35. Chapter Thirty Four
Chapter Thirty Four
Apparently, Blaise took Alfie's advice to run literally, leaving me alone in the kitchen with his Mom, muttering about the chairs.
I couldn't help but panic. Everyone was adamant that we should stay out of the kitchen, but now I'm in here… by myself with Mrs. Nolan. We know I don't have the best track record dealing with things under pressure.
"Do you need a hand with anything?" I ask gingerly, looking around the kitchen.
I expect her to say no based on everyone's earlier reactions, but she turns around, nodding toward a bag of potatoes on the floor.
"Do you know how to peel?"
Surprised, I quickly answer. "Yes, I do."
"Great!" she says bubbly. "Can you peel some? The peelers are in the second drawer on the right. Use the sink, please. I'll have to clean all this up later. God knows they won't be any good," she murmurs, looking out the window.
I pull the bag over to the sink, standing next to her as she pours ingredients into a large mixing bowl. The window is in front of us, and I spot Blaise talking to Alfie, a look of exasperation on his face.
Smiling, I muffle a laugh, fetching the peeler from the drawer and getting to work.
"So, what do you do, Skylar?" Mrs. Nolan asks.
"Oh," I mutter, holding the potato still as I peel the skin off. "I actually work with Blaise."
She throws me a look of amazement. "With his IT business?"
I nod. "I look after the admin stuff for him."
"And you live together as well?"
It's not a question of concern, just curiosity. "We do. It's been about a year now."
Mrs. Nolan purses her lips, humming. "So, you met Nathan?"
I feel my heart sink. Here it comes.
"I met him a few times," I confirm.
She sighs. "Such a shame. I told Blaisey he needs to start considering settling down. Of course, it's completely up to him and I'm not trying to rush him but the years are ticking by."
"He's still young," I tell her in a comforting tone. "And I heard all about Alfie and Lauren's first meeting. Sounds like quite an adventure."
Mrs. Nolan beams, laughing. "It was definitely a day to remember. Truthfully, I always thought Blaise would settle down before Alfie. That boy showed no interest in relationships at all until Lauren came along."
"And Blaise?" I ask, curiously.
She pauses. "He did, but I think he views relationships differently than most."
It makes sense to me, given what I know about Blaise. Nodding, I put a potato into a bowl and grab another. "I think he wants to make sure he finds the one."
"I think so too," she says gently. "I know he gets annoyed at me asking all the time, but he always spoke so highly of Nathan. I thought it was… what do the kids call it these days… end game?"
I laugh. "Yes, end game. Look, I'm not sure what happened but I do know that Blaise is a good guy. He has his head screwed on straight. And no matter what happens, he'll be okay."
Blaise points to the house, turning away from Alfie as he heads toward us. He glances up, spotting me in the kitchen window. I smile, but he looks back down, disappearing around the corner.
Mrs. Nolan grabs two eggs from the fridge, cracking them into the bowl. "Blaise is a good boy. He was always there after my dear Robert passed. I just want to make sure he doesn't forget about his own happiness. He's always too busy putting other people first."
Don't I know it…
She continues. "I think Blaise would really benefit from a good old blind date. I met Robert that way actually. I remember thinking it couldn't go any worse. But he surprised me. Maybe I'll ask some of my friends if their kids are still single…"
"Who's still single?" Blaise asks, walking into the kitchen.
"I think Lacy is. You remember her, right? She's Julie's little girl. You used to play with each other all the time."
Blaise stiffens. "When we were four, Mom."
"Okay," Mrs. Nolan relents. "What about Leigh? She runs the local children's program in town. You went to school together."
"Mom… I'm fairly certain Leigh isn't into men."
She groans. "Well… I know! Margot! She works at the library. She's very beautiful and friendly. Always asks me about my day when I return my books."
I look over my shoulder, watching as Blaise's face drops further and further. I can tell he's uncomfortable, trying to polite steer the conversation away from this direction.
"Mom, I have a handle on my dating life. It's fine."
"Just one little blind date," she pleads. "Just to get you out of the house. You work too much."
Blaise locks eyes with me, and for a brief second, I see him begging for a reprieve. I try to think of something to change the topic of conversation, my mind going blank.
Potatoes… I can talk about the potatoes.
I open my mouth but suddenly Mrs. Nolan is facing me, looking at me. "What do you think, Skylar? We should get him away from work for a bit," she muses, asking for support.
Blaise stares at the fridge, standing still. And suddenly, I can't help blurting out something — anything — to help rescue him.
"Blaise and I are dating."
"What?!" Mrs. Nolan and Blaise say at the same time, except she's much louder, drowning him out. "You are?" she says, swinging around to look at Blaise.
He looks at me, wide eyed and speechless. "Uh."
I shrug frantically, eyes apologetic.
WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME?
Why would I even say that to his mother of all people?
I don't work well under pressure!
Realizing that was a very stupid thing to do, I open my mouth to rectify the situation and say sorry, but Blaise cuts me off, holding a hand up as he looks at his Mom.
"We are."
I freeze, shocked at his agreement.
Mrs. Nolan swings around to me, looking me up and down like it's the first time she's seen me. Suddenly, she lets out a wild cry, rushing forward to pull me in for a hug.
