“Yeah,” Ally’s lips curve into a rueful little smile. “They’ll believe it.”
“What do you mean?”
She toys with her napkin. “I don’t think they believed I was sick in the first place,” she admits. “They thought I was staying away because I was jealous of Hayley.”
“What? Why?”
“Oh, lots of reasons,” she says lightly. “She finished her physio degree, and she’s already got a job lined up at her boyfriend’s clinic.” She pauses. “And apparently Hayley thinks I’m jealous of her boyfriend.”
I struggle to keep my expression neutral. “Why does she think that?”
Ally looks down at the table. “I only met the guy once, at a dinner at my parents’,” she explains. “But I caught him staring at me, so I stared back. I was hoping if he knew I noticed, he’d stop. But I guess Hayley interpreted it differently.”
“Uh huh.” I can read between those lines easily enough; Hayley’s dating a creep who was ogling Ally.
“And her boyfriend’s coming to this dinner?”
“Yep.” Ally’s phone pings, and she glances down at it. “Mom says they didn’t change the reservation, so I can go.”
I do some quick math. “So the reservation’s for five people?”
Ally nods.
“Tell your mom to change it to six,” I tell her. “I want to come with you.”
“Really?” Ally asks skeptically. “You want to meet my family?”
“Yep.” It isn’t a lie; I’d really like to meet these people.
“Okay,” she says reluctantly. “You’ll be the first guy I’ve introduced to parents.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah,” Ally nods. “I mean, I’ve dated, of course. But I went to the tennis academy when I was fifteen, and then I was on the tour, and there was never anyone serious enough to bring home. And since I’ve been back in Somerset, I haven’t really had anyone serious either.”
“So I’ll be the first,” I say, trying not to show how much I like the idea.
“If you’re still up for it, yeah,” she says, giving me a questioning look.
“I’m up for it.”
“Okay.” She taps her phone. “I’ll ask my mom if she can change the reservation.”
“I don’t think Nico’s has tables for five, Ally,” I point out. “The table will seat six, they’ll just need another place setting.”
“You’re right.” Ally looks up from her phone. “What should I tell them? Do I say you’re my boyfriend, or . . .”
“We can tell them whatever you want, Ally, but boyfriend’s probably simplest.”
As she finishes her text, I decide that this is probably for the best. Instead of staying in Toronto tonight, I’ll book something for next weekend and surprise her.
THIRTY
ALLY
“So you really weren’t tempted to take a job in Toronto?” I ask Drew, as he merges onto the highway back to Somerset. “For the fried chicken, if nothing else?”
He wasn’t lying when he said the lunch place was amazing. The restaurant didn’t look like much, but the fried chicken was the best I’ve ever eaten.
