Page 20 of Say Yes to the Hot Mess

“Thank you, sweetie,” she shouts.

After that she lets me go with no further questions about women, thank goodness, and I hang up, still massaging my temples.

“Need to find a date, huh?” Maya says, and my gaze swings back to her. She tilts her head as she looks at me.

“Yes,” I say wearily.

“But your mom and grandma want to do it for you?”

I give her a reluctant nod.

“Wow,” she muses. “There’s so much to unpack there—”

“No commentary, please,” I cut her off, holding up one hand.

She ignores me, naturally. “Well,” she says. Her gaze travels slowly over me, and a shiver runs down my spine despite the warm evening. Then she goes on, “You’re not completely hideous—”

“…Thank you? I think?” I say, frowning.

“So why can’t you find your own date?” she says as though I haven’t said anything.

I shrug. “I wasn’t planning on taking anyone. To my cousin’s wedding,” I explain. “But I guess I need to now. Not that I have much time to find someone,” I add grimly.

“Mmm.” She nods slowly. “Well, it’s a good thing you have your grandmother—”

“Don’t say it,” I cut her off.

She just holds up her hands as if in surrender, a little grin playing at her full lips. “Sorry, sorry,” she says. “But you know, there’s no shame in needing help—”

“Not discussing this,” I say, turning around to hide my amusement at her sass.

She tries again. “And it’s not necessarilyyourfault you’re socially awkward—”

“I’m walking away now.”

“Wait! Wait,” she says quickly.

I look back at her, raising my eyebrows and waiting for her to speak.

She takes a deep breath and then says, “If your offer still stands, I could—well, I could actually use a towel.” She gestures to the sopping wet towel hanging over the edge of the hot tub. “I knocked mine in,” she adds, and it might just be because of the water, but a faint blush rises in her cheeks.

I nod slowly, tucking my phone back in my pocket. “Sure, I can grab you a towel,” I say. Then I raise one brow at her. “What’s the magic word?”

There’s a beat of silence, in which Maya looks at me with a completely expressionless face. “I’m sorry?” she says, her voice deadpan.

“Apology accepted and deserved, but that’s not the magic word.” I’m being obnoxious, but with her, I apparently can’t help it.

Her jaw drops a little. “Really? You want me to beg?”

“Saying ‘please’ is not begging. It’s just polite. But I guess you might not recognize what politeness looks like?” I say.

Her eyes narrow, but her lips twitch the tiniest bit—almost like she’s trying not to smile.

I’m about to relent and just go get her the stupid towel—I’m about to grow up and act my age, in other words—when her body unfolds from the water. She stands slowly, her hands fisted on her hips, her top knot slightly askew. Her eyes are still narrowed on me, but the effect is ruined by her clearly exaggerated—and clearlyfake—frown. She never looks away from me as she steps out of the hot tub. My mouth goes dry as she approaches, but I am a self-controlmaster, my gaze skating over her bikini-clad body but lingering only on her face. She brushes past me, throwing me one last look as she does.

“Don’t get in,” she says. “Wouldn’t want you to melt.”

I laugh, surprised. “AWizard of Ozreference? Really?”

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