Chapter 14
Lisa
On tippy toes, I am reaching for the creamer in the cupboard when my phone chimes on the coffee table, a part of the message popping up on the screen. I’ve been meaning to change that setting since I upgraded the phone over a year ago. Ugh.
Hi Mrs Davis, please let me know what time I should come by for dinner tomorrow.
Popping the lid and pouring the creamer into my cup, I glimpse Alex through the corner of my eye as he picks up the phone — so much for privacy. He reads the preview, shouting across the hall, “Honey, your little mentee is asking what time he should come by tomorrow.”
Stunned, the bottle slips out of my hand, the liquid flying all over the counter as the bottle crashes to the ground. I leave it there and walk as fast as I can to go retrieve the phone, trying not to look like I have something to hide — why the hell did I work from home today?
“Everything okay?” Alex asks, hearing the ruckus, as he hands me the phone.
“Yea, everything is fine. I just made a little mess in the kitchen. You know how I can be clumsy at times,” I joke, surprising myself at how calm I sound.
I unlock the phone and read the message. Very, discreet. Feeling relieved, I look at Alex, “Can we do dinner at 7:00pm?”
“Yea, that time is good.” He sips his beer, turning his attention back to the House of the Dragon series on HBO.
It would have been nice to watch it together since going to the movies is out of the question.
Not that I think about it; I haven’t been to a movie since James reached his teens (and by then he preferred to go with his friends rather than his mom).
“He sounds like a little bitch,” Alex continues, laughing between sips. “I should have invited him to shoot hoops with the guys and give him some real advice.”
Annoyed and wanting to defend Nick, I say, “Why would you say that? He’s just trying to make a good impression, that’s all.” Wait, what the hell is going on with me?
7:00pm is good
And for absolutely no logical reason, I click on his new WhatsApp profile picture and enlarge it.