Page 144 of The 21-Day Boyfriend
“If you say so…” Larry responds, straightening his jacket, which Jake has just left dishevelled.
“Mila, my dear.” Granny joins us, along with Sean. “I heard you like orchids.”
“I love them.”
“Do you know I have a private collection in my secret garden?”
“Secret garden?” Mila asks, curious.
“Would you like to see it?”
Mila glances at Sean, then turns back to my grandmother. “I’d love to.”
“Come with me,” she says, leading the way. They both disappear from the room.
“Don’t be nervous,” I say to Sean, my hand on his shoulder. “She’ll be fine. My grandmother knows how to make people feel comfortable.”
Sean takes a deep breath.
“She likes her.”
“How do you know?”
“She never shows anyone her garden.”
“Seriously?”
“Evelyn is very protective over her orchids,” Larry confirms, and Sean smiles, finally relaxed.
“So, I heard something about a drink…?” Jake asks, rubbing his hands together.
“No one mentioned anything of the sort, actually,” Larry says, enjoying himself as he winds Jake up.
“Come into the kitchen. Maybe you can give us a hand,” I suggest.
Jake slips between Sean and I, hugging us both.
“Your best friend Jake doesn’t shy away from anything. You can ask me to do whatever you want – except a threesome.”
“You’re a jerk,” Sean says, laughing.
Jake reallyisa jerk. He’s chaotic, nosy, a mess without equal, but I can’t help but wonder, now that Sean and I are just starting to get to know each other, whether he’s also observant, noticing things before others do. Maybe he’s the mastermind behind this whole situation, hoping to watch us fall into each other’s arms.
* * *
I’M USEDTO HAVE people around me while I’m cooking – people yelling, getting annoyed, burning themselves, swearing, running around. I’m used to chaos, ridiculous requests from customers, colleagues complaining and waiters asking us to be quicker. What I’m not used to is having family around, chatting, drinking wine, trying to steal food from my chopping board, laughing, having fun. What I’m not used to is that warmth of a family reuniting to spend Christmas together. I think this is the first time I’ve really felt at home. I’ve really felt… Good. Genuinely good. And it’s a new feeling for me, something which makes me feel hopeful, which doesn’t scare me at all. I feel safe with these people. I feel safe with Sean.
“Jake has got me drinking too much,” Sean admits, whispering into my ear. “I might even becomechatty.”
“I wouldn’t mind that.”
“I thought professors were boring.” He leans against the countertop, a glass of wine in hand, his eyes on me. I grab the glass and take a sip.
“Not you. You could never be boring.”
Sean smiles with his entire face.
“I like it when you talk, and I like it when you’re a little tipsy – like that night we went out for drinks with your colleagues.”
