Page 93 of The Write Stuff

“Okay.” Huxley stretched out the one word, looking uncertain. “We can do that.” He glanced over at me, as if asking permission.

“I think it’s probably a good idea,” I encouraged. “Mom and I need to talk.”

“With each other, and with Lucy,” Mom added. “You and Mick should talk. We’ll all have dinner together, though.”

I wasn’t expecting that. “We will?”

Mom turned annoyed. “Of course, Wylie. You and Huxley are obviously in a serious relationship. He’s part of the family, even if I haven’t seen him in a very long time. Stop being weird.”

My shoulders slouched, and Huxley’s arm automatically came around my back. He wanted to protect me, but this was a battle I was going to have to wage on my own.

“We need to do this in a methodical manner,” she said to Mick. “You and Huxley have things to talk about. I need to deal with my girls. We’ll meet up again in a few hours.”

“That sounds good,” Mick said. He cast me a fond smile. “I’m glad for you guys. I always knew you would make a good match.”

I made a face. “You did not. He hated me when I was a teenager.”

“No, he didn’t.” Mick let loose a short laugh. “He had the same crush on you that you had on him. He just didn’t realize it. Boys take longer than girls to figure this stuff out.”

“You would know,” Mom said dryly, and they shared a significant look that threw me. There was more to what they were saying than I’d initially picked up on. “So, we have a plan?” she prodded when everybody fell into silence.

“Yes,” I replied. “Does Lucy know you’re coming?”

“Nope.”

“And how long are you staying?”

“Until Lucy is on track and you’re …” She looked over at Huxley. “Well, you appear to be on track. I’m going to want to hear the whole story, though.”

I broke into a wide grin. “It involves me swearing at him in Klingon.”

She smirked. “I’m not surprised in the least.”

IT WAS AWKWARD KISSING HUXLEY goodbye in front of my mom, but he seemed eager to have his conversation with Mick, and there were things I needed to deal with, so we had no choice but to separate.

Mom didn’t ask me a single question as we took the elevator upstairs. Because I couldn’t deal with silences that stretched on for too long, I started filling the gaps.

“What hotel are you at?”

“The Marriott on the river,” she replied.

“Oh, that’s a great hotel. Huxley and I had beer and shrimp at one of their restaurants one night. It was amazing.”

“I’ll take that into consideration,” she said dryly as I led her off the elevator and toward my apartment. “Was that on one of your dates?”

“No, it was before we started dating.” I tried to sound blasé, as if I didn’t have a care in the world, but I had never been that good of an actress.

“So, when you were still insulting him in Klingon?”

I paused in front of my door; the key clutched in my hand. “He’s a really good guy. I don’t know if that was all an act back there, but please don’t be mad at him.”

“He’s done nothing for me to be mad about.” Mom plucked the key from my hand and inserted it in the lock. “The only thing I’m mad about is you not telling me.”

I was hopeful this wasn’t going to go as poorly as I had initially anticipated. “Do you think Eleanor will be as easygoing about it?”

“Oh, definitely not.” Mom shoved me into the apartment.

Lucy, who was in the kitchen in front of the coffee maker, gaped when she recognized who was with me. “Oh, my,” was all she managed to say.