Chapter 1
DAKOTA
“Ican’t believe I moved back in with my parents.” I dropped my head back with a groan as I set my margarita on the ground next to me.
“Hey, now. I resemble that remark.” Charmaine twisted in her lawn chair and narrowed her eyes. “And I’ve been living with mine for the past two years while you were still away at school.”
“You know I didn’t mean it that way.” I heaved a deep sigh. “It’s just going to be weird having them all up in my business after being on my own for so long.”
My best friend lifted her frosty glass and quirked her brow. “If your mom’s nosiness comes with freshly made cocktails, then I’m all for her meddling as much as she wants.”
“It is a nice change from the wine coolers she used to let us drink when we were in high school,” I conceded, picking up my glass to take another sip.
“We thought we were so sophisticated every time she let us do that back then.” She laughed and shook her head.
“But seriously, it’s not as though staying with your mom and dad will cramp your style.
You literally never give guys a chance to ask you on a date, let alone go home with them and do the walk of shame the next morning. ”
My nose wrinkled—and not because my mom had been heavy-handed with the tequila when she mixed this batch of drinks.
I’d adjusted to the taste of my margarita by the third sip, but the same couldn’t be said for how I handled it whenever my loved ones brought up my lack of dating.
I’d only been back home for a grand total of three hours, and my mom, dad, aunt, and grandma had already asked if I was sure I hadn’t left someone special behind.
“My welcome-home dinner didn’t feel very welcoming. I was hoping to get away from talking about my dating life when you showed up to rescue me from the family inquisition, but here you are, bringing it up yourself,” I muttered.
“Sorry.” She shot me a grin over the rim of her glass. “But you’re the one who brought it up.”
“Brought what up?” my mom asked from behind us.
Before I could tell her it wasn’t anything, Charmaine explained, “Her lack of a dating life.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” I groaned, turning to glare at her. “Some best friend you are.”
My mom patted me on the shoulder. “Be nice to Charmaine. She’s only got your best interests at heart.”
Twisting my neck, I shifted my glare toward her. “That’s the same excuse you used when Grandma asked me why I wasn’t married yet.”
My mom was unfazed by the reminder. “Because she does, too.”
“And when Aunt Jane said that I should at least be engaged since she thought I went to college to get my Mrs. degree?”
She nodded with a motherly smile, and I rolled my eyes.
“Did she really?” Charmaine sputtered out a laugh. “Dang, I’m mad I missed dinner. It sounds entertaining.”
“Only if you like watching your best friend get grilled more than the overcooked steaks that my dad made.” I gulped down the rest of my margarita and lifted my glass for my mom to refill from the pitcher she’d brought out.
“It wasn’t that bad, dear,” my mom murmured.
“Which one—the steak or the inquisition about her dating life?” Charmaine teased.
My mom laughed as she topped off her glass too. “Both.”
“You can only say that because you’re married and used to eating dad’s meat.”
I realized how that sounded the moment the words left my mouth, but there was no taking them back. All I could do was wait out my best friend and mom until they were done giggling—which took longer than I would’ve liked. Not that I was surprised, considering what I’d just said.
“You knew what I meant, Mom.”
“Sure,” she conceded with a smile. “But that doesn’t make it any less funny.”
Charmaine poked me in the side. “She’s got you there.”
There was no denying that my best friend was right, but I didn’t want to lose track of the point I’d been trying to make before our conversation went off track.
“Now that everyone has had a good laugh at my expense, I’d like to request a moratorium on questions about when I’ll find a boyfriend.
I have enough on my plate with trying to find my first real job.
I don’t need the added stress of everyone pressuring me to go out on dates. ”
“Don’t worry about all of this now, dear. Enjoy your first night back. Get silly with your bestie.” She brushed a kiss against my cheek and beamed a smile at Charmaine. “There’s plenty of time to find the man whose meat you’ll happily eat.”
I should’ve been used to the inappropriate stuff that came out of my mom’s mouth since I’d been listening to it for years, but she still made me blush.
“Good one, Mrs. S. You’re seriously the best.”
“Thanks, sweetie. You’re awesome, too.” My mom stroked her hand through the back of Charmaine’s hair before heading back toward the house.
When the sliding patio door shut behind her, Charmaine turned to me. “You do realize that you’ll either need to get a boyfriend or an apartment if you want to stop conversations like that from happening every day, right?”
“Ugh. I’d hoped the whole ordeal was a one-off since my aunt and grandma were over for dinner.” My shoulders slumped as I realized she was right. “Do you think my job search will distract them at all?”
“For a little while, maybe. But there’s really only one solution if you want to keep them quiet longer.”
Not trusting the gleam in her eyes, I braced myself as I asked, “What’s that?”
“Let me set you up on a blind date.” Setting her glass on the ground, she bounced on her chair and clapped her hands.
“This guy comes in every four weeks like clockwork to get his hair cut. His next appointment is tomorrow. He’s single, cute, and I’ve overheard him talking about investments on the phone several times while waiting for his appointment, so I’m pretty sure he does something in finance.
I bet the two of you would get along great. ”
I rolled my eyes with a huff. “That’s a giant leap in logic. I was in class with a ton of guys who were single, cute, and studying the same thing as me, but I never wanted to date any of them.”
“I’m not saying you have to marry the guy, Dakota. Just go out on one blind date, and then you can use him as a shield whenever someone in your family brings up your lack of a boyfriend.”
I pursed my lips as I considered her suggestion. Going on a blind date sounded awful…but could it be any worse than all the pressure I was bound to get if I didn’t have a quick reply the next time someone in my family asked if I would ever get a boyfriend?
“If I do this”—I held up my hand in a gesture to stop when she practically jumped off her seat to tackle hug me—“and that’s a big if, the guy has to be tall.”
She gave me a squeeze before doing a little celebratory dance. “Of course he’s tall. Like I’d suggest a short guy you’d tower over when I know how self-conscious you are about your height.”
My parents and I lived on the first floor of the brownstone they owned.
Charmaine and I had met when her family moved into one of the fourth floor apartments.
We became best friends on the first day of school while we waited for the bus with our moms. She had been right by my side for the awkward middle school years when I shot up past all the boys and started getting picked on, so she definitely understood why I was sensitive about my height, especially when it came to guys.
“When I say tall, what I mean is that he needs to be taller than me by enough that I can wear heels and still be shorter than him.”
Charmaine squinted at me. “Are we walking six-inch stilettos or a more reasonable three?”
“When have you ever known me to wear six-inch stilettos?” I lifted my foot to show off my flip-flops.
“I’d probably break my neck if I tried…although at least then I would get out of the date.
Oh, and I could use the pity card with my family so they’d finally shut up about me not having a boyfriend.
So maybe I’ll buy a pair just for this blind date. ”
She beamed a huge smile at me. “Does that mean you’ll let me set you up?”
“Yeah, I guess it can’t hurt anything, and it might help.”