Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75481 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75481 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“See? And Casey will like them too. They’ll brighten our table.”
She ended up with a bouquet of purple tulips she admired all the way to my place, and Dad didn’t even complain about the stale scent in the hallways and all the stairs they had to climb to get to my apartment.
“Here we are,” I said, sweeping through the door. “Let’s get you something to drink. The flowers too.”
I pulled out a vase and glasses from the cupboard while they moved around the space, taking everything in and likely speculating about the size. But I’d already warned them how cramped it was before I reserved their hotel room.
“I know it’s small, but that’s what it’s like to live in the city,” I said as we all downed our water. “Well, unless you have money. Then you could find yourself a place with a nice view.”
I was thinking of Rowan’s apartment and Kendall’s too, even though I’d never seen her place myself, just caught glimpses in a magazine spread once.
“But there’s no yard, only concrete,” Dad said, glancing out the window to the street below. “And do you hear that traffic at all hours of the day?”
I chuckled because I actually understood his reservations. I knew this would never be the life for them. “Believe it or not, the sound becomes soothing at night. Like the crickets in the country.”
He scoffed. “I don’t see how.”
Mom squeezed his arm in a warning to tone it down. “To each their own.”
Casey coming in the door broke up the tension. They visited and caught up while I went down to check the mail, something I’d forgotten to do on the way inside.
“Your parents tell me there’s a change in dinner plans,” Casey said when I came back inside.
“Um, yeah, guess so.” I looked away, not wanting them to see my frown.
“Speaking of which,” I said, looking at the time, “we should get going soon. There’s still time to stop by the hotel if you want to change or anything.”
When Mom looked down at her dress, I felt guilty for even suggesting it. “Do I need to?”
“Not at all. You’re both dressed fine. I’m just going to change my shirt.”
Casey followed me to my room and shut the door. “Are we really going to dinner with your boss, or am I living in some alternate reality?”
I grabbed a button-down shirt from my closet. “Mom invited him. She probably thinks he’s charming.” And I supposed he was—sometimes.
“According to you, he has his moments.”
I shrugged. No wonder Casey felt like he had whiplash from my flip-flopping position on my boss. Even I couldn’t decide how I felt about him on a day-to-day basis. Ugh.
“You could at least tell me what you think of him.” Not that Casey hadn’t met him in passing, but he’d never spent time with him before. God help me. “And keep me from lunging across the table.”
12
When we arrived at Lotus Flower, Rowan was already seated at a round table that would allow all of us to interact. The decor was modern and understated and the staff was friendly. It wasn’t that the restaurant was fancy, more that it was trendy and obviously popular, given how packed the place was, so I wasn’t sure how he’d managed to get reservations. Clearly, it helped to have connections. If there was one thing I’d learned being in this business, it was that.
Upon seeing us, Rowan stood and held out the seat for my mom, ever the gentleman. The way she pulled at the hem of her dress, I could tell Mom was concerned she wasn’t properly dressed for the occasion, but I didn’t note any disparagement from Rowan about my parents’ attire. He apparently reserved that criticism for me and me alone.
“You must be Casey,” Rowan said, holding out his hand. “The roommate Shae speaks of incessantly.”
“I do not.” I slid into a seat beside my parents and across from Rowan. Casey shook his hand, examining him coolly. “Besides, if I don’t kiss Casey’s butt on the regular, he might kick me out of our apartment.”
“You’re ridiculous.” Casey rolled his eyes but grinned. “But I concur with the incessant-talking part.”
“Hey, no ganging up on me,” I said, even though I was pleased they’d found a bit of common ground so fast. Why it mattered to me, I didn’t know. Maybe because it would make the evening less awkward? I certainly needed my best friend there as backup and firmly in my corner.
“We love Casey,” Mom said, then leaned toward Rowan. “And secretly hoped he and Shae would date.”
“Is that so?” Rowan regarded us with a cautious eye, and for some reason, I felt like I needed to explain my parents’ reasoning.
“Of course you wanted the two gay guys from the same small town to date,” I said, and Casey laughed.