Me: Would you like to have dinner with me and my sister next week?
Ellie: Um, sure?
Me: Bring the spray. Not for you. For me, so I can keep my sister in line. haha jk
Ellie: Should I be nervous?
Yes, yes you should. That’s what I want to say, because hell, I’m nervous. Instead, I tell her that there is nothing to worry about. I even go as far to say that it’ll be fun.
Fun. Hell. Same thing, right?
Chapter Eight
Ellie
I can’t believe that he texted me. I just sent him a simple text just to see if he would ever text me back. When I saw the text from him, my heart jumped. Then, out of the blue, he asks me to meet his sister. I don’t know what that means. I know meeting the parents is a huge deal, but a sister?
I haven’t spoken to Lacey since I ditched her on Saturday, but I need her now. I send her a text and ask to meet her for dinner. She agreed, but wanted to go out to eat. I knew she was going to make me go out. She nagged me all day on Saturday to go to a club, but instead I laid in bed and read a great book.
I park my car and head into the restaurant. I hate big crowds and eating out could be the worst, sometimes. I see Lacey in a corner table, flirting with some waiter. I can’t help but feel a ping of jealousy at her because I wish I had her confidence.
The waiter doesn’t even notice me as I sit in the chair across from her. She gives him her number, and he leaves.
“Well, how have you been since you stood me up?” She crosses her arms and gives me an evil look.
“You know I don’t like nightclubs.”
“You’ve never been to one. How do you know that you don’t like it?” Her eyes narrow at me.
“Touché.” I hang my head.
“Now that I’ve said my peace, tell me about lover boy.” Her mean face goes away, and it’s replaced by a bright smile.
“I think I’m in trouble.” I go into great detail of everything that happened on the trail. Lacey covers her mouth to hide her laugh when I tell her about the mishap of the non-kiss.
“So, Mr. Hudson is an architect. That’s some money there. But I can’t believe you didn’t kiss him.”
I shift in my seat and sip my wine. I didn’t want to tell her that I’m scared to death to kiss him. “It gets worse,” I tell her.
“How?”
“He wants me to meet his sister. Next week.”
“Wow, well, I guess you didn’t scare him away. But why his sister?”
“He told me that he’s close to his siblings, and his sister goes to school in Seattle.”
“That makes sense then. So, are you going to go?”
As much as I want to back out and not go, I already told Hudson that I would go. I’m scared to death about though. “Yes, I told him that I would go. What does it mean to meet his sister? I mean is it like meeting the parents?”
She thinks for a moment. “In this case, it’s probably a pre-screening.”
“It’s not like I’m asking the government to date Hudson King.”
Lacey stops and stares at me. “What did you say? What’s his name?”
“Hudson King.”