Page 9 of Her Inconvenient Wedding Date (Unexpected Dates #2)

Lily

“Love is when you meet someone who tells you something new about yourself.” ~André Breton

Miracles do happen.

I don’t know how Hunter did it, but he managed to win my wonderfully stubborn and strongheaded mother over.

After our lunch with the family, which included an extensive interview that Hunter passed with flying colors—I’m now convinced he’s really Superman—both of my parents sent us off with their blessings.

It’s now two days later, we’re out of the office on a boba tea break, and I still can’t get over how God answered my prayers.

“How did I not know your parents were missionaries in Taiwan and that you were born there?” I ask Hunter who’s studying the menu displayed on the monitor over the buy counter as we wait in line.

“And you lived there for the first nine years of your life? No wonder you’re practically fluent in Mandarin! ”

He shrugs and shoots me a sheepish grin. “You never asked.”

I roll my eyes at his attempt to be cute.

Never mind that it’s working—the corners of his eyes crinkle in such an adorable way whenever he smiles—but I am not amused.

Relieved? Yes. Amused? Not quite. “You could have mentioned it before you met my parents. It would’ve been a lot less nerve-wracking if I’d known about your superpower. ”

“And ruin the surprise? No way. It was priceless seeing your reaction.” He raises his brows and drops his jaw, looking like the shocked face emoji. “I told you I was prepared for the meeting.”

“You weren’t only prepared; you blew everyone’s mind. It was like the story in Numbers where God made the donkey talk to its owner. Hearing you speak Mandarin for the first time was almost as unbelievable.”

He cocks his head. “Are you comparing me to a donkey now?”

“No, silly, just the situation. It was nothing short of a miracle, I tell you. I never, ever in a million years imagined my mom would approve of me marrying someone who’s not Chinese.”

“Well, miracles do happen. And God isn’t bound by time, so a million years doesn’t count for much from His point of view.”

I blink in surprise. Something about his answer makes my insides flutter. What can I say? I’m a gal who appreciates it when a guy talks theology to me. I love that Hunter is kind and smart. “That is such a geeky yet logical answer.”

“That’s me, geeky and logical.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing. Geeky and logical guys are kind of h—cool.”

“Huh-cool? Is that a new slang word? ”

I quickly shake my head. I’m not about to admit that I almost called Hunter hot. “No, I had a little tickle in my throat.”

His gaze softens with concern. “Your cheeks are flushed. I hope you’re not getting sick.”

“No, I’m fine. It’s probably something to do with the weather cooling down.

I should’ve worn more.” I cross my arms over my cream-colored blouse that I paired with a leopard print skirt.

Goosebumps form along my skin, which could be due to the strong air conditioning in this shop or a reaction to Hunter taking off his jacket.

I never paid much attention to his broad shoulders before, but now I can’t stop staring.

With Hunter next to me, I feel extra girly, even dainty.

Not like a damsel in distress, but a woman who doesn’t mind being desired and doted on.

The thought is so foreign to my brain, I quickly squash it.

I’ve learned to be strong and independent, someone who can hold her own in a department full of men.

I don’t know what to do with this reimagined identity of mine, but part of me likes it.

I like who I am when I’m with Hunter.

“Here, take this.” His deep voice echoes in my ear as he leans over and places his jacket on my shoulders. “You have goosebumps all over your arms.”

“Nothing gets past you, does it?” I murmur with chagrin. “Thank you.”

“It’s these contact lenses; they work wonders. They help me see a lot better.” He gestures to the menu as we step up to order, “What would you like, Lil? My treat.”

“Oh, you go ahead. I’ll order on my own.”

“I insist. I’d like to treat my fiancée to tea.”

“Thanks, but I’ve got it?—”

“Girl, why are you refusing him?!” The barista, who looks like a recent college grad, glares at me as if I asked for a boba tea without the boba.

She shakes her purple-dyed hair and sighs.

“You don’t know how good you have it. The rest of us are out here swiping left, just praying for a guy who wants to take care of us, while you’re here denying your man the opportunity? Please let him buy you a drink.”

Hunter grins and gives the barista a high five. “Well said, thank you. So, Lil, what would you like?”

What would I like? Maybe for my stomach to stop dipping every time I breathe in the scent of Hunter’s cologne that lingers on his jacket.

And for this fake relationship to stop messing with my head.

The more time I spend with him, the more I realize how amazing he is—he plays the drums and loves puns?

!—, how I’m not good enough for him, and how much I need to focus on the facts.

What I—and apparently the barista—need is a reality check.

“Thanks for the pep talk,” I say to her, “but he’s not really my fiancé. We’re only fake-engaged because the only way my younger sister, who’s real-engaged, can get married is if I get married first. He’s just my colleague who was nice enough to go along with this wild plan of mine.”

“Huh.” She quirks one brow as her gaze flits between me and Hunter and back again.

It’s a good thing we’re the only customers in line because this conversation is taking a while.

“That was way more information than I needed to know, but okay. I think you guys still make a cute couple, real or not. You should lock him down before someone else tries to. Believe me, good guys are hard to find.”

“Oh, I know. I once went on a date with a guy who did a whole PowerPoint presentation during dinner.”

“Nooo.” Her mouth twists in horror. “That should be illegal!”

“Right? ”

“I am so sorry that happened to you! You know what, your drink’s going to be on the house. It’s the least I can do.”

“Oh, that’s sweet of you, but you don’t have to do that.”

