Page 41 of Up All Night

Now I really had to reread his text. Was he seriously offering to not only let us shower at his place, but giving me his apartment code to come and go whenever I wanted? It was like I had stepped into an alternate universe.

Me:Are you sure? We don’t want to intrude. Sponge baths in the kitchen sink should work for a few days.

West:LOL

West:I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it.

Me:Thank you.

Me:I already took a freezing shower today, but I might want to take you up on your offer tomorrow night after work.

West:*thumbs up emoji

West:Would you like to know what else your mother told me?

I closed my eyes, wondering what else she could have done to embarrass me.

Me:I don’t know if I want to know.

West:I have to admit I was a little shocked.

Oh gosh, this couldn’t be good.

Me:*hiding face emoji

West:She said that if I played my cards right, my shower wouldn’t be the only thing I’d be sharing with you, but also my bed.

I dropped my phone on the table and slunk down in my chair. I wanted to die. How could she have said that to him? And what did he think of it? Did he think she was just being my crazy matchmaker mom? Or did he think she had said that because I had feelings for him and she was trying to help things along?

Ugh. Why me?

Several seconds passed, and I couldn’t find the words to text back. How did one respond to that?

My phone chimed, signaling another text had arrived.

West:I was as speechless as you are.

Me:Now can I be embarrassed?

West:Yes, that definitely qualifies as embarrassing.

I laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Kate asked from the living room.

“You’re never going to believe what my mom did,” I started.

“I probablycanbelieve it,” she said with a serious face, and I laughed because it was true.

I quickly gave her the rundown of the texts between West and me, including what my mom had done.

Kate shook her head. “Her gumption is both admirable and appalling.”

“I know,” I chuckled, knowing there was nothing else to do but laugh about all this. I looked down at my phone and my message thread with West. “Thankfully, West is taking it all in stride.”

“A guy who can handle your mother?” she said incredulously. “You just might have to marry him.”

Her statement had me laughing again. “The most I can sign up for with him is possibly friendship, and that’s it.”

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