Page 13 of Her Inconvenient Wedding Date

“No, I just did some research.” He holds up a red gift bag that I hadn’t noticed him carrying before. “Said research also taught me to bring a gift as a sign of respect.”

“You got a gift for my parents?”

He nods. “I came prepared. It’s not every day you meet your fiancée’s parents who happen to be from a different culture than your own. And I do mean that literally. I only have one set of parents to meet since I only have one fiancée, in case you were wondering,” he adds in a playful tone.

“I wasn’t, but thanks for clarifying.” I can’t help but smile. I’m not sure how things changed so much in such a short amount of time, but Hunter’s growing on me. His jokes, as silly as they are, make me roll my eyes in a good way. And his heart is beyond generous. I can’t believe he prepared for this lunch—oh, the lunch! I’m so impressed with my fake fiancé’s efforts, I nearly forgot what’s waiting for him on the other sideof this wall. I take a deep breath, then start my crash course on the Lam fam. “Like I was saying about this lunch, there are a lot more people here than I thought there would be.”

“Oh? Like how many more?”

“Well, my mom’s the oldest of four, so my three aunties and their husbands are here. Then there’s my dad’s side. He has an older and younger sister, so that’s two more aunties and their husbands. Then there’s my mom’s cousins, five of them from her mom’s side and three from her dad’s, and all their spouses. And her four best friends from college, who are like honorary aunties to me, and their husbands. Oh, and a handful of other people my mom says have helped me get to where I am in life, including my piano teacher, the superintendent of the Chinese school I attended, and my SAT tutor. I think that’s everyone.”

When I’m done spouting off the guest list, Hunter has stopped blinking. His pupils, however, have grown so much that they almost eclipse his blue irises. I wave my hand in front of his eyes, wondering if his contacts have gotten stuck. “Hunter? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he squeaks out in a strangled voice. “I’ve never been better for someone who’s about to meet over four dozen strangers who will be watching my every move.”

I wince at the truth of his words. Guilt weighs down on me, knowing that I’m the reason Hunter’s going to feel more charred than barbecue meat after all the grilling he’ll be going through. My eyes lock onto his as I give him an offer he can’t refuse. “Leave, Hunter. You don’t have to go through with this. I’m sure you have better things to do on a Saturday than face a bunch of overly-enthusiastic Chinese aunties. Hurry and go while you can.”

His jaw drops. “You’re dumping me, Lil? We haven’t even been engaged for a day yet, and you want tocall it off?”

I balk. “I’m not dumping you; I’m setting you free. I appreciate you trying to help me, but this whole thing is my mess; you shouldn’t have to suffer because of me. I’ll find a way to deal with it. Maybe I’ll call Simon up and see if he’ll give me another chance to finish his presentation. Or I can go out with the three other guys Jasmine found. The odds of me finding a husband go up the more I date, right? I just need to try harder.”

Hunter shakes his head. “Trust me, Lil, the only suffering I’m going through is hunger pains, imagining all the good food that’s waiting for us inside. I’m not going anywhere. I said I’ll help you and I’m going to see this through to the end. Also, I’m slightly offended that you think I can’t hold my own against some well-meaning aunties. Aunties love me.”

The sincerity in his voice makes me tear up while his humor draws laughter out of me. “I don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like you. Thank you.”

My heart swells with so much gratitude, I want to show him tangibly how much I appreciate him. The next thing I know, I’m launching myself at Hunter and throwing my arms around him. He’s so tall, my face gets buried in his neck where I get a good whiff of his unique scent. The woodsy, spicy notes of his cologne, along with a fresh soap fragrance, smell so good, my heart does a little flip of happiness. This reaction surprises me because for someone who doesn’t do hugs, I find myself enjoying this one a lot… and I don’t quite know what to make of it.

Could I be developing feelings for my fake fiancé?

CHAPTER 8

Hunter

“I don’t needa knight in shining armor. I need someone who will laugh at my bad puns.” ~Unknown

I was wrong. I’m suffering from a lot more than hunger pains with Lily’s arms wrapped around me. Every cell in my body wants to pull her flush against me and hold her tight, but I exert what little self-control I have left and keep my hands at my side. Despite my name, I vow to be a gentleman around my pretend fiancée because that’s all that this is—pretend. I hold my breath, trying not to inhale the sweet, floral scent of her perfume, and also ignore how soft her hair is. It takes every bit of willpower—along with a prayer—to not be affected, but boy, am I a lost cause. It’s a good thing Lily’s strong because she’s the only thing holding me up right now.

I’m a numbers and logic kind of guy, but nothing about this situation makes sense. How does something as seemingly harmless as a hug have the power to make my head spin? But this isn’t just any hug, it’s a Lily Lam hug. And in her hands, I’m as soft and malleable as a marshmallow.

She suddenly pulls back and apologizes. “Sorry about that. I don’t know what came over me just now. I’m not a touchy person. It must be all the adrenaline rushing through me.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not opposed to hugs,” I reassure Lily. Her cheeks are pink with embarrassment, but honestly, the tinge only accentuates her beauty. I’m relieved to see her back to wearing colors today instead of black. Her dark orange dress skims the top of her knees and shows off her shapely legs. I give myself a virtual pat on the back for choosing an outfit that complements hers, or at least I hope it does. “Am I dressed okay? I know red is considered a lucky color in Chinese culture, but I wasn’t sure if this was the right occasion for it.”

“Red is usually for weddings or Chinese New Year. You look great. I never realized how good your fashion sense is.”

“I can’t take all the credit. I did get some help from my sisters. They live on the east coast, but we do a video call every Saturday morning to catch up. It worked out for me to ask them for advice today.”

“That’s sweet of them. How many sisters do you have?”

“Two. They’re both older, one by eight years and the other by five.”

Her brows shoot up. “I don’t know anything about your family! What about your parents? What do they do?”

“My dad’s an engineer and my mom’s a preschool teacher. How about your parents?”

“My dad’s a dentist and my mom helps him with the front office.”

“Nice. Does that mean we get free exams and cleaning? Not that that’s the main reason why I’m marrying you,” I add with a grin, “but it would be a cool perk.”

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