Page 17 of Game Night: Truth or Dare

“You got the whole office riled up, you know?” I smirk at my mom as I click her office door closed behind me. “It’s kind of gross. I think I heard one of them speculating that we get it on in here. Are you going to let a wild rumor like that fly?” My face scrunches in disgust.

“For heaven's sake, Vicki, look at your face. It's not like we're doing anything nefarious. You’re my son.” She waves a hand toward the door and stands. “If they’re too blind to see how similar we look, then that's on them. I always make sure everyone has vision coverage on their insurance.”

I chuckle, making my way to her desk and tugging her into a quick hug, her high blond ponytail swishing as she pulls away. “I think it’s more that they’re too afraid to look you straight in the eye long enough to decipher exactly what you look like.”

My mother is a beautiful woman who just turned fifty, even though she looks like she's in her early forties. Most people probably don’t even know her age, so she wouldn’t look out of place with a twenty-five-year-old like me. Not with her high-power job and wealth.

“Oh, hush, evil spawn.” She rubs her hands together with a manic smile. And she calls me the evil one. “What mouth-watering food did you bring me today?”

She takes a seat behind her desk as I place the big brown paper bag in front of her. Then, I pull out the various colored Tupperware, walk over to the cabinet with the hidden fridge, and place most of the containers inside before making my way back toward Mom.

As a private chef with an amazing schedule, I took it upon myself to make lunch and dinner for my mom and deliver it twice a week. Ella Gray is too busy to eat or, god forbid, prepare a meal for herself. By visiting her for lunch and providing her with delicious food, I can at least ensure my mom won’t drop from malnutrition.

When my cousin finally opened up his own private chef company, I hopped on board, excited to continue making gourmet meals without the hustle and bustle of restaurant life. My current client has been a dream to work with and the hours are great. Instead of the 5 AM to 1 AM schedules that were grilling me into the ground, I work a normal shift of 7 AM to 3 PM, and I’m off Tuesday, Friday, and every other weekend.

I pull the lid off of the green Tupperware that houses my specialty chipotle chicken and avocado salad. “My lady.” I hand her the salad and fork. She immediately dives in like a ravenous woman who hasn’t eaten in days. Knowing her schedule, that’s very likely the case.

My eyes narrow as she miraculously devours her food without smudging her pristine makeup. “Did you eat yesterday?”

She chuckles as she takes a sip of water from the bottle next to her. “Yes, son. I ate yesterday. Isn’t that the whole point of you bringing me days’ worth of food twice a week?”

“Well, excuse me if I want to make sure my only mother and best friend doesn’t accidentally starve herself.”

Her lips turn up into a sweet smile. She always likes it when I refer to her as my bestie. It might sound lame to anyone else, and I probably sound like a spoiled mama’s boy, but it’s always been me and her against the world. And the world isn’t always nice to a single mother.

“Guess who finally nailed down an interview with Arcade Lake?” She gives me a cocky smile and arches her brow.

“No way.” I open up my own salad and sit across from her. I munch away at my lunch as I hear her story about how the newbie Noah, happens to be brothers with the band’s famous twins, but my mind strays to the other newbie who seems to have caught my eye with his curly red hair and the sweet freckles dusted across his cheekbones.

“Earth to Victor.” My mom waves her hand in front of my face. “Are you even listening to me?”

“Sorry. What was that?”

“You’re thinking about Lawson, aren’t you?”

I sputter. “How did you know?” Ah hell, who was I kidding? Mom knew I liked redheads, and had a thing for sexy nerds. Like I said, she’s my best friend.

“Hmm.” She taps her chin. “Maybe it’s the fact that you smile every time you spot him at reception. Or maybe how you linger just a little longer up front when he’s there.”

Oh, guilty. Heat floods my cheeks and she laughs.

It’s true, I’ve been using every excuse to chat with Lawson when he isn’t busy. For months, I’ve been getting to know the shy guy every chance I get, even if it’s just a few stolen minutes here and there.

“Let me show you something.” She points to her computer screen and flips it around so it’s facing me. “Here are the mock-ups for next month’s Rock Star issue.”

My eyes widen as I take in the magazine spread. It’s stylish and fun. The way the photos are laid out on the page immediately draws my eye in a way that I know is rare. “These are good.”

She nods. “See this spread right here?”

I look at the photos of Arcade Lake and the chosen font. “That’s my favorite.”

“Mine too. Your little crush is very talented.”

Lawson. My mouth falls open. “The kid at reception did this? But how?”

“He isn’t a kid. Unless you want me to call you a kid, too.” Mom chuckles. “He’s twenty-three.”

I eye my mother.

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