Page 100 of It's Not PMS, It's You

“Such a sweet girl.” I petted her. “And has anyone disappointed your mom by not showing up to the reunion?”

“Not yet. The last four years in a row we’ve had a hundred percent of the family in attendance. And as soon as one family reunion ends, the date for next year’s reunion is sent out by email.”

We sat there for a few moments, silent, enjoying the sound of the fountain and the crickets.

It was a beautiful evening, and I was starving, although I wasn’t going to say anything since I was enjoying sitting there in my new gazebo.

“You should come with me,” Nick blurted out.

I blinked twice. “Where?”

“To the reunion.”

Honestly, if I’d had to guess what Nick was going to say next in our conversation, I would’ve guessed a thousand other things before that.

Go with him?

To his family reunion?

Why would I go to the reunion with him?

And why would hewantme to go?

“You look paralyzed,” Nick finally said. “Should I call a doctor? Did you have an aneurism or is it another wedgie? Are you going to fall off the chair?”

I laughed. “Whatwas my rule about the gym?”

“Never talk about the gym.”

“And what did you just do?”

“I talked about the gym.”

“And how do you think I feel about that?”

“Hmm. I’m guessing that you’re torn because I’m such a daring man who deserves kudos for defying a woman like yourself?”

I stared at him, trying to keep a straight face, which wasn’t easy because he was cute when he was being silly.

“No?” He chuckled. “What’s the problem? Why not come to the reunion with me?”

“Because I’m not family?”

“Brandon will be there and he’s not family either. We have a great time, and there’s no doubt you can use some fun in your life. Especially after your speed dating catastrophe today.”

I froze. “I’m going to kill Dee.”

He laughed. “If it makes you feel any better, she told Brandon, and then Brandon told me. I’m not sure if that means you need to kill two people, but I just wanted you to know before you chose the weapon.”

I stared at him.

“Look, you think too much and you need to loosen up. You’re uptight.”

“I’m not uptight. I’m focused on my goals and my concentration can sometimes come off as me being too serious.”

“I thought girls just want to have fun? That’s how the song goes. Or is it girls just want to work and work and work and then drop dead? When was the last time you had fun, anyway?”

I crinkled my nose. “Is this a rhetorical question or do you want the exact year or decade?”