Page 20 of Reuniting with Lucy

“I take it that’s why Curtis isn’t here?” her mother said, loading salad onto her plate and then passing the bowl.

“Oh, yeah,” Lucy said. She held up an empty ring finger. “That’s…um…over.”

“Does that mean we can go back to guilt-free drinking?” Lizzie asked, picking up the wine bottle.

“Not everything’s centered around booze, Lizzie,” their father said. “But, yes. I’d say so. Fill ’er up, eh?” He held his glass out to Lizzie, who poured generously.

Nobody seemed too torn up about Curtis, and Lucy wondered how she’d gone so long without realizing no one in her family really liked him. Luckily, conversation at the Parker dinner table moved at the speed of light, and they hurdled over Lucy’s love life in a matter of seconds.

Cell phones weren’t allowed at dinner, but not wanting to miss Jack’s call, Lucy had tucked hers into her bra. She startled when it vibrated, then discreetly slipped a hand under her sweater to retrieve it. Holding it under the table, she saw it was Jack and jumped up. “Gotta pee,” she said, running out of the room.

“Don’t think I don’t know you’re taking a call,” her mother called after her. “There will be consequences.”

Penance would probably be dishwashing duty, but talking to Jack would be worth it. She ducked into her father’s den and closed the door. “Hey, Jack.”

“Hey. I want to take you out,” Jack said, skipping any small talk. “On a date. A specific date, actually.”

“Oh, you mean like October 29th as opposed to October 30th?” Lucy accidentally snort-laughed at her own joke and slapped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. He chuckled.

“Do you remember what you wore the night we were supposed to go out?” he said.

She paused for a moment before answering. “Yes.” The blouse hung in her closet, still brand new. She hadn’t worn it since, but she also couldn’t bring herself to give it away.

“Will you wear it?”

“October’s a little colder than May, so I’ll need a sweater this time, but sure.”

“Great. Can you miss work tomorrow?”

“I suppose,” Lucy said. “I am the boss…”

“I’ll pick you up in fifteen minutes.”

“Fifteen?” she cried. “Impossible. I’m not even at home.”

“Thirty?”

“Fine. But I’m hanging up now,” she said, hitting the end button on her phone. She returned to the table just long enough to grab a roll and say goodbye.

After speeding home, she ran to her closet to fish out the shirt. Her body hadn’t changed much in the last decade, but she still threw up a desperate prayer that it would fit.

The jeans she wore weren’t the same as before, but they were close enough. She stripped off her T-shirt and pulled the blouse over her head, heaving a sigh of relief. It was snug, but not bursting at the seams. Damn all those leftover scones she’d eaten from the coffee shop.

She applied her makeup quickly but carefully, brushed her hair, and spritzed a bit of perfume. Precisely thirty minutes later, she heard a knock. An involuntary smile spread across her face as she opened the door.

CHAPTER TWELVE

He wore jeans and a Carolina blue UNC sweatshirt. Her cheeks flushed at his handsome grin. Dang, he was a looker.

“You hung up on me before I could tell you to pack an overnight bag,” he said.

She held up a black backpack. “I read between the lines when you asked if I could miss work tomorrow.”

He smiled.

“I left Mr. Snuggles some extra food and emailed the morning supervisor to say I won’t be in. I’m ready.”

“Great,” he said, taking her backpack so she could lock up. “I thought about blindfolding you, but the trip will take about an hour, so that might get old.”

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