Constructing Us (New Adult Romance) by C.J. Lake Page A

one.  My…” She hesitated for a second.  “…friend is a doctor at St. Catherine’s and he’s actually the one who convinced me to participate.” 
    That set Tragan’s attention on high-alert.  She had to mean Brad, didn’t she?  But then why call him a “friend” instead of her boyfriend?
    “You must trust him,” Mari replied.  “Andy, this is wonderful ,” she enthused after a bite of Spanakopita.  “So much flavor!”
    “ Excellent,” Jack agreed.
    As Andy thanked them for the compliments, she explained about cooking being a recent hobby of hers.  “What else do you enjoy?” Mari asked conversationally.
    “ Reading,” Tragan said just as Andy said, “Playing piano.”  That stopped Tragan short.  “I didn’t know you played piano.”
    She nodded.  “My mom has one at her house.  So I’ve played it off and on for years.  Though Tragan was right about the reading, too.  I’m a total book junkie.”
    “I love to read, too! ” Mari said cheerfully and reached over to get her bag off the counter.  “I always carry a book in my purse in case we’re stuck in traffic.  This is the one I’m reading now.”  She pulled out a slightly dog-eared copy of something called, Seducing the Billionaire Earl’s Pregnant Bride.
    Tragan cringed when he saw the title and the half-naked man on the cover.  “Jeez, Ma…”
    Of course Andy was much more supportive.  “Is it good?” she asked, as she flipped the paperback over and skimmed the back.
    “Yes, it is pretty good.  Very passionate,” Mari assured her.
    “Oh, brother… ” Tragan muttered.
    Andy shot him a grin, then asked his parents, “So what was Tragan like growing up?”
    “Tragan was very independent--strong,” Mari said.  “ And no matter what friends he had, Tray always seemed to be the leader.”
    “ That’s true,” Jack said.
    “ Hmm, I can picture that,” Andy said.
    “By the way, Andy, does your family live around here?” Mari asked.
    “Yes, my mom lives nearby and so does my older sister, Emma, with her two sons.  Her husband died a few years ago,” Andy volunteered with a sad dip in her voice, before resuming, “And my dad actually lives in Switzerland.”
    “ Switzerland, really?” Jack said, surprised. 
    “ See, my parents got divorced when I was in high school and my father moved over there for his job not long after.  He’s an investment banker and he works out of the Zurich office.”
    Tragan could see by his parents’ expressions that they didn’t know quite what to say to that .  A sound intruded upon the conversation anyway.  And a fucking irritating one at that.  Brad’s distinct ring tone, which Tragan recognized by now. 
    “Oh, will you excuse me?” Andy said, rising from her chair.  “That’s my phone. ”  As she hurried to get Brad’s call, Tragan swallowed down his jealousy. 
    He felt almost elated when Andy returned less than ten minutes later.
    After another hour, his parents said their goodbyes, insisting they were too tired to go anywhere for coffee and dessert.  When Andy disappeared into the kitchen, Tragan walked them to the door. Mari said, “We’re so glad we stopped by.  We missed you!”
    “Missed you guys, too.  I would’ve come by next week or so.”
    She reached up and encircled him in a tight hug.  When she pulled back, she spoke more softly.  “Wait, before we go…what’s the story with you and Andy?”
    Jack ch imed in, “She’s a good girl.  You should hold onto that one.”
    Quickly, Tragan correct them.  “There’s no story there.  Andy and I are just friends.”
    “But--”
    “She already has a boyfriend,” he stated bluntly.
    Too bluntly apparently, because his mother suddenly looked crestfallen.  “Oh, no…she does ?  I just assumed--I mean, it seemed like maybe she was hoping to impress us a little.  Why would a girl want to spend her evening with a boy’s parents unless she liked the boy?”
    Even thou gh Tragan