Bittersweet

“Do I have to go?” Georgie whined.

It has been quite some time since she has seen her parents but she was in no hurry to see them today, of all days Adam thought it would be nice to see them. “G, you haven’t seen them in two months” she pouted as she mumbled that he hasn’t seen her parents in four which gave the older man a reason to push her into going with him.

Digging her feet into the ground, Adam started to push Georgie towards the car “Why do you want to go? Their aren’t your parents, their mine”

His hazel eyes flickered over to hers for a moment “Because I like your parents there is nothing wrong with them except bringing you into the world” he teased poking her side which made her squirm. Just when her body tensed up and her feet weren’t digging into the ground, Adam act quickly and picked her up walking to the car.

Georgie screamed as she banged her fists into his lower back “Put me down Levine! I mean it!”

The singer didn’t do what he was told and opened the car door and put her into the passenger seat; Georgie wouldn’t give up without a fight as she tried to crawl towards the backseat. “Georgie. Georgie” Adam groaned before grabbed her hip before she made it towards the other side with the seat belt in the other hand strapping her in.

Both hands were on her shoulders as his light eyes stared at her brown ones “Let’s compromise. If you come with me I will buy your very first tattoo” she raised her brow at his offer. It has been a few years since she wanted Adam to come with her to get her tattoo but she never got around to it.

When Adam asked her why she hasn’t gone her only answer was that he wasn’t there; so his quick thinking he thought of the only thing she wanted from him. Also adding the offering to pay as a bonus so she always could have something against him and say that he dragged her to the tattoo parlor to get it; Adam waited for his best friend to sink her teeth into his offer.

Gnawing on her bottom lip she thought things through, was it worth it? She could imagine her overbearing mother coddling her while her father tried to peel off his wife from his middle child. Who knows if her sisters, Tess and Emerson were there? Then it would just add to the dramatic nature seeing that Tess has inherited that aspect from their mother.

Adam could see how uncomfortable she was getting thinking things through before she quietly agreed, “Fine. Only for a little while” before she mumbling something about how Adam was more involved with her family than she was.

Georgie always saw Adam being a family guy; spending time with his family and hers whenever he could. The singer was treated like family in the Cortez household and her parents treated him like he was their own. Slumping down in her seat she sighed, feeling the car start as Adam peeled away from her home.

The knots in her stomach were getting tighter as they inched closer to her parents’ house, she groaned banging her head on the window seeing that not only her parents were there but her youngest sister was there as well. Sadly, Emerson her savior during most of these events was not there.

Georgie didn’t expect Emerson to be there since she does have a life of her own and can’t revolve her life around her parents. It would have been nice to have her though, she grumbled. She felt Adam’s hand on her own “It’s going to be fine” she rolled her dark eyes muttering he didn’t know what he was talking about.

It took all of Georgie to get out of the car on her own; she didn’t want Adam to drag her inside like a stubborn child. She had more dignity to have her friend to that to her and she could see that he was happy that she climbed out on her own.

Licking her lips, she shoved her hands in her jacket pocket as she walked up the nice front porch that had marble statues on either side as green lush rose bushes lavished the front of the windows. She wouldn’t like to flaunt that she came from a rich family and hated coming here knowing that her mother was the typical rich woman.

Adam pressed the doorbell and she could hear the bell ring throughout the house before it was opened only seconds later. Georgie finally smiled genuinely as she saw a familiar face, “Ahna, it’s so nice to see you” she hugged the maid as she gladly hugged her back.

“So nice to see you too, you’re mother has been talking nonstop about you and how you haven’t visited her in months. I hope you are ready for the disaster that is about to happen”

Georgie nodded knowing that she was in for it once her mother’s eyes landed on her, Adam hugged the maid before trailing behind his friend. As she walked further into the grand house she finally found her blond headed mother perched on a white chair sipping whatever was in her glass, probably a martini. Her bug glasses covered her dark brown eyes that she inherited from her mother, Georgie inhaled before she called out softly “Mother”

The woman turned her head towards the direction of the voice, her lips went ajar, and she knew that she was shocked despite not seeing it in her eyes. “Georgie, is that you darlin?” raising herself from the chair as the young daughter just forced a smile.

Then a typical squeal from her mother left her lips as she squeezed her middle child without spilling her drink, “Oh I missed you sweetie pie.” Pulling away from her “What took you so long to visit? What is your excuse this time, young lady?”

The brunette simply said that she didn’t have the time with her work schedule and her life as a young woman she couldn’t revolve herself around her parents’ life all the time. Her mother, Elle, frowned as she put a hand on her hip “Well, make time. I can’t stand not seeing you at least once a month. If Emmy and Tessie can do it then you can too”

“Fine” Georgie didn’t want to fight with her mother during the first few minutes of seeing her again and having Adam here with her set her straight.

“Now let me look at you” taking off her sunglasses as her dark brown eyes scanned her daughter “I see that you lost a little weight, you have a healthy glow about you” Georgie forced another smile as she muttered a thanks, it wasn’t anything she cared about. She just became more active in her lifestyle so she can fit into her older clothes so she didn’t have to buy new ones, simple as that.

It wasn’t that big of a weight loss either, it was only ten pounds.

As Elle continued to rant on about how their family business was booming and expanding to other parts of the world, Georgie did a countdown to when she would realize that Adam was standing right next to her.

Four…

Three…

Two…

One…

“-and I was thinking we should start with Japan. What do you-” she paused as her dark eyes finally settled on the heavily tattooed singer beside her. Her lips fell in awe again before a smile curved on her lips “Adam Levine. It has been far too long.” She embraced the man in front of her before pulling back with just as much excitement.

