I didn’t even wait for the wedding cake. Without saying another word, I grabbed my purse and left, heading straight home with only one thought repeating in my head…
Why on earth is my mother doing this to me?
***
The date evening came. I was sitting in a quiet café, drumming my fingers against the table. I had arrived ten minutes early because I wanted to get that over with.
And then, right on time, Nick walked in.
Dressed in a crisp button-down and dark jeans, he looked… annoyingly put-together. He spotted me immediately and smiled.
“Wow,” he said, sliding into the seat across from me. “You actually showed up. I was half expecting you to leave me a ‘Dear John’ note and vanish.”
“Trust me, I considered it.”
“So. Let’s do this properly. How was your day?”
I studied him. “You mean before or after I regretted agreeing to this date?”
Nick let out a laugh.
“Okay, see? That right there is why I like you. You’re brutally honest. Refreshing.”
I sighed, taking a sip of my coffee. “Look, I agreed to this because of my mother. One date. No expectations. No illusions.”
For a few moments, it wasn’t so bad. He made light conversation, joked about the wedding, and somehow managed to make me smirk more than once. I hated to admit it, but he was… charming. In an infuriating way.
And then his phone rang. He barely glanced at the screen before hitting decline. A minute later, it rang again.
That time, he sighed, checked the caller ID, and muttered, “Give me a sec.”
He stood up, stepping a few feet away as he answered. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but …
“Hey, Julie, it’s okay… yeah, I know. Just… calm down, alright?”
A pause. Then another sigh.
“Yeah, I’ll be there soon. Just sit tight.”
He hung up, ran a hand through his hair, and returned to the table, looking more tense than before.
“Sorry about that,” he said, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “I have to go.”
“Something important?”
“Yeah, just… something I need to take care of.”
“Let me guess,” I said flatly. “Julie?”
“Yeah.”
“Of course.”
He stood, throwing a few bills onto the table. “Listen, I’m sorry. I know this is…”
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just say we’re done. No need to reschedule.”
“Come on, you’re just going to write me off like that?”
I gave him a dry smile. “Nick, if you’re going to run off to another woman in the middle of our first date, at least try to be subtle about it.”
He opened his mouth to argue but must have decided against it. Instead, he sighed and shook his head.
Then, with one last glance, he turned and walked out. I stared at my untouched coffee for a long moment before looking down at my reflection in the dark liquid.
Nick. Julie. Of course.
I’d known my mother’s matchmaking attempt would be a disaster, but even I hadn’t expected her to set me up with a player. A man who couldn’t even make it through a single date without ditching me for someone else.
Whatever. He wasn’t my problem anymore. At least, that’s what I thought, having no idea I’d be seeing him again sooner than I expected.
***
The flowers started arriving the very next morning.
At first, I thought it was some mistake. A giant bouquet of red roses sat on my office desk when I walked in. The card attached had a message:
“Hope you’re not allergic. Nick ”
I groaned out loud, tossing the flowers into the bin.
“Of course, it was him.”
“Secret admirer?” one of the coworkers teased when the following bunch was delivered the following day.
“More like a persistent mistake,” I muttered under my breath, tossing yet another bouquet into the breakroom for anyone to take.
I had successfully ignored Nick for a full week when my mother called, her voice as cheerful as ever.
“Dinner, sweetheart. My place. Tonight.”
“Mom, I’m…”
“No excuses. I barely got to see you after the wedding. You left so early. Before cake, even! You owe me dinner.”
“Fine,” I relented. “I’ll be there.”
I should have known she was up to something.
***
The moment I stepped onto my mother’s back patio, the scent of grilled food filled the air. For a brief moment, I let myself relax. Okay. Just family dinner. Nothing suspicious.
Then I saw Nick. Standing by the grill. Flipping burgers.
And then… as if the universe wasn’t already cruel enough, Julie stepped onto the patio right behind him.
My blood instantly boiled. Unbelievable. Before I could storm out, my mother caught me by the arm and beamed.