Page 110 of It's Not PMS, It's You
“Me? Not at all. I’m right here. Sorry, what did you say?”
“I didn’t say anything. Jay asked if you wanted to have one of the pork sliders before he gets bombarded by everyone.”
I nodded. “Absolutely. You don’t have to ask me twice.”
Ruth smirked. “Actually, wedidask twice.”
Jay laughed and shredded more pork with a fork. He pulled a slider bun off the grill, placed the meat on top, and squirted his secret sauce on top. Then he stuck it on a plate and handed it to me with a napkin.
“Thank you.” I turned to Ruth before taking a bite. “Let’s grab a drink and relax over there for a moment in the shade.” I pointed to the chairs farthest away from where Jay was.
“Sounds like a plan. Nice to meet you, Jay.”
“You, too! Hopefully, we can chat more later when things slow down here.”
Ruth smiled. “I’d like that.”
I wouldn’t.
“Hang on a second,” Jay said. “Let me give you one more before they all disappear.” He prepared another pulled pork slider and placed it on Ruth’s plate, smiling. “Since you like them so much.”
“I do. And thank you.”
A few seconds later, Jay yelled out, “Grub’s on. Come and get it!”
Everyone converged on the barbecue area, as Ruth and I grabbed a couple of drinks and potato salad. We sat down to enjoy our food.
She turned to me, smiling. “Iadoreyour family.”
I choked on my first bite of the pork slider because I thought she was going to say that she adored Jay.
That would have been the death of me.
Ruth slapped me on the back. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Fine.”
“Try chewing next time. It’s amazing how it breaks down the food and makes it easier to swallow.” She leaned closer and studied me. “You seem different.”
“Me? I’m fine!” I held up the pork slider. “I just got a little too excited about eating this.”
I was about to take my second bite of the pork slider when my cousin, Alex, sat down in the chair right next to Ruth.
Coincidentally, he was another one of the bachelors I was supposed to introduce Ruth to.
Just my luck.
“How am I the last one to know that you have a girlfriend, Nick?”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” I said, but then regretted it, even though it was the truth. Next time, I’d just stuff the slider in my mouth whole. I’d just opened the door for Alex to swoop in and love her until the end of time.
Love her until the end of time?
Okay, now I was starting to sound like Brandon.
“Aunt Jan says you two are an item,” Alex continued. “You’re telling me that’s not true?”
Ruth smiled, but didn’t answer, glancing over like she was waiting for me to respond.