"That's wonderful!" she beams. "OH, Blaise. Why didn't you tell me?" she says, rushing over to squeeze the life out of him.
He grunts, patting her back awkwardly. "It must have… slipped my mind."
She doesn't notice our suspicious looks, dancing around as she returns back to her mixing bowl. "I'm so happy for you both! When did you start dating?"
"It's recent," Blaise mutters. "Very recent."
I quickly start peeling potatoes, staring at the sink like it's the most engrossing movie I've ever watched.
"Mrs. Nolan, where do you want these?" I ask, nodding to the bowl.
"Sweetheart, call me Mackenzie. You can take them over to the counter and start chopping them up."
I pick up the bowl, turning to put them in the center counter. Blaise walks over, opening a cabinet door to retrieve a chopping board.
"Here," he murmurs, handing it to me.
"Thanks," I whisper, locking eyes with him.
It's hard to get a read on his expression, and I can't help but panic. Have I made him even more mad?
Blaise reaches over to the knife block, the sound of metal brushing against metal. He stands next to me, taking the potatoes from the bowl. "I'll help," he says casually, picking up a potato.
"Are you sure?" I mutter, and I hope he realizes I'm not asking about the potatoes.
He nods. "Mom, perhaps Skylar should meet the girls soon."
She gasps at the idea. "Of course. Lauren and her bridal party are upstairs. Once you finish chopping the potatoes, put them on to boil and take Skylar up. You can also show her to her room. Wait… what am I saying? You'll probably want her to stay with you."
My hand slips on the counter, nearly connecting with the knife as Blaise chops. He glances at me in alarm, moving the chopping board away.
"I don't mind staying in my own room," I hastily say, trying to be polite and calm. "I don't want to put you guys out."
"Nonsense!" Mrs. Nolan exclaims. "It's one less room to tidy up anyway. You can stay in Blaise's room. I don't mind at all."
"I'm so, so sorry," I whisper as we head up the stairs.
The two of us smell strongly of food, hands covered in tiny bits of potato.
"It's fine," he groans. "At least it gets her off my back. But I hope you realize she'll be on yours now."
I flinch. "I shouldn't have said anything."
Blaise stops in front of a door once we reach the landing. "What's done is done. Anyway, this level of the house is all the main bedrooms. This is the guest room. Alfie's room is next door. Mine is down the far end."
"What about your Mom's?" I ask nervously.
He picks to the ceiling. "Her room is on the top story. There's also another bedroom up there where Lauren and her girls are sleeping tonight."
"So, I'm sleeping in your room?" I swallow.
Blaise heads down to the end of the hallway, opening the last door. "Yep."
I step inside, looking around curiously. My panic fades temporarily as I take in the memories of Blaise. It's almost exactly what I'd expect — similar to his bedroom back home.
His double bed is in the center of the room, the headboard pushed against the wall. To the left of the bed is a huge computer desk, scattered with old paperwork, and a computer in the middle.
To the right of his room is a beanbag, a bookcase filled to the brim. There's a few trophies on the shelves next to the books and I walk over, scanning the plaque.
"You played football?" I ask, laughing.
Blaise snorts. "Only for one season. I made a bet with Alfie that I could get a trophy. I don't think he realized everyone got one, but I did it."
I raise an eyebrow, amused. "Any other secrets I should know? Any dancing ribbons?"
A smile tugs at his lips. "All my secrets are on the computer."
I glance over at it. "How old is that thing?"
"It's an old Windows PC," he grunts. "Probably runs slower than a snail but I reckon I could pull it apart and do some work on it."
"Ah… good old dial-up days," I tease. "I can imagine you up here, teaching yourself computer things."
Walking over the window, I look out over the farm, lips parting at the stunning view. Mountains are visible in the distance over all the shady, green trees. They sway gently in the breeze, and the late afternoon sun is casting little orange glows.
"Wow," I whisper. "It's beautiful."
Blaise takes a few seconds to respond. "Yeah… it is."
Turning my head to look over my shoulder, I notice him watching me, and I glance down. "So, what else did you do in here?"
He walks over, standing behind me as he points out the window. The guys are still setting up below and he directs his finger at Alfie. "I used to shoot Alfie with a nerf gun from this window."
I laugh. "I bet he loved that."
Blaise joins in, laughing too. "Once I accidentally shot Dad instead. The two of them ganged up on me. I was forced to watch Titanic. Twice."
"In a row?" I ask.
He nods. "They tied me to a chair and left me there. I still can't listen to 'My Heart Will Go On'."
"I'll make a note to request it for the DJ tomorrow," I snicker.
Blaise leans his arm against the window sill, boxing me in. I turn around, smiling at him, imagining all the possible threats he has. I like that we're back talking again. It feels like a huge weight has lifted from my shoulders.
He studies my face, his eyes dipping down to my lips before coming back up.
… What?
"I'd still dance with you to it," he says, suddenly pulling back.
As he turns to head to the bedroom door, I realize there's footsteps coming down the hallway. He must have heard them before I did, and when he opens it, talking to his Mom, I notice that my heart is racing like a speeding bullet.