Page 82 of Swept Away

“Why?”

“It was your mother’s idea.”

“Huh? She didn’t say anything to me about this.”

“She didn’t do it because she knew you’d be against it. She wants you to celebrate your birthday for once.”

“What is wrong with her? She also wants me to get a boyfriend.”

“You can’t blame her. She’s happy with her new man and wants everyone around her to be happy. What’s wrong with that?”

“Who’s coming?” I ask, a bit suspicious, hoping that my mother's desire for me to celebrate my birthday and find a boyfriend aren't somehow connected.

The last thing I want is for them to try to set me up on a blind date.

“It’s mostly family, unless you want to bring someone over.”

“Who do you have in mind?”

“Friends or something.”

“My friends are all away.”

Maybe that’s the reason why I never liked to celebrate my birthday.

People are on vacation this time of year, and it’s always been like that.

“Okay. You know better. You’re free to bring anyone you like.”

“So no blind dates are waiting for me over there.”

She chuckles in response.

“No, there aren’t any. It’s going to be us, your cousins, Martha, and her husband.”

Those are her neighbors.

“And some of the girls I work with.”

Charlize owns a store, and I know most of her employees.

“Okay. Sounds good. What time?”

“Seven.”

“Okay. I’ll be there. Anything else?” I toss at her casually, already thinking about what I’d like to wear.

“Hmm… There is something else,” she says, her voice a little different, and I snap out of my head.

“I’m listening,” I say as she seems to take her time.

“Christopher has stopped by,” she says and turns silent abruptly.

I pull upright in my seat.

We all know who Christopher is. We rarely talk about him. Okay, almost never. My mother set the tone on this.

She’s usually not very chatty about her past.