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Itwasjust dinner at a TV producer’s house. And I made it abundantly clear that there wouldn’t be a follow-up. Even though Mimi was none of the things Imani summed up earlier. On the contrary. She was lovely and warm and welcoming. Kind and a surprisingly good listener. She gave the impression of not jumping to any conclusions or being judgmental, even after the things I blurted out. Come to think of it, I quite liked her. I won’t mind bumping into her on set. In that respect, it was an excellent move on her part to invite me to her house and clear the air of whatever it needed clearing of. Unlike my own, her people skills are on point.

My phone chimes with a message. Only a select group of people can reach me directly, so I always check when I get a notification.

“Who’s that?” Juan asks from the side of the pool.

I haven’t had a chance to redirect Mimi’s number to my assistant—my tried-and-tested modus operandi after politely exchanging phone numbers with anyone.

“Austin’s mom.” I shoot him a grin. I wonder what Mimi has to say.

“Don’t forget to thank her for dinner, darling.” Juan likes to remind me of these things, although he’s right to do so in this instance. “Also, what is she saying?”

Austin can’t stop talking about Juan. Help! ;-) Mimi

A mere half hour ago, I wanted to send Mimi a message just like this one.

Same here, I reply.Juan’s insufferable, but also kind of cute.

“Nora?” Juan stands next to me, dripping onto my legs.

“Are we back in high school, or what?” I ask.

My phone chimes again.

According to Austin, they’re totally in love already. Should a mother worry about scenarios that involve eloping to Vegas?

My chuckle drives Juan crazy.

“Mimi wants to know if you and Austin have any plans for a shotgun wedding in Las Vegas.” I smirk up at him.

“I doubt either one of us will find themselves unexpectedly with child, so no,” Juan says drily, before perching on the edge of my chair. “Is it some sort of weird sign that I’ve met his mother already? Does it mean that this is different?”

“Different from what, darling?”

“From all the other ones?” Juan purses his lips. “What if we do end up getting married?” His teeth flash brightly as he grins at me. “How will you look back on this moment then?”

“I’m not letting you marry a man twenty years your junior,” I say. “So don’t worry about that.”

“Correction,” Juan says. “Eighteen years is not the same as twenty.”

“What’s that thing again with the seven years?” Imani looks up at us from the pool. “When the age gap becomes almost acceptable?”

Juan heaves a big sigh.

“Half Juan’s age, plus seven. Twenty-two plus seven equals twenty-nine. That makes it totally unacceptable, Jay.”

“Big surprise,” Imani adds.

“Don’t you have to text my future mother-in-law back?” Juan quips. “I take it you’re aware she’s into women?” Juan looks at me as though he knows something I don’t.

“So?” I stare at my phone screen, thinking of something witty to write back.

“Maybe she had an ulterior motive for inviting you to dinner and you were too naive to notice.” Juan cocks his head.

“Did Austin say something about that?” If so, I’ll stop texting Mimi immediately. I don’t want her to get the wrong idea.

Juan shakes his head. “Nah. Honestly, not a word. He loves his mother, though. Total mama’s boy. He’d love for her to meet someone.”

I scoff. “You’ve known me long enough to know that someone’s not going to be me.”