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“That’s a little dramatic.” I chuckle.
“All my friends are becoming grandparents. I hate being the odd one out,” she explains.
“Maybe I should go to a sperm bank and pick a baby daddy,” I tease.
“Harper, hush, I don’t think we are at that stage yet. But do you think the cute hockey player might be open to making a donation?” She grins.
“Mom!”
“I’m joking,” she says, waving my shock away.
Thankfully, we are saved by the caviar. That should shut her up for a while. Is it a full moon? Why is everyone acting weird around me?
“About the baby thing?” she asks as she dollops caviar onto her bellini, “Would you do it by yourself?”
I pop my bellini into my mouth as I think about what she’s asked before swallowing it down with some champagne. “Yeah. I mean, I have the money to support myself. And you have just told me you are eager to babysit so …”
“Not sure about eager as I am old.” She winks at me.
“Maybe I might investigate it. I can’t seem to find the right man. If I do it this way I wouldn’t have any baby daddy drama.”
“That is very true, sweetheart.” She nods in agreement. I’m surprised by her acceptance of me maybe going my own way. “Oh. Oh. Is that …?” She gasps. “Felix, sweetheart is that you?”
My heart stops in my chest. No. It can’t be. I turn my head slowly, and there he is looking like a delicious hunk of beef, dressed in jeans and a tight white tee that shows off his muscular, inked arms. His floppy hair looks shorter—has he trimmed it? —his face is clean-shaven. Has he always been this good-looking?
“Mrs. Rose, it’s so lovely to see you again,” he says, greeting her warmly. Again? When did she meet him for the first time?
“Come, sit, join us,” she asks. Nooo. What is she doing?
“I don’t want to intrude on your lunch.” He grins, those hazel eyes lingering on me, I can feel them sweeping over my skin, heating it.
“Oh, I insist. Do you like caviar?” she asks.
“Why, yes, I do.” He smiles at her. Is my mother blushing?
“Take a seat.” She points to the one beside me. I pick up my glass of champagne and throw it back.
“Hi again, Harper,” he says, taking his seat beside me. The man is a fricken mountain and takes up the entire booth space beside me. I can feel the heat of his leg against mine. I shuffle into the corner more so no part of us is touching, then pop a bellini in my mouth and nod.
“Excuse her, Harper loves caviar.” My mother glares at me as I try to ignore the man beside me. “Felix, how are you enjoying the city?” she asks.
“It’s been years since I’ve lived here, but it’s good to be back on the East Coast,” he answers my mother politely.
“Do you get to go back home often?” she asks.
“I try to, but usually it’s easier for my mom to come see me during the season. Between my brother and my sisters who live overseas, she has a lot of zig-zagging to do to see us all.”
The waiter comes over and pours Felix a glass of champagne. He thanks him.
“Help yourself, Felix, to the caviar,” my mother offers. I watch as Felix loads up his bellini and pops it in his mouth, my eyes land on the way he sucks his fingers clean of the tiny black balls. My thighs tingle, remembering him sucking me off his fingers. I shake my head and take another sip of my champagne to steady my beating heart, my mother smirks, catching me ogling Felix. Shit. She is going to try to play matchmaker.
“Oh shoot, I just remembered I’m supposed to meet Delilah about flowers for the gala. Something about a shortage of orchids in Singapore.”
“Mom,” I warn her as I watch her get up from the table. Felix stands as my mother does. Which makes her smile. She’s a sucker for old-school manners.
“It’s an emergency, sweetheart. You know I am swamped with the gala.” Which I know is true, but in this situation I call bullshit. “I ordered the beef tartare and garden salad, it’s delicious, I hope you enjoy it,” she says, tapping Felix’s chest.
“It was lovely to see you again,” he says, kissing her cheeks.