Chapter 543
“Drink with me, Judy,” she said. “Let’s show my father that he doesn’t control your life.”
Her words sparked interest in me, and before I knew it, I was taking another shot of tequila.
She cheered, drawing the attention of others around us, making us both giggle with slight embarrassment.
“Judy?” My mother said as she approached. Per usual, she looked gorgeous in her own elegant dress; she had a confused yet bright smile on her face. It was nice that she was taking care of herself again; I loved that things were going back to normal now that my father was out of prison and not in jeopardy of losing his company. “I wasn’t expecting you to be here.”
“I’m afraid that’s my fault, Mrs. Montague. I asked Judy to be my plus one,” Irene said, putting an arm around my shoulder.
Irene had never actually met my mother before, but I knew she knew who she was, as did my mother.
“Miss Landry,” my mother said, looking between the two of us. “I didn’t realize you two were so close.”
“Judy is my good friend,” she told her. “As soon as she started to tutor my brother, we clicked right away. We clearly have the same terrible taste in men,” she tried to joke, and I knew some of it was alcohol induced.
I nearly choked on the wine I started to drink.
My mother’s brows arched as she stared at Irene, and then she turned to look at
me.
“May we have a word?” She asked.
I knew what was about to come and I wasn’t looking forward ot this conversation. “Do we have to do this here?” I asked her, begging her with my eyes to just drop it for tonight.
He kept a plastered smile on her face, telling me that I wasn’t to argue with her. Sighing, I excused myself and followed her to a more secluded spot, feeling eyes on me as I walked through a small crowd. Heat prickled the back of my neck, but I refused to look around at the lust-filled and curious eyes.
My mother finally stopped walking once we reached a small section that had fewer people, and she turned to look at me.
“You’re hanging out with Irene Landry?” She asked me, her brows raised. “Gavin’s daughter?”
“I know what you are thinking, but I promise, this has nothing to do with Gavin,” I assured her.
“Gee, Judy. What do you think I’m thinking? First, you start tutoring his son, and now you’re friends with his daughter? Was this a ploy to get your father out of prison?”
“God, Mom! No!” I nearly shouted
before composing myself and
saying in a much lower tone, “I’m not using Gavin like that. I made it a point to make sure he never found out about Dad’s situation. I worked for him as Matt’s tutor so could earn the money the right way. How I feel towards Gavin is completely separate from anything else.”
“Then why would he not only pay your father’s debt, but also pay to ensure your father never loses the company again?” She asked, folding her arms across her chest. “Why would he do that for you if you didn’t ask him personally?”
I bit my lip and looked away from her penetrating gaze.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “That’s something you’d have to ask him.”
She stared at me for a long while before her gaze lingered on Irene, who was still drinking at the bar and flirting with an older gentleman. I needed to get back to her before she did something she’d truly regret.
“Isn’t she the one Ethan left you for?” My mother asked.
I looked back at her and sighed.
“Yes,” I told her. “But like me, she was left burned and disappointed. Now we are friends.”
“Heartbreak brings people together,” my mother said, the fight and edge leaving her voice. She gave me a small smile as she put her hand on my shoulder. “If what you are saying is true, that you didn’t tell Gavin about our family’s situation and you didn’t ask him for his help… then you must be really special to him, Judy.”
I blinked at her words, not sure where she was going with this.
“I’m sorry?” I asked; maybe it was the tequila in my system, but her words weren’t really making sense to me.
“A man wouldn’t go out of his way to
help someone like that if there wasn’t something real there. I know I’ve been appearing unsupportive since finding out… but if he truly makes you happy and if he cares about you this much… then maybe it’s worth hanging onto after all.”
She squeezed my shoulder before kissing my cheek.
With those parting words, she rejoined my father, leaving me alone with my very confused and tequila-induced thoughts.