Chapter six
Oliviatappedherfingersagainst the steering wheel of her red hatchback. Traffic was taking forever today, and she was dying to get home. She’d been having the nicest text conversations with her mysterious stranger every night. It’d been two weeks since they met, and they spent most of it texting one another. When she’d told the squad about his confession, it had been a race through the network website to see if they could pin down his identity. But there was no one with black hair and green eyes on the site, at least not obviously from their photos. It was driving her absolutely crazy. So she had decided to finally try it the easy way; she was going to ask him outright.
As if summoned to cure her boredom, the Bluetooth in her car rang. She picked it up before the caller ID had time to register, praying it was him.
“Hello?”
“Olivia! How are you, dear?”
Mother. Of course. And she sounded far too cheerful for Olivia’s liking.
“I’m fine, Mom. How are you guys?”
“We’re just wonderful, darling. Did you get my message about the big reunion?”
“Yeah, Mom, I got it. I’m not sure I can make it this year.”
“Nonsense, it’s just a weekend. You don’t work on the weekends.”
She really would love to get out of this giant reunion one year. It was too many people. Extended relatives she didn’t know, crammed into her parents’ home for a night. Thankfully she wouldn’t need a hotel room; her parents always left her old room open for her to use.
“Did I tell you your cousin Cassie is engaged? You have to see her ring. It’s just stunning.”
Not this again. This was the third time Cassie’s engagement had been thrown in her face since her mother found out. Not that she wasn’t happy for her cousin, but she was tired of her mother dropping hints. It had grown old months ago.
“You know, her fiancé, Tim, said he might be bringing some of his friends from that construction company he owns. I might have mentioned you’re single.”
Maybe it was the need to get her mother off the phone as soon as possible. Maybe it was the none-too-thinly veiled threat to set her up with a stranger. But the lie fell out of her lips before Olivia even realized she was thinking it.
“Actually, Mom, I’m seeing someone.”
The full minute of blessed silence was worth the guilt. Olivia sent a silent prayer to the universe to thank it for this minute.
“Olivia Grace Lundholm! When were you going to tell me this?”
She winced. “This was my first opportunity. It’s very new.”
Her mother followed with a barrage of questions she couldn’t answer. Shit. This was a terrible idea.
“Mom, I can’t really get into all that, I’m driving right now.”
“Well, why don’t you bring him to the reunion?”
Say what? Olivia got a sudden chill.
“Bring him to the reunion so we can meet him. Heaven knowsyounever come to visit. It’ll kill two birds with one stone.”
“I’ll … I’ll see if he can get away that weekend. No promises.”
“He better!” She had that tone in her voice that left Olivia no option. Fantastic. Now she’d have to come up with an interesting career for this fake boyfriend. Maybe a firefighter? They were hot. And they had to work twenty-four-hour shifts …
The parking lot was in sight. Thank God.
“Mom, I have to get going. I’ll let you know about the reunion.” They said their good-byes and Olivia parked. She threw her head back against the headrest and blew out the breath she’d been absentmindedly holding. How was she going to handlethis?
Jake put together a plate of barbecue chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes and popped it into his microwave. Gramps always sent him home with leftovers, because he said he knew it was no fun cooking for one. As he waited for the food to heat, he pulled out his phone. He had been looking forward to texting with Blondie all day. Things were getting a little more flirtatious now that they were getting to know each other. But he still didn’t know her name.
Jake: How was my favorite princess’s day?
