His family as a topic was now off-limits, if he wouldn't answer as simple a question as what about your mom. The scrutiny had turned to her collection of basket cases. And Eric tried to be oh so innocent about it, so free from the guilt of his gut-panic reaction. As if she were overreacting. Tightness set in Amber's jaw; she took in shallow breaths. All she'd done was offer the chance to meet her family, since he'd seem so damn eager to know about her brothers. She wanted to meet his. This wasn't even her idea; Amber had only invited him because her mom wanted him there.
But as condescending and frankly deceitful his backpedaling on having said 'no' was, the fact that he was still lying down calmed Amber. He wasn't going to take this to the next level, spiraling the fight into new levels of lowness. Embarrassed to have asked-- if she hadn't, he couldn’t have rejected her a second time in so brief a period-- she crossed her legs, bent her head. "There's Geoff and Brian, of course, and mom and dad. I'm guessing Brian'll bring his girlfriend, if they're still together, and Leila-- she's Geoff's wife-- will be there, too. And her kid." Amber had rarely seen the big-cheeked ‘princess’ outside of photos, so it was easy to forget her. "And some aunts and uncles and cousins, depending on who shows up. Mom likes to get as many people to come as possible." Those who dared invent other (non-work related) plans had better pray for their souls. "There's so many people it's easy to go ignored. It's what I usually do."
She looked away from her lap, stopped tapping her knees nervously. "None of that matters, though. I'm not forcing you to go, and since you don't want to, you won't. Case or no case." Amber would be okay with it; her mom wouldn't. If they did last as a couple, her mom would forever remember Eric as the boy who was too good for her carefully-prepared Thanksgiving feast; above her family's company. It'd add a layer of coolness, if the two of them ever talked, that'd only thaw out if Eric had enough charm to make her forget this slight-- Amber had seen it happen to Geoff's girlfriends enough times to know. But Eric was starting out at a disadvantage, even before refusing to come to dinner. But that was up to him, and she wouldn’t let them have more pointless fights over nothing. Amber was the one dating him, not her family. “Forget it.”
no subject
But as condescending and frankly deceitful his backpedaling on having said 'no' was, the fact that he was still lying down calmed Amber. He wasn't going to take this to the next level, spiraling the fight into new levels of lowness. Embarrassed to have asked-- if she hadn't, he couldn’t have rejected her a second time in so brief a period-- she crossed her legs, bent her head. "There's Geoff and Brian, of course, and mom and dad. I'm guessing Brian'll bring his girlfriend, if they're still together, and Leila-- she's Geoff's wife-- will be there, too. And her kid." Amber had rarely seen the big-cheeked ‘princess’ outside of photos, so it was easy to forget her. "And some aunts and uncles and cousins, depending on who shows up. Mom likes to get as many people to come as possible." Those who dared invent other (non-work related) plans had better pray for their souls. "There's so many people it's easy to go ignored. It's what I usually do."
She looked away from her lap, stopped tapping her knees nervously. "None of that matters, though. I'm not forcing you to go, and since you don't want to, you won't. Case or no case." Amber would be okay with it; her mom wouldn't. If they did last as a couple, her mom would forever remember Eric as the boy who was too good for her carefully-prepared Thanksgiving feast; above her family's company. It'd add a layer of coolness, if the two of them ever talked, that'd only thaw out if Eric had enough charm to make her forget this slight-- Amber had seen it happen to Geoff's girlfriends enough times to know. But Eric was starting out at a disadvantage, even before refusing to come to dinner. But that was up to him, and she wouldn’t let them have more pointless fights over nothing. Amber was the one dating him, not her family. “Forget it.”