By eight o'clock, my mood had slumped. Adam hadn't arrived.

Melody took a seat next to me and said, "Thanks for helping Mum with this."

I hugged her and smiled. "That's okay. For you, anything."

She pointed with her wine glass and said, "Daniel's girlfriend is nice. Is she the one?"

I laughed. "I hope so because she's my best friend."

Melody put her hand over her mouth in shock. "So that's Belinda? She's pretty."

"Yes. And she's a nice girl."

"What about you?" Melody tucked her lips back in a smile. "Mum says you've got a boyfriend and he might come tonight."

"Yeah," I sighed and glanced at the back door. "He said he'd try, but it's eighty-thirty, so it doesn't appear he'll make it."

"Why? What's he doing?"

I cringed; it was typical of Mel to ask the direct and most obvious questions that no one had thought of or wasn't game to ask. "He had another event on, so wasn't sure if he'd make it." I hoped it was another event and not a stretch in gaol.

She grinned and bounced on her seat. "What's he like?"

I smiled. "Nice, I like him a lot. He's... you know, a bit mysterious."

Melody groaned and cocked her head at me. "He's not another weirdo, is he, Jazz? You do have a habit of picking weirdoes."

I laughed and pulled a face as I rumbled, "That's because I have a syndrome. Remember..."

We burst into laughter.

Mum called, "Jasmine, come and help me with the desserts."

I was grateful that Melody had lifted my mood. "Gotta go," I grinned. "The spinster sister has work to do."

Belinda, Daniel, Kyle, Mum and I finished putting out the desserts and stood in the kitchen for some quiet time. I took the opportunity to take a toilet break.

As I walked down the hall, I heard Daniel say, "This is Adam, Jasmine's boyfriend. This is Mum. Deidre, and our next-door neighbour, Kyle Curtis."

Blood rushed to my brain as my heart pounded. He was here. I straightened my dress and fiddled with my hair as he said, "Sorry I'm late, I had something else on."

"Oh, that's okay, so what do you do, Adam?"

I gritted my teeth, hearing the interrogator coming out in Mum's voice.

"I work for the government, Mrs. Baker," he answered politely.

"What department?" I imagined my mother's face as she asked this.

"Transport." Adam laughed. "It's boring."

Daniel laughed. "You're kidding. I took you more as an outside kind of bloke."

Adam's deep voice was tinged with humour as he said, "I did some builder's labourer work a few years ago. Hot when you're in the sun."

There was a hint of disgust in Mum's voice as she said, "Kyle's a doctor." She added, "He and Jasmine are very close."

Daniel laughed again and softened Mum's snide comment, saying, "Mum has her sights set on Jasmine marrying a doctor."

Adam said, "I'll see what I can do." His voice laced with mirth, he continued, "Shouldn't be too hard. How many years will I have to study?"

Daniel roared with laughter. Kyle joined in. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from making a sound because of his quick comeback.

Indignant, Mum grumbled, "You wait until you have families of your own. You'll want the best for them, too."

Poor Mum. She wanted the best for me, but I wished she'd let me handle what was best for me on my own. I stood in the doorway. Mum seized my intrusion and gushed, "There she is."

I only had eyes for Adam. My body boiled as his eyes strayed over me.

He smiled and came towards me, saying, "Sorry, I'm late. You look beautiful."

I grinned at him, glanced at the others, and then back at him. "It's okay, and thanks. You look great, too." He was wearing black, my favourite colour on him.

"I brought your sister some Champagne. I wasn't sure what they'd like." He held the bottle out to me.

"Wow, they'll love that. Thank you for being so thoughtful."

He shrugged and grinned. "I couldn't come empty-handed."

I took the bottle and his hand. "Come on, I'll introduce you." I glanced around the room. "I take it you've met everyone here."

Melody's face coloured as I introduced Adam to her and Grant. She squeezed my hand. I grinned at her. She beamed back at me. Her silent way of letting me know she approved.

Dad joined us and held his hand out. "So...you must be Adam? I'm Jasmine's father, Tom Baker."

"Adam Croe." They clasped hands and shook.

"Adam," Dad said. "Come and meet some more of the family." Dad winked at me as he put his hand on Adam's shoulder and directed him towards a table full of aunts, uncles and cousins.

I rolled my eyes at him. He laughed and left me standing with Melody and Grant.

"Jasmine, he's gorgeous," Melody gushed.

I laughed. "So, a bit weird is okay as long as they're good-looking?"

