Page 27 of The Floral Arrangement

A shiver rushed down my spine. Something likethat.

I managed a strangled, “Hi,” took a deep breath and then reintroduced Fred and Olivia to my mother, who was hovering behind us. Dad trotted out, wearing a navy apron over his jeans and checkered shirt, and extended a hand, and then Matt followed suit. Once the introductions were complete, Dad, Lottie, and Matt disappeared off.

Mom squeezed her hands together. “So lovely to see you again, Fred. And you too, Olivia.”

“Thanks for having me,” Olivia said as we walked back down the hall. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I’d love a hand with the salad,” Mom said, whisking Olivia into the kitchen.

My stomach sank as they vanished out of sight. I didn’t trust either of them right now. On the plus side, at least it gave me the opportunity to speak to Fred without Olivia present. I ushered him into the living room, taking a seat on my parents’ cream couch, while Fred lowered himself into the matching armchair. The smell of roasted potatoes wafted in from the kitchen.

“Did you have a good morning in Sapphire Springs?” I asked, smiling.

Fred rested an elbow on the armrest. “It was lovely, thanks. I went for a stroll down to Dockside Park.”

“Oh, wonderful.” I leaned forward. “Have you had any more thoughts about our discussion yesterday?”

Fred nodded. “So far, I’m impressed. But I’d like to get some more information about supply and demand for your proposed event space and taproom. I want to understand what your competition is around here, whether they are booked out or have capacity, and how you’ll differentiate your function space from other venues in the region.”

My shoulders sank. I’d done enough research to know that the event space and taproom would be profitable, but I hadn’t had time to do a deep-dive competition analysis. It had been a weak spot in my proposal, but I’d hoped Fred wouldn’t notice. I should have known better. I was used to having minions to do this type of work for me.

“Of course. I can get all that information for you.”

“Excellent. Thanks Roz. I need to go back to the city tomorrow, but I’m planning to come back on Friday. Could you have it to me by then?”

“Yes, of course.” I gave a swift smile. I couldreallydo with a minion right now.

Dad popped his head into the living room. “Lunch is ready.”

We made our way into my parents’ expansive dining room, which looked out over the sprawling green front lawn. I took a seat at the large, oak table. Fred sat on my left, and a minute later, Olivia appeared, set down two bowls of salad, and slipped onto the seat on my right.

Mom and Dad brought out plates of salmon with dill sauce and roasted potatoes, placing them in front of us. Lottie and Matt arrived, flushed and slightly out of breath.

“We just had a very energetic game of catch,” Matt said, gulping down some water.

As we ate, I couldn’t stop myself from glancing at Olivia. It was strangely intimate, inviting someone I barely knew into my parents’ home to have lunch with my family. The last date to meet my parents was Sadie. Not that this was a date. Olivia seemed to be enjoying herself, chatting to Dad about ways to deal with his rose slug problem.

“It’s best to get onto them as quickly as possible, before they multiply,” Olivia said.

“Speaking of multiples,” Mom said, putting down her fork and focusing her attention on Olivia, “do you want children, Olivia?”

I spluttered, nearly choking on a mouthful of salmon.

“Mom!” I snapped, glaring at her. I’d hoped one of the benefits of this ridiculous charade was that it would keep my mother off my back about dating for a while. I hadn’t anticipated she’d just change lanes to this other, equally annoying, line of questioning.

My eyes flickered to Olivia, who seemed unperturbed by my mother’s inappropriate behavior. If anything, I thought there was a glint of amusement in her eyes.

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry,” Mom said, holding up her hands. “I would love to hear how you met, though.”

“We met at Pryde, the gay bar, remember?” I answered, trying to keep my tone civil. Fred was here, after all.

“I know that, but how did it actually happen?” Mom pressed.

“Marie.” Dad placed his hand on her arm. “We don’t need to pry.”

Thank you Dad.

“Hang on a second—is this the first time you’ve all met?” Fred asked, putting his water glass on the table and looking around with raised eyebrows. “I didn’t realize I was crashing your ‘meet the parents’ lunch.”

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