Page 5 of Bourbon & Bonfires

“Yes, ma’am. Don’t make that face, it’s a sign of respect not age. But youarepushing forty, sis.”

“Whatever. Let’s do this. We’ll have to feed my demon child before we get on the road. Are you sure about the two of you driving the big truck?”

“I told you, I want a little one-on-one with Mason. Plus, it’ll be nice for you to have a little quiet time. I’m sure there’s some awful music you need to listen to.”

“Hey! My music isn’t awful; it’s country. But no, I’m going to indulge in an audiobook. If Mason isn’t in the car, I can listen to a steamier one.”

“I’d rather not know about my sister’s steamier anything. But, if you like books I have a few friends to introduce you to when you get settled. They’re cool chicks and all about books and book boyfriends, whatever those are.”

“Uh, they are everything. I look forward to meeting them.”

Taylor and I each pick up a box and begin moving everything to the truck. When Mason returns, we do a quick walk-through of the house and garage before closing the moving truck and heading out on the road. I’m a little nervous about the move, but in the end, this is what I need to do for Mason. For our family.

Two months ago I decided I’d start putting a little more effort into my dating life. Or lack thereof. My mom has been trying to fix me up for years, and until I turned thirty, I managed to dodge most of her efforts. Then something started happening around me. Not only were my brother and sister in committed relationships or married, but my friends were too.

For years, two of my three best friends and I were single and lived life to the fullest. None of us settled down, except our buddy Ben. Then about a year ago, something changed, and now I’m the lone single guy in our group. When I was at Ben and Piper’s wedding a few months ago, I realized maybe being in a relationship wasn’t such a bad thing. My friends were happy. They were moving forward with their lives, creating families like I grew up in.

The problem is, I’ve never found anyone to keep my attention for long. I’m not a player by any means, but I also don’t do relationships. I’m not opposed to a relationship, it’s just not something I’ve ever really given much thought to.

Regardless, I’m on date three of the month, courtesy of my mother. The level of pathetic I’ve fallen to is not lost on me. I see it staring me in the face. Not the girl; she’s pretty cool. Lucy has been one of the better fix-ups. But, regardless, there isn’t a spark. Truth be told, I haven’t felt any sort of spark with a woman in years. Well, except at Ben and Piper’s wedding when I met my buddy Taylor’s sister. The sparks I felt that night gave the Fourth of July a run for its money.

I’m pulled from my thoughts when Lucy speaks. “Did you want to share a dessert?”

“What? Sorry, my mind drifted.”

“It’s okay. I know this isn’t a love connection. I asked if you wanted to share a dessert. I really want some of that chocolate cake, but unless I want to spend the next week in the gym, I can’t eat it myself. Share?”

“Sure. Sorry I’m not much company.” I wave down the waiter and ask for two coffees and slice of chocolate cake.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea of being fixed up by our moms. But, if I don’t take at least one of these fix-ups every few weeks, my mom gets more difficult.”

I laugh with her because I know exactly what she’s saying. It’s a little comforting to know there is someone else out there being pushed into dates like me. I smile at Lucy, and it’s a shame there’s no spark. She’s kind, and we’ve had no problem with conversation all night.

“Your mom’s fixing you up a lot too? I thought I was the only one dealing with that,” I say, taking a drink of the recently poured coffee.

“You should be so lucky. I think there are enough of us in this county, we could start a support group. Maybe that’s what we should do: Poor Saps Whose Parents Keep Fixing Them up Anonymous. I suppose,” she says scrunching her nose, “it wouldn’t be anonymous. Well, whichever. We could get a group together and pretend to be dating so our moms would leave us alone.”

“Ah, that’s an excellent plan. But, my mom would demand to meet the girl I’m seeing, and that’s a whole different can of worms. I think I’ll keep avoiding and hope she gets tired of the fix-ups.”

Lucy and I are quiet for a few minutes as we dig into our cake. Damn this is some good shit. When we finish the cake, the waiter delivers the check, and I slide my credit card into the holder for him to take.

“We should at least split it. Unless ... does your mom give you money for these dates?”

“No, but maybe if I ask her to start footing the bill, she’ll stop.” Lucy laughs, and I sign the slip. “I’m a little old-fashioned I suppose, but I think the man should pay. I know it’s not very modern of me, but it’s something my dad taught my brother and me. Along with holding doors and always saying please and thank you,” I tell her as we stand from our table and walk to where our coats are hanging.

I help Lucy into her coat; winter is short in Lexington, but it’s still chilly at night. With a hand on her lower back, I guide her to the front door. The windows of the restaurant are decorated in holiday lights since Christmas is a week away. Lucy and I make small talk about the holidays and our families as we walk toward her car. With a quick hug, she gets in her car. When the engine comes to life, I step back. Instead of pulling away, Lucy rolls down her window.

“Thanks again for a great night, Landon. If you ever need to get out of a setup by your mom, give me a call.”

“Will do. Drive safely,” I say, smiling as she rolls up the window and drives away.

Looking at my watch, I realize it’s still early, and I’m not ready to go home to an empty house. Instead, I get in my truck and head to one of my favorite places in town—Country Road.

Since it’s Saturday night, the parking lot is packed. I pull up along the side of the building and kill the engine to my truck. Sure, it’s not a regular parking space, but knowing the owner has its perks. Plus, one of my good friends is a bartender here, so it’s like family. Speaking of, I decide to see what my buddies are up to, even though I already know they’ll be hanging out at home with their ladies, so I pull up our group text. Owen hates the group text which is why we keep it.

Me: I just pulled into Country Road if you guys want to meet up for a beer.

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