CHAPTER 25 MINA
I hang up the phone and take a deep breath, attempting to release some of the anxiety bubbling in the pit of my stomach. Alex is coming here, to meet my family.
It’s not so bad , a little voice in my mind urges. He’s fantastic, they will love him .
I take another deep breath and flop down on my bed. Yeah, they’ll love him as long as they don’t find out the truth about him. I glance over at my closet, debating what to wear. I want to look good, but not so good that my parents are suspicious. Hot, but not sexy. It’s going to be tough trying to maintain my composure with him here. I know I’m going to want to immediately jump his bones. Just being near him sends my body into overdrive like I’m some sort of sex-crazed animal. It's a bit ridiculous, but I can’t help it. He nourishes me, body and soul.
I get up and move to the bathroom and open my makeup drawer. I’ll start with this, then decide what to wear.
I pace the front hall nervously. He should be here any minute, and my heart is racing. A soft knock at the door makes my stomach flutter. He’s here.
I reach for the handle and pause, not wanting to seem too eager. I count to five, then open it. He’s standing there in a clean suit, his dress shirt unbuttoned slightly. He looks like a dream. I was right, I want to jump his bones here and now, and leave his suit scattered down my hallway. I swallow hard and smile at him.
“Hey stranger!”
“Hey!” He glances into the house and then leans down to give me a quick kiss.
My heart flutters. He’s wearing cologne, and I want to wrap myself around him and just breathe him in.
“I’m glad you could make it.” I take him by the hand and lead him inside. “This is my house!”
He looks around, taking it all in.
“You look great, by the way. Where’d you get the suit?”
He chuckles and presses another quick kiss to the top of my head. “What, you think I don’t have nice clothes for occasions like this?”
“Oh, you meet your girlfriend’s parents often?”
“You know what I mean, you goober.”
“Mina, darling, is that him?” my mother calls from the kitchen.
“Yes! He’s here!”
“Well, bring him in here! Don’t make me wait all night!”
I look at Alex and grimace slightly. “Here we go,” I whisper.
“I’m ready,” he whispers back. “Lead the way.”
I take him to the kitchen, where my mom is putting the finishing touches on dinner. She turns around, a smile on her face, her eyes roaming up and down Alex’s physique.
“Mina, you didn’t tell me how handsome your friend is!”
“Mom, stop,” I plead as I feel a blush begin to form.
“What, I’m just saying.” She turns her attention back to the simmering pot in front of her. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Alex.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Alex replies, smirking at me. “Mina failed to mention how radiant her mother is, so I think we’re even.”
“Oh ho ho, a charmer, too? Mina, I like this one!”
I shake my head and hold back a chuckle. He’s already making a good impression, despite my discomfort at the situation. Good.
“I’m almost finished here, why don’t you go wait with your father in the sitting room?”
“Oh, are you sure you don’t need any help?”
I’m not surprised Alex offered to help; it’s in his nature. But clearly my mother hadn’t expected it.
“Oh, my. You are such a sweet boy. What a gentleman! No, no, I’ve got this in hand. Go relax and I’ll tell you when the food is ready!”
I don’t allow him to offer again. I grab his hand and lead him to the sitting room, where my father is waiting. Just before we go in, he pulls up short and presses his body against my back, wrapping his arm around my chest.
“How am I doing so far?” he murmurs into my ear.
“A gold star for the sweet boy,” I murmur back, teasing him with my mother’s words. “The perfect gentleman.”
“Good. Now let’s see if I can charm your father as easily.”
“I doubt it, but I’ve learned not to underestimate you.”
We enter the room, and my father looks up from his phone.
“Ah, princess, is this your friend?” He rises from the couch and comes over to us, extending his hand. “It’s so nice to meet you. Thank you for looking after our girl while she was laid up.”
“Oh, it was entirely my pleasure,” Alex replies, shaking my father’s outstretched hand. “Only the very best care is good enough, and I had to make sure she was getting it.”
“I can’t tell you how much it means to us, truly. Your call was both terrifying and comforting. To know our Mina was hurt and in pain, but also to know she had a guardian angel watching over her… it helped make the worry go away.”
“That’s why I’m here,” Alex says with a smile. “Alleviating stress is what I’m good at.”
“I do hope she wasn’t a burden to you,” my father jests, winking at me.
“She could never be a burden.”
“She’s standing right here,” I interject.
“Is she? Did you hear something?” My father pretends to look around the room, squinting at the corners.
Alex jumps in and plays along, both to my delight and annoyance. “Hmmm I don’t see her anywhere. Did you hear something?”
“Boys,” I groan. “Come on now.”
“Ah, my impetuous princess,” my father chuckles. He leans over and plants a kiss on my temple. “My greatest treasure in this world.”
Just then, my mother appears at the door. “Dinner’s ready, let’s sit down and eat!”
Dinner goes as smoothly as can be expected. Alex has the charm level dialed up to 100, and my parents are obviously smitten. They ask a few questions about work, and he’s very careful to answer in a way that isn’t a complete lie but definitely bends the truth. They seem more focused on his upbringing though, and on those counts, he is honest.
He tells them about growing up in the system, and how his worldview was shaped by what he experienced. When Mom marveled that he was able to work in a hospital after everything he had been through, he simply chalked it up to a driven work ethic, life experience, and a determination to stand on his own two feet.
I held my breath when she pointed out the cost of medical school, alluding to the fact that he must have had significant scholarships or financial aid to pull it off, or be severely in debt to student loans.
I was able to breathe again when his response was simply, “Thankfully, I’m not in debt, and student loans were never anything I had to worry about.”
This was all true: he never went to college, so there was no cost associated with that. But my mother took it as a sign of his brilliance at being able to cover the entirety of his medical schooling with scholarships. I wasn’t about to correct her assumption.
“I’m so glad Mina has a friend like you,” she gushes. “Perhaps she will take your determination to heart and apply it to her own life to ensure a successful future.”
“I hope so,” Alex agrees. “But about that, I have something to say.”
I brace myself. Is this carefully crafted evening about to come undone at the seams? I silently will him to please not fuck this up. What he says next takes my breath away.
“You call me your daughter’s friend, and that is true. She’s incredible. I’d like to formally announce my intention to see your daughter in a capacity that is more than friendship. Mina makes my life immeasurably brighter, and I’d like to think I can do the same for her.”
Papa looks surprised, and Mother looks like the cat who finally caught a pesky mouse.
Alex continues, “I’d like to date your daughter, though I don’t think date is the right word. That implies casual and passing. I would like to court her, with the intention of making her part of my life forever. I love her.”
“Oh, my,” my mom breathes, clutching her hands to her chest. “Well, of course we approve. You have been so good to her; I can’t imagine anyone better suited.”
I can feel my mouth hanging open at his bold declaration of love for me, to my parents, right here at this table, the same night he’s met them.
“I think this could be a fine match!” It seems father has finally found his voice. “That is, if Mina agrees.”
All eyes are on me now. I look around the table, at last looking into Al’s eyes. They are burning with desire, and I want to jump in and swim in them forever.
“Yes,” I manage to whisper. “Yes, of course.”