Page 75 of The Mr. Right Checklist

“All my length went to a better body part,” Chuck retorts.

Fletch and his brothers are still tossing barbs when the waiter arrives to take our drink orders. I order peppermint tea, hoping it’ll settle my stomach. The waiter relays the dinner specials and leaves us with menus to peruse while he gets our drinks.

“Destiny, where is your charming accent from?” Mary asks.

“I’m from Rosebell, Georgia.”

“I don’t believe I’ve heard of that town,” she says.

“That’s not surprising. It’s about as big as a flea’s butt. I just moved here a few months ago.”

“How do you like it so far?” she asks.

“I’m loving it. My best friend, who I grew up with, Ruby, lives here, and now that Fletch and I are seeing each other, life is even more beautiful.”

Fletch’s hand circles my shoulder, and he kisses my temple. “Thanks, sunshine.”

His parents exchange an approving glance, and I feel a pang of guilt about our ruse. But I’m not going to let it ruin our night, because my feelings are real, even if we have an end date.

“Who is this guy, and what has he done with our brother?” Chuck asks.

“What’s the matter, Chucky? Do you need a lollipop, too?” Fletch teases.

I pat his leg. “It’s okay. I get it.” I look around the table. “I work part time as a pet groomer, and I groomed Molly for a few months before I got to know Fletch better than just a quick hello and a scowl for putting bows in Molly’s hair. Which I now realize was a mistake because she likes to eat them. But to be honest, I didn’t think Fletch was anything like he is. In fact, I called him Grumpy Gus.”

“Now, that’s fitting,” Chuck says.

“It certainly was. He kept himself as walled off as Fort Knox. Just about every woman who sees him lusts after him, and let me tell you something.” I lower my voice. “I did not see the attraction.”

Fletch’s head snaps toward me. “What?”

“Oh, come on. You know that. I told you I didn’t do Ken dolls.”

His parents stifle a laugh, but Jimmy, Chuck, and Beth crack up.

Fletch grits out, “Jesus.”

I pat his leg again. “But I quickly realized the error of my ways. There is so much more to this man than just a handsome face who looks like he walked off the pages of a fashion magazine. The closer we got, the more I learned about him. He’s like a Gobstopper. I could lick, and lick, and lick, revealing one layer after another, and never tire of it.”

Laughter erupts from his brothers and Beth.

“You laugh, but just when I think I have him figured out, I suck off another layer, and something new springs up.” I turn to Fletch, who looks like he’s going to laugh, too. “I think I could lick you my whole life and never stop discovering new things about you. Why is that so funny?”

He pulls me against him as laughter explodes around the table, and he says, “Waiter? Anyone else need a drink?” Which makes everyone laugh harder. Fletch buries his face in my hair and says, “You’re talking about licking and sucking me off.”

I gasp. “Ohmygoodness. I did not mean that. I meant—”

Laughter steals my voice, and as Fletch presses his lips to mine, Jimmy says, “No wonder he’s smiling all the time,” sparking more hysterics.

The heckling continues through drinks and dinner as we get to know one another better, and I can’t help but join in. I love seeing this snarky side of Fletch and the way his parents look at him and at each other. They’re an affectionate couple. Not overly so, like my parents were, but they share smiles and caring touches, and they take the jokes in stride, both of them joining in with the fun. They ask about what it was like growing up in Georgia, and I get a pang of homesickness while I talk about it, which makes me hyperaware of the gurgling in my stomach.

“Are your parents still in Georgia?” his mother asks.

Why does this question still sting so much? I do not want to tear up. Fletch takes my hand under the table, and it makes me feel even more emotional. But I manage to hold myself together. “My mother died when I was eleven, and my father passed away last year. I don’t have any other family in Rosebell. That’s why Ruby urged me to move here and finally start my business.”

Fletch squeezes my hand as his mother puts her hand over her heart and says, “Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry about your parents.”

“We all are,” his father said, and the others chime in in agreement.