Page 95 of The Triple Threat

There was a little sparkle in her eye, and I knew exactly what was going on in her head. It was obvious by the fact the twinkling was accompanied by a huge smile.

“He didn’t, I literally bumped into him when I was trying to get free from the dress.”

I explained what had happened and couldn’t help but join in when she dropped her head back and laughed like a hyena.

“Oh, honey, that’s hilarious. And you say your ass was on show too?”

“Yeah,” I groaned, throwing my finished apple into the trash. “I’m just glad my face was covered and that no one other than Hunter recognized me. Well, at least I hope they didn’t.”

“But what happened to the dress? Did they try and make you pay for it?”

I shook my head and winced. “Hunter told the assistant he was going to pay for it while I kept her talking. He then slipped it back on a rack. In the middle of men’s pants apparently.”

Mom gasped. “No way.”

“Yeah, he did.”

“Wow, that boy is smart.”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, he’s not that smart.”

“Oh dear.” Mom laughed. “What did he do?”

I contemplated what to say and whether I actually had any cause to complain. My predicament was all my own doing; I had no one to blame but myself.

“Ellie?”

“After he rescued me from the dress from hell, we went and got a bite to eat. After that he trailed around every ladies shop in the mall with me and didn’t complain once.”

When I stopped speaking, Mom shrugged. “And?”

“And,” I replied, dropping my head to the countertop. “He didn’t ask me to the dance.”

Mom was so quiet, I thought maybe she’d left the room, but when I lifted my head and looked at her, she was smiling down at me with shining eyes.

“What?” I asked.

She rubbed cool fingertips over my brow and shook her head. “Don’t frown baby, you’ll regret it in later life.”

“Okay, but what?” I repeated my question with a little shake of my head. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

She swallowed and placed a hand on her heart, and I had no idea why she was getting all dramatic about it.

“Mom, are you auditioning for a Hallmark film or something?”

“No,” she scoffed. “But just hearing you say you want to go to the dance with Hunter, well… it reminds me of Sondra is all.”

My heart clenched a little as a shadow crossed Mom’s face, and I thought of Hunter and his sorrow.

“She always wanted you two to be together. Always knew that Hunter would eventually realize you were his one.”

“Mom,” I cried. “We haven’t even been on a date, so how can you say I’m his one? Besides, did I not just tell you that he didn’t ask me to the dance?”

Okay, so I omitted to tell her that I was personally acquainted with his huge dick. There were some things your mom didn’t need to know, even if she was envisaging the rest of your life in a two-minute show reel.

“A mom knows these things, and Sondra and I knew that you two were made for each other. And, he took you to the singles night, so you have had a date.”

I felt my face burn up as I thought about singles night.