Page 97 of Owen North

Poppy bombards my phone with texts as I’m walking into my bedroom.

Poppy: ONE MORE SLEEP AND I GET TO SEE YOU.

Charlize: What time do you arrive tomorrow?

Poppy: I should be home by the time you finish work. There will be anarchy if I don’t see you. I was thinking cocktails after work.

Charlize: I’m in.

Poppy: I have a new cocktail for us to try that I found in Rome. The Rossini. It’s a whole lot of strawberries. You’ll love it.

Poppy: Are you home from London?

Charlize: I just got in. I’m about to start the sleep of all sleeps. If I didn’t have to work tomorrow, I would just sleep all the way through to our cocktails. Managing Owen is exhausting.

Poppy: Ooh, I like this new code word. It seems apt. I have to manage Seth a LOT.

I begin typing another text to her when a message comes in from my mother.

Mom: Is it David Cross?

I switch back to Poppy.

Charlize: OMG my mother is doing exactly what I knew she would and is trying to figure out who I’m seeing. She just asked me if it’s David Cross!!!!

Poppy: Oh, God, the toxic masculinity he exudes would be enough for me to kidnap you away from men for life if you thought dating him was the way to go. Would you like me to educate Aunt Joan about David?

Charlize: LOL. I’d love to witness that conversation. I honestly think she’d talk around you and educate you back on how much she doesn’t care because marrying a Cohen to a Cross would help her reach a life goal.

Poppy: You’re right. It would be a waste of my breath.

Poppy: Oh, I have to go.

Charlize: Is Seth giving you the eye again?

Poppy: You joke, but when you are a married woman, Charles, you will speak like this xx

I send my mother a text.

Charlize: This is a fun game.

Mom: It’s not one I care for, Charlize.

Mom: Can you please come an hour earlier for dinner on Sunday so we can discuss the gala?

I flop down onto my bed and commence my first pity party of the season.

Charlize: Will it really take an hour?

Mom: Charlize, you are the one who inserted yourself into this. Please don’t let me down now. The committee liked a number of your suggestions, so I’d like to get started on them and ensure you can make them happen.

And just like that, my mother makes it so I will be there for that hour and for any other planning sessions she wants to have.

Of course,I can make these suggestions happen.

Charlize: I’ll be there.

* * *

---