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“Harry,” I answer. “What—why are you calling?”
I get a momentary flash of anxiety that he might be backing out on me.
But his next words set me at ease. “I’m just checking in on you, Dream Girl. Making sure you don’t plan to ghost me tonight,” his voice rumbles through my earpiece.
I let out a giggle that sounds so unlike me. “No, I’m not going to ghost you. Actually, I was worried you were calling to cancel on me.”
My sister yanks on a chunk of my hair, and I shoot a glare her way. She pretends to be oh-so-interested in my hair style, all the while, I know she’s shamelessly cataloguing every word of my conversation so we can dissect it the moment I get off the phone.
Brat. Just like when we were teenagers. Some things never change.
Harry scoffs. “As if I’d miss the opportunity to take you out to that gala. I’m still pinching myself that we’re going out tonight, Nadia,” he says into my ear. The gravelly tone of his voice sends sparks racing down my spine. “I can’t wait to walk into that room with the most beautiful woman in town on my arm.”
I forcefully roll my eyes. “Does that kind of flattery usually get you anywhere?”
He emits a short chuckle. “Well, usually, I’m not trying to flatter anyone….Wanna flatter you, though.”
Despite myself, my chest gets all warm and tingly. I fidget in my seat. “Oh, yeah?” I ask, trying really hard not to grin.
“Oh, yeah. We are one step closer to the altar, baby. You should probably start dress shopping.”
“Dress shopping?” I spit out, more giggles breaking free. “Harry, this isn’t even a date. I won’t be needing a wedding dress any time soon.”
Mom and Nova exchange wide-eyed looks over my head. Oh, god—they’re gonna blow this conversationwayout of proportion.
I shake my head, earning another yank from my sister. “You’re certifiably crazy.”
“Right, right. It’s not a date.” He chuckles again. Almost like he doesn’t believe me, like he’s just playing along to appease me. My spine starts to stiffen, but then he melts me when he lowers his voice and says, “Seriously, though, I can’t wait to see you. I’ll be on my way in a few.”
Butterflies zip through my middle. What is this man doing to me? “See you soon, Harry.”
By now, Mom’s grin has spread all the way up to her eyebrows. She watches me shamelessly in the mirror as she paints her pale freckled cheeks with my cream bronzer.
Clearly, my family needs a lesson on boundaries.
As soon as I set down my phone, my sister is right there in front of me, hand on her hip. “Well, hot damn. Who is this mystery man that put that massive smile on my big sis’s face?”
I work hard at schooling my expression, snapping back into Logical Nadia mode. “What are you talking about?”
Mom steps up, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my sister, both of them staring down at me. “You can’t fool us, Nadia. You don’t even look like the same person when you’re talking to him.”
“Your face looks like the world’s biggest grin just got Photoshopped onto it right before our eyes. You’re freaking glowing.”
“You’re imagining things,” is my weak retort.
“‘See you soon, Harry,’” our mother singsongs in a high-pitched breathy voice, like she’s trying to imitate me. “More like ‘see your cock soon, Harry.’”
My sister cackles.
How old are these two?!
“Firstly, you’re both so freaking annoying,” I tell my sister. “Pretty sure you were switched at birth.”
“Maybe I was,” Nova says matter-of-factly. “That would explain a lot.” She eyeballs our mother who just shrugs.
“Secondly, I didnotsound like that.”
“Yes, you did.”
