“I don’t feel like it.”Sigh.
“You’re acting weird. Do I need to call 911?”
Erma straightened at Riley’s panicked tone. “I’m not ill. I’m fine.”
Riley stared at her for a long minute. “Does your current oddball mood have anything to do with Jasper?”
“Who?” Erma grabbed her crochet and started hooking, even though she couldn’t remember the stitch pattern. Oh well, that’s what frogging was for.
“Jasper. Your dance partner? The man you’ve been clashing with my entire life?”
Erma ducked her head down so she didn’t have to look at her granddaughter. Talk about yellow-bellied. She might as well slap a lemon-colored streak of paint down the middle of the T-shirt she was wearing, which saidI might be wrong but it’s highly unlikely.
“I thought you liked dance lessons,” Riley said.
“I do.” Erma finally lifted her head. She was acting ridiculous, but she didn’t know what else to do. “I just don’t want to go tonight.”
Riley frowned. “I told them this wasn’t a good idea.”
“Told who about what?”
“The BBs. And Hayden.”
Erma dropped her crochet. “What’s going on?”
Now it was Riley’s turn to sigh. “The BBs wanted to set you up with Jasper.”
“Excuseme?” How dare her friends meddle in her life like this?
“Bea and Viola approached me and Hayden, and when I told him you were taking dance lessons, he came up with the plan to convince Jasper to take them too.”
“Why, that sneak.” Now her dander was getting up. “You didn’t try to talk him out of it?”
Riley took a step back. “Yes. A little.”
“I suppose Hayden abandoning Jasper at the Orange Bluebird was also part of the shenanigans.”
“Yes. I’m sorry, Mimi. But you two have always been so adorable together—”
“What?” Erma came around from the back of the counter and scowled at her granddaughter.
“We just thought it would be fun to do a little harmless matchmaking. That’s all.”
“Harmless, huh?” Erma went back to the counter and grabbed her phone, then clicked on Group Chat.
Every single one of you better hightail it to Ms.Abernathy’s Studio right now. Am I clear?
She waited.
Gwen:Uh-oh.
Viola:Oh dear.
Madge:Why?
Erma:Not you, Madge. I know you’re not a part of this nonsense.
Peg:Girls, I think we’re in trouble.
