Page 3 of Link with Me

“Great.”

Tara gave a full giggle and the twins as if humored by her laugh joined in.

“Awesome. My life’s a joke.”

“Stop being so dramatic,” Tara said and sat both her kids down with some snacks. “What if this guy is your soul mate?”

“What if he smells like old cheese?”

Tara giggled again. “Mom, she’s a lost cause. She doesn’t want any orgasms.”

“I didn’t say that,” Lena added hastily. Let’s not get crazy. She wasn’t that averse to dating. But it wasn’t every day a woman in her industry met a guy that wasn’t a little weird.

“Oh,” her mom gave a triumphant smile, “good. So you’ll go.”

Yeah. She was in deep shit.

That’s how Lena found herself preparing for a blind date set up by her mother, with Tara’s enthusiastic endorsement. “He’s a nice guy, Lena. Give him a chance,” Tara had said, echoing their mother’s assurance with a knowing smile.

“You don’t know this guy either,” she argued.

“True,” Tara shrugged. “Can’t be worse than your last date.”

Oh, god. The twenty-three-year-old genius with mommy issues. Yeah, that wasn’t one she wanted to think about any time soon.

“You know,” she said in her old bedroom while sitting on the bed, “I moved out for a reason. Why do you still keep my old clothes.”

Her mother frowned. “This might be your old room, but these are Tara’s old party clothes. They helped her land Wesley.”

Maybe the clothes would work some kind of magic because Wes was the kindest guy on the planet. Tara had found her perfect match and had the most beautiful family. There were moments when Lena envied what her sister had. But she knew she just hadn’t met the man for her.

“When does Wes come home?” she asked Tara.

“Tomorrow night,” Tara sighed. “I’m glad he’s finally going to be home so we can spend time together.”

Tara’s husband owned a furniture business, and while Tara was a shareholder, Wes did the traveling to factories. He was so dedicated to the family, they usually traveled as a unit, but with the children having been sick, they decided he would go alone and allow Lena’s mom to help Tara care of the babes.

Choosing an outfit felt like preparing for battle. “None of these clothes are my style.”

“Here,” her mother said and pulled out a pair of black jeans and a cute graphic tee. “This is more you. I kept some of your old tees. The jeans were Tara’s.”

Tara eyed the jeans longingly. “Man, I wish I could shove just one thigh into those.”

Lena smiled and shook her head. “You know Wes loves the extra weight you put on after the kids. That man can’t keep his hands to himself whenever he’s near you. Grabbing your butt is his favorite pastime.”

“Yeah,” Tara sighed. “That’s true. Never mind.”

“Don’t worry, honey,” her mother smiled. “I’m on the hunt for your own handsy man.”

Please, god, no. “Mom, I’m good.”

Her mother’s smile turned evil. “Put these on.”

Shit. If this “nice guy” was going to win her over, he’d have to accept her love for all things geeky.

Before leaving, Lena checked her reflection in the mirror. “Okay, you’ve survived family dinners and Tara’s baby shower. You can handle one blind date.”

Armed with a list of creative excuses to leave early, Lena set out.

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