“Good morning,” I said to Remi as he emerged from beneath the covers next to me. “Big day today, buddy. Mama’s got a date.”
He gave me a look of displeasure as if the fact that I wasn’t already up and preparing his breakfast personally offended him. To be fair, it probably did.
Cats.
I got out of bed at the behest of my wrinkled overlord, ready to indulge in coffee and contemplation before getting ready for my date. It was only six-thirty, so I had plenty of time to get ready and dwell on the fact that, for the first time in years, I was going on a date.
How early was too early to call Tegan?
I fed Remi and nursed my first cup of coffee while I typed out a text to Tegan.
Me: Hey. I have a date this morning. Call me when you can.
My phone rang a couple of minutes later.
“Jeez. Someone is up early,” I said with a smile.
“Atlas got up early to go for a run, and I’ve been awake ever since,” she groaned.
My daughter was never much of a morning person, but she was mated to one of the most pleasant early risers I’d ever met. Opposites attract and all that, I guess.
“Well, that’s a shame, honey.”
“Yeah, yeah. Enough about me,” she rushed out. “What’s this about a date? I thought I told you to text me if you got a match. How did you even get a match already?”
I gasped. “Excuse me. I believe that yesterday someone called me a babe.”
“Oh my gosh, stop. You know that isn’t what I meant. Tell me everything! Send me pics!”
“Alright, alright.” I grabbed my glasses off the table and put Tegan on speakerphone. “His name is Alistair. He’s actually your friend’s father.”
“Which friend?” I could hear the anticipation in her voice.
“Chai?”
She let out a screeching sound that reminded me of a dying animal. “No way. You’re going on a date with Chai’s dad? Did you send me that picture yet?”
“I’m working on it!”
I gulped down some coffee and navigated to Alistair’s profile, screenshotting the picture of him on the mountainside and sending it over to her.
“Sent.”
I could hear her phone buzz with a notification.
“Damn, Mom! He is a hottie. Those horns and that chest hair.”
My lips curved up in a smile. “I think he is too.”
Tegan let out another little squeal. “This is amazing. Since it’s Chai’s dad, I don’t have to worry about him being some sort of creep.”
“He definitely doesn’t seem like a creep. We talked on the phone for a little bit last night. We—”
She cut me off. “You talked to him on the phone last night?! Who are you and what have you done with my mother?”
“We were both nervous about today!” I said with a laugh. “It doesn’t sound like he does much dating.”
“Well, it sounds like you made a good impression. What time are you meeting him?”
