The art of awkward affec.., p.40
The Art of Awkward Affection: A Romantic Comedy, page 40
“Grayson is a very caring plant dad,” I assured her, “and this is going to be a wonderful addition to the family.”
Grayson was wary and guarded, his corporate mask on.
My mom was having none of it.
“Have a pig in a blanket.” She shoved a platter in front of Siobhan.
“Mom.”
“Lexi, she’s a guest.”
“There’s catering,” I assured Siobhan, who was too polite to make a face at my parents, who were decked out in their Florida best for the housewarming party.
“I just have to give you a hug,” my mother insisted, wrapping her arms around Grayson’s mom. She was wearing flip-flops and came barely to chest height on Siobhan, who was dressed impeccably in heels and a silk cocktail dress.
“I’m Lexi’s mom.” She showed Siobhan one of the many buttons she wore on her vest that proclaimed, LEXI’S FAN CLUB! “And your son is just wonderful.”
“Can’t really take any credit for that.” Siobhan glanced at Grayson.
His expression didn’t change.
“That woman needs a drink,” my father said jovially, pressing a cocktail in her hand. Barely taller than I was, he was the least intimidating man on the planet.
My parents ushered Siobhan away, leaving Grayson with his siblings and Siobhan’s husband.
Grayson didn’t say a word.
“Thanks for investing in my company,” Siobhan’s husband said finally.
“Don’t mention it,” my boyfriend replied.
Niles tugged at Grayson’s pant leg.
“Can I please play with your puppy?”
“Do you two want to go out to the terrace and meet the dogs?” Grayson knelt down; his face softened.
“Yes, a puppy!”
“I wanna puppy!” His siblings jumped up and down.
“We’ll just have to watch them all with the pool,” Grayson said to Siobhan’s husband.
“You have a pool?” the little girl shouted. “You didn’t tell me he had a pool, Daddy. I didn’t bring my swimsuit.”
“We’ll come back another time so you can swim in the pool. This is a nice party,” her dad promised then looked up at Grayson.
“Whenever you want,” he assured him.
“If it’s a nice party,” Grayson’s sister demanded, “then why aren’t we using the pool?” She ran to the sliding glass doors. “Oh my gosh, there’s a unicorn in the pool!”
Hey, I can’t live a life completely devoid of whimsy, corporate girlfriend or not.
Joe sighed.
“She’s five so …” He shrugged helplessly. “We’ll look at the unicorn later, sweetie.”
“Do you want something to eat?” I offered, bending down.
“Pizza!”
I winced. “We don’t have—”
“I made bagel pizza bites!” my mom crowed.
The kids and several adults gathered around in excitement.
“Your mom texted me and made me buy her bagel bite ingredients,” McKenna admitted. “I can’t say no to your mom, Lexi.”
The little girl went up to my mom. “You look like the Little Mermaid.”
My mom beamed. She lived for these moments.
Then she and Grayson broke out into a duet from the movie, while his sister repeated, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it’s happening!”
“I didn’t know you could sing,” Grayson’s mother said, looking at him oddly after the song ended.
“He’s practically perfect in every way.” My mom squeezed Grayson’s arm.
“A fellow nonsinger, I take it?” Siobhan asked me wryly.
“Singing is not Lexi’s gift to the world,” my dad said diplomatically.
“One moment, please.” Grayson excused himself and headed outside to where Pongo was barking at his reflection in the water, dangerously close to falling in.
I raced out after Grayson.
We shooed the dog away from the water, redirecting him to one of the toys the Richmond brothers had brought.
Inside my parents were regaling Siobhan and her daughter with tales from life as Disney cast members, while several of the Richmond brothers were flirting with McKenna, who was all too excited with the attention.
Aaron snapped at them then recoiled when Grenadine said something lewd.
Grayson snickered.
I sighed.
“This was not the elegant housewarming party I had planned for you.”
“Was it ever going to be?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re right it was always going to be an awkward mess. I’ll just give in and embrace my inner Florida woman. Next week I’ll have this whole place covered in inflatable flamingos.”
He was looking at me, smiling, face easy, body relaxed.
“A three-billion-dollar tower, and you’re the most breathtaking view here.” He leaned down, pressing his mouth to mine. “Lexi, I love you, more than you can know.”
I let him kiss me again, really let myself feel it.
