Page 18 of His Curvy Obsession

Rebecca’s mother nods.

“Totally understand. Well, I’m so sorry we ate without you,” she says, gesturing to the table of dirty dishes between us. “If I’d known you were coming…”

“It’s fine,” I say, rubbing my hand up and down Rebecca’s back. “I got caught up with work this morning and lost track of time.”

I look down at Rebecca.

“Sorry, honey,” I say mechanically.

She glares at me, her body stiff.

“Oh, Rebecca don’t hold it against the poor man,” her mother chirps from across the table. “He runs a multi-billion dollar business after all! That’s the price that you pay for dating an ambitious man.”

Rebecca turns her glare to her mother now, only she doesn’t seem to notice her daughter’s expression.

“Well, I’d love to stay and chat,” her mother says, glancing at her watch. “But I have a hair appointment in half an hour.”

She brushes her fingertips over her fluffy white-blonde hair.

“Another time,” I say to her, shaking her hand again. “Great to meet you.”

“Great to meetyou,”she replies. She looks at Rebecca. “You take good care of this man, you understand?”

“Oh, I will!” she says icily, still glaring at me.

Her mother walks away. When she’s out of view, Rebecca pushes off of me and stands up, throwing her napkin on the table.

“What the hell was that?” she asks. “Why are you here? Did you…did you follow me here or something?”

“I didn’t follow you,” I reply. “I’m here for lunch. It’s just a coincidence. But then I heard your mom talking and -”

“And decided you’d force my hand?” she asks. “Decided you’d tell my mom we’re dating and that I’d just…what? Go along with your lie?For the rest of my life?”

I blink at her.

“I don’t understand what you mean,” I frown. “What do you mean, for the rest of your life?”

“I think you know what I mean,” she says, her hands on my hips. “You think if you lie to my mom, I’ll be forced to go along with the lie and take it as far as it’ll go. Get married. Have children. Just…live my whole life out as a lie all because you dropped in and told my mom a bunch of stories?”

“That wasn’t my plan at all, Rebecca. That’s crazy.”

“Yeah, well, sometimes you do crazy stuff,” she says. “I know you. And I also know that you like to get your way, like to be in control.”

“So you think I’m trying to force you to marry me,” I say. “You really believe I’d do that?”

“I don’t know,” she sighs. “I never understand what the hell you’re thinking, Eric. Never have, never will. But you just told my mom a lie and now I’m going to have to deal with the aftermath. What am I supposed to say to her next time she asks about you?”

“Tell her that we broke up,” I shrug.

She groans, sitting back down in her chair and putting her head in her hands.

“I’m trying to help,” I say to her. “Last night you told me that if you don’t find a boyfriend to take to your sister’s wedding, you’ll never live it down.”

“Last night,” she moans. “Last night I said a lot of stuff, didn’t I?”

“Yes,” I answer honestly.

She sits up and looks at me. The rims of her eyes are red, like she’s about to start crying. But instead, she starts to laugh.

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