Page 4 of The Naughty List

“Well, if we’re going to make assumptions right out of the gate about one another I suppose you won’t mind if I give you my first impression, too,” the man says, narrowing his eyes as he sips his drink. Before I can apologize and blame my irritation on my lack of sleep, shitty car troubles, and seeing a photo of my ex who left me for a goddamn Barbie, he continues. “You’re one ofthose,” he says, emphasizing the word as he mimics me.

I instinctively cross my arms over my chest and wait for his assumption, not enjoying this little game. This whole speed dating thing hasn’t even begun yet, and I’m already floundering.

“Do you really want to do this?” he asks, and despite the fact that he’s wearing a sweater, I can quite literally see his biceps flex as he moves his arms and sits forward in the chair. I motion for him to continue. “One of those sickly negative people who thrive on getting other people to sink down to your level. Instead of living in a perfect snow globe of a town where nothing bad can touch you, you live in the city where you’ve been fucked over one too many times and have decided the entire world is out to get you.”

He finishes and I can’t exactly deny the accuracy of his words, although they piss me off in a visceral way that feels unparalleled. We both sit in semi-stunned silence, and he definitely looks like he wishes he could shove those words back in his mouth as I cock a brow at him.

“Okay ladies and gents!” The woman who introduced herself to me as Clara Ivy, says loudly from across the room. “Who is ready for some speed dating?!” She smiles and I want to sink into a hole in the floor.

Well, that went great.

‘Tis the season to be jolly, my ass.

FOUR

TILLIE

Who didI think I was even attempting something like speed dating?

First of all, I told the owners of the farm I’d swing back by in an hour, I don’t need to be messing around. Also, I’m typically unwinding for the night right now, not striking up conversations with fine as hell and annoyingly accurate tall, dark, and handsome men.

One of those sickly negative people who thrive on getting other people to sink down to your level. Instead of living in a perfect snow globe of a town where nothing bad can touch you, you live in the city where you’ve been fucked over one too many times and have decided the entire world is out to get you.

I mean. He isn’t entirely right. I do not try to get people to sink down to my level. I’m not a miserable person. Maybe I just forget to use my filter sometimes and forget that not everyone is from a big city and is out to get me.

I have been fucked over one too many times, so I can’t call his bluff there.

But damn him for being as spot on as he was when he’d only been in my presence for mere moments.

I have resting bitch face but am I really that bad?

I can’t worry about that right now, though.

Earlier today, I finally met Meri Winters, the woman who I’ve had countless Zoom meetings with over the past two months, in person. It was such a long time coming, and I was so pumped about finally meeting her in person, but our time together was cut short.

About only twenty minutes after we’d sat down, her husband, Brighton, came downstairs and reminded her they needed to leave for an appointment. Apparently she had forgotten about it, and she seemed frustrated Brighton hadn’t said anything about the appointment earlier. Despite her being a little on edge, she was still such a sweetheart to both me and her husband. She felt so bad about leaving me hanging and having me come back by tonight. I tried assuring her that it wasn’t a big deal. I’m excited to finally get down to business and see the space I’ll be working with.

We had planned to do all of that this afternoon but the forgotten appointment threw a wrench in that plan. She seemed so flustered, not at all like she’d been on all of our Zoom meetings. I’ve chalked it up to the fact that she was embarrassed she’d forgotten.

When she hired me via the phone after our first meeting in regard to an annual festival her family throws each Christmas, I was elated. This is right up my alley, and it’ll look great in my event planning portfolio. It only further helps that she’s honestly the sweetest woman I’ve ever met.

As I head down the long, winding driveway to the farm I got a small glimpse of this afternoon, my head drifts back to that asshole from the speed dating event. I can’t stop thinking about his harsh words. I’m usually so good at letting things roll off my shoulders, but I think it’s just everything I’ve been dealt lately that has me reading more into some random dick’s words more than I usually would.

I park next to a couple vehicles that hadn’t been here earlier and take a deep breath to try and cleanse the negativity I’m currently feeling.

I barely even have time to knock on the door when it’s pulled open by a smiling Meri. She looks almost the same as earlier, aside from the fact that she’s wearing an apron now and has blotches of flour on her cheeks as if it's blush. She smiles tenderly and greets me with a quick, warm hug.

“Thank you so much for coming back, dear,” she says, letting me go and motioning me over the threshold. I follow her straight to the kitchen and my stomach grumbles quietly. I was so annoyed by the hot asshole at Ivy House, I didn’t finish my gingerbread man.Damn it.“I’m so sorry I forgot about my husband’s appointment. I’m usually so good at adding things to the family calendar. We’ve had a few more appointments than normal lately and I’ve been off my game,” she says, hands on her hips and she looks at me. I shrug out of my coat and inhale the sweet scent of cookies I see on a cooling rack and something else. Maybe a soup? I glance over to the stove and see a large pot and assume I’m correct. Whatever it is smells absolutely divine, and my stomach clearly takes note too, because it lets out another, this time, very loud, very embarrassing grumble.

“Have you eaten anything today?” Meri, which she insisted I call her as opposed to her formal name, asks. “Don’t tell me I need to get after you the way I get after my boys.” She narrows her eyes at me playfully and we each take a seat at the kitchen table after she drapes my coat over another chair.

Meri and I have talked a lot about the farm, her family, and her previous events. I know all about her long marriage to Brighton, that she has two boys who are very protective over her and their farm. She talks about them like they both hang the moon in the sky. I’m not a parent—despite Sawyer now, but I can’t hardly take credit for growing him or birthing him or raising him—but the way she talks about her “boys” makes me think about how lucky they are all to have each other. I can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy for the life I always wanted but never had.

“I’ll take your silence as my answer, you’re staying for dinner. Do you need to call your sister about Sawyer?”

Meri is one of the few people that know about Sawyer. Mostly because I had to reschedule one of our Zoom meetings because I got the call from Sawyer’s caseworker that my sister and mother had been arrested together for possession of heroin and Sawyer needed someone to get him. I could have made something up or kept it simple by telling her it was a “family emergency,” but there’s something about Meri Winters that just makes you want to tell her your whole life story. I have yet to do that, but nevertheless, she knows about Sawyer… and my mom and sisters.

“No,” I assure her. “I talked to her a little while ago.”

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