“And I love you. I was going to say ‘more than a Cinderella loves her prince’ but you’re way better than any prince.”
Pongo was barking furiously at the plant Siobhan had brought.
“Sorry your life is so much more chaotic now.”
“No,” Grayson said, kissing the top of my head. “My life is beautiful.”
SNEAK PEAK
SYNOPSIS
This is a Grayson and Lexi bonus short story. With a little help from his mother and brother’s Grayson has a Disney worthy engagement planned…that is if Lexi will say yes.
1
LEXI
“Smile! You’re in the happiest place on Earth.”
It was eight in the morning, and we had early admission to Disney World. I was dressed for the Florida heat and humidity with a breezy romper, oversized sunglasses, a hat, and sneakers. Always sneakers.
Grayson was … not—white dress shirt, light-gray slacks, and dress shoes were not what I would recommend anyone wear in the height of summer.
I handed him the sunscreen. “When you fall down from heatstroke, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“You said you were going to take pictures,” he said, slipping on a pair of sunglasses that made him look like an undercover CIA agent.
“Someone get this man some ears!” Spencer clapped a plastic set of Mickey Mouse ears on Grayson’s head.
My boyfriend scowled. Between the ears, sunglasses, and the rolled-up white sleeves, he was very much my fantasy come to life.
“You really know how to make a girl all hot and bothered.” I fanned myself. That earned me a small smile from Grayson.
“Let’s get some blackmail material,” Graham crowed as he slung his arm around Grayson and snapped a selfie.
“Get off.” Grayson shook off his brother.
Grayson had promised to try his best to enjoy himself on this trip for my sake, but we had only been in the park half an hour and I felt like Grayson was already being pushed to his limit.
“We have another eight days of this,” I reminded him, squeezing his hand.
“So you’re going to have to dig deep,” his brother Aaron said dryly.
“Remind me why you’re here?”
“It’s family bonding time.”
“I’m not staying for eight days,” Finn declared.
“Then you’ll have to make it count,” Grayson said, taking off the plastic ears and placing them on his littlest brother’s head.
Yes, you read that right. If the trip wasn’t going to be challenging enough for Grayson, I’d convinced his mom and her family to come.
Niles jumped up and down. “I love Disney!”
My parents, dressed head to toe in Disney, complete with custom sneakers, cooed and sighed.
“There’s nothing like taking a child to Disney World and experiencing the magic through their eyes,” my mom said wistfully.
“I remember the first time we took Lexi,” my dad stated, getting choked up. “She was such a chubby little baby.”
Out came the portable photo album.
“Dad.”
“Look at her in her Mickey Mouse hat.” He wrapped an arm around me.
“And here’s Lexi dressed up as the Little Mermaid,” my mom said.
I felt the familiar twinge in my chest. I had never achieved my goal of playing a princess at one of the parks.
“Here she is with Barry. He was still playing Mickey Mouse then.” She shoved the pictures at Siobhan, who inspected them politely.
“Mom, we need to go get in line for the rides.”
Grayson’s little sister was looking around, mouth open, taking in the magic of the park.
“Franny spent two hours this morning getting ready,” her father informed me as the little girl in a big sparkly dress twirled around in front of us.
“I have to meet all the princesses. All of them,” she insisted.
“Aren’t the lines long?” her mother said cautiously.
Grayson and his mom looked equally uncomfortable to be surrounded by so much Disney.
She had toned down her usual sophisticated, chic style, but was still no match for my mom in her poufy skirt, disco-ball-bedazzled mini backpack, sparkly princess shirt, bright-pink-and-purple sneakers that lit up, and fairy wings. Her red hair was threaded with glittering butterflies and seashells. She looked like a vacationing princess and was attracting quite the gaggle of little girls.
“We are going to see the princesses,” she cooed at Franny. “I know the Fairy Godmother, and she’s offered to help us meet all of them.”
“You know the Fairy Godmother?” Franny screeched. “Mommy, she knows the Fairy Godmother.”
“Oh, that’s nice,” Siobhan said, “but you know the Fairy Godmother might be busy.”
“I already texted her.” My mom held up her phone and beamed.
“She literally knows her,” I explained to Siobhan. “My great-aunt plays the Fairy Godmother.”
“Ah.”
“Let’s go!” Franny shrieked, taking off at a run, her father and my parents in tow.
“No, I want to see Star Wars,” Niles wailed, “and Darth Vader.”
