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

acted unaffected by his mom’s words, they lingered in his mind.  Still, he insisted, “There’s nothing going on between us.”
    Next Jack spoke up--again, surprising him, as Tragan’s dad was not one to bu tt into his love life.  “Listen, don’t let a boyfriend stand in your way.”
    At that, Mari tugged on her husband’s sleeve to get his attention. “Wait, Jack, w hat are you telling him?”
    “Just that boyfriends come and go.  All’s fair game till the wedding bands go on.  That’s my belief.”
    “You know… you have a point,” Tragan’s mom said thoughtfully, her hope suddenly renewed.  “Tragan--your father has a point!”
    “All right, enough,” Tragan whispered, “she’s gonna hear you.”  He leaned down to give his mom one last hug.  When he shook his dad’s hand, Jack pulled him in for a quick hug, as well.  “Be good, son,” Jack remarked generically on his way out.
    Good.  Right.  When it came to Andy, “good” was the last thing he felt like being.

Chapter Fifteen
    After his parents left, Tragan found Andy at the kitchen sink.  She was pulling her hair up into a messy knot at the back of her head, which exposed more of her neck.  He stepped closer, leaned on the counter beside the sink.  “Well, the good news is that my parents had an awesome time.  They absolutely love you.”
    “ Oh, good…” Andy said, reaching for the dishwashing soap.
    “T he bad news is that for the rest of her days my mother will now be saying: ‘Why can’t you meet a girl like Andy’?
    She gave a laugh at that.  “ Technically you did meet me,” she pointed out.
    “You know what I mean,” Tragan said.  “S eriously, I can see it now.  ‘Tragan, that stripper you brought home for Thanksgiving?  Why can’t she be more like Andy?’”
    Andy shot him a look .  “Stripper?  Really?”
    He shrugged.  “ You never know,” he said, grinning.
    “Personally, I think you should set your sights a little higher,” Andy remarked, tilting her head at him--then corrected herself.  “I shouldn’t say that, because I don’t actually know… Tragan, are you seeing anyone now?”
    He shook his head.  “Nope, no,” he said, straightening up a little.  “I’m keeping my options open,” he added for some unknown reason.  He felt like an idiot as soon as he’d said it. 
    “ That’s good,” she said generically and set more plates into the sink.  As she swished them with soapy water, Tragan found himself thinking about what his mom had said at the door. 
    “So are you always this great to people’s parents?” he fished.  “Or…”
    “Or what?”  
    When she blinked at him, waiting, he lightened his tone, made it more joking.  “Or is there just something special about Mari and Jack Barrett?”
    H er gaze returned to the dishes in the sink as she proclaimed, “They’re very easy to talk to, for real.  I don’t know why you were worried.”
    “I wasn’t worried .”
    “Sure,” she said , teasing him.  “Really, though, I had fun hanging out with them.  Does your mom have a slight accent?”
    “Oh, yeah, she was born in Portugal.  Her family moved here when she was fourteen or fifteen.  She’s been here for over thirty years so there’s only a trace of the accent.  But it comes out a lot stronger when Portuguese relatives come to visit or when she’s talking to my grandmother.”
    “You know, you’ re lucky your parents are still together.  When my dad moved to Switzerland, it was supposed to be a year or so.  We didn’t know he’d end up staying forever.”
    When her voice trailed off, Tragan probed, “Do you ever see him?”
    Andy nodded.  “ Oh, sure, on Skype.  Emma and I visited him in Zurich about two years ago, and he came to the hospital in Chicago when I was sick.  Plus, we talk on the phone and email a lot.”
    “That’s cool.”
    “Yeah, he’s a good dad.  But it’s still not the same as having my mom and him still