Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
"Oh, no," I say, shaking my head. "This is where you guys look at me and say we love you and call us if you need anything."
"What?" my mother asks, shocked, making Rachel roll her lips to stop from laughing. "But…"
"Darlin’," my father announces. "Time to say goodbye." He looks at me, and I smile.
"It’s just like camp," I say, walking to her and putting my hands on her shoulders. My mother is about five feet eleven, and we are almost the same height. I look exactly like her, just with green eyes instead of blue eyes and my hair is just a touch darker.
"It’s just so many boxes," she says as she furiously blinks away tears. "Cowboy, who is going to put up her bed?"
"She’s got this," my father declares. "And if she needs any help, she can call us, and we can come back."
"Okay, fine," my mother huffs. "But I insist that we take you and your roommates out to dinner tonight before our flight tomorrow."
"Deal," a different voice says, and I look over to see another girl walking in. Her black hair is in a high ponytail, and her eyes are covered with white sunglasses. She smiles, moving the glasses on top of her head to show us her brown eyes. "We can totally do dinner." She is dressed in jean shorts and a tank top with Birkenstocks on her feet. "I’m Lydia." She smiles at me and then at my parents, and I look behind her and see one more girl walk in carrying bags.
"We got booze," she states, happily holding up the white bags in her hands as if she just won a prize. When her eyes find my parents, her big smile vanishes, and her eyes go wide as she tries to backpedal. "Oh, I don’t mean booze booze. It’s code word for…" she stutters, looking at Lydia.
"It’s code word for creamer for coffee." Lydia turns around, clapping her hands together. "That’s Victoria." She points at Victoria, who shrugs and walks to the kitchen.
"I like them," my mother says. "You girls are going to get along just fine." She walks to them. "If you guys want, you should ask Harlow about her grandfather’s sweet tea."
"No," I reply, shaking my head. "My last roommate was out for two days after drinking that." I smile at the girls. "No offense but…"
"Challenge accepted," Lydia says, winking at me. "Also, what time is dinner?"
"Oh, we should check out that new Mexican restaurant," Victoria says. "They have the two-for-one special."
"Sounds amazing," my mother agrees, and she looks over at my dad, trying to drag out her time with me. My father reluctantly grabs her hand and tells me to text him the address, and they’ll meet us there.
"Sorry about that," I say nervously as I pick up a box of stuff. "They can be all in your business, but they..."
"Oh, please," Lydia says, coming into my room. "My parents camped out in the car the first night I got here."
"My father slept in the hallway," Victoria adds. "On a chair. He looked like a bouncer in a club."
"My parents set up a neighborhood watch," Rachel chimes in, and my eyes widen. "And then bought a house around the corner." She puts up her hand. "I win." We all laugh as the girls help me set up my bed.
After I put the sheets and comforter on it, I start putting my clothes away. Luckily for me, my mother is a professional packer, so each box just needs to be put away. "So are you dating anyone?" Victoria asks when she sits in the middle of the floor and starts to unpack the lighting box. She takes out the string of lights I brought from home to hang around my bed.
"No." I shake my head. "I’m too busy to date," I admit.
"What about you guys?" I ask the room, and everyone is single.
"I feel good about this year," Lydia says, looking at us. "Really good."
"Same," we all agree, even though I’m still nervous and just a touch shy.
When dinner comes around, I’m shocked by how in sync we all are. We laugh at the same jokes, and they all get along with my parents. It takes Victoria a while before she looks over at my dad and says that he looks familiar. I groan out loud, making everyone laugh. "He’s on the cover of Forbes. Can we move on?" He shakes his head, grabbing his beer and taking a pull.
"Shit, if I knew you guys were rich rich, I would have suggested the better restaurant," Rachel says, winking at me and making me laugh.
"We are not rich rich," I say, looking over at my father. "He’s rich rich." I point at him. "Yet he still wears Levi's and does his own cattle work."