“Yeah,” Hunter adds, “you don’t have to do that. What happened to our agreement to not deny her man—that’s me in case you forgot—the opportunity to buy her a drink?”

The barista narrows her eyes disapprovingly at him. “Sorry, but it ended when I found out you’re not really her man.”

“But—”

She turns to me and says, “So, what’ll it be?”

“I’ll take a large Oolong milk tea with 25% sugar, no ice, and boba, please.”

“Got it. And you, sir?”

Buzz!

I pull my phone out, and my mom’s disconcerting face pops up on the screen, urging me to take her call.

If I let it go to voicemail, I might as well say bon voyage because she’ll be sending me on a guilt trip, no return ticket provided.

I quickly let Hunter know I’m stepping away, then find a table to sit down at. “Hey, Ma,” I answer, “how’s it going?”

“Fine, just fine.” Her voice is more chipper than usual, which means she’s probably doing her favorite activity—playing mahjong. As expected, the clinking of plastic tiles sounds in the background. “How is my future son-in-law doing?”

“Bruce? I think he’s okay. Mei didn’t say anything when I talked to her yesterday. Why do you ask?”

“Not Bruce. I’m talking about Hunter.”

“Oh, that son-in-law.”

“Did you forget about him?”

I laugh nervously. Honestly? I kind of did.

Normal people usually have some time to get used to having a boyfriend before having a fiancé.

I apparently skipped the kiddie pool and dove straight into the deep end in more ways than one.

“Of course, I didn’t forget about my fiancé. I’m just not used to being engaged.”

“Well, you better get used to it because you’re going to be married soon.”

“Speaking of getting married, Ma,” I casually try to redirect the conversation to the actual engaged couple, “Mei was telling me about the venue she and Bruce have been looking at for their wedding. It’s a mansion in Morgan Hill and it’s usually booked a year in advance, but they happen to have a cancellation in January.

If she puts the deposit down today, she’ll be able to reserve it. Wouldn’t that be great?”

A moment of silence comes over the line, a sure sign that she’s contemplating her next mahjong move.

My secret hope is that she’ll be distracted just enough to not question what I’m saying.

But being the great multitasker that she is, she doesn’t miss a thing.

“That means you and Hunter will get married before the end of the year. Have you started looking at venues yet?”

“We just got engaged, Ma. There’s no rush. And anyways, we don’t need a place that fancy that would require us to reserve it months in advance. We could get married at the courthouse for all we care.”

“The courthouse? You want to get married in such a cold and ugly place?”

“The San Francisco courthouse is beautiful. People take their wedding photos there all the time. I’m just saying it’s an option. But back to Mei—the important thing is that she gets her dream wedding. She’s waited so long, Ma, she deserves it.”

“You must know I have waited even longer for you to get married. And I’m not getting any younger. Many of my friends have grandbabies already. All I have are my mahjong trophies— zi mo !”

A chorus of groans comes over the line as my mother’s friends witness her victory.

She just ended the game by drawing the winning tile herself, which means she’ll be in an even better mood.

There’s no better time to persuade her than now.

In my sweetest voice and using Mandarin—which I admit will soon turn into Chinglish—I say, “I know how much you want to be a grandma, and God willing, you will be. You know how much Mei wants kids. The sooner she gets married, the sooner your dream can come true. So, the best plan for everyone is for Mei to reserve her wedding venue today, don’t you agree? ”

“Fine.”

My jaw drops. “Fine? So, you’re okay with Mei putting the deposit down today?”

She sighs dramatically. “Yes. As you know, Lily, I’m not the one preventing her from getting married. I am following the tradition of our ancestors. But now that you are engaged, your sister can move forward with her plans.”

Hunter walks over with two drinks in hand and sits down at the table. His brow shoots up as he mouths, Everything okay?

I give him a thumbs-up and nod enthusiastically. “I’ll tell Mei the good news! She’ll be so thrilled. Thank you, Ma!”

“After you talk to her, you can make your reservation at City Hall. I’m looking at their website right now, and you can book the appointments for your wedding license and civil ceremony at the same time.”

My stomach sinks. I just set my own trap and walked right into it. “B-but what about the huge banquet that you want to invite all our relatives and your friends to?”

“We will plan that for later, of course. What’s important is that the two of you get married first.” She gasps. “I see an opening on the calendar for next week! Quick, give me Hunter’s birthday and his parents’ names. We need to take this spot before someone else claims it!”

“What?!” A cold sweat breaks out on my forehead. “Next week is a bit soon, don’t you think?”

“Is Hunter there with you?”

“He is.”

“Put him on the phone. Let me talk to him.”

I eye Hunter warily from across the table. He looks so calm and peaceful drinking his boba tea, with not a care in the world. I cannot, in good conscience, hand him over to my mother. “He’s kind of busy right now.”

“I’ll call him myself.”

As soon as my phone screen goes black, Hunter’s lights up. I don’t know when my mother even got his number, but that’s a moot point. He needs saving, and he needs saving fast. “Don’t?—”

“Hello?” His Superman reflexes are at work because he’s already chatting away with my mother—in perfect Mandarin, I might add. “My birthday? Sure, it’s…”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I drop my head into my hands.

I can’t believe the twists and turns this day has brought.

Just when I thought things were going in the right direction, my best intentions took us on a path straight into my mother’s trap.

Only two things are for sure: she’s in the best mood ever now, and it looks like Hunter and I are getting married.