Page 74 of The Kiss Countdown

“His mom is refusing to give him her blessing. And his grandmother’s ring.”

Oh no.

My stomach drops, and I feel like the worst friend. Here I am showing off an heirloom that doesn’t rightfully belong to me, while Gina’s been sitting here in turmoil.

“I’m so sorry,” I say.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault that woman hates me.”

That woman really is a piece of work.

“So what should I do? Break up with him? Try and get his mom to see how amazing I am? It’s been over four years. I don’t think I’ll get through to her now. And at this point, I don’t care if she never likes me.”

When I slide the drink back to her side of the table, shepicks it up and guzzles half the glass. Then she sits back in her seat, arms crossed in a huff. I know she’s hurting, but she looks so adorable. I don’t see how Mack’s mom has managed to set herself against her.

“What should I do?” Gina asks again. “And I want you to be honest. I know we have our rule about not speaking against each other’s boyfriends, but I feel like my relationship with Mack is at a crossroads, and I don’t know which path to take.”

She’s never given me cause to doubt that Mack is the one for her. In all the years they’ve dated, it’s his mom that has been a thorn in their side. But, then again, he’s allowed his mom to be that thorn, and Gina has been pricked too many times.

I sigh. “I think you should drop the rope with his mom. She’s not worth the heartache. Then ask yourself why Mack is afraid to go against his mom, but he isn’t scared of losing you. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: You are the prize. You are my baddie BFF, and as much as I like Mack, he needs to show he knows he’s already got his trophy.”

Gina’s nostrils flare as she dabs at her eyes. “Everything about this situation is just messing with my head.”

“Whatever you need, I’m here. If you need a place to crash, I don’t think Vincent would have a problem with you coming by. If you need someone to roll up on Mack while he’s at work to tell him he’s a fool in front of all of his colleagues, I got you.”

Gina’s eyes go big. “Mimi! You are out of pocket, and I love you for it. But you don’t need to cause a scene on my behalf. Yet.” She pushes back her shoulders and sits up straight. “But you’re right. Iamthe freakin’ prize, and when Mack gets around his mom, he acts like he’s lost hismind. I guess it’s up to me to decide how much more of this I want to tolerate.”

“You know I’m in your corner and will back up whatever you decide to do.” She nods, and I pick up my drink and raise it in the air. “Now, I’m tired of talking about these boys. It’s been too long since we’ve set some queen goals. I’ll go first. This week I’m going to get a new client.”

Gina’s glass is nearly empty, but she raises it anyway. “This week, I’m going to let go of the things I can’t control. And drink more water.”

We clink our glasses together and drink on it.

Chapter Twenty-Three

I turn my car’s AC to full blast and angle my face toward the vents, trying to find some kind of relief from the warm air. If one more thing goes wrong today, I think I’ll lose it.

It started when I checked my post office box this morning and discovered that the business cards I ordered had my name misspelled. All five hundred. Worse still,Iwas the one to make the mistake when placing the order. How the hell does someone spell their own name wrong? Instead ofAmerie, each card readsAmeris. Money down the drain.

After the post office, I called a prospective client looking to plan a family reunion. In the time between her filling out the contact form on my website last night and me calling her back this morning, she found someone else to book with. That someone else? Jacob and Johnson.

To top off this glorious day, Gina was supposed to come shopping with me to get supplies to make centerpieces for the baby shower this week but has been MIA for the past four days. I know she’s alive only because she responded to my text and said she needed time alone. I know it’s not time away from me she needs, but I can’t help but feel tossed aside.

My phone starts ringing, and I wonder if it’s her, but my heart does a sudden leap, hoping it may also be Vincent. It’s taken some adjusting, getting used to not seeing him while he’s in training. Not seeing or talking to him on the phone or through text. I want to hear his voice and complain about my day. But when I see my mom’s picture on the screen, my shoulders deflate. I mentally chide myself, instantly feeling bad. It’s been too long since I’ve spoken to her or my dad. We’ve still been communicating through texts, with them sending me updates and pictures, but now it’s time to give them my full attention.

I swipe the green button to answer. “Hi, Mom.”

“There’s my Mimi. How is everything?”

At the sound of her voice, I close my eyes as sudden emotion washes over me. I didn’t realize how much I missed hearing her soothing voice. It feels almost like an embrace lifting me up on this trying day.

“Everything is going great,” I say.

“Are you sure? You don’t sound so happy.”

“It’s just the humidity getting to me. I’m out running errands while it’s been threatening to rain all day. You know how it is; feels like I’m breathing in nothing but water.”

“I certainly do. Poor thing, you must be miserable down there.”

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