Page 53 of Pursued By My Grumpy Fiancé
“Deal with what?” he asks as he points out the food he wants to the cafeteria workers.
He’s handed an assortment of bowls and plates. I grab a pre-packaged sandwich and a bag of chips. We each fill up a fountain drink and shuffle to the checkout area.
“Deal with all the attention. You know, the looks and the recognition. It must be exhausting, going places and always being known,” I say as he swipes his card at the register.
The cashier waves us on and we make our way to an empty table near a window. The view isn’t great—just a stereotypical look at the hospital grounds.
“Right. Well, honestly, I don’t even think about it. When I was little and I would accompany my dad to places, he was always being recognized, pointed at, and talked to. So I guess in a way, this is just my normal—part of the world I come from.” He shrugs before shoving a spoonful of macaroni and cheese into his mouth.
He seems okay with it, so it must not taste too bad.
“That makes sense, I guess. Sometimes it’s weird to think about how we come from such different worlds. I’ve always been able to fly under the radar. I had a lot of trouble when I first started escorting, because I wasn’t used to being the center of attention.” I unwrap my sandwich and take a bite.
It’s just okay, but a little better than I expected for hospital food. I wonder if the donor wing has their own personal chef.
“I find it hard to believe that you could go anywhere unnoticed. Even if we never crossed paths the way we did, I know that if I was in a room with you in it for even a second, I would notice you right away. You’re not the kind of person that my senses could ignore.” He stares at me with intensity.
I meet his gaze for a moment before blushing and turning away.
We’re silent for a moment as we both focus on finishing the food in front of us. Landon’s mac and cheese has been demolished, as have his green beans. He’s working on a bowl of side salad, but his main dish—turkey with creamy gravy—has remained untouched after the first bite.
“You know, I’d love to volunteer here one day. I wish I had more time in my life, or that I didn’t have to worry about money. I would volunteer here at least three times a week if that was the case.” I take a sip of my drink.
“Why would you do that when you can just donate money? It’s more helpful.” He gives me a perplexed look, and I roll my eyes at his blatant ignorance.
“Not everything’s about money, Landon. The reality is that anyone with some extra cash laying around can donate to the hospital. Not everyone is willing to give up their time to do it. Ideally, donating and volunteering is the perfect solution.” I sigh, realizing that we have a long way to go before Landon truly gets the idea that money isn’t needed for every problem.
I’mimpatientlywaitingforthe roast to be done. I keep opening the oven door and peeking in, as if that will make the meal cook more quickly. After our visit at the hospital, Landon went to his office to ‘work out some kinks’ with something business-related. I decided to surprise him with another date—our first real date as a couple.
I learned the roast recipe from my mom, before she was really sick. It’s simple, but always a great hit at parties. The oven dings and I pull on some oven mitts. I slowly slide the roast out and place it on the stove. It smells lovely, just like my mom used to make. I also chopped up some carrots and potatoes and threw it in the roasting pan as a nice little side.
My ears perk up as the doorbell rings. It’s not Landon, obviously, as he wouldn’t ring his own doorbell. I pull the oven mitts off and stride to the front door, opening it wide. Landon would probably hate that small lack of security on my part. I close the door slightly before taking notice of the person standing on the other side.
She’s tall and gorgeous, like a model. Her long brown hair tumbles down her back in waves of caramel and cocoa. Her blue eyes pierce into me, registering that it’s not Landon opening the door, but a woman that she’s never met before. Her plump pink lips twist into a tight smile.
“Hi, we haven’t met before. I’m Victoria, Landon’s ex-girlfriend. Can we talk?” I nod numbly, eyes widening as I realize who she is.
My eyes search over her as recognition hits, before something else dawns on me. She has the swollen stomach of a heavily pregnant woman.
Victoriaplacesahandon her back for support as she makes her way to the couch.
“I’m so sorry to intrude like this. I know it’s late, but I think it’s become a bit of an urgent matter.” She gestures over her stomach. My heart rate quickens as anger seethes beneath the surface. I do my best to push it back down inside myself.
“That’s okay. Can I get you anything? Maybe some water or a cup of tea?” I ask as I stand in the kitchen doorway.
I wonder if she’s noticed that I’m keeping my distance from her.
“No, I’m fine. You can come sit by me, you know. Pregnancy isn’t contagious.” She smiles.
That answers my question. I slowly make my way over to the living room and sink down into the arm chair across from her.
“So, what can I do for you, Victoria?” I ask tentatively. I have my guard up, suspicious of her after everything that Landon told me about her the night of the charity auction.
“Well, it’s more like what I can do for you.” She smiles at me sadly, but there’s something off about it, almost like she’s enjoying the performance. “You see, I came here because I finally found out about Landon’s engagement.”
“Finally? It’s been, like, a month and a half,” I say, trying to count it out in my head.
“Yeah, well, you can imagine that keeping up with the Joneses hasn’t been my top priority as of late.” She nods toward her stomach again and smiles.
