My heart sinks as I consider finding a hotel at the last minute and how I have nothing on me for an overnight stay, not even a toothbrush.
“We could do that,” Ryan considers. “Harper, have you got anything tomorrow you need to be back for?”
“No, I don’t have plans, but I’d have to find a hotel and—”
“We can sort all that,” Ryan says confidently with a wave of his hand. “Are you sure we can get the time tomorrow, Mae?”
“Absolutely! I would offer to buy you dinner as an apology, but it looks like I’m going to be here a long time,” she sighs. “I can recommend some great places if you need.”
“Don’t worry, I know the area; my parents live in Didsbury,” Ryan informs her. “Leave it with me.”
“Great! I’ll send you the details for tomorrow. Thanks for being so understanding and I’msosorry again,” she says, offering Ryan a winning smile before leaving us.
“What a disaster,” I mutter.
“It’s not a disaster.”
I cross my arms. “Oh really?”
“Well, I’ve been shopping with you once before, and it was only mildly torturous, so I’m willing to accompany you to get a toothbrush and other stuff you may need for tomorrow, like…”
He trails off, his eyebrows knitted together.
“Like underwear?” I prompt.
“Yes. Right.” He clears his throat. “Underwear and other… garments.”
I squint at him. “Did you just say ‘garments’?”
“Yeah,” he says, slowly nodding. “I have no idea why. I think the underwear topic made my brain go into awkward mode.”
“Indeed, it did,” I say, greatly amused. “Anyway, I know I can buygarments,but Cosmo is going to lose his head when I tell him I need to expense a hotel.”
“I’ve already got that sorted!” Ryan proclaims, reaching for his phone in his pocket. “You can stay at my parents’ house.”
“What?”
“They have a spare room. Problem solved.”
My jaw drops. “Ryan! I can’t stay at your parents’ house!”
“Why not?”
“Because that would betotallyinappropriate!”
He tilts his head at me. “Why?”
“I’m your colleague!” I cry, throwing my hands up in the air.
“And?”
“And colleagues don’t turn up at parents’ houses and stay in their spare rooms!”
“I reckon you may be overthinking this, Harper,” he replies, looking unfazed by my reaction. “It’s not that big a deal. You need somewhere to stay. I have somewhere you can stay. What’s left to discuss?”
He lifts his phone to his ear.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
