All I've Never Wanted(28)

My grandmother propped her hands on her hips, looking like a tiny Asian Napoleon. “Why you have Maya’s jacket?” she demanded. “And I no miss. I seventy! You smooth-talking playbooks—“

“Playboys,” I whispered.

She ignored me. “You smooth-talking playbooks, I no trust you.” Then she turned and jabbed a finger at me. “Maya! You have sex with strange boy in car?”

“Grandma!” I yelled, absolutely mortified.

Parker coughed and covered his mouth with a fist, obviously trying to hide the huge grin that was spreading across his face.

Well, it was nice to see someone found this situation amusing.

“I didn’t have sex with him! He just gave me a ride home from school!”

“Why you get ride from strange boys?” My grandmother glared at my mom. “This how you raise daughter?”

My mom just looked bewildered. She obviously had no idea what was going on. Actually, neither did I.

“No, he’s not a strange boy!” I was desperate to make this stop. “He’s—uh…“ Suddenly, I had a lightbulb moment. “He’s my boyfriend!”

My mom, grandmother, and Parker all whipped their heads around to stare at me in shock. They spoke at the same time.

“He is?”

“You are?”

“I am?”

I smiled sweetly and reached out to grab Parker’s hand, squeezing it tighter than normal. “Yes. This is Parker. He was the boyfriend I told you about.”

“Really?” My grandmother looked Parker over. “You stay for dinner,” she pronounced regally. “I have questions for you.”


Parker looked at me and raised his eyebrows.

I widened my eyes, sending him telepathic pleas. Please, please say yes. Please say yes. I’ll do anything. I’ll wash your car, walk your dog, if you have a dog—

“Of course. I’m looking forward to it.” Parker sounded completely sincere.

Someone had some experience bullshitting. Still, if there was anyone who would make a great fake boyfriend, it was the womanizing Parker Remington. Easy on the eyes, charming, and I won't have to worry about either of us falling for the other.

“I guess I’m staying for dinner,” he whispered into my ear, following my grandmother into the house. “You owe me, by the way. Especially since I don’t even really know you.”

“I know. And it’s not like that stopped you from offering me a ride home,” I whispered back. “But thank you.”

“I have an idea of how you can repay me…” He waggled his eyebrows.

I wrinkled my nose. “Ugh! You’re such a perv.”

“It’s in my nature, sweetheart. I am unbelievably charming.”

I snorted. “And amazingly modest.”

He just smiled at me innocently. "Don't forget about that goodbye kiss you need to give me at the end of the night, if you want your grandmother to believe we're an item."

I groaned. This was going to be a long night.

CHAPTER 7

“This is delicious, Mrs. Lindberg,” Parker said politely, after he’d swallowed a mouthful of my mom’s famous mashed potatoes. “You’re a great cook.”

I took a sip of my water, trying not to roll my eyes at Parker’s kiss-assery.

“Why, thank you, Parker.” My mom beamed, obviously pleased. She loved it when people praised her culinary skills, which I sadly haven’t inherited. “I’m so glad you stayed for dinner.”

“I thought you date for a month,” my grandmother said rather suspiciously. “You never stay for dinner? Very, very rude boy.”

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I had a feeling my grandmother still wasn’t entirely convinced Parker was my boyfriend. Maybe it was because I tried to stab his hand with my fork when it stayed on my leg a little longer than necessary under the table.

“Oh, that’s not his fault, mom,” my mother quickly spoke up. “We’ve all just been a bit busy and haven’t had the chance to invite Parker over for dinner, that’s all.”

My grandmother pursed her lips, and stared at Parker. “You how old?”

“Eighteen.”

“You go to college when you graduate?”

“Of course,” Parker replied smoothly. “Right now I have my eyes set on Princeton. That’s where all my father and grandfather went.”

I saw an impressed look flash across my grandmother’s face before she quickly replaced it with a frown. “Why you no go to Harvard medical school? Law school?”

“Well, I’m not looking to get into the medical or legal profession at the moment—“

“So what you want to be?” my grandmother demanded. “Pretty boy for life? That’s no good. You need to support wife. You need to support Maya.”

My face immediately turned the color of a tomato. “Grandma, we’ve only been dating for a month,” I hissed, trying to ignore the rather shocked and appalled expression Parker was trying his best to hide. “It’s too early to talk about that.”

She wagged her finger at me. “Never too early for marriage. I know girl, she thirty. Date boyfriend for eight years. No ring. Why? She never plan ahead, stupid girl.” My grandmother shook her head disapprovingly before addressing Parker again. “So how you support my Maya?”