Chapter 7
SWAYZE
It’s been the week from hell. Monday started off badly when I woke up to find Mia hadn’t been home.
As her friend, I should be happy her date went well, but… no. Fuck that.
Everything’s a mess.
We haven’t spoken about what happened on Halloween, unless you count the Post-it she left on my door.
You owe me more than a little hot water after what you did. Deal with it. M.
I do owe her—an apology at least—but I’ve barely seen her. She’s been out most nights when I get home, which probably isn’t helping my already shitty mood.
I’ll see her tonight at family dinner, but we can’t talk about anything there.
Our moms would lose their minds—or think I had. That’s probably not wrong at this point. I’m definitely questioning my sanity right now.
Groaning, I lean on my desk and sink my face into my hands. I’m sure I’m just on edge. Leaving on a two week vacation to be best man at Nick's wedding isn’t the best timing workwise, so that’s probably got a lot to do with my feelings.
A knock on my door draws my attention back to the present, and Mary peeks her head round.
“Almost time for the morning briefing, sir.”
Giving her a curt nod, I start to gather my files.
Of course, she sashays in, closing the door behind her.
“Thought I’d bring you coffee, handsome.” She giggles, bending over ridiculously low to leave the mug on my desk.
Stifling a sigh, I avoid her cleavage at all costs. This woman still won’t take no for an answer, and since she’s the chief's daughter, she’s basically untouchable. I just wish she’d leave me the hell alone already.
“It’s the department fundraiser ball in a few weeks, Wolfie.” She runs a finger along my desk, walking closer toward me. “Aren’t you going to ask me to be your date?”
Tilting her head, she glances up at me from lowered lashes in an attempt to look sexy.
Newsflash, it’s not sexy.
The second she starts walking her fingers up my chest, I jerk to my feet so fast my chair careens into the filing cabinet with a loud bang.
Fuck no you don’t.
“Like I already told you—No, Mary. You know we have a no fraternization policy.”
“Oh, I’m sure I could convince Daddy to make an exception for us.”
Well, shit, that makes me quake harder than a storm shutter in a hurricane.
“No. Can we get to work please?”
“It’s okay, I like a little chase. You won’t be able to resist when you see what I’m wearing… you’ll be dying to unwrap me to see what I’ve picked especially for you underneath.”
Fuck me.
This borders on sexual harassment.
Actually, it probably is sexual harassment, but how the hell do I broach that topic with the chief?
I can’t even get out of the damn fundraiser. He’s made it mandatory for all staff to attend if they’re not on shift, and you guessed it, I’m not. Thanks to Mary’s meddling I’m sure.
She turns and sashays out of my office in a cloud of migraine-inducing perfume, and I slump back down into my chair in relief.
Ain't that a peach.
There’s only one woman on this planet I want, and she’s made it abundantly clear she doesn’t want me, while the woman I sure as hell don’t want can’t take no for an answer.
It’s gonna be a long fucking day.
Raucous laughter from inside reaches my ears the second I walk up and knock on Mia’s parents’ front door. Mia’s cherry red Mustang's already parked in the driveway, so it looks like I’m the last to arrive.
Scrolling my email, I don’t notice the door open until Mia shoves me backwards on the porch.
“Hey, what gives?”
“Shhh, come with me,” she hisses, grabbing me by my jacket collar and dragging me down the side of the house.
What the ever-loving fuck's going on with her. She’s been avoiding me all week, now she’s dragging me into dark corners.
“Uhhh Mia, wanna tell me why we’re creeping around like horny teenagers right now?”
The glare she shoots me would skewer a lesser man, but luckily, I’m immune to her looks. Exposure therapy works like a charm.
“Swayze, our parents have lost their damn minds.” She looks up at me, her wide-eyed gaze haunted in her much too pale face.
Concern floods my veins, immediately on high alert.
Shoulders hunched, she curls into herself, and I fist my hands and shove them in my pockets to stop myself from reaching for her.
“Well, shit. What now? Wedding stuff?” I aim for funny and calm, my lips kicking up in a smirk. “What’s it gonna be this time? More planned activities? Venue change?”
“Mia, Swayze, where did you go?” Maria, Mia’s mom shouts from the front door.
Mia looks toward her in alarm, grabbing the front of my jacket again.
“Fuck. No time to explain. Remember how you owe me for Halloween?” Her eyes lock with mine, imploringly.
Oh god. She wants to talk about this now?
“Uhh, yeah, I guess? What’s Halloween got to do with family dinner?”
Usually I get a good read on her, but I have absolutely no idea where she’s going with this.
“When we go back inside, can you just play along with everything I say?” Her big violet eyes plead with mine, and cute puppies have nothing on Mia. I’m not entirely sure I’d be able to refuse her on a bad day, let alone with the way she’s looking at me right now.
