Page 5 of Wicked Flirt
“Would you like a drink?” his mom asked Lexi. “I have water or milk.” At least he didn’t have to worry about his mom drinking. She’d always lived clean, even though his dad saw no problem with occasionally sampling the drugs he sold.
“Water would be nice,” Lexi said, taking a seat at the small round kitchen table, her coat draped across her lap. A white tablecloth hand-embroidered with a colorful chain of flowers covered the table. His mom liked pretty things and was handy at a lot of domestic stuff. She’d always been a homebody, but never to this extreme.
His mom bustled to the cabinet and then the sink, getting Lexi’s water before joining her at the table.
He unpacked the bags and started putting the food away, one ear cocked to his mom and Lexi’s conversation.
“So how did you meet Marcus?” his mom asked.
Lexi replied in a very convincing voice. “We have a lot of the same friends, so you know how these things go. We met a few times, he was a flirty charmer, and then finally we sorta connected.”
He smiled to himself. That actually sounded like it could’ve happened. Hewasa flirty charmer.
“Have you been dating long?” his mom asked eagerly.
“How long’s it been, babe?” Lexi asked him.
Way to pass the buck.“One-month anniversary coming up tomorrow,” he said, not looking at either of them. His mom could read a lie in his eyes. It was a harmless white lie for the greater good. He shouldn’t feel so guilty.
“Do you live here or in the city?” his mom asked Lexi. “What kind of work do you do? Do you have family nearby?”
The rush of questions was a good sign. His mom hadn’t shown much interest in anything in a long while. He hoped Lexi didn’t mind. He glanced over at her.
“I’m a corporate event planner,” Lexi said with a smile. “I live nearby in Clover Park and commute into the city for work. My parents live about forty-five minutes away. My older brother’s an hour away with his wife. Everyone’s still in Connecticut.”
“That’s so nice,” his mom said enthusiastically.
He relaxed. This was going even better than he’d hoped.
Lexi nodded and then got serious. “Marcus told me you lost your job recently. I know how hard that is. I recently lost mine too. Have you had any leads for something new?”
Marcus stiffened. That was too forward. Shit. He should’ve briefed Lexi on easing into things with his mom. Even he couldn’t get that kind of information out of her. It wasn’t clear if his mom had given up looking for a job or had just faced a lot of rejection. For a while, he’d been emailing her job listings, but she’d stopped checking her email.
His mom’s voice was high and reedy. “It seems Marcus has shared a lot about me and told me very little about you.”
He turned, shot Lexi a look that saidcool it, and told his mom, “Lexi’s way into me, which means she wanted to know all about my life. You’re a big part of that.”
His mom frowned, still not happy with his sharing.
Lexi chimed in. “I did ask him a bunch of questions. Actually, my aunt had a similar issue as you with the agoraphobia and—”
“Phobia!” His mom’s hand went to her throat. “I don’t have a phobia.”
Marcus winced.
“My friend Sabrina is a counselor,” Lexi said, seeming oblivious to his mom’s agitation. “We should bring her by to meet you. Maybe she’d have some tips to help with your current trouble.”
“What trouble?” his mom asked, turning wide panicky eyes to him. “Marcus?”
“Not trouble, really,” he said. “I just mentioned you haven’t been going out as much. Maybe Lexi thought having a counselor who made a house visit could be good.”
“I don’t need counseling,” his mom said, standing abruptly. “I’m fine.” Her hands fluttered in the air and her eyes darted around the room. “I just need to work again. That’s all.” She backed up a step.
“Mom, it’s okay.”
“I misunderstood,” Lexi said in a soothing voice.
“You don’t know me,” his mom told Lexi in a voice that shook with her agitation. “How dare you come here and say all these awful things!” She turned and fled the room, probably going back to her bedroom sanctuary.
