Page 135 of Champagne Nights

“Just making sure because when you come over, you’ll be greeted at the door by Romeo.”

“Ah. I can’t wait to meet him.”

“See you soon, Ben.”

“See you, Paisley.”

After I showered and washed the salt water out of my hair, I pulled on a pair of black leggings and a gray sweater. When I heard the doorbell ring, I had just finished putting a few curls in my hair. Romeo meowed and jumped off the bathroom counter to see who it was.

“Hi.” I smiled as Ben stood on my porch in a pair of dark blue jeans and a black cotton button-down shirt.

“Hi.”

“Come on in.”

When he stepped inside, Romeo was sitting off to the side, staring at him. Ben bent down in front of him and stuck his hand out so Romeo could sniff him.

“You must be Romeo? I’m Ben. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Meow.”

Ben laughed as he pet his head, stood up, and looked at me.

“He talks back. Sometimes, we can carry on the oddest conversations,” I said.

“He’s a pretty cat. Leah has a Siamese cat named Hulu.”

“What a great name. Let me just grab my purse and keys, and we can go shut down my family.” I smiled.

“I can drive. I don’t mind at all.”

“Are you sure? They don’t live too far from here.”

“I’m positive. Come on. We’ll take my truck.”

I warned Ben about my family when we pulled up in the driveway of my parents’ house.

“They can be loud and obnoxious, and you never know what’s going to fly out of their mouths. So, I apologize for them in advance.”

He chuckled. “I’m sure they’re great. Especially if they’re anything like you.” He smiled.

I opened the front door, and Keaton was the first one to come slithering into the foyer.

“Hey—oh,” he said as he stopped in the middle of the foyer.

“Hey, Keaton. You remember Ben from the beach?”

“Hey, man. It’s nice to see you again,” he said in confusion as he shook Ben’s hand.

“Good to see you too, Keaton.”

“So, what’s going on, sis?” he whispered as we walked to the kitchen.

“Wouldn’t you love to know?”

As soon as Ben and I walked in, everyone turned around and stared at us. The kitchen became dead silent.

“Hello, everyone,” I said with a wave. “I would like you all to meet Ben. Ben, this is my sister Charlotte and her husband Ryan. You’ve already met Piper and Liam. This is my mom, Jane, and my dad, Bill.”

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