shoot, Mom, Dad, I hate to say it, but I just remembered that we have plans tonight at the house.”

“Oh no! Come now, I’m sure you can cancel them, right? It can’t be that important.”

“Now Eleanor, leave them alone. Let the young people be young. They only get to do it once. And there will be plenty of time in the future to see them both, although let’s be honest, we all know it’s Maggie you really want to spend time with.”

It was the perfect kind of joke for a slightly intoxicated father to make and the four of them laughed lightly as they stood and said their goodbyes. If it hadn’t been for that one reference to the baby, it would have been the first good meal Levi could remember having with his parents. But the reference had been there and there was no erasing it, no convincing himself that she had missed it or that she hadn’t thought anything of it. As soon as they were out of the restaurant and far enough away that they wouldn’t risk running straight back into his parents, Maggie turned on Levi, a mixture of panic and anger in her still lovely face.

“What the hell was that, Levi?”

“What was what?” he asked meekly, knowing the play at ignorance wouldn’t work but making a desperate attempt anyway.

“No, don’t pull that sh*t with me. Her grandchild? Why is your mom talking to me about her grandchild like it’s something she’s going to be getting soon? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Fine. Do you remember that lunch I had with them right after you moved into the house? The one right before we went out to the tent rocks?”

“Yes, I remember. What about it?”

“When I was at that lunch my parents told me that they expect to have an heir by the time I turn thirty. If I don’t, they disinherit me, maybe make me go through with an arranged marriage.”

“And you didn’t think the fact that your parents are expecting me to get knocked up like, tomorrow, was something you might need to tell me?!”

“Please, Maggie, I can explain-”

“No! No. I don’t want you to explain. Not now. I don’t even want to look at you right now. I can’t believe you lied to me. Another lie by omission, just like when I first got here, just like when I realized it wasn’t only Hudson I was tying myself to.”

“Maggie!”

“No. Go home. Don’t follow me. I’ll come back when I’m ready. If I’m ready.”

She didn’t even wait for him to try and respond, which if he was looking at things objectively (and who the fu*k could really do a thing like that?), he deserved. She didn’t look at him again either, just took off down the street in the opposite direction from him as quickly as her shapely legs could carry her. He wanted to do something, to shout at the top of his lungs for her to listen, for her not to leave him, but he felt paralyzed from head to toe. For the first time in his life, he felt utterly terrified.