Love Me (The Elites of Cheshire shore #2)

30. Florence

CHAPTER THIRTY

florence

T he drive to Mom’s house is ridiculously short, I catch pretty much every single green light possible. Which is great, I don’t want to run late for our usual Thursday night dinner—I’m already getting a reputation for being late, according to Mom. I can’t keep the outlandishly huge grin off my face, thanks to Rome. The way he brings me my ginger-turmeric shots and makes sure that there is always a fresh candle stocked in the bathroom for my bath. I’m going to convince him that we’re better off as friends with benefits, because the benefits are well and truly worth it. I’m not built to fall in love and have that white picket fence like other people—not anymore, anyway. I’ve learned the hard way how quickly that can all get taken away. So I’ll just stick to having friends with benefits for as long as Rome will have me before he decides to find the woman who will give him the happily ever after he wants.

“Oops.” I click the button and wait for the gates to open.

Nanai is already waiting for me on the landing when I pull my car up.

“Hi, Nanai,” I call, closing the door behind me.

“Grandchild.” Nanai grasps my chin in her wrinkly hand, slowly, she turns my face from side to side, her tender gaze dissecting me.

“Is Mom home?” I ask, but from the way my tongue is squashed to the roof of my mouth the words come out garbled.

“She’s inside.” Nanai releases my face and opens the door, still scrutinizing me from the corner of her eye. Weird .

I lift my arm and give it a quick sniff; I showered before coming here.

“ Māmā, fóluólúsá zái ma ?” my mom calls. Mom, is Florence here?

I respond to her in Mandarin Chinese, “Hao de, Māmā.” Yes, Mom. While the national language in Cambodia is Khmer, my nanai is of Chinese heritage. Her parents migrated to Cambodia in the late nineteenth century. They had a merchant business trading goods from Angkor to China. Due to the frequent trips back to China, my mom grew up speaking Chinese; Nanai didn’t want us to lose it, even when they moved to Cheshire Shore so Mom could attend medical school here.

Just before I reach the kitchen, I’m yanked into a room. “Woah,” I gasp just as I’m thrown into a chair, the door closes with a firm click behind me. Nanai rests a hand on her walking stick and the other on her hip. My eyes dart around the room, my cheeks begin to heat.

“Ahh…” I clear my throat, watching as she purses her lips. She knows . I don’t know how, but it’s like her sixth sense. She fucking knows.

“Did Rome give you the picture I brought him?” she asks after letting the first droplets of sweat bead at my temple.

My shoulders sag; maybe I was wrong. This is your chance to play it cool, Florence. “What picture?” I ask, blinking my eyes slowly, trying to make my face the complete image of innocence.

Nanai’s wrinkled lips draw into a smile. “He must have forgotten, never mind.” The hand on her hip waves the issue off. “Now, quick, we better get back before your mom wonders where we’ve gone.”

I stand and close the short distance, opening the door to the room, needing some fresh air to cut through the tension. “Mom.” I smile at my mother waiting on the other side of the door. Her questioning gaze shifts between me and Nanai.

“Well, that is just the cutest apron I’ve ever seen.” I run my finger over the frills sewn around the neckline. It’s then I realize, my attempt at changing the subject completely backfires.

Her eyes narrow. “You’ve seen it before; your father gave it to me. What are you two gossiping about?”

Typical Mom fashion—she never beats around the bush.

“I’m showing Florence where Percy’s scratching post is going to go.” The lie rolls off Nanai’s tongue.

“Māmā, I already told you; we’re not getting a cat. And don’t try to use Florence as your excuse. She isn’t five anymore and she doesn’t need a therapy cat,” Mom grumbles, turning on her heel and leaving.

“Therapy cat?” I repeat. If getting a cat is a possibility here, I’m more than happy to “pretend” it’s for therapy. Imagine having a cute little fluff ball to cuddle and pat.

“Screw the therapy cat. You totally slept with Rome,” Nanai blurts and my lungs crumble in my chest. The crafty woman knew all along and was waiting for just the right moment to pounce. I guess that’s why the Wu sisters nicknamed Nanai crouching tiger. She really does live up to her name. Too bad I’m the frickin’ gazelle she has set in her sites.

I gasp, placing my hand to my chest in mock hurt. “Excuse me, are you telling me a man and a woman cannot coexist in the same apartment without doing nefarious things?” A high-pitched giggle bursts free before I can stop it and I cringe. I think she can smell fear at this point, and I’m producing eau-de-shit-myself by the bottle.

A saucy grin splits my nanai’s lips as she closes the gap between us and pats my cheek, tucking a lock of loose hair behind my ear. “No, dear granddaughter. Men and women can coexist and co-inhibit. You and Rome cannot without fusing yourselves together. Besides, it’s about time you let love into your life. I’m glad it’s with a man who will take care of your heart and keep it close to his forever.”

Well shit. “How did you know? It’s not like I’m rocking a hickey or a bad case of just-fucked hair?”

Nanai shuffles out of her room, almost like she’s about to leave me hanging. But she decides to take mercy on me, turning she says, “Apart from the fact a grandmother knows these things, it is the way your eyes sparkle today. There has only ever been one man who can do that to you.”

Nanai leaves me standing there, my mouth gaping open like an arcade game just waiting for someone to throw a ball in it.

“Are you coming, dinner is getting cold.” My mom’s shrill voice shakes me out of my stupor, and I quickly hurry into the living room, my mind dissecting Nanai’s words like it’s a tenth-grade biology assignment.

“Oh, by the way, did you get the parcel I sent?”

I freeze and turn on my heel. “It was you.” I gasp, my face completely aflame.

“Oh,” a devious smirk graces her lips, “I take that as a yes. You, too, can thank me later. Preferably with a great-grandbaby.”

Then it hits me. Nanai is one meddling matchmaker. And she has me and Rome in her sights.