Page 103 of Love Arranged
“So…I have some bad news. It turns out Julian and I have an issue with our Chicago project that we need to address this weekend.”
“Oh.”
“I know.” She groans. “We’ll need to stop by the house sometime on Saturday, so I was thinking, what if we went on a weekend trip to the city instead? We’d have way more options than Grand Rapids too.”
I scrunch my nose. Usually I don’t mind hanging out with Julian and Dahlia, but I was looking forward to spending some time with my sister one-on-one.
We might not be twins, but she can sure read my mind like one. “I want us to have time alone together though, so I was thinking Julian and Lorenzo could hang out while we go shopping and have a girls’ day.”
I end up coughing from how sharp of a breath I take. “Lorenzo?”
“Yeah? Do you not want him to come?”
“No. I’m…surprised.”
She chuckles under her breath. “I think it would be good for them to bond. Or, at the very least, grab a drink at a bar and glare at each other in silence.”
The visual makes me laugh before I sober up. “I don’t know… Is that a good idea?”
“Lily, you’ve avoided bringing Lorenzo to Sunday lunch for an entire month. Eventually you’ll have to let Julian and Lorenzo be in the same room together, especially if it’s serious.”
Ugh. I hate that she has a point. “I guess.”
“It’ll be fun!”
Will it? Because the idea of going on a couples’ trip with my sister sounds like the final boss level of fake dating.
She expects you to be excited about this, not hesitant.
With a shaky breath, I say, “I’ll have to askLorenzo?—”
“He’s totally going to say yes.”
“How do you know?”
“Because why wouldn’t he want to spend a whole weekend with you without Mom’s rule about no sleepovers?”
Shit. That’s totally something I’d look forward to if this was a real relationship because my mom is strict with boys. I’m talkingno moving in before marriagestrict—and definitely no sleepovers because apparently Dahlia and I are still virgins in my mom’s mind.
My sister continues, “So, I’ll have Julian book us two rooms. If Mom asks—which you know she will—tell her we’re sharing one while the boys take the other.”
Oh no.
No. No.No.
It hits me that I’ll have to share a bed with Lorenzo because it will look too weird to ask my sister for a room with two queens.
Well, you did want him to admit that he wants you.
Perfect. This is fate smiling down on me. Really. I couldn’t have planned this any better myself.
Then why are you so nervous about sharing a room?
Dahlia, completely unaware of my struggle, promises to send me the hotel info before she hangs up. I decide to get my call with Lorenzo over with so that way I can concentrate on the rest of my work.
“Are you okay?” Lorenzo asks first thing.
“Hi. Yes, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