“Is it horrible that I see you more than my own daughter?”

Adam answered quickly; “Only because I love you more” he didn’t flinch when Georgie pinched his side discreetly.

Asshole.

Elle smirked as she looked at her daughter, “I am beginning to believe that. Adam, did you get taller? Or did you get more tattoos?” raising an eyebrow at the young singer. Adam laughed as he told her that he only got more tattoos and it was nearly impossible for him to grow since he already is an adult.

“Why don’t we all sit and catch up? Unless you have somewhere to go, Georgie?” looking at her daughter to see the pain in her eyes of wanting to get out of the house as quickly as possible.

“No, I don’t” feeling a pinch on her side from Adam before they sat down.

“Do you want something to drink?” Elle asked before sipping on her drink.

Georgie offered to get her own drink, hating how everyone is being served her hand and foot; she had two feet and two hands. She was more than capable of doing things herself. “No, I’ll get it” Adam patted the brunette on the leg before getting up “Do you want refill Mrs. Cortez?”

“As long as you stop calling me Mrs. Cortez. Call me mom” she gave him a smile.

Taking the glass from her he headed inside, Georgie wanted to scream to her best friend not to leave her with her mother. Anyone but her mother. Clasping her hands together she looked around to see if she could find something entertaining to watch before her mother took reign of the conversation and cornered her.

“Still not wearing dresses I see”

“Mmhmm” Georgie hummed.

Elle licked her pink lips as she settled even more into her seat, “Have you worn any of the dresses that I have sent you?”

The young woman sighed, “No mother.”

“And why not?”

“Because I can’t wear them anywhere”

Elle crossed her legs, “I don’t believe that. You just don’t want to put enough effort into it”

“Mom…you sent me ball gowns, a few casual dresses I wouldn’t be caught dead in and a wedding dress.” Elle didn’t see anything wrong with it as she played with her nails; it was her ‘subtle’ way of telling her daughter that it was finally time to settle down.

Georgie sighed, “When are you going to get off my case with the whole marriage thing”

“Until you get married” she answered simply.

“Things like that just don’t happen quickly. It takes time and quite frankly I don’t have the time to settle down”

Her blond headed mother shook her head before rubbing her temples, scooting closer to the edge of her seat she looked at her daughter, “Georgie, sweetheart. When are you going to see that you don’t have all the time in the world to settle down? You will only get older and your biological clock is ticking and you know I want grandchildren from you.”

“You have Tess and Emerson for that. I don’t want to have kids”

As those words left her lips, it sounded like such a sin to Elle for having her daughter say such a thing, so instead of upsetting herself with that she tackled the first thing she wanted Georgie to do. “Why don’t you settle down with Adam?”

Georgie let out a short laugh, “Are you serious? Adam is my best friend”

“Exactly. Who is better than settling down with someone you already know and are comfortable with? If you get married now then you can build on the whole love thing. It’s bound to happen with the type of relationship you two have”

She furrowed her brows as she asked, “What ar-”

“Here’s your martini, mom and peach mango cocktail for, G” Elle gave her daughter a look before drawing out a heart with her hands when Adam wasn’t looking. Georgie rolled her eyes as she took the glass from Adam, “Thank you” and when he settled down in his seat he asked what they were talking about as he took a swig of his beer.

“Nothing important” Georgie answered.

Adam felt the tension in the air and wanting to get rid of the mother/daughter debacle that was going on he turned his attention to Elle. “Where did you want to expand your business, mom?” her dark eyes settled on Adam instead of her daughter as she spoke “We were thinking Japan and maybe England. Those are the primary places I want to add business in before we spread out even further”

Georgie put a hand under her chin as she sipped on her drink with a sour expression; she had no sympathy of showing her true emotions to her mom. Her mother needs to know that she cannot shove the marriage and children crap down her throat and expect her to frantically run around town to see if anyone would marry her within a short time span.

She was not an idiot.

Well, Emerson did marry her husband, Beau, after knowing him for two months but that was something different. From what she can tell they truly love each other and want nothing but the best for them. Thinking that her mother finally let go of the whole debate she would give subtle hints about marriage and children in her discussion with Adam.

Georgie thought things couldn’t get worse when her brown haired baby sister walked through the door, bug sunglasses covering her doe brown eyes and bright smile that shined. “Gigi!” Tess screeched Georgie’s nickname from childhood as she ran towards her older sister and gave her a hug. She patted the taller girl’s back before telling her to settle down.

“I thought you weren’t going to call me that anymore” pulling back from the younger Cortez.

Tess giggled, “I never said that. The nickname is way too adorable to just drop” the same laugh and smile her mother would do when she lied. Georgie knew that Tess didn’t forget, she only wanted to stick to her old ways, just like her mother she didn’t like change unless it benefit themselves.

The young girl’s eyes fell on Adam as she sat down next to him, “And Adam, you seem more…muscular than last time” lightly touching his bicep. Adam offered her a smile not wanting to be rude; Georgie knew that Tess has always had a small crush on Adam since she was little. Ever since Adam saved her from a couple of boys that were picking on her for having braces she always looked up to him.

What got her so hung up on him?

He told her that she was beautiful, with or without the braces and if she was older he would’ve dated her within a heartbeat. Well, here she was, twenty-one years old and still waiting for Adam to make the first move.

Georgie rubbed her temples as she sighed, this was going to be a long day and it was all thanks to Adam.