Page 71 of Inside Out
“I forgot how pretentious this house was,” Rome said in reply. It wasn’t a remark I expected him to make considering the people inside were supposed to be his friends. It made me uneasy for the first time that night, and I suspected it wouldn’t be the last. “We won’t be bobbing for apples at this Halloween party.”
I snorted. “I should hope not.”
“Is that another one of those sayings?” Rome asked me, sounding alarmed. “What did I imply?”
“It’s a blow job this time,” I said, “but it’s while one of us sits in a hot tub or pool.”
“Underwater then?” Rome asked inquisitively. “I can see where that one at least makes sense.”
Before I could suggest we try it in private, the door opened wide, and a lady dressed as Marie Antoinette greeted us.
“Rome, darling,” she said, but it sounded like dahling. The woman greeted him with an air kiss then stood back to rake her eyes over him. “You look different.”
He chuckled and said, “I should hope so, Cybil. This is a costume party after all.”
“Don’t be cute,” she said, patting his chest almost possessively. “Then again, you can’t help being cute.”
Rome’s fingers tensed against my lower back then he slid his hand over to hook my waist and pull me into him. “Cybil, this man is the reason I ‘look different.’ Say hello to Julius and please stand aside so we can come in. It’s freezing out here.”
Cybil’s eyes widened as if she hadn’t noticed me standing there while she pawed my guy. Her pale, shrewd eyes raked over me from head to toe. The smile she gave me was cold and calculating. “Charmed to meet you, Julien.” She sounded anything but, and I was certain she deliberately said my name wrong to let me know I was of no importance to her. That’s okay. Rome knew my name very well and cried it out every time I made him come. This little harpy’s opinion meant nothing to me.
“Are you going to let us in or do I need to call the driver back?” Rome asked.
“Don’t be silly, Romeo,” she breathlessly said before stepping aside.
“Who put you in front of the door?” he asked once we stepped inside the expansive, marble and gold foyer. Pretentious was an understatement.
“I was watching for you, of course,” she purred. I just bet she was. She glanced at me once more before an evil smile spread across her face. “You didn’t tell Frank or Heather that you were bringing a date.”
“I didn’t tell them I was bringing myboyfriendbecause they didn’t ask me to RSVP. They’ve always told me any friend of mine is a friend of theirs.”
“Sure, but they didn’t mean it.” She was the snidest, most hateful person I’d run across in a very long time.
“We’re leaving,” Rome said, firmly gripping my bicep. “I’ll call Frank in the morning and explain to him that his sister insulted my boyfriend before we were two steps inside his home.”
“I’m not insulting yourboyfriend,” Cybil said backpedaling. “I’m insulting my brother and his wife’s attempts at matchmaking.” Her eyes roamed over my body again. “No wonder none of their choices did anything for you.”
“What the hell do you mean by that?” Rome demanded.
“Come now, Rome. I’ve seen the guys they’ve tried to fix you up with after Peter died. The one they lured here tonight isn’t any better than the others. Your boyfriend is much younger, more vibrant, and I bet a lot better in—”
“There you are,” said a husky voice from behind Cybil. I couldn’t see what the man looked like with Cybil’s tall wig blocking my line of sight. “Cyb, let my guy in. Rome, I have someone I want you to… Oh,” the bear of a man said when he walked around Cybil and saw me standing in the doorway. “I didn’t know you were bringing a guest.”
“I brought my boyfriend, Julius,” Rome explained.
The man’s friendly smile when he looked at me contrasted with his roguish pirate costume. “Well, I feel really silly for not knowing. I might’ve made an ass out of myself.”
“No more than Cybil already has,” Rome assured him. “Your heart, however, is always in the right place. Your days of worrying about me are over. Frank, I’d like to introduce you to Julius Shepherd.”
“It’s good to meet you, Julius.” Frank’s hand was the size of a baseball mitt and could really hurt a person if he was inclined. His handshake was firm but friendly, and he slapped my shoulder after he dropped my hand. “Welcome to my home. Any friend of Rome’s is a friend of mine.”
Cybil snorted before gracefully walking away. I hoped she was going to seek out the poor schmuck invited to the party as Rome’s potential Mr. Right to tell him the deal was off.
“Please don’t take anything she says to heart. She’s um…she’s a difficult person.”
I turned my gaze away from the cold woman to meet her brother’s warm, brown eyes. “Thank you.”
“I recognize that you came as Arthur Ashe, Julius, but who the hell are you supposed to be, Rome?”