“Heck yeah, we’re going to see Darth Vader!” Grayson’s brothers whooped.
Niles immediately cheered up.
“We need to get him all decked out first,” Grayson said.
“Is Disney just as magical as you remember?” Grayson asked me as we waited in line for one of the new Star Wars rides.
“Always.” I sighed happily.
Behind us, several kids were screaming bloody murder because their parents didn’t buy them one of the pricey novelty balloons being sold.
Siobhan swore as someone got too close to her with a dripping ice cream cone.
“Bad word, Mommy,” her little boy, newly dressed up as a storm trooper, scolded.
Grayson stoically applied sunscreen while his brothers secretively did tequila shots in line, and Aaron angrily took a conference call.
If I was a cast member, I would have ratted them out. But I was a guest, so I kept my mouth shut.
“I don’t have Star Wars-themed ears,” I said, digging through my bag. “I can’t really ride the ride unless I have the correct ears.”
“Can you wear the blue ones?” Grayson asked, using his polite corporate tone with me.
“You mean the Princess Jasmine ears? Absolutely not.”
“Wear the green ones, perhaps?”
“You’re not taking this seriously,” I said, too sharply, wishing I was with my parents and Franny as opposed to Grayson and his brothers. Then I felt guilty. This was Grayson’s first time at the park, and it was up to me to make it magical.
“Wear the wedding ones.” Connor and his brothers pulled ears out of my bag and put them on their heads. Niles literally rolled on the ground in laughter as Grayson’s brothers mugged for him. It earned us several dirty looks from nearby families.
“Step up to the yellow line,” a cast member called as we heard the clanging of a returning roller coaster.
“I want to ride up front!” Niles shrieked.
“Me too!” I shrieked back at him.
“Yes!” The little boy jumped up and down.
At least someone was having fun.
“Niles, stop screaming,” Siobhan begged.
One of the cast members was directing us into different cars of the roller coaster.
“Could we please sit together?” I asked the cast member.
“Oh my god, Lexi?” she screamed.
“Courtney!” I hugged her. “Hi.”
“Oh my god, after the ride, come see me! And totally, you all can sit together.”
“Do we have to?” Aaron asked, putting away his phone and squeezing in the coaster next to a stoic Grayson.
I sat in front with Niles, Spencer behind me.
Niles and I screamed our heads off on the coaster, which to be fair was geared more for smaller kids, but hey, if you didn’t scream on a roller coaster, what was the point?
“We have to do that again,” Niles insisted when the ride was over and Grayson and his tall brothers were unfolding themselves out of the small cars.
“Heck yeah!” Grayson’s brothers whooped. “Then celebratory giant turkey legs.”
“Giant turkey leg!” Niles was in heaven.
Neither Siobhan nor Grayson looked particularly game for either suggestion.
“Niles, don’t you want to go on a new ride?” his mom asked.
“We’re going to be here a week,” Spencer reminded her. “The man knows what he wants.”
Niles led the group back to the end of the line that we’d just spent an hour and a half standing in.
Courtney grabbed my arm before I could follow them.
Grayson hovered, and I introduced him to her.
“I can see why Lexi never came back to work at the park,” Courtney said, grinning at him. “Oh my god, Lexi, I have to steal you for a bit. I’m on break. You have to come get a coffee with me.”
“It’s all right,” Grayson assured me. “I knew you’d be a celebrity here.”
“I’ll catch up with you guys,” I promised.
“Bring back memories?” Courtney elbowed me.
“So many happy memories.”
“Come on! Hannah’s still here. She’s going to die when she sees you.”
I took a long look at Grayson. Was he mad I was ditching him? I was definitely going to make it up to him.
“See you later?”
He just nodded.
2
GRAYSON
I knew Lexi, a self-avowed Disney adult, wasn’t going to stick by my side for the duration of our stay. How could she? This was her old workplace. Of course she was going to want to reconnect.
However, I was now left alone with my family—only my family, since Lexi’s parents had disappeared into the bowels of the colorful park.
I wished I had done a better job of bribing Marius to come early. Then at least I wouldn’t have been the odd man out.
My brothers, as they often did, had fallen into their usual pattern of trading inside jokes and engaging in familiar interactions with each other. It was like I wasn’t even there. They were in their own little world, Aaron snapping at them while they goaded each other into a giant turkey leg eating contest while Niles cheered.
