Page 60 of Third Time Lucky

‘Picky, picky,’ she says, stopping suddenly to turn my way. ‘Lucy,’ her tone changes to one I know well, motherly. ‘It seems as though you don’t want me to embarrass you because you might be feeling something for Asher?’

‘What!?’ I say, glancing at her and knowing right away she’s not buying it.

She nods her head, staring me down. ‘I understand. He’s only handsome, talented, and respectful. What’s there to love?’

‘Love?’ I practically choke on the word. ‘I mean, sure, I don’t disagree with anything you just said; he is all those things. I’m just trying not to get in over my head here. Of all people, you should understand. You’ve nursed me back from heartbreak twice now.’

‘Very true. But Iknowyou, darling.’

That she does, which is why it’s hard to lie to her.

‘Mitzi, you look lovely this evening. You were right, that is the perfect dress.’

She’s wearing a lilac dress adorned with delicate lace and embroidery of the same color. The fabric drapes loosely over her slight frame, a constant reminder that she is slowly diminishing with age. But in my eyes, she remains timeless.

Her lips are painted a warm pink, adding a touch of vibrancy to her otherwise mature appearance. Her long, graying hair is carefully styled into a sleek low bun at the nape of her neck, accentuating the graceful slope of her shoulders. As I admire her, my heart aches at the thought of losing her one day. She’s been my rock through all of life’s ups and downs. The mother I never had, and she’s never hesitated to take on that role.

After Vegas, she worried about me. I swear she paced a path from her room to mine, checking on me so often. She brought me coffee, scones, tea and cakes and would climb into my bed and turn on a movie that reminded me you can love after heartbreak. But I wasn’t convinced it was worth it any more.

As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, I slowly began to see a glimmer of hope on the horizon. I was worth so much more than Brandon’s asswipe ways made me feel. And it was Mitzi’s gentle nudges and quiet strength that guided me back to a place where I could envision happiness again. As the seasons changed, so did I, thanks to her constant presence by my side.

* * *

‘Ladies,’ Asher says, stepping out of his car in all black – jeans, T-shirt, shoes and even a suit jacket.

‘Wow, you dressed up?’

‘Mitzi was a low-key starlet in her youth,’ he says as if I don’t know.

He extends a hand to her. ‘I Googled you, young lady. You’ve got quite an impressive résumé.’

‘Thank you, sweetheart,’ Mitzi says, carefully maneuvering the front steps, her hand in his. ‘I’ve had a wonderful life.’

‘Gotta dress the part, I figured. Good?’ Ash asks, glancing back at me.

Too freaking good.

‘Young, hot, Portland chef,’ Mitzi says.Outloud. ‘Lucy and Google were right about you.’

I laugh nervously as Asher’s brows raise in curiosity.

‘That’s the phrase I simply suggested she enter into Google that got you hired. I didn’t realize she was going totellyou, so that’s only slightly embarrassing.’

He looks elated to hear this, and his smile is so sincere like he’s genuinely here because he really wants to be. Just like he was on prom night. I thought I’d spend the night bawling over our loss like we had the week of the funeral, but he never once stopped being fun, so I had no chance to dwell on what I’d lost. We just danced and had a great time. My gosh, I think he’s right – that wasn’t a pity date for him.

Once Mitzi is buckled into the front seat, he turns, and I’m practically next to him when he does, so we end up closer than intended. He stops, not backing away but leaning in.

‘I’m sorry you have to sit in the back.’

‘It’s OK,’ I say, through nervous laughter, climbing past him into his SUV.

He flashes me an adorably flirty smile before closing the door and hopping into the driver’s seat.

As we drive through the city, the lights of downtown Portland flicker like stars against the night sky. Ash’s choice of music fills the car with a mix of old classics and modern beats, creating a comfortable atmosphere that makes it easy to forget the world outside. Mitzi sits in the front seat, chatting away with Ash about her past adventures as a young starlet, while I can’t help but steal glances at him when he’s focused on the road. A couple of times, our gaze meets in the rearview mirror, and the static once again fills my insides. I wonder if he’s feeling it, too? He seems to read my mind, so I wouldn’t doubt it.

Asher manages to park on the street only a block from the dance. Not sure how that happened, but lucky for Mitzi because she’s wearing kitten heels, and I’d hate to make her walk blocks.

The warm summer breeze carries a gentle mist from dozens of bubble machines as we approach, Mitzi on Ash’s arm and me off to his side.

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