19. Lina
Lina
“You what?” I asked Mary with wide eyes.
My chest ached from the surge of shock to my system. I glanced between her and Eric. They smiled as they sat in my living room like they hadn’t set me up on a blind date without my permission.
“I had so much time during my vacation that I decided to put it to good use,” smiled my best friend.
I grimaced at her feigned sweetness. “I can’t believe you set me up on a blind date, and without my consent too.”
Mary shrugged. “I’ve known you for fourteen years, Lina. You never say yes to these kinds of things.”
I leaned back in my seat to calm my breathing. “There’s a reason why.”
Mary observed me closely. “There’s also a reason why you’re not dating.”
Why would I? With the current mess I have with my older brother, I shouldn’t be dating. Why should I drag anyone else into my mess?
“Lina, I know your family isn’t the greatest . . . Or, the easiest. But I think you should live your own life. Start dating.”
“So, you’re both just going to throw me in the deep end? Who even is this guy?”
“It’s someone we all know,” Eric smiled reassuringly.
My face relaxed, relieved, but I wasn’t excited. I wasn’t remotely interested or attracted to anyone we knew—let alone want to go on a blind date with.
“It’s Armando’s younger brother,” continued Eric.
I did the only thing I could fathom to do, and that was to twist my face in disgust. Mateo Lopez was not someone I’d ever want to go on a date with.
“No,” I quipped.
“Oh, come on, Lina. He’s a sweet guy and very successful. Think about the nice new car he could get a good deal on for you,” said Mary.
The Lopez family owned a popular local car dealership. Their sons, Armando and Mateo, made it well known in high school that if they wrecked their brand-new, shiny cars one random day, then they’d get an equally nice replacement the next.
Armando was Eric’s best friend, and they had been friends since elementary school. They were also similar in nature: warm and soft spoken. It was no wonder he married his high school sweetheart, Jenny Her, not long after Mary and Eric got married.
But I barely remembered anything about Mateo aside from the fact that he and Armando were brothers.
“Do you want me to give him a commission or date him? Because those two are completely different things,” I replied.
“Just go on the darn date, Lina. He’s a good guy,” stated Mary.
I looked her in the eyes, giving her a wry smile. “No.”
“That’s too bad. We’ve already set up a day and time for you both at Natsuki. Considering how hard it was for us to get a reservation, the two of you have no choice but to say yes.”
I raised my eyebrows at them. Natsuki is a popular sushi restaurant in Sunset Valley.
Reservations there were harder to get than concert tickets for pop stars.
I had never even been there. Last year, I failed to get a dinner reservation to celebrate my thirteen-year friendship anniversary with Mary.
I even tried to book it three months early, too.
“How were you able to do that?” I asked.
“Connections,” smiled Mary. “You need to go and tell me all about it!”
“Who cares if you don’t end up liking the guy? At least you get great food out of it,” shrugged Eric.
I couldn’t help smiling. “You two almost sound more excited about the food than the actual date you set me up on.”
Mary laughed. “We are excited! But I know you have high standards when it comes to men, so I doubt Mateo would check every box.”
I pursed my lips, acknowledging the truth.
The last time I had a crush on any man was a classmate back in college, and he was similar to Andy.
Kind, well-liked, attractive, and most of all, reliable.
Even if Mateo met every criterion I wanted in a partner, it’d take time for me to truly let myself fall for him.
“Since we’re talking about men and your prospective choices, I didn’t know you were close to Jonathan Lo,” Eric said, sounding casual.
He glanced around my new place. It had barely been a week since I moved in, so many of my things were still packed in boxes.
It had also only been thirty minutes since he and Mary had gotten back from their trip. They came here directly. I insisted on picking them up at the airport instead, but they denied my offer and drove here at once.
He arched a sharp eyebrow at me. “I’m surprised. You didn’t even tell us that you were moving.”
I swallowed down the heavy emotions fighting to clog up my throat. “I didn’t want to burden either of you with my immediate need to move, and . . . I didn’t want to worry you two.”
“So, you asked Jonathan?”
I shifted in my seat. “Yes.”
“Your previous lease wasn’t up for another nine months, Lina. Did something happen that you’re not telling me about?”
“It’s not that I didn’t tell you about it.” The inflection of my voice was a mere sputter. “It’s just that I didn’t want you to stress about it.”
All the lightness and laughter we just shared vanished as Mary frowned and Eric’s eyes flickered with worry. “Lina, how could I not? You’re practically my sister. You need to tell me what happened,” demanded my best friend.
“I-I—” I couldn’t speak. I calmed myself before I could continue.
“Neng came by the pharmacy while you two were out of town, and Jonathan stepped in and scared him away. Mary, I’m grateful he was there to help me.
But it was so fucking embarrassing for him to find out my own brother was harassing and stalking me .
. .” My chest rattled with a long breath.
Her lips parted, attempting to say something, but couldn’t. She gripped my hands, silver lining her eyes.
Eric spoke in her stead. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Lina. All that matters is that you’re safe.”
“How the fuck did he find out about your new workplace?” asked Mary, upset.
“It was through Mai,” I whispered.
“That fucking bitch!” cursed Mary, heaving. “I knew it!”
“Yeah. It was because of her,” I mumbled.
“That’s why you moved all of a sudden,” concluded Eric. He sighed heavily. “I’m sorry we couldn’t be there for you. We would’ve come home as soon as you told us, but you kept insisting everything was okay . . .”
Mary nodded, huge tears streaming down her full cheeks. “I wanted to fly back, but after you called and insisted that we stay in Wisconsin, I figured it was best to just wait until we came back.”
