Page 52 of The Boyfriend Swap
I looked over at Will, who was examining his new hat like it was a valuable collector’s item, and felt a heavy ache in my heart. In that moment I knew I had to end things with Perry regardless of whether I ever saw Will again after this week. The relaxed and low pressure nature of my relationship with Perry had felt right before and perhaps it was at one time, but I couldn’t go back. Even if I wanted to, it would no longer be the same.
As if reading my mind, Will tipped his hat at me and winked. Not wanting him to see the sadness in my eyes, I flashed a quick smile before kneeling in front of the tree to find the gifts I’d bought for my grandparents.
About a half hour later, all the presents had been exchanged and we snacked on appetizers—a shrimp cocktail and a sushi platter—our lame attempt at the Seven Fishes tradition.
“What is it you do, Will?” my nana asked, and I wondered what took her so long to spark up conversation with him. Her blue eyes had followed him since she and my grandfather had arrived early in the morning. No matter where he was standing or with whom, Nana was always within earshot of his conversations, and I figured she had her hearing aid juiced to the highest volume so she wouldn’t miss a word.
“I’m a lawyer,” Will said, angling his chair in her direction.
Nana bit the top off a jumbo shrimp and swallowed it down. “You mean you play one on television?”
Will wrinkled his forehead. “Um, no. I’m a real attorney.”
My Pop Pop leaned forward in his bridge chair. “Like onThe People’s CourtorJudge Judythough, right? You don’t work at a real law firm,” he stated matter-of-factly as he scratched at the thin layer of silver hair on his head.
When Will glanced at me in amusement, I covered my eyes with a hand and sighed. “Will is a lawyer at a real law firm,” I said, dropping my hand to my side. My Nana’s mouth opened and anticipating her next words, I continued, “And, no, it’s not a reality show.”
“That was my next question,” Nana confirmed. “It must be because you can dance,” she said, motioning toward Will. “You know what they say about men with rhythm.”
I clamped a hand against my mouth to stifle giggles.
Pop Pop stood up. “You mean to tell me that Robyn Taylor Lane, my granddaughter…” He paused to point at me. “…is dating a regular person?”
“Didn’t think I’d live to see it,” Nana mumbled.
Will’s lips quivered and his face turned red. “Your middle name is Taylor?”
“Yes. What of it?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest. Of course, I had an inkling where this was going but held out hope I was wrong.
Will’s chest heaved up and down. “Nothing.”
“Stop it,” I said with a punch to his leg.
Glancing at my parents, he said, “The name choice was inspired by Taylor Dayne? Am I right?”
“You bet,” my dad confirmed. “Did you know ‘Love Will Lead You Back’ peaked the year Robyn was born?”
“Priceless,” Will mumbled under his breath.
Chapter 13
Sidney
I could feel Perry’s breath against my mouth as we continued to kiss. His fingers deftly lowered the zipper of my little black dress, and I dropped my hands from his hair. My eyes still closed, I blindly reached for his belt buckle.
The sound of boxes crashing brought me back to earth. I opened my eyes. “What the…”
A woman, probably a few years younger than me, stood before us in a black and white catering uniform. Her brunette hair was pulled back in a bun and her heavily painted red mouth contrasted with the paleness of her skin as she looked upon us in shock. “I’m so sorry,” she stammered. “Mr. Bellows asked me to bring out another bottle of Crown Royal. I saw you two and knocked down some cereal boxes while trying to make a quick escape.” She turned her back on us, knelt, and began picking up boxes of Corn Flakes and Lucky Charms—my dad’s favorite “healthy” and “not-so-healthy” cereals.
My breath coming quick, I glanced at Perry. His reflection mirrored my horror. The girl’s timing left me both mortified and extremely grateful. If she hadn’t come in when she did…I shook off the thought. Thank goodness she had. I’d find a way to give her an extra-large tip.
Perry removed his eyes from mine and tapped her on the back. “We’ll take care of this. You should get back with the whisky. Don’t want to leave thirsty party-goers hanging.”
The girl stood up. “Are you sure?” she asked while nervously straightening out her black skirt. The color slowly returned to her cheeks.
We replied, “Yes” at the same time and remained silent until we heard the pantry door close.
In a state of shock, I pulled on the bottom of my now-wrinkled little black dress.
