Everyone started ordering, much to Justin’s relief.
Then Salazar showed up, and Ceinlys a few moments later.
* * *
The last time Justin had seen Salazar was at his cousin Kerri’s wedding. There, the older man had been robust and glowing with health and alcohol. He was still dashing in his carefully tailored clothes; silver touched the temples of his black hair just so to hint at worldliness without suggesting advanced age, and his well-cared for skin was a light bronze. But there was a dullness to him now, like a hazy film over glass.
Ceinlys, on the other hand, looked much the same as before—wealthy, elegant, with just a hint of superiority. Ironically enough, the latter reminded Justin of Shirley Pryce, Ceinlys’s great adversary.
They sat at opposite ends of the table without any prompting. Salazar didn’t even glance at the menu. “Just bring me the most expensive item and a shot of whiskey,” he said, then turned to Justin. “So. Married.”
Justin nodded.
Salazar’s mouth smiled. “May you two be happy.”
“I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t,” Ceinlys said, not looking up from the menu. Her tone had the ponderousness of an English lit professor pontificating on the meaning of “nunnery” from Hamlet’s monologue. She finally folded the leather folio closed. “You should have a real ceremony for family and friends.”
“The original one they had was real enough.” Salazar downed the shot of whiskey and gestured for another. “Unless you’re implying it’s fake?”
“No more fake than ours.” Ceinlys gave him a precise smile, but her eyes stayed cold.
Salazar held her gaze, while his children reached for more bread. “If you want a ceremony, you can pay for it.”
“I’m sure that won’t be necessary. Barron undoubtedly wants one as well.”
A waiter brought a glass of champagne for her, breaking the exchange. Justin leaned over. “Is it always like this?” he whispered to Vanessa.
“Actually they’re behaving pretty well.”
His jaw slackened. If this was the good version, he couldn’t imagine how bad the regular one was. He’d assumed the family dinner would be semi-friendly since it was really about Vanessa and his marriage, not Salazar and Ceinlys’s situation. Tension crept into the back of his neck and shoulders as Salazar and Ceinlys kept sniping at each other.
Vanessa put a hand over his wrist. “Relax. Just pretend you’re not here, and you should be all right.”
“Sorry. I should’ve never invited them.”
“They’re the parents, so we would’ve had to eat with them at some point. It’s fine. Really.” She flashed him a quick smile.
He squeezed her hand. “I can’t believe you’re trying to cheer me up.”
She shrugged. “I’m used to this.”
His phone buzzed, and he glanced at it. It was a text from Dane.
Can’t make it. You’re an idiot for inviting both my parents. If you make Vanessa unhappy, I’ll kill you. Anything else we can discuss later.
Mentally shaking his head, Justin typed: Appreciate the congrats. He hesitated, then decided the rest of what he wanted to say needed to be said in person.
A few seconds later came a response: You’re welcome.
The food smelled amazing, but he couldn’t remember what it was or how it tasted. All he could feel was the hostility under the glittery civilized veneer that Vanessa’s parents projected and the silent tension as the rest of them went through the motions of dining. By the time they reached the fish course, he couldn’t eat anything without feeling like there was a drill in his gut, and Vanessa hadn’t touched much of anything except some bread.
Justin had heard rumors about how awkward Pryce family dinners could be, but this was worse than he’d imagined. No wonder Dane hadn’t bothered to show. Justin felt like an idiot for having arranged the event in the first place.
At the same time he was beginning to see why Vanessa was so skittish about marriage, commitment and family. She had no role model, nothing she could emulate or aspire to.
r /> He ached for her and wished he could replace all her bad memories with good ones.
Chapter Seventeen