“Um, yes.”
“Wonderful. You’ll stay for dinner.” She strode off toward what I presumed was the kitchen.
Zack hauled his cousin after her. “Mom, she can’t stay.”
“Yes, she can. You can,” she declared. “I’ll call in reinforcements.”
He tossed his cousin safely onto an old couch. “Moooom.”
Joon bounced to a stop on the cushions. “Zack has a girlfriend,” he taunted.
“I was actually just leaving,” I said.
May latched onto my leg. “Stay, okay?”
Oh, god. The puppy dog eyes didn’t work on me, but guilt did creep up the back of my neck as Zack eyed the two of us. If I left now, he would have to deal with his family all by himself. It wasn’t technically my responsibility to play nice with them. All I had to do was be a stand-in girlfriend, but what kind of girlfriend ran away from his family during their first meeting? After all, he’d stood by me with the whole Theo thing.
I shrugged. “I guess it has been a while since I’ve enjoyed a home-cooked meal.”
“Okay.” His face was unreadable. A beat later, he thundered, “Mom, she’s staying.”
“Oh my god, why are you shouting?” I laughed.
“I’m not shouting.”
I patted the little girl’s back. “May, what do you think?”
“He’s always shouting,” Joon complained.
“She was talking tome.” May smacked his foot.
He sat up, and she started as if zapped by static electricity.
“Ah, I didn’t mean it.” She raced down the hallway in a panic.
“You did so.” Joon quickly gave chase.
“Do we need to look after them?” I asked.
“Probably, yes.” Zack sighed. “Sorry about this.”
From the kitchen, his mom’s voice rang out clear as day. “What do you have in your refrigerator? Come over, we’re making dinner for Zack’s pretty girlfriend. Yes, girlfriend!”
I giggled and nudged his arm. “You weren’t exaggerating when you said everyone in your family talked loudly.”
He gave me a bashful smile and tugged his ear. “I didn’t think you’d be this good with kids.”
“Rude.” I flipped my hair so it thwacked his shoulder. “I was the ultimate babysitter.”
“Another side gig?”
“No, my parents… They had me, and then when they were older, they had their do-overs.” I waved him on to follow his cousins, but he shook his head, staring intensely at me. “What, do you want to watch my ass while I go ahead?” I asked.
“Nic,” he chided.
“Butt, sorry.” I sauntered ahead.
“It’s not the language,” he said, walking after me.
