“Not a romance in the bunch,” Jenna said.
“Did you know Jenna owns a bookstore?” her mom asked, clearly excited about that.
“I did,” Sawyer said.
“She bought a book the other day,” Jenna pointed out. “But I don’t see it on the pile here.” She shifted her expectant gaze to Sawyer.
Sawyer turned to look over her shoulder at the dining room table where the Lily Chambers book lay. She hadn’t told her mother what she’d said about Jenna’s shop in her blog before she took it down, and her mom clearly hadn’t seen it, so she braced for Jenna to blow her in.
But she didn’t.
“I really hope you’ll read it,” Jenna said instead. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
“Oh, IloveLily Chambers’s stuff,” Sawyer’s mom said. “I feel like I could run into her characters at CVS or something.”
“Right?” Jenna agreed. “And Lily herself is wonderful. As I told Sawyer, she lives mostly in New York City now, but she’s from here and she does signings at my store. She’s doing one in a few weeks, in fact. You should come.”
Sawyer watched her mom’s face light up. “Oh, that’s fantastic! I’d love to.”
“Give me your details.” Jenna handed her phone to Sawyer’s mom. “I’ll text you with the particulars.”
And as if she was in some weird episode ofBlack Mirror, Sawyer stood helplessly and watched as her mother typed her number into Jenna’s phone, her mother and her neighbor becoming besties right before her eyes.
There was a knock on the door, which saved Sawyer from her own thoughts, and she opened it to the Dasher with their food.
Ten minutes later, they were seated around the dining room table, all the dishes Sawyer’s mom had ordered spread out so they could help themselves. Arnold, who was shockingly not under the table waiting for scraps like every other dog Sawyer had ever met, was curled up on a throw rug near the fireplace she’d kicked on. Wine was topped off, food was plated, and they were actually having a really nice time.
“So, Jenna,” her mom said, chopsticks with lo mein hovering in front of her mouth. “What’s your status? I assume not married?”
Jenna shook her head as she chewed a piece of chicken. “Nope. Not yet. One day, I hope.”
“No men on the horizon?” Sawyer’s mom asked.
“No women, no.” Jenna smiled, clearly showing she took no offense to the assumption.
Sawyer’s mom smacked her own forehead. “Forgive me. You’d think with my having a gay daughter, I’d know better than to assume. I apologize.”
“No need,” Jenna said.
“Are you dating?” Sawyer’s mom asked then.
“Mom,” Sawyer said, a warning tone in her voice.
“What? I’m just asking the girl a question.” Sawyer’s mom looked at her and their gazes held while they had a silent conversation, which Jenna interrupted.
“I’m open to dating, yes, but there isn’t anybody right now. If that’s what you mean.” Jenna scooped some rice into her mouth and looked from one of them to the other and back, her brown eyes wide and innocent. Then she smiled.
She’s enjoying this, Sawyer thought, and it almost made her laugh.
“Well, maybe you two should go out, then,” Sawyer’s mother said, pointing with her chopsticks to Jenna, then to Sawyer. Sawyer’s wine went down the wrong pipe so she was suddenly coughing like a tuberculosis patient in a period piece. “My daughter doesn’t have the best track record in that department.”
“Mom.” Sawyer managed the word between coughs, and she glared at her mother as she took her glasses off to wipe at her eyes.
“What? It’s not like you ever told me anything about that last girl. All I know is she made you very unhappy.” Sawyer’s mom lowered her voice to a whisper and said to Jenna, “I think she was married.”
“Oh my God. Mom. Enough. I’m begging you.” Sawyer looked at Jenna, eyes watering, voice weak from the coughing, and said, “Please kill me now.”
And Jenna, God bless her, burst into laughter. In a moment, all three of them were cracking up. When they finally got themselves together again, Sawyer’s mom took a sip of her wine, then spoke.
