finally meet you, Stacie!”
Smiling crazy-bright and talking too loud, I tried desperately to think of a way to get rid of her before she said anything else.
“Well, isn’t this wonderful?” my dad said. “Not only are we meeting Josh today but also you.” He strode over to shake her hand while she looked at him in confusion.
“We’re having dinner right now,” my mom said, holding my door open. “Won’t you join us, Stacie dear?”
Her face lit up, making her look like some manic clown. “Oh, I’d love to. Thank you.”
“Of course, dear.” My mother ushered her into my apartment and murmured something about Stacie needing to go freshen up, while Josh and I stood out on the landing with my dad.
“Well, this is good fortune, isn’t it?” Dad said, clapping his hands together. “Perhaps it bodes well for tomorrow, too.” Then he followed them back inside, leaving us alone for a moment.
God, if the luck of having Stacie show up was any indication of what was to come at his appointment, then tomorrow was going to royally suck.
I was shaking my head, my mind going a thousand miles a minute trying to spin this in some way, trying to figure out if there was going to be ANY possible way to keep up the pretense that Josh and I were together when his ACTUAL girlfriend was having dinner with us.
My excessively creative mind was drawing a blank.
And panic was rising.
I couldn’t break my parents’ hearts. Not today. Not right now when my dad’s health was worrying them.
My breaths were coming short and quick the longer I stood there stuck in indecision. Josh’s hands slid onto my shoulders, warm and strong.
“I’ll get rid of her as fast as I can,” he said. “I’m so sorry about this, Will. But don’t worry. Now that she’s calmed down, it’ll be easier to get her to leave.”
“She’s in my freaking apartment. With my parents.” I pressed a hand to my chest. “Oh my god. They’re going to know I’ve been lying this whole time. I’m going to be their greatest disappointment EVER.”
He came around in front of me, cupped my face in his hands, and said, “No, you are not. You could never be a disappointment to anyone. Those two people love you more than you can possibly imagine. I saw it on their faces the moment I walked in tonight.” He leaned his forehead against mine. “It’s fine. I’ll fix it. She’ll be gone soon. I promise.” Then he stood back up. “Have I ever let you down, Will?”
“No,” I said. Outside of my dad, he was the only man who hadn’t.
“Then trust me.”
Trust him? That was almost asking the impossible of me. I had a lifetime of let-downs telling me that men couldn’t be trusted. At least where my heart was concerned.
Though we weren’t really talking about my heart here. I mean, in many ways my parents were my heart, but this was a different kind of risk. And, looking at Josh’s clear blue eyes, I knew he was a good bet.
“Let’s go.”
Inside, my mom was setting another place at the table while my dad went searching for a chair.
“At my desk, Dad,” I called out. My apartment wasn’t exactly big enough for hosting dinner parties, and we’d already maxed out the dining chairs tonight. I glanced at Josh, who was hanging out near the bathroom, waiting for Stacie to emerge, and sent up a little prayer that somehow we’d get through this evening with all my lies still intact.
But why would any god worth believing in answer prayers about lying?
Shit. I was so screwed.
The bathroom door opened and Stacie slipped past Josh before he could stop her, heading straight for the table. She sat right down at the new place setting next to my dad, then looked expectantly at first Josh, then me.
“Uh…Stacie?” Josh said. “Could I talk to you for just a minute?”
Shaking her head, she said, “No,” and started loading her plate with food. “This looks amazing, and I’m starving.” She looked at my dad. “Josh was supposed to take
Smiling crazy-bright and talking too loud, I tried desperately to think of a way to get rid of her before she said anything else.
“Well, isn’t this wonderful?” my dad said. “Not only are we meeting Josh today but also you.” He strode over to shake her hand while she looked at him in confusion.
“We’re having dinner right now,” my mom said, holding my door open. “Won’t you join us, Stacie dear?”
Her face lit up, making her look like some manic clown. “Oh, I’d love to. Thank you.”
“Of course, dear.” My mother ushered her into my apartment and murmured something about Stacie needing to go freshen up, while Josh and I stood out on the landing with my dad.
“Well, this is good fortune, isn’t it?” Dad said, clapping his hands together. “Perhaps it bodes well for tomorrow, too.” Then he followed them back inside, leaving us alone for a moment.
God, if the luck of having Stacie show up was any indication of what was to come at his appointment, then tomorrow was going to royally suck.
I was shaking my head, my mind going a thousand miles a minute trying to spin this in some way, trying to figure out if there was going to be ANY possible way to keep up the pretense that Josh and I were together when his ACTUAL girlfriend was having dinner with us.
My excessively creative mind was drawing a blank.
And panic was rising.
I couldn’t break my parents’ hearts. Not today. Not right now when my dad’s health was worrying them.
My breaths were coming short and quick the longer I stood there stuck in indecision. Josh’s hands slid onto my shoulders, warm and strong.
“I’ll get rid of her as fast as I can,” he said. “I’m so sorry about this, Will. But don’t worry. Now that she’s calmed down, it’ll be easier to get her to leave.”
“She’s in my freaking apartment. With my parents.” I pressed a hand to my chest. “Oh my god. They’re going to know I’ve been lying this whole time. I’m going to be their greatest disappointment EVER.”
He came around in front of me, cupped my face in his hands, and said, “No, you are not. You could never be a disappointment to anyone. Those two people love you more than you can possibly imagine. I saw it on their faces the moment I walked in tonight.” He leaned his forehead against mine. “It’s fine. I’ll fix it. She’ll be gone soon. I promise.” Then he stood back up. “Have I ever let you down, Will?”
“No,” I said. Outside of my dad, he was the only man who hadn’t.
“Then trust me.”
Trust him? That was almost asking the impossible of me. I had a lifetime of let-downs telling me that men couldn’t be trusted. At least where my heart was concerned.
Though we weren’t really talking about my heart here. I mean, in many ways my parents were my heart, but this was a different kind of risk. And, looking at Josh’s clear blue eyes, I knew he was a good bet.
“Let’s go.”
Inside, my mom was setting another place at the table while my dad went searching for a chair.
“At my desk, Dad,” I called out. My apartment wasn’t exactly big enough for hosting dinner parties, and we’d already maxed out the dining chairs tonight. I glanced at Josh, who was hanging out near the bathroom, waiting for Stacie to emerge, and sent up a little prayer that somehow we’d get through this evening with all my lies still intact.
But why would any god worth believing in answer prayers about lying?
Shit. I was so screwed.
The bathroom door opened and Stacie slipped past Josh before he could stop her, heading straight for the table. She sat right down at the new place setting next to my dad, then looked expectantly at first Josh, then me.
“Uh…Stacie?” Josh said. “Could I talk to you for just a minute?”
Shaking her head, she said, “No,” and started loading her plate with food. “This looks amazing, and I’m starving.” She looked at my dad. “Josh was supposed to take
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