Chapter 37
The past, present, and future walk into a bar. It was tense.
“Where are you going?” I ask Grayson when he misses the exit for the highway the next morning.
“To my parent’s house.”
“To your parent’s house?” I screech and my hands go flailing about. “You want me to meet your parents?”
I am not prepared for this! I need time with my girls to discuss strategy, maybe even a shopping trip with Phoebe to pick out the perfect outfit. And now you know how serious meeting the parents is. I would brave a shopping trip with Phoebe to prepare.
Grayson catches my hand and kisses my knuckles. “They’re going to love you.”
I am not touching his comment with a ten-foot pool. “I can’t believe you want me to meet your parents.”
“Do you love me?”
I roll my eyes. The guy needs to stop asking me that question. Last night he made me say I love you before he’d let me come. I’m pretty sure his actions constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
“Yes,” I grit out.
“Is this relationship serious?”
Oh great. Are we going to have another one of our talks? I could do without. “Yes.”
“Then, you’re meeting my parents.”
I release the breath I was holding thinking this is the end of the conversation. What am I thinking? Of course, it’s not.
“And I want to meet your parents when they visit at the end of July.”
“We’re living together. My parents will be staying with us. I wasn’t planning on hiding you in the closet.” Don’t get me wrong. I’m tempted, but my mom would ferret out Grayson living in the house in a minute flat. The woman is part bloodhound I tell you.
“They’re staying with us? Can’t we get them a hotel?”
I throw my hands in the air. “Can we talk about this later? Right now, I need to spend my time panicking about meeting your parents.”
“Too late,” he says and parks the truck on the side of the road. “We’re here.”
My heart starts to beat at a frantic pace and my hands tremble. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Grayson jumps out of the truck and comes to my side to open my door. I debate taking off in his truck, but the uncles never taught me how to hotwire a car. Gross oversight on their part.
“All you have to do is be yourself. They’ll love you. They’ll probably spend the entire time telling embarrassing stories about me.”
My ears perk up. Embarrassing stories? Maybe meeting the parents won’t be too bad after all.
Grayson helps me out of the truck, and we walk hand in hand to the front door. Before we reach the porch, the door flies open and an elderly man who looks a whole lot like an older Grayson steps out.
“Grayson? We weren’t expecting you.”
A woman pushes the man out of the way. “What a way to greet your son, you cretin. Grayson!” Her eyes widen when she notices me. “And a girl!” She claps. “Grayson brought a girl home!”
Grayson chuckles as he steps forward. “Mom, Dad, this is Suzie. Suzie, this is Norman and Armela, my parents.”
I reach out my hand. “Mr. and Mrs. Neill, it’s lovely to meet you.”
His mom swats my hand away. “None of this Mr. and Mrs. Stuff. You’ll call me Armela,” she says before wrapping her arms around me.
Grayson separates us. “Mom, don’t scare her away.”