Chapter 31
Eliza
After lunch, Mac and I make our way to the grocery store where I learn more about him.
He doesn’t buy any junk food for his place.
He’s not big into sweets, and while he knows how to cook, he doesn’t often because of the crazy hours he works.
I fill the shopping cart with ingredients to make some of my favourite dishes and throw in some junk food, too, determined to try to get him to loosen up a bit.
I add in things we don’t have in Canada for me to take home to try with the girls, too.
When we’re all done, we both have hands full of shopping bags and we make our way back to the apartment. I put everything away, figuring out where everything like plates and cups are along the way.
“Do you want to relax or go out tonight?” Mac asks, and the way my entire body reacts to the word relax has him laughing softly. “Okay, relaxing it is. I’m sure we can find a movie to watch.”
As much as I want to enjoy everything in the city, I’m also not looking forward to working tomorrow and I’m still feeling the effects of travelling yesterday.
When the groceries are put away, I slip out of my boots and jeans and into a pair of sweatpants before joining Mac on the couch.
He’s already got a movie pulled up, and I grab a blanket hanging over a nearby chair.
My phone starts buzzing, and I smile, seeing the group chat has started blowing up.
They’re all probably just now getting up.
Liv
Update on how today went? Did you sightsee? Did Mac come join you or were you left alone all day?
Hannah
I’ll have some choice words for him if he left you alone all day.
Bailey
Down girl, Mac is there for work.
Hannah
It’s a Sunday and their first day there, he can give up a day to spend with his girlfriend.
Zoey
I’m with Hannah on this. A good boyfriend would help her get settled before he bails for anything work related.
Eliza
He joined me and bought me an apology gift. We’re all good. We’re home watching a movie right now.
Hannah
Ohhhhh, you’re home...
Eliza
You know what I mean.
Hannah
I do, but that’s not going to stop me.
Eliza
I hate you.
Hannah
No you don’t.
Liv
What was this apology gift?
Eliza
He paid for the clothes I was going to buy myself and then we went to lunch.
Zoey
He bought you clothes you were going to buy... in other words he wouldn’t let you pay for anything.
Eliza
It’s not like that. He said it was an apology for leaving while I was still in bed.
Hannah
I’m sure you could have convinced him to stay in that bed with you...
I roll my lips together because I have a feeling she’s right.
“Everything all right?” Mac asks, and my head shoots up as I hold my phone closer.
“Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine. The girls are just checking in.”
“Tell them I say hi.”
He leaves and heads into the kitchen, and I listen as it sounds like he pulls pots and pans out.
Eliza
Mac says hi, by the way.
Zoey
Oh, so we’re to the saying hi to your friends phase
Eliza
Am I supposed to know what that means?
That comment just reminds me about my very limited dating experience.
Hannah
You’ve hit the stage where he wants some sort of relationship with your friends. It means he doesn’t want us to hate him, which means he likely wants to stick around.
I laugh. Hannah is so far off base it’s hilarious. Mac isn’t trying to build a relationship with them because he wants to stick around. He already has an acquaintanceship with them through the team, he’s probably just being nice, but I can’t say that.
Eliza
Your husband didn’t do that....
I type the text but don’t send it, remembering the time Grayson asked me to meet him at the bar to talk to me about Hannah. I chew on my thumb, trying to find a way to prove her wrong, but come up empty.
Eliza
He’s just being nice
Zoey
You tell yourself that babe. I’ve got to go, we’re taking Jayden to some event at the aquarium Matt was excited to take him to.
Everyone else also needs to do their own thing, and I’m left clutching my phone and staring at the TV while the realization that if we were in any different situation they might be right about him wanting to develop a better relationship with them so that they’ll like him.
Instead I’m fake dating a guy who is closely connected with my entire close friend group.
Needing to change my train of thought, I join Mac in the kitchen and ask if he needs any help. He’s got everything under control, but I set the table.
Mac pulls me from my thoughts when he asks, “How are your friends?”
“They’re good. They’ve all got family plans.
I know Bailey is trying to spend as much time with Charlie as possible with the baby due in a few weeks.
Matt and Zoey are doing almost every activity they can find for Jayden and I’m sure Liv, Josh, and Cate will join them, and I don’t want to think about how Hannah and Grayson are spending their day. ”
“You’re all very close.” He says it as a statement rather than a question, and I swear I hear a sense of longing in his voice.
“Yeah. They’re my best friends. We’ll always be there for each other.”
“It must be nice to have them since you grew up an only child.”
I smile. “It is. They’re the sisters I chose, even though Zoey constantly tells me she envies that I grew up an only child. I don’t blame her, though, I couldn’t imagine growing up with five older brothers.”
“Five? I’m sure her house was insane.”
“I’ve heard the stories, and you’d be correct.”
“I didn’t mind growing up an only child. Being at boarding schools meant I didn’t get lonely often. There were always people around.”
“I always wanted a sibling. I thought it would be nice to always have someone at home to play with.”
“I can see that.”
Mac brings the food to the table, and we dig in.
“What time are you heading in tomorrow?” I ask.
“Early. I’ll probably leave here around six.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Is your office far from here?”
He shakes his head as he stabs a piece of food. “No, it’s only fifteen minutes by car.”
“That’s so early.”
An air of exhaustions seems to surround Mac. “I’d like to beat my father in, otherwise I’ll hear about it for days.”
I can’t imagine the amount of stress he’s under because of his father. An idea comes to me, and I smile.
“You open to an idea on how you could relax more tonight?”
He looks at me with a brow quirked, interested. “What would this idea be?”
“A surprise.”
“Why not.”
I finish my food, eager to see if Mac will follow through and let me help him relax.