Page 33 of Accidental Wedding Crasher
EVAN
The cycling finished with a climb into the villa’s parking area. By the time they reached the parking zone and dismounted their bikes, almost everyone was tired, hot, and sweaty. They all waved goodbye to each other and headed off in separate directions.
Evan and Mia trekked upstairs to take turns showering. While Mia was in the shower, Evan grabbed his laptop and got to work. She came back out, wearing a sundress with her hair wrapped in a towel, and gave him a stern look.
“Really?”
“This is important,” he gestured to the laptop. “And there are no family activities until dinner.”
Shrugging, Mia grabbed a book and went out onto the balcony. Evan glanced at her every now and then as she read, her hair draped over the back of the chair, and her feet up on the railing. He was conscious of each of her movements, from a flick of her hair to changing the cross of her legs to using a single finger to turn the pages. It was distracting enough to make work verydifficult, but Evan couldn’t exactly ask her to leave because she was distracting.
Finally, dinnertime arrived, and they headed downstairs to eat. Once again, dinner took place at the long tables in the front. This time, it was pizza, which everyone devoured hungrily. The cyclists each took a few extra slices. Dinner was accompanied by wine, but Mia, laughing, said she’d be having water for the rest of the trip to avoid further questions about wine.
Afterward, the whole family gathered in the villa’s spacious sitting room. Someone had found a huge whiteboard and markers. Perhaps this villa also hosts corporate retreats,Evan thought, which immediately made him wonder if he should bring the Reign board here. They all found seats on the sofas and chairs in front of the whiteboard.
“Do you know how to play charades?” Evan asked Mia quietly.
“Of course.” She smiled.
“Good, because it’s the Hirst family game of choice. I doubt anyone even likes it much anymore, but we play it at every gathering.”
“Someone should suggest another game,” Mia said.
“I doubt anyone knows one,” Evan replied quietly. He winked at her, and she chuckled.
“Boys versus girls?” Ellen suggested, standing up in the front of the room. Everyone nodded, so Evan and Mia said goodbye to each other and found seats on opposite sides of the room.
“I’ll go first,” Luka volunteered, hopping to his feet and striding across the room. He took a paper from a hat, read it, andnodded. Then he put his hands by his ears and gave a strange jump.
“Kangaroo!” one of Evan’s cousins called.
“Casablanca?” Evan suggested. Luka switched to miming, giving something away, but it only increased the confusion. Eventually, another cousin managed to guess that he was miming “Easter bunny,” and the boys’ team got the point. A few rounds later, everyone seemed to be tiring of the game.
“Would you like to try a different game?” Mia asked.
“What do you have in mind, darling?” Ellen asked.
“It’s called Truth and Lies,” Mia explained. “The rules are very simple. One person makes a statement, and the others need to guess if it’s the truth or a lie.”
“It doesn’t sound very exciting,” Ellen said hesitantly, but Arthur put a hand on her arm.
“Let’s give it a try. Mia, will you show us how it’s done?”
“Of course.” Mia paused to think. “Okay. Here’s one: I didn’t try soda until I was thirteen years old.”
“That’s a lie,” Luka said.
“No, I think it’s the truth,” Sarah countered. “Some families don’t give their kids much soda.”
“What a terrible childhood, though,” one of the cousins put in. “I say, lie.”
Evan listened to their guesses and watched as Mia’s eyes twinkled with enjoyment. Finally, everyone had put in their ideas, and she made a drum roll against her legs.
“The answer is... true! My family didn’t approve of sugary beverages, so I had my first sip of soda when I was thirteen at a friend’s birthday party. Who wants to go next?”
“Evan should,” Luka said. Evan stifled a sigh and nodded.
“All right, all right.” He looked around at the assembled family members. “I once forgot to eat for two straight days because I was working.”
