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Though it does explain why someone in such a nice suit is stuck by the pee-scented rear of the plane…
Maybe that’s why Liam is so grumpy—he’s regretting giving up his fancy seat in first class. I steal another look at his profile. At first glance, he seems totally unaware of our conversation, looking out the window with an impassive, removed expression. But then, I notice a hint of a flush above his crisp, white collar. Like this chatter about his good deed is embarrassing him.
He cares more than he lets on. Interesting.
“Her arthritis is so bad these days,” Rosemary continues. “And I need her fresh as a daisy to be my wingwoman with Walter this weekend. Did I use that word correctly?”
Despite myself, I laugh. “You did.”
“Well. You know that saying ‘everything happens for a reason?’”
“Mmhmm?” I say with a dose of skepticism because, as I mentioned, I’m not really into this way of thinking.
“If Liam hadn’t swapped seats with Mildred, he wouldn’t be sitting next to you. And Liam,” she addresses Grumpypants, undeterred by his glare. “Annie wouldn’t have spilled her food all over you.”
Then, Rosemary leans further across me so she can pinch Liam’s cheek. Which makes his jaw tighten and makes me smirk.
“Don’t give me that surprised look, sonny boy! I know you’re listening. And let me say that this wasn’t an accident. It means something; everything does. In fact, you should take Annie to dinner tonight!”
“What?!” My voice comes out strangled.
And as if this interaction can’t get any more awkward, Rosemary responds by shooting me a weird, flickery wink with one droopy eyelid.
Liam sucks in a breath and pinches the bridge of his nose, clearly over whateverthisis. For the first time, I’m on his side.
“Rosemary,” I say gently, shooting a vaguely apologetic look in Liam’s direction. “You can’t ask a man out on my behalf.”
Life isn’t like the movies—full of meet-cutes and random romances and serendipity. This seat switch and candy crush explosion is just a string of bad luck for both of us. No hidden meaning attached.
But Rosemary is clearly high on internet love, and is therefore a danger to society at the moment. I’m also beginning to wonder if she’s a little blind or senile. Or both. The tension between Liam and me is palpable, but it’s more heckles raised than desire in its crackle.
“You said you were single, dearie,” Rosemary replies. “I believe you said ‘very single.’ I thought you could use my help.”
Good grief. This is my life—getting set up by an over-eager, love-drunk octogenarian who’s taken pity on my barren wilderness of a dating life.
“Liam doesn’t want to take me to dinner tonight,” I say reasonably. Then, for some reason—blatant masochism, perhaps—I swivel my head to look at him. “Right?”
“Right,” he says without missing a beat, accompanying the word with a curt nod.
Well. I can’t say I wasn’t expecting that answer, but he could have at leastpretendedto consider it.
“Why not? What’s wrong with Annie?” Rosemary protests, and I suddenly wish we were close to a nice, open sewer that I could jump into.
Anything but this horror show.
Why couldn’t Frosty Lips have done me a solid and denied me boarding privileges? I'd rather be stuck in an airport paying money I don’t have for a new flight and downing copious amounts of caramel iced coffee and those adorable little hash browns from Dunkies while killing time with TikTok videos.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe this is indeed a warning sign from the Fates themselves that moving back to Atlanta is the biggest mistake of my life.
Stop the world, I want to get off!
I look around me, plotting my escape, just as Liam lifts a thick brow.
He appears to assess me. Is this guy really about to tell me what’swrongwith me?
“Nothing. Nothing is wrong with me!” I blurt before he can say a thing. “I might be single, but I’m not desperate. And for the record, I don’t want to go out with him either. I don’t date people with no manners. So I think we’re done here.”
My monologue is slightly injured by the weird grumble my stomach makes (due to not having time to order said little round hash browns from Dunkies before boarding). But all in all, I feel satisfied with my confident outburst.
