Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
HUNTER
BLAME IT ON ZUMBA
“Hey, Hunter. You’ve got a customer up front.”
Brooks pops his head into the office.
“Who is it?”
I shuffle the endless stack of paperwork around on my desk—my least favorite part of my job.
All of it is mind-numbingly dull. I’d rather be out chopping down trees to go to good homes for the holiday season, but having spent Friday night and all day Saturday with Ollie, I’m behind.
“Someone.” He smirks.
“Can this someone wait?”
Based on his face, he knows exactly who it is and isn’t going to tell me.
The fucker.
“Absolutely not.”
The voice that comes around the corner makes my insides clench.
My mother.
Not exactly the person I wanted to show up in my office unannounced. With the amount of work I have to do, this is definitely going to waylay me today.
“Hi, Mom.”
I stand, rounding the desk to drop a kiss on her cheek.
“Hi, Mom? That’s all you have to say to me? Do you know how many times I’ve called you this month and nothing? You think you can ignore your mother?” she scolds me. Snowflakes stick to her graying brown hair.
“Mom, I’m not ignoring you. You know it’s my busiest time of year. It’s not like I can get away whenever I want.”
“But you can make time for your boyfriend?”
“What? I’m not dating anyone.”
“Is that the story you’re going with?”
She crosses her arms in front of me. The face she’s giving me is eerily similar to mine when I’m questioning things.
Is this what I’m going to look like when I’m her age?
“Yes?” It comes out as more of a question.
She tsks at me. “That’s not the story I’m hearing.”
“What are you talking about?” The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. I have a feeling I know what she’s talking about and I’m not going to like it.
“Oh, just how you were spotted with a boyfriend the other night.”
“Where are you hearing this from?”
We went to Vanilla Springs. It’s where Ollie works. I figured we’d be fine there since it wasn’t in Moose Falls.
If people spotted us together in Moose Falls, the gossip train would’ve left the station before we even got inside.
I lean back against my desk, waiting for my mom’s answer.
“I was at Zumba and someone told me how happy you looked with your boyfriend.”
“And who told you?”
“Yeah, who told you?” Brooks asks.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” I ask. I don’t need Brooks hearing all of this and running to tell the guys.
“I’m right where I need to be.” He grins at me.
The fucker.
“The woman who is the instructor. Her friend’s son’s girlfriend works at The Hotspot and said she saw you there with a man that you looked quite cozy with.”
“Fuck me,” I groan.
“Said she heard you call the young man your boyfriend.”
This is one of the downsides to small towns and running my business. We’re the only Christmas tree farm for at least three towns.
Meaning everyone comes from miles away to get their fresh trees at the Naughty Pine. I know most of the customers, and they recognize me.
Something I didn’t even think about when going out with Ollie.
“Well? What do you have to say for yourself?” she asks. “I didn’t think you did relationships.”
It’s not like I can tell my mother it was all a ruse. That would not go over well.
“Look, Mom,” I say gently. “We weren’t telling anyone because it’s new.”
“That’s what you tell strangers. Not your mother. You tell your mother when you’re dating someone.”
“Mom.” I shove my hand through my hair, pulling at the strands. Maybe it’ll help me not be annoyed with her.
“Don’t you Mom me, Hunter,” she says. “I want to meet this young man.”
“Mom. That’s not taking things slow.”
“Bring him by for dinner tonight.”
“I have to work.”
“Nonsense.” She looks at Brooks behind her. “Can you handle things tonight?”
A Cheshire-cat grin is on his face. “Oh, I can absolutely cover so Hunter can take his boyfriend over to meet you.”
I subtly flip him off before my mom notices.
“Good.” Mom walks over and pecks me on the cheek. “I expect to see you at seven. Do not be late, Hunter.”
“It was nice to see you, Mrs. Wells,” Brooks calls out as she leaves in a whiff of vanilla-scented perfume.
“You too, dear.”
“I really need to get better help,” I tell Brooks.
“You love me.” He takes his seat and gets back to work.
Ugh. If only he wasn’t such a good friend and the best employee I have, I’d fire him. But it’s not like he could stop my mother. Hell, she’d convince even the scariest security guard to let her back to my office.
With a tidbit like I have a boyfriend, nothing would stop her.
Pulling out my phone, I text Ollie.
Hunter
I need my boyfriend again
Ollie
Your boyfriend?
I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend
I thought it was a one-time thing
You don’t do boyfriends
Apparently word got around to my mom and she knows I have a boyfriend
So I need you again
Crap
What are we going to do?
Considering we have to be at her house at seven for dinner, I need you to come with me
Are we done after this?
I thought things were going back to normal
Things are always normal
Just playing pretend for a few hours
I don’t know what’s worse
Me trying to fake it in front of my coworkers
Or fake it in front of your mother
My mom will be okay
She knows you
I’ve never met her like this before
Yeah, but you’ve met her
She’s the same crazy old lady she’s always been
Who now happens to be my boyfriend’s mom
Fake boyfriend, Ol
Are you up for this?
I’m cool
Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool
I can do it
Your use of too many cools makes me think otherwise
Nope, I’m good
You helped me
I can help you
What time are you picking me up?
6:45 work?
Get there right at 7
What can I bring?
Nothing
I cannot go empty-handed to meet my boyfriend’s mother for the first time
You’ve already met my mom
It’s no big deal
I’m ignoring you on that
I have to impress her
No need to impress
We’ll break up quietly after a few weeks and call it a day
Fake boyfriend or not, I’m going to the store
Then I’m not going to talk you out of it
I smile, locking my phone to get back to the stack of paperwork I have to finish before another night away from the farm.
We’re not even dating and he has to impress my mother. It’s just like Ollie. The same feeling I had after his work party bubbles up in me now.
The one where it’s nice to have him be mine.
Shit. Why does this keep happening to me? I need to push these thoughts aside and focus on the fact that Ollie’s my friend.
That’s it.
One more night as my fake boyfriend.
Maybe these feelings will be out of my system by tomorrow.
One more night.
That’s it.