Page 40 of Night and Day
“Everyone else is in the backyard.” Shasa led them through the ground floor, dodging occasional barbies along the thick carpet, and out a set of sliding doors, towards the delicious smells drifting from the barbecue.
Mac dropped the spatula next to the steak he’d just flipped. “Izzy! You’re here! And you brought a...” he did a double take, staring at Mia. “She’s real.” He glanced at their parents, sitting in a garden swing at the far end of the deck, urging them to get up. “Mum, dad! Come meet Izzy’s girlfriend! She’s real!”
Shasa shoved him. “Of course she’s real. Behave!”
As Mac introduced himself and their overly excited parents to Mia, Izzy felt a stab of hurt. Had they all thought he’d been lying?
***
MIA EYED THE EXCITEDfaces around her, wondering why it was such a surprise to everyone that Izzy had a girlfriend. Maybe he preferred the solitude of his basement, but he wasn’t unattractive or socially inept. Definitely not. He wasn’t even odd like Deke, who Mia could also imagine one day finding his match.
If Izzy spent time anywhere with other people, he must have noticed the females looking at him. She’d noticed the sideways glances at the mall, during the short walk down the corridor. This morning her stomach did a little flip when he’d pulled his overgrown, unruly curls into a man bun.
Shasa excused herself to check on her daughter, and Izzy followed Mac back inside to get everyone a round of drinks. “Wine or beer?” He asked Mia at the doorway.
She shrugged. “Wine. Anything you have.”
Izzy’s mum approached her with a shy smile. “Hi, Mia! I’m Sue, Isaiah’s mum.”
“Nice to meet you.” Mia took the woman’s small, weathered hand and returned the smile.
Sue wore her naturally grey hair in a feathery bob and seemed to love soft greens, which dominated both her and her husband’s wardrobes. She offered Mia a plate and gestured at the barbecue, along with the outdoor table heaving with salads. “Please, dig in! It’s a bit of self-service here, I’m afraid. You’re not a vegan, are you?”
Mia accepted the plate, wondering how she was going to digest food with her nerves vibrating like guitar strings. “No. This all looks amazing, thank you.”
Sue took a step back to give her space, and Mia began dutifully filling her plate.
John inched a bit closer to them, his plate already full of salad and steak. “Mia, was it? It’s lovely to meet you! I’m afraid Izzy hasn’t told us much about you. To be honest, we all doubted whether he’d show up today. He’s been by himself for quite a while now.” He looked over his shoulder at his son, worry and regret rippling his forehead. “You can understand this was quite a surprise.”
“A delightful surprise!” Sue added, eyes shining.
Mia stared at them in disbelief. Were they really talking about the same man she’d been unable to take her eyes off for the past three days?
“So, how did you meet? Tell us the tale!” John urged.
Mia took a calming breath. Was this how actors felt right before the first take? “Izzy and I worked together remotely. That’s how we met.”
Their eyes widened as they took in her words, combined with her foreign accent.
“Remotely? So... where are you from?” Sue’s mouth hung open.
“Finland.” Mia flashed them a brazen smile, only partially prepared for the collective gasp that erupted from the old couple. “I quit my job and travelled around the world to see him.”
“Really?” Sue stammered. “That’s unbelievable.” She sounded like she literally didn’t believe her.
Sue shot a loaded look at her husband, who kept nodding like a bobblehead, and eventually found his voice. “Isaiah doesn’t go out much. Not since—”
Sue gave his arm a firm squeeze. “He goes out, sometimes. I’m afraid we aren’t making him sound good. He’s had some rough experiences, but he’s such a kind-hearted man.”
John smiled. “That’s right. I always thought it’s better to be a good man than a great man.”
Mia nodded, ladling pasta on her plate. Izzy was all that, but it hardly needed to be stated with such vehemence. “Absolutely. And he’s promised to show me around New Zealand, so he’ll be getting out of the house a bit more.”
Izzy’s parents smiled, genuinely excited. Head over heels, Izzy had said. He’d been joking, but witnessing their doubts, she felt the urge to show his family what she really saw in him.
“I’m in awe of his skills and his creative talent, to be honest,” she said, picking up a chicken drumstick. “Have you seen the movie trailer he’s working on? It’s epic.”
Izzy’s parents masked their confusion behind polite smiles.
