Page 8 of Make You Love Me

“Nice to see you, Mrs. Richmond,” he interjects before I can finish getting her full name out.

“It’s nice to see you too, Greyson. How do you know my Charlotte?” She eyes me inquisitively.

“Wait, a second… You two know each other?” I blurt out in surprise.

“I’m from Richmond Hills. Everyone knows of the infamous Ethel Richmond,” Greyson explains, with an indifferent look on his face.

Based on his response, it appears Ethel’s well-known, but maybe not well-liked, which doesn’t surprise me one bit.

“Yes, I’ve run into him several times at my Country Club,” she adds, completely disinterested. “But please, do share how you two know each other.”

“I met her this past weekend at my cousin's house.” He beams a megawatt smile at me. “We had a really good time.” He adds a wink for emphasis.

Geez! I bet he is totally giving Ethel the wrong idea. I chance a look in her direction to gauge her reaction, only to see that she’s actually smiling at him as he speaks. What in the actual fuck? Ethel is smiling… not only am I surprised that her face can still form a smile with all the Botox and fillers it has, but also the fact that she still possesses the ability to show emotion.

I'm rendered speechless and turn my attention back to the huge hunk-of-a-man in front of me. Our eyes meet and I can't help the butterflies that take off in my stomach. I dip my head to hide the blush rising up my cheeks.

“Well, ladies, what can I get you to drink?” Greyson asks.

“Ah yes, I would love a bottle of sparkling water and lemons for the table please,” Ethel responds.

He turns his attention to me, silently asking for my order.

“Uhm, I’ll have a sweet tea—“

“You’ll have the sparkling water, dear. Remember it's summer, which means fewer clothes to hide behind,” Ethel chastises while glancing distastefully at my dress.

Oh my god, no she didn’t.

Utterly mortified, I glance at Greyson and see his jaw tick.

“Sparkling water is fine,” I say with a tight smile.

He nods at us and leaves the table to get our drinks.

“Well, that was awkward,” I mutter in Ethel's direction. When she doesn’t answer, I peek to see her dissecting the menu.

I would love to say I’m surprised by Ethel’s comment, but who am I kidding? This is Ethel Richmond we’re talking about. I just hope Greyson doesn’t feel the same way.

“Here you go. A bottle of sparkling water and lemons, and a glass of sweet tea,” Greyson says as he places our drinks on the table.

Ethel shoots daggers at him as I place my straw into my drink and take a long pull, savoring its delicious flavor.

I sneak a smile in his direction to show my appreciation. He nods his head with a sly smirk on his face, as if giving me a silent confirmation that he likes my curves just the way they are.

Oh, I'm in trouble with this one.

Thankfully, we finish our meal with no more awkward instances. Ethel filled most of the silence, gossiping about her friends and their grandchildren back in Richmond Hills. I didn’t have to say much except for the occasional generic responses to make it appear that I gave a shit.

She’s currently on the phone, chatting about a big event she’s hosting this fall. It gives me time to relax and enjoy the rest of my tea while I steal glances at Greyson every chance I get.

My phone buzzes on the table with a notification from Jonathan. I take a peek at it, debating whether I want to even read what he has to say or not.

“Are you going to answer him?” A gruff voice comes from behind me.

I jump at his sudden appearance.

“Geez, you scared the shit out of me,” I breathe out.

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