“What is it?” Lina asked.
“Can I … kiss you again?”
Her shoulders slumped in exaggerated frustration. “Seriously? Have we not been through th—” She didn’t get to finish her sentence because he scooped her up and pressed his lips to hers, making her melt and forgive him all over again.
“Hey, Lina,” he whispered against her lips.
“What?”
“Did you hear about the two guys who stole a calendar? They each got six months.”
She laughed and kissed him again.
OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 13
Dillon’s mom was clearly pleased to have him as her lunch date again, but also irritated.
“This is about Lina, isn’t it?” she said, breaking the spaghetti noodles in half with a satisfying crack and dropping them in the boiling water.
“Yes. So listen and set aside everything you think you know about her. Because I totally lied to you.”
“What?” She whirled around, wiping her hands on her apron.
“When I brought Lina for Thanksgiving, I only knew her as a girl in my apartment complex. We were barely friends at that point. Not that she didn’t try, I’m just not good with people I don’t know well.”
“She wasn’t your girlfriend? But you said she was. We played The Newlywed Game…” She glanced at the kitchen table, as if picturing the night all over again.
“Kip was so worried about bringing Heather. She hates attention, and he was afraid to bring her home to meet everyone and have all that pressure on her to fit in. So, he asked if one of us guys might want to bring a girl too.”
“Everyone knows Lina’s not your girlfriend except me?” His mom’s face dropped.
Oh, no. Now he’d hurt her feelings.
“Hey, come sit for a minute.” He led her over to the table. “Nobody knew. When Kip asked us, Alec and Trent said they weren’t dating anyone and outright refused. I didn’t answer because Lina’s face popped into my head, and I thought she might be spunky enough to come along with me. I guess I thought she’d find the whole thing funny.”
“It’s not funny to let me get attached to someone who’s just pretending, Dillon.” Mom’s shoulders slumped. “She held my hand while I had my dental work done. And I was just imposing on her. I’ve said the most awful things about her.”
“You weren’t imposing. That’s the thing. She cares about you and was happy to do it. And she’s so worried you hate her now that you know we lied to you. She’s … she’s this amazing person, and I want to date her for real.”
That perked Mom right up. She jumped from her chair and went over to the stove to stir the noodles. “Well, of course you do. I didn’t ruin it for you, did I? I was so upset at the time, I couldn’t think straight. But when she told that other young man that there wasn’t anyone else … Oh, my poor boy. You must be heartbroken. Does she only see you as a friend? You have to tell her how you feel.”
Her emotional whiplash was giving him a headache, but it wasn’t really her fault.
“I didn’t tell Lina how I felt about her until it was almost too late. But, yeah, I’ve told her and … I think it’s going to work out.”
“Well, what can I do to help?”
Rick walked in right then. He was in his golf shoes, and Mom was momentarily distracted by reminding him to take them off in the house.
“Can I tell Rick?” she asked. “About Lina?”
“What’s this about Lina?” Rick asked, coming over to lift the lid on the spaghetti sauce and take a whiff.
Dillon realized he did not want his mom being the messenger to the rest of the family. “Lina is coming for Sunday dinner,” he told Rick. “And bringing cake.”
“Well, that’s excellent news. I’m always in favor of more dessert around here."