Beside me, my mother, eyes unreadable behind dark sunglasses, crossed her arms and sighed.
“You know,” she said to me under her breath, “I hear they let you drink here at the Disney hotel outside the park.”
“You looked like you needed a rescue,” my mom said when the drinks arrived. We were sitting at the air-conditioned hotel bar. Around us people in blue vests with gold Mickey Mouse pins circulated around the gem-inlaid tables. I assumed it was supposed to mimic being in one of the ubiquitous princess movies. It wasn’t my taste, but I could order a scotch, and that was all that mattered.
Look at me being positive.
“You staying for the entire week?” I asked my mother.
READ A TOTALLY AWKWARD ENGAGEMENT!
This is a short story that takes place after The Art of Awkward Affection. It is given away for free to mailinglist subscribers.
http://alinajacobs.com/mailinglist.html
FAMILY TREE
Richmond Brothers
From oldest to youngest
Grayson Richmond
Aaron Richmond
Spencer Richmond
Finn Richmond
Graham Richmond
Connor Richmond
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A big thank you to Red Adept Editing for editing and proofreading and Jayne for typo hunting team!
And finally a big thank you to all the readers! I had a great time writing this romantic comedy!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
If you like steamy romantic comedy novels with a creative streak, then I'm your girl!
Architect by day, writer by night, I love matcha green tea, chocolate, and books! So many books…
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Alina Jacobs, The Art of Awkward Affection: A Romantic Comedy
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Grayson was wary and guarded, his corporate mask on.
My mom was having none of it.
“Have a pig in a blanket.” She shoved a platter in front of Siobhan.
“Mom.”
“Lexi, she’s a guest.”
“There’s catering,” I assured Siobhan, who was too polite to make a face at my parents, who were decked out in their Florida best for the housewarming party.
“I just have to give you a hug,” my mother insisted, wrapping her arms around Grayson’s mom. She was wearing flip-flops and came barely to chest height on Siobhan, who was dressed impeccably in heels and a silk cocktail dress.
“I’m Lexi’s mom.” She showed Siobhan one of the many buttons she wore on her vest that proclaimed, LEXI’S FAN CLUB! “And your son is just wonderful.”
“Can’t really take any credit for that.” Siobhan glanced at Grayson.
His expression didn’t change.
“That woman needs a drink,” my father said jovially, pressing a cocktail in her hand. Barely taller than I was, he was the least intimidating man on the planet.
My parents ushered Siobhan away, leaving Grayson with his siblings and Siobhan’s husband.
Grayson didn’t say a word.
“Thanks for investing in my company,” Siobhan’s husband said finally.
“Don’t mention it,” my boyfriend replied.
Niles tugged at Grayson’s pant leg.
“Can I please play with your puppy?”
“Do you two want to go out to the terrace and meet the dogs?” Grayson knelt down; his face softened.
“Yes, a puppy!”
“I wanna puppy!” His siblings jumped up and down.
“We’ll just have to watch them all with the pool,” Grayson said to Siobhan’s husband.
“You have a pool?” the little girl shouted. “You didn’t tell me he had a pool, Daddy. I didn’t bring my swimsuit.”
“We’ll come back another time so you can swim in the pool. This is a nice party,” her dad promised then looked up at Grayson.
“Whenever you want,” he assured him.
“If it’s a nice party,” Grayson’s sister demanded, “then why aren’t we using the pool?” She ran to the sliding glass doors. “Oh my gosh, there’s a unicorn in the pool!”
Hey, I can’t live a life completely devoid of whimsy, corporate girlfriend or not.
Joe sighed.
“She’s five so …” He shrugged helplessly. “We’ll look at the unicorn later, sweetie.”
“Do you want something to eat?” I offered, bending down.
“Pizza!”
I winced. “We don’t have—”
“I made bagel pizza bites!” my mom crowed.
The kids and several adults gathered around in excitement.
“Your mom texted me and made me buy her bagel bite ingredients,” McKenna admitted. “I can’t say no to your mom, Lexi.”
The little girl went up to my mom. “You look like the Little Mermaid.”
My mom beamed. She lived for these moments.
Then she and Grayson broke out into a duet from the movie, while his sister repeated, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it’s happening!”
“I didn’t know you could sing,” Grayson’s mother said, looking at him oddly after the song ended.
