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I always swore I’d get out of Heaven, Texas, and when it came time for college I ran fast and far. But it didn’t take long for me to realize small-town living wasn’t so bad. Coming home was an easy decision, made even easier when Mo’s dad had a stroke.
We finish our dinner and politely decline Sean’s offer of dessert. Shortly after he walks away with our dirty dishes, a woman approaches our table.
A familiar woman.
Where do I know her from?
I try to place her, but Joe answers my question when he stands up and pulls the woman in for a warm and perhaps slightly too long embrace.
No. Freaking. Way.
His mother is crashing our date?
Is this some sort of joke? I look around, expecting a crew of cameramen to jump out and yell, Gotcha. Because who does this? Who brings their mother on a first date? Well, Joseph Barry does obviously. He was worried about being interrogated by my friends, and yet he thinks it’s okay to introduce me to his mother?
“Claire,” Joe says, motioning for his mother to slide into his side of the booth. “I’d like you to meet my mother, Lorraine.”
I draw in a shaky breath as I reach across the table to shake her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I lie.
“You too, dear. Joseph has told me so much about you.”
“Really?” I laugh humorlessly. “Because we just met tonight. Seventy minutes ago, to be exact.”
I reach for my beer, downing it in three gulps. Lifting my arm, I signal Sarah for another.
Joe’s mom watches me for a few moments. She tilts her head and smiles. “Do you drink often, dear?”
“Only when it’s necessary… Thank you,” I say to Sarah as she drops off another beer.
Silence descends on the table, and then Joe’s mom leans in and whispers in his ear. “I don’t think it’s the best idea to date a woman who drinks so much.”
“It’s only her third one,” he replies, softly.
“I can hear you.”
Mother and son look at me.
“Can we have a moment alone?” I ask Joe, giving him a tight smile, one I hope tells him exactly how wrong this is. So, so wrong.
“Uh…” Joe glances between me and his mom before sliding out of the booth. “Sure.”
I step around him, careful not to brush his shoulder. He follows me to the bar and stumbles back when I whirl around on him.
“What were you thinking? You invited your mother on our date? Our first date, no less. You do realize that’s date suicide, right?”
Joe looks shocked. “But you said we would see how tonight went, and tonight is going well. When I went to the bathroom, I shot Mom a text and asked her to drop by. I really don’t see the problem here, Claire.”
“The fact that you don’t see a problem is a huge freaking problem,” I whisper-hiss, my voice rising with each word.
“You’re making a big deal out of nothing. She just wanted to meet you. She’ll ask you a few questions, get to know you, and be on her way.”
“I don’t want her to ask me a few questions.”
“Too late. Here she comes. Smile,” he whispers.
I glance to my right and sure enough, here comes Lorraine, striding across the floor. And she doesn’t look at all happy that we left her high and dry at the table.
“Joseph, honey,” she says, putting her hand in the bed of his elbow. “I’m not sure it was a good idea for me to come tonight.”
