Page 76 of Misfortune and Mr. Right

Mom laughs.

“This woman would run me down. The only way to win her heart is to sneak up on her. And I don’t even know if that approach will work at this point. Just when I think we’re turning a corner, she backs off again.”

Mom softly shakes her head and smiles at me. “I always knew you’d end up with a woman like this.”

“‘End up with’ is a stretch here.”

“A woman who falls over herself to get to you would never hold your attention. You need a challenge. Sounds like you’ve met your match.”

“That’s what Gil said.”

“Oh? Has Gil met her?”

“He has.”

Thankfully, I’m saved from explaining how my best friend has known Olivia as long as I have. Mom’s clever enough that any more conversation might reveal the identity of the woman I’m falling for. As if on cue, Jacob saunters into the kitchen, stretching dramatically and raising his arms overhead high enough to show some belly before he lowers them.

“Hey, bro. What brings you here tonight?”

“Just stopping by to say hi. What brings you here?”

“Ha. Funny one. I had a great meeting for lunch, though. Looks like I have a backer.”

“Oh, Jacob, honey. That’s great,” Mom says enthusiastically.

Jacob walks into the pantry and comes back out with a box of Cheez-Its tucked under his arm. He’s grabbing out fistfuls and eating them out of the palm of his hand. He tips the box in my direction, and I shake my head no thanks.

“Hey!” he shouts. “Guess what!”

“What?” I say, trying not to feel suspicious.

Our argument the other night was valid. Everything I said was legitimate, but still. I don’t want bad blood between us.

“You know how Olivia stopped by the other night?”

“She did?” Mom says, obviously surprised. “Olivia Pennington?”

“Yeah, Mom,” Jacob says. “She and Logan are working together. And they live in the same apartment building too. What are the odds?”

“Pretty low, I’d say,” Mom says, eyeing me with a very knowing look. “She reminds me of a visually impaired engineer I once heard of.”

“What?” Jacob’s face screws up with confusion.

“Nothing. Nothing. What were you saying about Olivia?” she asks, but her eyes twinkle with mischief.

“Not Olivia. Her sister, Lynette. I ran into Lynette yesterday. Did you know she has a kid now?”

“I think I heard something about that,” Mom says.

“She had a serious crush on me in high school, you know,” Jacob says without even a dash of humility. “Lynette had a crush on me. The kid didn’t, obviously. The kid wasn’t born yet.”

“Stay away from her,” I say.

“What? Why? What’s it to you?” Logan asks before stuffing another handful of Cheez-Its into his mouth.

“Her life is complicated enough. She doesn’t need … more complications.”

“I’m not looking to complicate her life.”

---