She held her fingers up in the okay sign. "Weird is perfect when they're that good-looking."

Grant chortled and flicked his hair. "Thanks, girls." We laughed, hugged him, then sat.

I worried about Adam being paraded in front of the relations. He appeared to handle it by laughing and nodding at the appropriate times. He talked at length to one group. I decided to find out what was going on. He watched me walk towards him while he listened to what Great Uncle Harry said, and put his arm around me when I stood next to him. "Yeah," he said to Harry. "It's a 1946 Morris Commercial. I'll get back into it in a month or so and try to have it finished for that rally."

Uncle Harry looked me up and down. "She's a pretty girl, aren't you, Jazz? A shame her mother keeps on her back about that boy next door." He paused and tilted his head at Adam. "You might be her saviour, lad."

I laughed, getting Mum off the Kyle wagon would be hard work. At Adam's puzzled expression. I whispered, "I'll explain it later."

Mum called me from the back stairs. I sighed, "Be back in a minute." Adam patted my hip as he let me go.

Mum said, "Jasmine, can you help me get some of this washing up done?"

"Mum, can't it wait. Adam's been here for half an hour and I've hardly said a word to him."

She glowered at me, crooked her finger and went into the kitchen.

I followed, knowing she was going to give me a lecture about something, and sure enough, she said, "He's a nice-looking boy, Jasmine, but you know the handsome ones are only after sex."

"Mum! What's that supposed to mean?" I couldn't believe she was going to throw this at me.

"Jasmine! He works for the government. Doesn't that tell you something? He has no ambition."

"That's not true." I was horrified she was going to judge a person on their career. "You don't know anything about him."

"And you do?" she blurted at me. "You've known him for five minutes, Jasmine. You've known Kyle all your life." She tutted and shook her head. "I can't believe you said no to him last month when he asked you to marry him."

"Mum!"

She held her hand to stop me from speaking. "Jasmine, there has always been something between you and Kyle. You've always liked him. I can't believe you said no, and he's a doctor."

I sighed, knowing I wasn't going to get her off my back, so to shut her up, I said, "It wasn't a complete no, Mum. We decided that if we were both single in five years, we'd talk about it again. It's a long way off. Kyle has no real interest in marriage right now."

"What about this, Adam?" Mum questioned. "He certainly doesn't look the sort to be interested in marriage. For God's sake, Jasmine, the man has tattoos."

I put my hands on my hips and sucked in a big breath of air so I wouldn't lose my temper. "And that means what?" I growled.

Before she could answer, Adam knocked on the kitchen bench. "Just need to use your toilet, if you don't mind."

Mum bustled to show him where to go. I guessed he had heard every word. Taking another lungful of air, I went back to the party, poured myself a large glass of wine and slumped next to Daniel.

"What's up?" he asked cocking his head.

"Mum. That's what's up. I wish to God she'd get over the me and Kyle thing. You know he told her about asking me to marry him to stir shit and she can't see it. Now Adam has heard it all. I don't know how I'm going to explain it. I want to go home." I gulped my wine and then said, "I hate coming home because that's all she ever goes on about. She only sees the doctor thing. He's a bloody player! Do you know that, Daniel? A nice guy but a player. In the end, I'd be married to a man who slept with every nurse at every hospital he ever worked in."

Daniel laughed and rubbed my back. "It's Mum, she's always at me about settling down too. If Mel hadn't met Grant when she was fifteen, she'd be copping it too."

I took another mouthful of wine and then cuddled Daniel. "Thanks. And thanks for not telling her about the fight Adam and I had. She'd have pulled a gun out if she knew about it."

He laughed in my ear and manoeuvred me aside as he said, "Hey wanker."

Adam took the seat next to me. He didn't say anything but jerked his chin at Daniel. I knew for sure he had heard everything Mum had said. He leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest and took a mouthful of the beer he was holding. He was transmitting so much friction that I'm sure anyone within five feet of us would have sensed it. This tension was so different from the week before, when he had hauled me into the dressing room at work, swearing and threatening to hit me. This was worse, anger combined with hurt. I didn't want to fight, so I smiled and asked, "Do you want something to eat? You missed the food, but I could get you something if you want."

Adam took another mouthful of his beer and shot me a glare. "We need to talk."

Oh, no! Jasmine's mother needs to let go of the Kyle thing.  Now Adam has heard it all and Jasmine has to face another conflict.

How would you feel if you were Adam and had just heard what Deidre has said?

Photo copyright - 123RF