“Some lady is waving from a window at you,” John said, pointing over my head.
I turned and cringed. Then I had an idea. Obviously for Mom’s benefit only.
“What are you doing now?”
His brow rose. “You?”
I snorted. “Tempting.” I glanced over my shoulder again, to where Mom had her face pressed against the window. She couldn’t possibly see him from this angle.
“What do I have to do in exchange for you to play my boyfriend tonight?”
“Show me your secret drawer.” His answer shot out quickly, like he’d been thinking about it for a while.
I laughed. “Pardon?”
“You told me about a secret drawer in the store. I wanna see it.”
I bit my cheek, trying not to smile. He’d remembered. “Fine.”
John locked his car and offered his arm. “Let’s charm your mom.”
I didn’t take his arm but nodded toward the door next to the store’s entrance. “Not too much, though, or she’ll never let it go when we break up.”
I could’ve sworn I saw the light in John’s face dim. “Right.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
He remembers me.
If I smile, I turn into a cat.
"Do you want kids?" is a perfectly acceptable question.
I knocked. I never knocked. So when Mom finally opened the door, saw John hovering behind me, she nearly slapped me. Wide-eyed, she threw it shut again, yelling at me from the other side while, judging by the sounds, she was remodeling the house.
John quirked a brow.
“Give her five minutes.”
I heard her rush down the hall, dishes clanking, the vacuum starting up.
“Maybe ten.”
When Mom finally reopened the door, John and I were still standing in the exact same spot. But now, I was staring at Mom, who wore pink lipstick. She’d brushed her hair and had on her nicest Sunday dress—buttercup yellow. My heart almost couldn’t take it.
“Nora, really, you should’ve warned me,” she said, pulling a lock of hair behind her ear as she smiled up at John. “What a surprise.”
“Mom, this is John.” I waved at him.
“So tall,” was the only thing she said. I had to stifle a snort.
But John, smooth as butter, took my mom’s hand and kissed the back of it. “Nice to meet you, Eva. I see where Nora gets her beauty from.”
Mom gave me a big smirk as I gently pushed her inside. I looked back over my shoulder at John, mouthing,Really?
He shrugged. “First impressions are the ones that last.”
I eyed him warily, not wanting to point out that this was completely unnecessary.
