Page 133 of Strictly the Worst

“I don’t think she will be.” She cups my face. “She’s your mom. It’s obvious she loves you. And it’s understandable that she’s worried about you. Let me talk to her.”

“But…”

“And if she’s a bitch, I’ll be a bigger one.”

Our eyes meet again. And I can see a determination there. A fierceness that slays me. The emotional Tessa of last night is gone, replaced by a warrior. I like them both so damn much.

“Okay,” I say. “But I’m coming with. I’ll sit at another table or something.”

“You can go to another coffee shop nearby,” she concedes.

I slide my arms around her and throw her back onto the mattress, then climb over her, caging her in with my arms.

“Why is it that I feel like I’ve just been steamrolled?” I ask her.

“You’re the one who threw me on the bed,” she points out, grinning.

Yeah, I was. But I still feel uneasy.

“Your mom and I are strong women,” Tessa tells me, reaching up to smooth away the frown lines between my eyes. “And Zoe’s going to be, too. You’d better get used to being surrounded by us.”

A half smile pulls at my lips. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

TESSA

The restaurant Linc’s mom booked for our brunchtime meeting is understated and elegant. There are families here, along with well dressed couples and a group of women in their fifties who look like they’re in the city celebrating some kind of birthday, judging from the gift bags on the table.

The hostess takes me to a table in the back corner, where Deandra is waiting for me. She stands when I walk over, the most reticent of smiles on her face.

“Thank you for coming,” she says simply. She doesn’t offer her hand or her cheek, which I appreciate. Because I’m on guard right now. But I’m doing this for Linc. And mostly because he bought me tampons last night.

Seriously, I’m still swooning. I can’t help it.

I slip into the seat opposite her, smoothing my skirt down my legs. We stopped at my place on the way here, though Linc insisted that we both shower at his place first. Which was probably the right thing to do, because even with the new shower at mine, it doesn’t compare to the double shower in his place.

“Would you like a drink?” the server asks.

“Just a coffee please.” I smile at her.

Deandra is drinking tea. It comes in those little teapots that hold two tea bags. She checks it for strength before pouring herself a cup.

She lifts it to her lips and takes a sip before putting the cup back down.

“I should probably start,” she says, her gaze catching mine. There are little crows feet in her skin, but they only make her beautiful face more interesting. In the daylight, I can see her resemblance to Linc.

“Okay.” I nod, waiting for what she has to say.

“What I said last night. All of it. Was wrong. I’m so sorry you had to overhear it. But more than that I’m sorry I even said it.”

I nod, saying nothing. My eyes hold hers.

She lets out another breath. “I spent all night thinking about it. How I treated you. The awful things I said. I didn’t give you a chance.”

“No, you didn’t,” I tell her. “I was feeling vulnerable. Scared to meet Linc’s family. Because he’s important to me.”

Her eyes soften. “I know.”

“And I really wanted to impress you. To get to know you. To be your friend. He talks about you a lot and I know how much he loves you.”

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