Paige sat back down and picked up her ereader. “He’s a friend.”
“Something weird’s going on. You were both weird.”
Paige said nothing.
Randi laughed. “Mom, seriously, do you like that guy? Does he like you? What is it?”
“We’re…friends.” A lie of omission was still a lie. “And, yes, I like him. We’ve been out a few times. But it’s not anything yet. Just two people getting to know each other.”
Randi’s brows lifted high enough that they were visible over her sunglasses. “He’s very handsome. And you gotta love the accent. I say go for it.”
“Randi.”
“What? It’s cool with me if you have a boyfriend. Dad’s certainly had enough of them.”
“Graham is not my boyfriend.”
“M’kay, whatever, but there’s no reason to get weird about it. You’re allowed to like someone, you know. You’re allowed to have a life. And be happy.”
“Thank you for that.” She was going to have to talk to Graham. Apologize, really. She’d been so concerned about what Randi might think, only to have her daughter be all for the relationship. Even though there really wasn’t a relationship to speak of yet.
“Have you slept with him? Is that why you’re acting so funny?”
“Randi!”
“We’re both adults. You can tell me. I’m not going to judge.”
Paige blinked, taken aback by her daughter’s willingness to engage. “We’ve only been out a few times, like I said. Nothing has happened.”
Randi cocked her head. “I don’t believe you.”
“Why? I’m telling you the truth.”
Randi pursed her lips. “Now that I think about it, he was the guy you met at Bingo, isn’t he? But you don’t usually keep seeing the guys in your TikTok posts, do you? So he must bespecial.”
Her daughter was far too smart for her own good. “He’s just a nice man.”
“So nothing happened, hmm? Which means you haven’t even kissed him?” Randi shook her head. “Please don’t tell me he’s gay, too.”
“He’s not gay.” Paige cleared her throat as the memory of the kiss they’d shared came back to her, filling her stomach with butterflies.”
Randi was wearing a smirk. “And you know that how?”
Paige frowned at her daughter and her sassiness. “Because we kissed. Happy now?”
Randi’s smirk grew into a full-fledged grin. “Nice one, Mom. When are you seeing him again?”
She went back to her book. “I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you invite him over for dinner?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? Are you ashamed of me?”
Paige could hear the teasing tone in Randi’s voice. She shot her daughter a look. “I just don’t think there’s any reason for you to get to know him.”
“Worried I might think he’s my new dad and get attached?” Randi laughed before the last word was out.
