Page 48 of Enemies with my Bestie’s Brother
I turn around to see him taping up a box. The shelf behind him is completely empty, as if brand new.
“What’s up?” I slide another binder into the box, stacking it the opposite way as I did the other one so that they line up to make a flat surface. The binders are showcases of all my past work. Every job gets a binder, and some are thicker than others. At some point, I’d love to move from binders to a professional, sleeker option, like a coffee table book filled with photos. Right now, I make do with what’s in my budget.
“Are we going to see your parents today?”
I blink, stopping in my tracks. Seeing my parents? I hadn’t even thought about it now that we’re in Keene. The craziest thing is that I should have thought about it when we saw Anita at the Prime Roast. My mom will undoubtedly know that I’m in town through the grapevine of small-town gossip. Will they be upset that I’m in town and haven’t told them that I was coming? Or that I wasn’t planning on seeing them?
“No,” I shake my head. “We won’t be seeing my parents this trip.”
I can feel Grayson’s eyes staring holes into my back as I turn back to the showcase binders.
“Whitney,” Grayson says evenly, as if to recapture my attention.
I feign ignorance at what he’s trying to do, not turning around when I speak.
“We’re much too busy, and besides, I’m not ready for you to meet my family yet.”
“Whitney, please look at me.”
Begrudgingly, I turn around and look at him. His eyes are sincere with worry.
“Seriously Grayson, I’m not ready. My mom and Penny talk all the time, apparently. They talk even more than I talk with my mom. So, if my mom finds out that we’re together in that way, it will definitely get back around to Penny.”
He stares at me before responding.
“I understand, but that doesn’t mean that I think you should avoid seeing them all together. They’re still your family, and I know you must have missed them while you’ve been away. Even if I don’t go, I think you should spend at least a little bit of time with your family.”
It’s so sweet that he’s worried about me not seeing my family, but I honestly can’t risk it. I’m a terrible secret keeper, especially around my mom. She always knows when something else is going on, and if I’m face to face with her, then she’ll know that there’s something going on, which brings us all the way back to square one.
“I really appreciate you thinking about my family and me like that. It’s very kind of you. But I really would just rather that this trip be for you and me, like we originally talked about. If we went somewhere fancy or exotic, we wouldn’t be seeing my family there, and I want this to be the same sort of trip — just the two of us doing something together and enjoying each other's company. Plus, I don’t want to rush into things with you. My family fell in love with Jared, and they were heartbroken when things went sour in that relationship.”
“I would never cheat on you, Whitney,” Grayson says, looking hurt at being compared to my cheating ex.
“I know you wouldn’t, but that’s not the only way things could go wrong. I want to be sure that we’re going to be together for the long haul before I introduce you to all of them. After we tell Penny, we can tell everyone else, including my family, okay?”
I can tell by the expression on his face that he wants to say something else, but he holds back, deciding not to say whatever it is that’s on his mind.
“Alright, whatever you want. I know that you’re particular and I promise that I’ll respect that.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate you going along with whatever neurotic ideas are in my brain. You have no idea how much it means to me.” I sidle up to him and plant a kiss on his lips. “Let’s go out tonight. Do you like to dance?”
“I actually love to dance.”
“Then I have the perfect date for us,” I say, running a hand through his hair. “Let’s go hop in the shower so we can get ready.”
I wink at him as I sashay out the door of my office. He raises his eyebrows and follows me to the bathroom.
ThesignonFoggy’sis just as I remember, with the lights on the F burnt out, and hanging halfway off the building. One day, that thing is going to fall on someone if they don’t get it fixed.
“This place looks derelict,” Grayson comments as I turn off the car.
“I know, but that’s part of it’s charm. Come on.” We get out of the car and head inside.
Small town means no door person checking ID’s, because everyone knows if you’re underaged or not. When I was in high school, we started going to the nearby town of Winchester for our underage drinking excursions, since coming to Foggy’s meant not only having your fake ID confiscated, but also having your mom called to pick you up straight from the bar.
Grayson looks around the building in horror. It’s packed to the brim, and when I look to the stage, I suddenly understand why. Local celebrity Eve Cloakfell is on stage, singing country hit after country hit. She’s not famous by any definition of the word, but to Keene she is, so when she comes and plays at Foggy’s, the place is always packed. I grab his hand and lead him to the bar.
“Whitney, I didn’t know you were in town,” Mickey, the bartender, says.
