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Me: I’m not sure. Hope that he kisses me again.
Because yummm.
Me: Eventually.
Eddie: Maybe you should sneak into his bed and wake him up sucking him off?
That text was quickly followed by another.
Eddie: Never mind. Joan popped me on the back of the head and told me not to be an idiot. You should definitely not seduce him like that.
Me: Joan’s there? As in the bartender from Rafters?
Eddie: Yep. We’ve been hanging out since that night you deserted me for… Well, since you left with the hot guy who’s now your employer. Dude, only you.
He wasn’t wrong about that, but I wanted the scoop.
Me: Dude, why have you been holding out on me? Joan’s awesome!
Eddie: Hi, CJ, it’s Joan. Do not seduce the single dad. Eddie told me all about him and how he was the one you left with that night. I like him for you. He was adorable. If he’s finally kissed you, then I say continue being patient.
Me: But he only kissed me to shut my cousin up.
Eddie: Joan gave me my phone back. We both think that’s highly doubtful. There’s one thing to fake dating someone to shut an idiot like Barry up. It’s a whole other thing to stick your tongue down someone’s throat to help them out.
Eddie: Joan said to tell you she didn’t say that last line. It was all me.
Me: I figured. I’ll let you go now. I wouldn't have bothered you if I knew you had company.
Eddie: You're good. Joan stays over a lot so…
Well, well, well. He’d really been holding out on me.
Me: Nice. I’ll call you tomorrow when Lexi’s napping.
Eddie: Joan says call your mother first. Night.
Joan was probably right, and I had no idea what I was going to say.
* * *
My nerves were going crazy by the time I got Lexi down for a nap. There was no doubt that Barry had told his mom by now, and she’d call mine. In my parents’ house, non-disclosure was as big a sin as straight up lying. “Hey, Mom.”
“Well, hello, son. Want to tell me why you're lying to your cousin?”
I heaved a giant sigh of relief. The thought of pretending like I’d withheld information from my mother for a fake relationship had my sAlanach in knots. “How did you know?”
“I'm not the only one who realizes it. When your Aunt Barb called me last night to tell me about your little run-in with Barry at the mall, even she knew it couldn't be true. There's no way you wouldn't tell your mama that you were dating someone. Right?” Her voice hardened in warning at the end.
“No, I absolutely would never. You know better than that.”
She hummed approvingly. “So what's the deal?”
I’d pondered what to tell my mother all night. Luckily, things with Kevin hadn’t been that awkward, and once I’d handed him his first cup of coffee, he’d been fine. “Do you want the short or long version?”
She hummed again, but this one sounded more curious. “Let me make a cup of tea and sit down, and then I want to hear it all.”
Since Lexi was napping, I fixed myself a cup of tea, as well, and then I spilled everything. I started with our first meeting—only alluding to the sexy parts—and ended with seeing Barry at the mall. Mom listened patiently until the end.