“It’s alright,” I said. “Ever since your family moved out to the Midwest, you only get to see your sister, her family, and your mom once a year. I wasn’t going to ruin your time with them. You and Eric have already done so much to help me. I would never be able to thank you enough for all of it.”
Mary’s lips trembled, ready to say something, when I threw my arms around her shoulders. She sobbed into my shoulder. “I’m glad Jonathan was with you.” She sniffed loudly as she pulled out of our embrace. “That being said, you should date him.”
“Mary!” I quipped.
“I’m just saying! Eric doesn’t even scare your brother, and he’s a big guy!
I mean, one big tub of love.” With a small laugh, she wiped the tears that escaped the corners of her eyes.
She turned to her husband and lovingly squeezed one of his burly arms. “But since Jonathan does, that could be a plus if he spends nights here.”
I gaped at her before my face withered into immediate revulsion. “If he spends nights here?” I shrieked, horrified. “Absolutely not!”
Mary shrugged as she and Eric shared a smile. “He already knows where you live, so I doubt it’d be that hard to invite him over.”
“What’s the point of me going on a date with Mateo if you’re insisting I date Jonathan?” I asked.
“Lina, it’s one date. I’m not asking you to run off and elope with him,” Mary laughed. “Go and have fun!”
“Enjoy yourself!” added Eric.
“You two couldn’t have just arranged a coffee date instead?” I asked.
They both turned to look at me. Although they were polar opposites, their personalities had always blended well together.
Eric brought a gentleness to Mary’s loud and boisterous personality.
When they both shared the same excited gleam in their eyes and broad, ecstatic smile, I knew it was best to just say yes.
“Fine,” I huffed begrudgingly. “I’ll go on the date.”
Mary and Eric looked at each other, triumphant. “I’ll give you his number and all the date’s details,” she said, grabbing her phone.
After I finished saving Mateo’s number, Eric spoke up. “We’re going to have to head out, Lina. We were stuck on our layover in Chicago forever because of the snow, and we’re exhausted.”
“You two should stay for lunch,” I insisted.
Mary shook her head. “We ate on the way back, so now we just want to nap.”
“You didn’t have to visit me as soon as you got back.” I frowned.
“We were worried,” sighed Eric. “We also wanted to make sure you were fine.”
“But I’m always fine,” I said. “You know that—”
The look they both gave me silenced me. “You weren’t fine, Lina. That’s why you moved,” Mary stated. “I’m glad you’re safe. But if you think there’s an inkling that Neng knows where you live now, let us know. We’ll come stay with you. Hell. I’d even sleep right by the door.”
She pulled me into a hug, and I gave her the tightest squeeze. “No one in my family knows. Definitely not Mai, and never my parents,” I said.
“Good,” she huffed. “They don’t deserve to know.”
I walked them out to their car despite the cold weather. As Mary was telling me about how she and Eric had arranged the blind date with Mateo, Andy bolted past us on the sidewalk. Mary gasped out loud, and then, Anthony ran by, too.
He noticed me and waved with the biggest grin on his face.
He turned to look over his shoulders as Jonathan materialized out of thin air.
Anthony pointed to me, causing him to look in my direction.
The look on Jonathan’s face was far from welcoming.
His lips pulled into a scowl, and his eyes narrowed.
In a flash, his judgmental gaze raked over my messy bedhead, the hoodie I had been wearing around the house for the last two days, and the pair of old sweats I just threw on.
Jonathan gave me an obligatory curt nod. He dashed past Anthony and us with a long and livid heave. If someone claimed that he blew out smoke from his chest instead of a long cloudy puff of air, I’d believe it. Anthony waved a quick goodbye, laughing out loud, running closely behind Jonathan.
No words were exchanged between the three of us for several seconds. I watched the thoughts flashing across my friends’ faces. Mary slowly turned to me with a sinister smile stretched from ear to ear.
“Jonathan and the Hughes twins live here?” she asked.
“No,” I said. “Andy Hughes and Julie Lo are married, and they’re the only ones who live here.”
“I’m assuming Jonathan visits often, then?” Her eyes glittered in anticipation.
“No,” I answered, making Eric laugh.
“But you could bump into him, right?” asked Mary.
I was ready to say no a second time when Eric quickly answered for me, “Honey, let’s get going.” He ushered her into the car before she could utter anything else, chuckling. “Now’s not the time for you to conspire and set up another date for Lina. You need to sleep. You’re tired.”
“B-but—” she started as he closed the door on her.
He gave me a quick wave before getting in and starting the car. “Enjoy your date!”
“We need to go shopping!” Mary shouted after cracking the passenger window open.
I was ready to nod and wave them goodbye when the Hughes twins raced by again with Jonathan on their heels. He was the only one who seemed to have noticed my presence and regarded me in the same fashion as earlier. A quick glance at my face with a curt nod and then gone.
Mary’s giggling drew my attention to her. She flashed me her best grin, looking up at me with excited eyes. “I’ll come by Thursday night to pick you up for our quick trip to the mall!”
I sighed. “There’s no need. I’m sure I have something I could put into use in my closet.”
Mary simply shook her head. “Not for something like this, Lina. I’ll see you Thursday.”
I frowned and shooed her away. Eric laughed. I watched them as they left. Jonathan and the twins bolted by, running another lap.
We made eye contact again. Instead of a curt nod, Jonathan just stared. He watched me over his broad shoulders after they passed me by. It was such a mundane thing, yet . . . I felt a flutter in the pit of my stomach.