Page 32 of Surprise! I'm Engaged To My Boss
The different phases of my life could be described in different genres of literature. The end of my childhood was like a sad and heavy drama with the death of my parents. My adolescence was more like a teen comedy, of the typical nerdy, clumsy and awkward girl who had trouble fitting in (with the difference that no popular boy was ever interested in me, and withthe added bonus of being a year younger than my classmates). Then came college and, from then on, my days were less like fiction and more like a series of technical books. I focused entirely on my studies and, later, on work.
However, now I felt like I was living in one of those stories with trials, investigations, courtrooms... and I was the character who would lie to everyone, including a judge.
I hoped the story wouldn't end with me being arrested.
Yeah, I knew it was a custody case, not a criminal murder trial. But it really felt like it.
“Yes, grandma, that's why,” I finally replied, proving once again that I was a liar of the worst kind.
How could I have the courage to lie to my grandmother?
“But what matters is that you're happy, my love. And that you're following your heart. And you are, aren't you?”
We were reaching a critical point of lies.
As if to save me from that conversation, someone rang the doorbell, and I jumped up and ran to answer the door. I already knew who it was, but even so, myfirst reaction upon seeing my best friend was to throw myself into her arms, hugging her tightly.
“I’m so glad you’re here!” I whimpered, hugging her. “I can’t go on alone with this lie.”
“Oh, girl... What a shame that...” she suddenly changed her tone of voice, which made me realize that my grandmother was arriving in the room at that moment. “What a shame that you didn't tell me this before, you little rascal! Congratulations, I'm so happy for you!”
I sighed and let go of her, turning to face my grandmother and forcing a smile to hide the fact that I was about to cry.
Evy greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and the two chatted for a few minutes, trivial things like my grandmother asking how her parents and husband were and my friend wanting to know about the bookstore. Until my grandmother announced, “Well, I'll let you guys watch your movies and yap. Just like old times, right?”
“Stay with us for a while, Mrs. Jenna!” Evelyn asked. “We’re ordering pizza, why don't you eat with us?”
“I’ve just had dinner, my dear. And I'm already old, I'm at the stage where I go to bed early and stay with a good book until I fall asleep.”
I lived in that phase since I learned how to read.
Grandma said goodnight to us and left. Evelyn and I also went to my room, because there I could close the door, and we could talk without being afraid that my grandmother would get up to get a glass of water and hear some of the conversation.
Chapter fifteen
CAMILA
As soon as we entered the room, Evy left her bag with her clothes on the table next to the bed and I asked, “Is it really okay for you to spend the night here, bestie?”
“More than okay.”
“Is Peter cool with it?”
She sighed, making it clear that things weren’t exactly okay.
To be honest, I had never really liked Peter, her boyfriend. However, I had no solid reason to confess this to her. There was something about his manner that bothered me, but she loved him and, apparently, he had always treated her well. And that was why I preferred to keep my opinion to myself.
“We exchanged a night voucher tonight,” she declared.
“Wow, and you're going to use it to stay holed up here at home eating pizza and putting up with me crying?”
“Fair enough. Peter is using his on a video game night with his brother. Adulthood kind of changes our notions of 'night out'. Oh, but my mom can't know that I came to the building and spent the night with you instead of her.”
“You should sleep at your parents' apartment, then.”
“Are you crazy? My mother only meets with me to demand grandchildren from me. It's always an unbearable session of 'Nora Williams' daughter is pregnant, did you hear?'”
Another advantage of Evy 's visits was that she always kept me updated on the gossip, even if it was about people who lived in my own building.
