Page 24 of Good Time Boyfriend
“Mom, there is so much wrong with that statement, I don’t even know where to begin.”
“True, but I’m old school here, let me have my matchmaking mama abilities. There’s eleven of you, you know. I worry.”
“And we aren’t in Regency England where you have to marry us off like cattle before we hit the ripe old age of twenty-five.”
“Well, you are twenty-four. But you do have prospects, and a dowry.”
I rolled my eyes again even though she couldn’t see me.
“I’m headed out. After I pick my shoes.”
“Do the heels. Your legs look great in them. Don’t bother with flats. You can wear flats and other shoes that support your arches when you’re older.”
“Thanks for the fashion advice. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Now bring that boy around for dinner one day. As long as you say it might happen, I can fend off the wolves.” The wolves being the rest of the family.
I knew there was no way to get out of this. “I’ll think about it. How about that?”
“That’s better than the no that you usually say. It sounds promising. Have fun and make good choices.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said, teasing. I hung up and decided to take her advice and wear high heels. I could protect my arches later. Or put my feet in an ice bath if I rolled my ankle like an idiot.
I took a rideshare to the bar just because I was planning on having at least two drinks, and met Addison at the front door.
“Hey, you,” my best friend said as she opened up her arms. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tight. Her shoulder-length dark hair was straightened, as usual, and it framed her face perfectly. She also had on tight black pants, and a crop top thing that had a see-through layer on top so that way it was still a full shirt, but she showed a lot of skin.
“Look at you. Very sexy.”
She looked down at my baby-blue dress that covered my chest completely and ended in cap sleeves, but was super short and showed off my back.
“You’re showing off legs for days. Spin for me.”
I rolled my eyes but spun for her. She wolf whistled and caught the eyes of a couple guys walking past.
“Okay. This is going to be fun. I can’t wait to see Heath again.”
“Seriously?”
“I’m just saying. It’ll be nice to get to know the man you made up.”
“Stop. If you say that out loud, I swear one of my siblings will just pop up. Did you know that Maureen and her husband came and ate here this week apparently?”
“Oh my God, they’re relentless. You’re really going to have to tell them.”
“I know. I just feel so silly.”
“It’s going to suck and they’re going to be angry, but then they may realize how overbearing they are when it comes to your relationship status. I mean, they’re overbearing about my relationship status, and I’m not even related to you.”
We made our way inside and found a booth, and I pointedly didn’t look at the bar.
“I don’t see the bearded man. I see another one, but as his arm is around a voluptuous woman and she’s wearing an engagement ring, I assume that’s Ace and his fiancée?”
I looked over and nodded, oddly grateful that it wasn’t Heath kissing another woman. Not that I knew if we were exclusive or not. Or anything actually. This was what happens when you lie. You end up in complicated situations where you feel like there is no out.
“Heath isn’t here. At least not right now. I cannot believe we’re here without telling him. Now I feel like a stalker.”
“You can text him.”