“He’s practically perfect in every way.” My mom squeezed Grayson’s arm.
“A fellow nonsinger, I take it?” Siobhan asked me wryly.
“Singing is not Lexi’s gift to the world,” my dad said diplomatically.
“One moment, please.” Grayson excused himself and headed outside to where Pongo was barking at his reflection in the water, dangerously close to falling in.
I raced out after Grayson.
We shooed the dog away from the water, redirecting him to one of the toys the Richmond brothers had brought.
Inside my parents were regaling Siobhan and her daughter with tales from life as Disney cast members, while several of the Richmond brothers were flirting with McKenna, who was all too excited with the attention.
Aaron snapped at them then recoiled when Grenadine said something lewd.
Grayson snickered.
I sighed.
“This was not the elegant housewarming party I had planned for you.”
“Was it ever going to be?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re right it was always going to be an awkward mess. I’ll just give in and embrace my inner Florida woman. Next week I’ll have this whole place covered in inflatable flamingos.”
He was looking at me, smiling, face easy, body relaxed.
“A three-billion-dollar tower, and you’re the most breathtaking view here.” He leaned down, pressing his mouth to mine. “Lexi, I love you, more than you can know.”
I let him kiss me again, really let myself feel it.
“And I love you. I was going to say ‘more than a Cinderella loves her prince’ but you’re way better than any prince.”
Pongo was barking furiously at the plant Siobhan had brought.
“Sorry your life is so much more chaotic now.”
“No,” Grayson said, kissing the top of my head. “My life is beautiful.”
SNEAK PEAK
SYNOPSIS
This is a Grayson and Lexi bonus short story. With a little help from his mother and brother’s Grayson has a Disney worthy engagement planned…that is if Lexi will say yes.
1
LEXI
“Smile! You’re in the happiest place on Earth.”
It was eight in the morning, and we had early admission to Disney World. I was dressed for the Florida heat and humidity with a breezy romper, oversized sunglasses, a hat, and sneakers. Always sneakers.
Grayson was … not—white dress shirt, light-gray slacks, and dress shoes were not what I would recommend anyone wear in the height of summer.
I handed him the sunscreen. “When you fall down from heatstroke, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“You said you were going to take pictures,” he said, slipping on a pair of sunglasses that made him look like an undercover CIA agent.
“Someone get this man some ears!” Spencer clapped a plastic set of Mickey Mouse ears on Grayson’s head.
My boyfriend scowled. Between the ears, sunglasses, and the rolled-up white sleeves, he was very much my fantasy come to life.
“You really know how to make a girl all hot and bothered.” I fanned myself. That earned me a small smile from Grayson.
“Let’s get some blackmail material,” Graham crowed as he slung his arm around Grayson and snapped a selfie.
“Get off.” Grayson shook off his brother.
Grayson had promised to try his best to enjoy himself on this trip for my sake, but we had only been in the park half an hour and I felt like Grayson was already being pushed to his limit.
“We have another eight days of this,” I reminded him, squeezing his hand.
“So you’re going to have to dig deep,” his brother Aaron said dryly.
“Remind me why you’re here?”
“It’s family bonding time.”
“I’m not staying for eight days,” Finn declared.
“Then you’ll have to make it count,” Grayson said, taking off the plastic ears and placing them on his littlest brother’s head.
Yes, you read that right. If the trip wasn’t going to be challenging enough for Grayson, I’d convinced his mom and her family to come.
Niles jumped up and down. “I love Disney!”
My parents, dressed head to toe in Disney, complete with custom sneakers, cooed and sighed.
“There’s nothing like taking a child to Disney World and experiencing the magic through their eyes,” my mom said wistfully.
“I remember the first time we took Lexi,” my dad stated, getting choked up. “She was such a chubby little baby.”
Out came the portable photo album.
“Dad.”
“Look at her in her Mickey Mouse hat.” He wrapped an arm around me.
“And here’s Lexi dressed up as the Little Mermaid,” my mom said.
I felt the familiar twinge in my chest. I had never achieved my goal of playing a princess at one of the parks.
“Here she is with Barry. He was still playing Mickey Mouse then.” She shoved the pictures at Siobhan, who inspected them politely.
“Mom, we need to go get in line for the rides.”
Grayson’s little sister was looking around, mouth open, taking in the magic of the park.
“Franny spent two hours this morning getting ready,” her father informed me as the little girl in a big sparkly dress twirled around in front of us.
