Chapter 21
Scottie
“Areyou going to be my granddaughter-in-law?” Herb asks, pushing his cart of fruit to the counter.
I didn’t think anything could beat the phone-on-speaker conversation. I was wrong.
“Uh …” I laugh nervously, weighing his produce. “Not to my knowledge.”
“Oh. The boy said you were moving in with him.”
“I am.”
Herb inspects me through narrowed eyes. I’ve never seen him be anything but jovial and full of smiles. Even a little flirty. This is the opposite of all those things.
“Surely not out of wedlock.”
Uh-oh …
“We haven’t ironed out all of the details. It’s not happening today or anything like that.”
Tomorrow.
Koen took tomorrow off to help me move my things. I told him I didn’t need help. I have limited belongings. But I think he’s a little anxious about me messing up his organization, hence the “help.”
“Phew.” He relaxes. “You had me going there for a minute.”
With a nervous “tee-hee,” I slide the produce into his reusable bag. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“His grandma, God rest her soul, would turn over in her grave if the boy didn’t first make you an honest woman.” He holds up his index finger and waggles it at me. “Don’t let him have the milk before he buys the cow.”
I choke on a bit of saliva. Is this really happening? Did he not hear us upstairs on Valentine’s Day? “No,” I say. “Uh … of course not. But I don’t think of myself as a cow.”
“It’s just an expression. But really, cows were once sacred. Think of it as a compliment.”
“Mmm.” I nod with a tight grin. “Well, it’s always nice seeing you.”
“Have a lovely day, Scottie.”
After he exits the store, I grab my phone.
Scottie: Your grandpa doesn’t want you to have free milk!
Koen: I’m lost
Scottie: He thinks we need to be married before we live together!
Koen: Lol
Lol!
That’s his response.
After the remaining two customers check out, I call him.
“Hi.” He sounds cool and calm.
“He’s not joking, Koen. I have never seen him look so disappointed as he did when I confirmed we were moving in together. He said your grandmother would roll over in her grave.”
“Don’t worry about it. That’s not even possible. She was cremated.”
I cover my mouth to muffle my snort. “I’m serious, Koen. I can’t move in with you now. He will never look at me the same way.”
“So … you’re more concerned about the way he looks at you than you are about the way I love you?”
“That’s not fair. Our living together shouldn’t change how you feel about me.”
“It changes my proximity to be able to feel you.”
Again, I suppress my giggles. I need him to be serious. “I am a sacred cow. I think we should wait.”
“Wait to move in? You can’t be serious.”
“And I think we should wait to have sex.”
He laughs. “Newsflash. We’ve had sex. And how would he know?”
“He’ll see it on my face. I’m glowing after we have sex.”
“You’re always glowing, Scottie.”
I blush. “You’re just saying that so I’ll have sex with you.”
“No. I’m saying it because it’s true. But if it makes you lose your inhibitions, who am I to object?”
“What about your mom?”
“I’d prefer she not lose her inhibitions.”
I sit on the stool and spin in a circle. “But your grandpa?—”
“Lives in la-la land. I humor him when I can. But this is too much. Listen, I gotta get back to work. We move forward as planned. We don’t have to tell him we’re living together.”
“For the record, you’re the one who told him.”
“He asked me how things were going between us, and I told him you’re moving in with me.”
“And he took it that we’re getting married.”
“Well, that’s on him. Love you. Gotta go. Bye.”
“Bye.”