Page 32 of Sour Notes

Fuck me.

This borders on sexual harassment.

Actually, it probably is sexual harassment, but how the hell do I broach that topic with the chief?

I can’t even get out of the damn fundraiser. He’s made it mandatory for all staff to attend if they’re not on shift, and you guessed it, I’m not. Thanks to Mary’s meddling I’m sure.

She turns and sashays out of my office in a cloud of migraine-inducing perfume, and I slump back down into my chair in relief.

Ain't that a peach.

There’s only one woman on this planet I want, and she’s made it abundantly clear she doesn’t want me, while the woman I sure as hell don’t want can’t take no for an answer.

It’s gonna be a long fucking day.

Raucous laughter from inside reaches my ears the second I walk up and knock on Mia’s parents’ front door. Mia’s cherry red Mustang's already parked in the driveway, so it looks like I’m the last to arrive.

Scrolling my email, I don’t notice the door open until Mia shoves me backwards on the porch.

“Hey, what gives?”

“Shhh, come with me,” she hisses, grabbing me by my jacket collar and dragging me down the side of the house.

What the ever-loving fuck's going on with her. She’s been avoiding me all week, now she’s dragging me into dark corners.

“Uhhh Mia, wanna tell me why we’re creeping around like horny teenagers right now?”

The glare she shoots me would skewer a lesser man, but luckily, I’m immune to her looks. Exposure therapy works like a charm.

“Swayze, our parents have lost their damn minds.” She looks up at me, her wide-eyed gaze haunted in her much too pale face.

Concern floods my veins, immediately on high alert.

Shoulders hunched, she curls into herself, and I fist my hands and shove them in my pockets to stop myself from reaching for her.

“Well, shit. What now? Wedding stuff?” I aim for funny and calm, my lips kicking up in a smirk. “What’s it gonna be this time? More planned activities? Venue change?”

“Mia, Swayze, where did you go?” Maria, Mia’s mom shouts from the front door.

Mia looks toward her in alarm, grabbing the front of my jacket again.

“Fuck. No time to explain. Remember how you owe me for Halloween?” Her eyes lock with mine, imploringly.

Oh god. She wants to talk about this now?

“Uhh, yeah, I guess? What’s Halloween got to do with family dinner?”

Usually I get a good read on her, but I have absolutely no idea where she’s going with this.

“When we go back inside, can you just play along with everything I say?” Her big violet eyes plead with mine, and cute puppies have nothing on Mia. I’m not entirely sure I’d be able to refuse her on a bad day, let alone with the way she’s looking at me right now.

“Fine. Then we’re cool?”

Please say yes and put this dirty dog out of his misery.

“Yes, yes. Thank you!” She surprises the heck outta me by jumping up on her tiptoes and kissing me on the cheek. Grabbing my hand, she tugs me back through the front door, my head still reeling from all the easy affection.

“Swayze.” My mom jumps up and runs around the table to greet me while my gaze snags on two faces I don’t know sitting opposite our chairs. Who the⁠—