Chapter 4 - The Inspection
Aunt Judith did not walk toward them; she advanced like a battleship clearing a shipping lane.
Clad in a stiff mauve dress that looked as though it had been constructed from reinforced steel, Judith bore down on them with her clipboard raised like a shield. Behind her trailed Maya’s mother, Elena, nervously wringing her hands and offering a weak, hopeful smile.
“Maya!” Judith barked, stopping three feet away and immediately launching into a visual inspection that started at Maya’s shoes and ended at her hair. “You’re twenty minutes behind schedule. The photographer is already billing us for overtime, and your cousin is upstairs having a panic attack because the floral centerpieces feature peach roses instead of blush pink.”
“Hello, Aunt Judith,” Maya said, pasting on the brightest, most synthetic smile in her arsenal. “It’s so wonderful to see you. I’d like you to meet Daniel.”
Judith’s eyes snapped instantly to Mason.
The formidable matriarch froze. Her sharp, judgmental gaze swept upward, taking in Mason’s custom-tailored jacket, his towering height, the quiet, dangerous authority radiating from his stance, and the expensive Swiss watch glinting against his cuff.
Judith’s mouth opened slightly. The clipboard lowered by two inches.
“Daniel,” Judith said, her voice instantly dropping an octave into a tone of breathless, obsequious charm. “My word. Maya didn't mention you were... well, she didn't mention you at all, actually.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Bennett,” Mason said, his voice dropping into that smooth, resonant baritone. He extended a hand with effortless grace. “Maya has told me so much about your legendary hospitality.”
Judith took his hand, her eyes widening as she realized she was shaking hands with a man who looked like he owned three banks and a private island. “Oh! Well—call me Judith, dear. Please! Welcome to the family. Elena, look at him! Why didn't your daughter tell us how dashing he is?”
Maya’s mother hurried forward, beaming with relief. “Oh, Daniel, thank you for coming. Maya has been so stressed about work lately.”
“It’s no trouble at all, Elena,” Mason replied smoothly, using her mother’s first name with practiced ease. “Maya’s happiness is my primary concern.”
Maya stared at him out of the corner of her eye. Rule number two, Reed, she thought frantically. That was dangerously close to a romance novel line.
Before Judith could launch into a third-degree interrogation regarding Daniel’s family lineage, net worth, and political affiliations, a sharp, metallic voice crackled over the small walkie-talkie clipped to Judith’s belt.
“Judith, we have a situation in the kitchen,” a frantic voice hissed. “The catering van broke down on the interstate. The appetizers are stranded in traffic.”
Judith gasped, her priorities instantly shifting from marital interrogation to logistical warfare. “Oh, sweet heaven! Daniel, Maya, excuse me—the hors d'oeuvres are in mortal peril!”
With a swirl of mauve fabric, Judith turned and marched away, barking orders into the air, leaving Maya and Mason standing alone on the gravel path.
Maya let out a long, shuddering breath, her shoulders dropping three inches. “You are a wizard. You paralyzed my aunt in four seconds flat with a handshake.”
May you like
Mason looked down at her, a corner of his mouth ticking upward. “I have experience managing difficult personalities.”
“I bet you do,” Maya murmured, stepping closer as they began walking toward the grand ballroom doors. “So far, you’re worth every penny of the zero dollars I’m paying you.”
