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“Hello, my dear, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve been asking my son all sorts of questions about you, but this is better—I can get information straight from the horse’s mouth.”
Emelia unfurls a timid smile and takes another step closer, obviously intrigued.
“Jonathan says you’ve rejected him.”
A laugh bursts out of Emelia before she can help it.
Then her gaze catches mine as she answers, “Yes…I have.”
Emelia finds this as amusing as I do.
“You told your mom about me?” she whispers.
“Of course,” I mouth back.
“Now, that’s completely understandable,” my mother says, “but I’m curious if it’s because of his attitude, because I’ve told him he really needs to work on that. No one wants to date a grump, Jonathan.”
Emelia’s full-on beaming now.
“Heisgrumpy sometimes,” she confirms.
My mother groans. “I’ll have you know that does not come from my side of the family. I like to think I’m very genial. Ask anyone.”
“Don’t believe a word she says,” I argue.
“Jonathan!” my mother hisses. “I’m extremely pleasant!”
“She has a biting wit and a dry sense of humor. She’ll eat you alive if you aren’t careful,” I warn Emelia.
“I like her already,” Emelia says, continuing to step closer.
“Thank you. Now, back to the discussion at hand. Are you seeing someone at the moment, Emelia, or are you single?”
I reach out to grab my phone, having had enough. “It’s been nice talking to you, but I have to go now.”
“Oh, fine. You’re such a bore. Emelia, dear, it was a pleasure to meet you. You seem wonderful, and should you ever decide to date my son—grumpy attitude and all—I promise to spoil you rotten. We own a vineyard—has he told you that? I’ll send you as much wine as you’d like—”
“Goodbye,” I interject before hanging up.
Emelia tips her head to the side, studying me. “Your mom must really want you to settle down.”
I lean back in my chair. “She would love it.”
“Why?”
“She thinks it’s important for me to have a family. She knows it’s something I want for myself, and she worries I dedicate too much of my life to my work.”
“Makes sense…I just find it hard to believe she doesn’t have some fancy girl in mind for you to marry. Someone you grew up with, perhaps.”
I have no idea where she got that idea, but I shut it down swiftly. “She would be happy with whomever I choose, so long as I don’t keep her future grandchildren from her. She’s latched ontoyoubecause she saw a photo of us together at that fundraiser a few weeks ago. She thought you were stunning and says we’d make a cute couple.”
Emelia blushes and looks down. “Oh.”
“And for the record, we would. What is it that you need?”
I want her to say she doesn’t need anything, want her to have come in here for the sole purpose of being in my company. I want her to admit she’s as infatuated with me as I am with her. Then we’d get somewhere.
Instead, she holds up her hand. My house key dangles from her fingers.
