Page 99 of A Perfect Fit

The door opens, revealing a middle-aged man in a T-shirt and jeans, who I’m assuming is Isabelle’s dad.

He smiles at Isabelle, pulling her into a hug. “Great to see you, Belle.”

“You too, Dad,” Isabelle says.

When they pull apart, Isabelle’s dad faces me with a warm smile. “Karl Curtis.”

“Jackson Carter,” I introduce, extending a hand. “It’s great to meet you, Mr. Curtis.”

He reciprocates the handshake. “Karl will do. You two make a fine couple.”

“I’m a very lucky man.” I hand Karl the gift bag I’m holding, which contains a bottle of Pinot Noir inside. “Just a small gift for having me over.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to.” Karl chuckles. “But I’m still going to take it. Please come inside and take your shoes off.”

Isabelle and I remove our shoes, and I gesture for her to step inside, following behind. We walk down the hallway, and I smile when I see a framed photograph of a young Isabelle posing with a chocolate birthday cake.

As we reach the kitchen, a middle-aged woman with short hair, who I presume is Isabelle’s mom, walks out in a blouse and pencil skirt.

“Hey, Mom,” Isabelle says. There isn’t that same easiness in her tone that was present when she greeted her dad.

Isabelle’s mom gives her a nod. “Good to see you, Isabelle.” She glances at me. “You must be Jackson Carter. I’m Jane Wong.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Wong,” I say.

“Likewise.” Jane studies me carefully, and then her gaze flies between Isabelle and me. “Why don’t you both take a seat? The food is ready.”

We head to the dining table, and I pull out Isabelle’s chair for her before taking the seat next to hers. Plates of sushi rolls, a bowl of seafood salad, some garlic bread, and a dish of roasted chicken are neatly placed on the table. Ivy is also seated, her eyes glued to her phone screen.

Ivy glances up when she sees Isabelle and me. “Hey. You made it.”

Out of respect that I’m at the Curtis-Wong family home, I don’t want to start a fight, but if Ivy brings up any bullshit with Isabelle tonight, I won’t simply sit here in silence.

“Where’s Ben?” Isabelle asks.

“He’ll be arriving later.” Ivy places her phone on the table. “He had something urgent come up for work tonight.”

Isabelle cocks a brow. “On a Friday night?”

Ivy shrugs. “Well, he’s busy. It’s not a big deal.”

Karl and Jane arrive at the table, and Karl pours everyone a glass of wine before sitting down.

“Please dig in, everyone,” Jane says.

A loud text notification from Ivy’s phone rings out. She rushes to pick up her phone and checks it, her expression falling.

“What’s wrong?” Jane asks.

Ivy slumps in her seat. “Ben can’t make it tonight anymore.”

“That’s all good, Ives,” Karl says in a cheery voice. “I’m sure he’d be here if he could.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Ivy mutters. She takes a few large gulps of her wine, almost too quickly.

Jane rests her elbows on the table and faces me. “So, Jackson, I understand that you and Isabelle went to high school together. How did you meet again after all those years?”

“We were seat neighbors on a flight and started chatting again,” I say, cutting a piece of my chicken. “Long story short, that flight turned out to be one of the best things to ever happen to me.”