Six
Rose
I got home a few minutes after six. My mom was back from Jasmine’s wedding when I returned. I know she can’t wait to tell me everything that happened there. And also how she cried, wishing it was her daughter’s marriage. I’m prepared to hear every bit of it.
Slipping into my slides, I walk outside my room to join my mom in the kitchen. Oh, she’s in the sitting room.
“Hey, Rose,” she gestures towards me, a smile visible on her face.
“Mom,” I walk to sit on the chair that’s directly opposite hers.
“How did it go?”
“Fine, very fine, although I still have a lot to do, I’m sure it would go smoothly.” I nod with a smile.
“Mm, I talked to a few people today,” my mom starts, and I know I won’t like how this would end.
“Okay?” I sit up to hear the rest of her speech.
“Yeah, I talked to them about the cabin. I know setting up the place won’t be easy for you,” she strokes her finger through my hair gently. “So, I spoke to them about assisting you, and oh, I talked to Simon Peters too,” she concludes, smiling.
“Who is Simon Peters?” I question, trying to hide the frown on my face.
“He’s the properties lawyer who’s helping us with the cabin’s documents and all. And guess what?” my mom wiggles her eyebrows at me.
“I’m bad at guessing,” I reply, face blank.
“I know you are!” she taps my arm jokingly. “Well, Simon Peters is single, and he’s searching,” she completes her statement with a smile that expresses that I should be thankful.
“Searching for what?” I frown.
“What else?” my mom demonstrates with her hands.
“Mom, I don’t know what you are trying to do, but the only thing I will have to do with whoever Simon Peters is, is business and business alone. I don’t care about his relationship status,” I conclude my speech with a disagreeing nod before making a move to stand up.
She pulls me back, “Rose, do you think I like to do this, huh? Is that what you think?”
“You don’t like to, then why do you choose to? Mom, I don’t need your help with my love life. So, don’t,” I remove my hands from her grip and walk back to my room.
“I promise you will like him once you meet him!” my mom shouts in the direction of my room.
I slam my door shut and walk to sit on the edge of my bed. Raking my hands through my hair, a huge sigh drops from my lips as I pick up my phone. I want to talk to Dominic, but I can’t even call him because the network in Crystal Mill sucks. I drop my phone back on my vanity table and walk to sleep on my bed.
My mom never listens; I have told her several times that my relationship life is one aspect of my life that I like to handle myself. I might have lousy luck with men, but I’m sure I will find the right one for me one day. Well, I think I have; it’s just I don’t want to be too forward. I like him, but I’m not sure he feels the same way. He seems like a nice guy, and nothing about the way he behaves towards me drops any hint that he’d want us to be more than friends. It’s not that I have a problem with being just friends with him. But what I need right now is not just a friend, but somebody to love. I don’t want to seem desperate, so I’m just going to keep it cool. I hope it all turns out the way I want it at the end of it all.
“Urgh!” I groan as I roll to the other side of my bed. I don’t even know how I feel. My head feels heavy; I need someone to talk to. I glance at the wall clock; it’s late, I can’t drive down to Crystal Mill right now. Dominic’s coffee shop would probably be closed, and I don’t know where he lives. I groan, shutting my eyes closed to get some sleep because tomorrow will be a long day, and then my phone rings.
Groaning, I move sleepily to pick it from my vanity table. It’s an unknown number. “Hello?”
“Good evening, Rose, right?” the manly voice croaks from the other end of the phone.
“Yeah, Rose, and you are?”
“Simon, I met your mom today, and she talked about you. I would like to…”
He continued his speech, and I listen with only one thing in my head – anger. I’m pissed at my mom; why did she not mention that she shared my contact with the men she met today at Jasmine’s wedding?
Simon finally ended his long irrelevant speech, and I get down from my bed and dash out of my room.
