Page 64 of Love Unforgettable
“Get yourself together,bubala,” she says to Lexie. “We do not ever let them get the best. We are Strassbergs.” She pounds her chest for emphasis then pulls Lexie into her arms and hugs her fiercely; all the while whispering things in her ear, that eventually make Lexie giggle. They separate, and Lexie gives Mavis a kiss on the cheek. It’s easy to see the love there and how the relationship formed so strongly.
“Cole,” Mavis looks at me. “You fix this, no?”
“Outside of knockin’ his block off, Miss Mavis, I’m not sure how I can fix it.”
“You go, right now, you be Lexie’s beau. Treat her with love. Lavish. Kisses. Touches.”
“That’s a good idea,” Kat says, sounding a little too excited. “And then you can give a speech on behalf of Lexie and the winery and then everyone will know you’re a couple.”
“But we’re not a couple,” Lexie says. A little too emphatically for my liking.
“It doesn’t matter. Everyone will think it then,” Kat says. Mavis nods enthusiastically. Remi stays quiet.
“It won’t work,” Lexie says.
“Why?” Mavis asks.
“It’s like, literally, the oldest trick in the book. Take every romance novel, every rom-com that’s—”
“You love rom-coms,” Remi says.
“Not as my life,” Lexie objects.
All three ladies look at her.
“Okay, fine, I want my life to be a rom-com. But that doesn’t mean we have to do this.”
“Yes.” Mavis looks determined.
“Look,” I start. “Sweetness, how about we just go out there, maybe I’ll put my arm around you, and we’ll make a little speech and just see how things go.”
“Yeah?” Lexie asks.
“Yeah.” I smile.
She holds out her hand to me. I take it in mine and we head across the room and enter the main area where the party is being held. But not before hearing Kat say, “Did you hear him call her sweetness? That is fucking adorable. They are SO going to be a couple.”