“Fine. Then we’re cool?”
Please say yes and put this dirty dog out of his misery.
“Yes, yes. Thank you!” She surprises the heck outta me by jumping up on her tiptoes and kissing me on the cheek. Grabbing my hand, she tugs me back through the front door, my head still reeling from all the easy affection.
“Swayze.” My mom jumps up and runs around the table to greet me while my gaze snags on two faces I don’t know sitting opposite our chairs. Who the—
“Everybody, we wanted to wait until we were all together to tell you, but Swayze and I are dating. It’s still kinda early, but we thought you should know.”
Wait. What? Did Mia just say we’re—
Shut. The. Front. Door.
Did I go home and take a nap?
Get in a car wreck?
Am I laid out in a hospital bed somewhere?
Or has my poor long-suffering Mia-obsessed mind finally cracked and gone all out on a crazy train to imagination station?
Because I’ve got to be imagining this, there’s no way it’s real.
Except the shrieks coming out of our mothers right now are loud enough to wake the dead.
Mia slams into my chest when they close around us in a group hug, still squealing. I’m pretty sure my mom just perforated my eardrum, and, oh god, Mia’s mom's crying.
I can’t deal with women crying.
Why is she crying?
“Uhhhh, Ma?”
Mia’s horrified gaze meets mine.
Not sure why she’s looking at me like that. This shit was all her idea. It ain’t on me. I’m just the fuckwit who agreed to follow her lead.
Maria plants a kiss on her daughter's cheek before pinching mine so hard, it’ll probably bruise.
“Every day I prayed you’d end up together. Every single day. I can’t believe God finally answered. Exaristo Xriste mou.” She breaks away babbling in Greek and doing the sign of the cross, before grabbing my mom in a hug.
My mom squeals again, tears now free-falling down her face.
Fuck me. Can eating too many mushrooms—normal, not magic—make you hallucinate?
I should lay off the stir-fry.
Maybe I’m in the twilight zone.
It’s a real thing, and I’m in it.
That’s the only explanation.
Why else would Mia willingly hitch her wagon to me? She refused to go out on a single date with me, and now we’re suddenly together?
“Maria, our babies have finally seen the light after all these years.” My mom hugs Mia’s mom tight, both of them staring at us, ecstatically smiling. We on the other hand look like we lost a battle with Medusa—frozen solid, my hand tightly clasped in Mia’s.
“We’re gonna be sisters for real, Christine. Our babies are going to get married. Oh my god, this is the best day ever!”
MARRIED???????
Wait a damn second. I just wanted to take Mia out for dinner, now I’m getting married?
I don’t get a second to gather my thoughts before they drag us back to the table, sitting us opposite the two bemused strangers. Though they’re the least of my problems right now.
“Sit, sit. Tell us everything. Don’t keep us hanging any longer. How did all of this come about?” My mom looks between the two of us, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
My god, I need to put an end to this madness.
“Mia, why on earth didn’t you tell me sooner? I could’ve cancelled your date with Silvia’s son. No wonder you didn’t like him. I’m sorry Swayze mou, I hope you didn’t mind…”
Ha. I minded. I minded a real fuckin’ lot, actually.
Mia blanches beside me, completely silent, her hands tightening into fists on her lap.
Say something, dammit.
When her wild, panicked eyes slowly lift to meet mine, my gut twists. Every trace of my beautiful, confident girl with a plan is gone.
I guess it’s on me to play the doting boyfriend. So much for ending the damn madness.
“That’s actually what pushed us to tell you all, Maria, so don’t worry. It all worked out for the best because now I can shout about my girl to the world.”
Most of the table collectively ahhs as Izzy, my niece, comes running over and scrambles onto Mia’s lap, laying her head on my shoulder.
“You’ll be my real aunty now, Mia. Can I be bridesmaid? Can the dress be pink? Or purple? Or maybe blue and sparkly, like Elsa’s!”
“Uhhh, it’s a little early for that, Nugget. We’re not getting married just yet.” Planting a kiss on her forehead, I tickle her little ribs to distract her.
She swats my hand away, not even the slightest bit fazed. “Duh, I knoooow not now. After uncle Niko’s wedding. Like next week or something?”
Everyone laughs as Izzy slides off Mia’s lap, skipping back to her mom, tugging at her phone.
“You’ve gone and done it now. She’ll have the dress picked out by tomorrow. I’ll send you a link.” My sister winks at me before my mom waves her hands wildly.
“Shhhhh I want to hear how they finally realized they couldn’t live without each other already.”
I squeeze Mia’s hand under the table, but she’s got a deer in headlights look on her face.
Oh, that’s just fucking wonderful.
This was her stupid idea. Now she throws me to the wolves and leaves me high and dry?
That’s some bullshit.
I don’t want to fake date her.