Page 6 of Three Dates

“Just three? You sure?”

“Positive. Just three dates, and if you decide you never want to see him again, then we won’t fight you on it, and you can go back to living life as you want. But, please, honey, humor your Aunt Evelyne. She worked so hard to arrange this.”

Amelia huffed. She still hated the idea of being set up, but three dates were hardly a chore for her dying aunt. Besides, how bad could it be? She peeked out into the dining room and saw Alistair smiling back at her, waving. And it certainly didn’t hurt that he was a gift to the eyes.

After calming herself down and pushing back in her tears, Amelia smoothed down her frayed hair and made her way back in to join the rest of her family. Without looking at anyone else, she walked straight up to her Aunt Evelyne and said, “Okay, Aunt Evelyne. I will go out with Alistair.”

CHAPTER

THREE

“OH MY GOD, LIA. I can’t believe you’re going out on an arranged date!” Melody screamed over the phone as Amelia sat in front of vanity to put on her lipstick. “This is so unlike you!”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. And it’s not like I really have a choice. I have to do this for my Aunt Evelyne. It’s the least I could do.”

“Yeah, sorry about your aunt, man. That’s rough. I don’t know what I’d do if I were in your shoes.”

Amelia chuckled. “Sit in front of a mirror and plaster lipstick all over yourself like a doll?”

Melody joined in. “Yeah, probably. So, tell me about this guy. He cute?”

“Eh, he’s not Lucas Liard, but he’s not the worst looking guy in the world. Green eyes, dark hair, broad shoulders—” Amelia began.

“Oh, sounds sexy!” Melody interrupted.

“Really, Mel?”

“What? You know I’m a sucker for green eyes. Why else do you think I’m with Kyle?” Melody exclaimed.

“Uhm… because he treats you like a queen?”

“Nah, definitely the green eyes,” Melody teased.

“Amelia, honey! Alistair’s here!” Amelia heard her mother call up from downstairs.

“Shit, Mel, I gotta go. He’s here, and I’m still in my bra.” Amelia leaned in closer to her phone, ready to hang up.

“Just go like that. I’m sure he’ll love it even more.”

“Oh, shut up.” Amelia laughed. “Alright, I gotta go.”

“Call me after! I wanna know how it went.”

Amelia quickly agreed and hung up. She then finished putting on the rest of her face and rushed into her closet. She looked through the racks, nothing but old T-shirts and ripped jeans. It wasn’t like she’d been very keen on impressing the guy, but she couldn’t show up looking like she’d just roughed it up with the boys when he was probably decked out in a suit. She could at leastmakean effort to look halfway decent.

“Amelia!” her mother called up again, her voice beginning to grow impatient.

“I’m coming!” she shouted back. “Icouldwear the black dress I brought home, but that might give him the wrong idea.”

She rummaged quicker through her racks of clothes and eventually found a floral skirt that extended down to her knees, and threw on a white blouse that she hadn’t worn since her cousin’s wedding. After shoving her feet into a pair of heels that tore at her ankles, she walked over to look at herself in the mirror.

“Well, I hope Alistair likes going out with grannies,” she mumbled.

When she made her way downstairs, Alistair was sitting on the couch with her Aunt Evelyne, sipping on some tea and enjoying her mother’s famous coffee cake.

“Don’t fill yourself up too much,” Amelia joked, and he looked up at her.

“Wow, Amelia.” Alistair smiled and stood up to greet her with a light hug. “You look amazing.”

---