“I have to meet all the princesses. All of them,” she insisted.
“Aren’t the lines long?” her mother said cautiously.
Grayson and his mom looked equally uncomfortable to be surrounded by so much Disney.
She had toned down her usual sophisticated, chic style, but was still no match for my mom in her poufy skirt, disco-ball-bedazzled mini backpack, sparkly princess shirt, bright-pink-and-purple sneakers that lit up, and fairy wings. Her red hair was threaded with glittering butterflies and seashells. She looked like a vacationing princess and was attracting quite the gaggle of little girls.
“We are going to see the princesses,” she cooed at Franny. “I know the Fairy Godmother, and she’s offered to help us meet all of them.”
“You know the Fairy Godmother?” Franny screeched. “Mommy, she knows the Fairy Godmother.”
“Oh, that’s nice,” Siobhan said, “but you know the Fairy Godmother might be busy.”
“I already texted her.” My mom held up her phone and beamed.
“She literally knows her,” I explained to Siobhan. “My great-aunt plays the Fairy Godmother.”
“Ah.”
“Let’s go!” Franny shrieked, taking off at a run, her father and my parents in tow.
“No, I want to see Star Wars,” Niles wailed, “and Darth Vader.”
“Heck yeah, we’re going to see Darth Vader!” Grayson’s brothers whooped.
Niles immediately cheered up.
“We need to get him all decked out first,” Grayson said.
“Is Disney just as magical as you remember?” Grayson asked me as we waited in line for one of the new Star Wars rides.
“Always.” I sighed happily.
Behind us, several kids were screaming bloody murder because their parents didn’t buy them one of the pricey novelty balloons being sold.
Siobhan swore as someone got too close to her with a dripping ice cream cone.
“Bad word, Mommy,” her little boy, newly dressed up as a storm trooper, scolded.
Grayson stoically applied sunscreen while his brothers secretively did tequila shots in line, and Aaron angrily took a conference call.
If I was a cast member, I would have ratted them out. But I was a guest, so I kept my mouth shut.
“I don’t have Star Wars-themed ears,” I said, digging through my bag. “I can’t really ride the ride unless I have the correct ears.”
“Can you wear the blue ones?” Grayson asked, using his polite corporate tone with me.
“You mean the Princess Jasmine ears? Absolutely not.”
“Wear the green ones, perhaps?”
“You’re not taking this seriously,” I said, too sharply, wishing I was with my parents and Franny as opposed to Grayson and his brothers. Then I felt guilty. This was Grayson’s first time at the park, and it was up to me to make it magical.
“Wear the wedding ones.” Connor and his brothers pulled ears out of my bag and put them on their heads. Niles literally rolled on the ground in laughter as Grayson’s brothers mugged for him. It earned us several dirty looks from nearby families.
“Step up to the yellow line,” a cast member called as we heard the clanging of a returning roller coaster.
“I want to ride up front!” Niles shrieked.
“Me too!” I shrieked back at him.
“Yes!” The little boy jumped up and down.
At least someone was having fun.
“Niles, stop screaming,” Siobhan begged.
One of the cast members was directing us into different cars of the roller coaster.
“Could we please sit together?” I asked the cast member.
“Oh my god, Lexi?” she screamed.
“Courtney!” I hugged her. “Hi.”
“Oh my god, after the ride, come see me! And totally, you all can sit together.”
“Do we have to?” Aaron asked, putting away his phone and squeezing in the coaster next to a stoic Grayson.
I sat in front with Niles, Spencer behind me.
Niles and I screamed our heads off on the coaster, which to be fair was geared more for smaller kids, but hey, if you didn’t scream on a roller coaster, what was the point?
“We have to do that again,” Niles insisted when the ride was over and Grayson and his tall brothers were unfolding themselves out of the small cars.
“Heck yeah!” Grayson’s brothers whooped. “Then celebratory giant turkey legs.”
“Giant turkey leg!” Niles was in heaven.
Neither Siobhan nor Grayson looked particularly game for either suggestion.
“Niles, don’t you want to go on a new ride?” his mom asked.
“We’re going to be here a week,” Spencer reminded her. “The man knows what he wants.”
Niles led the group back to the end of the line that we’d just spent an hour and a half standing in.
Courtney grabbed my arm before I could follow them.
Grayson hovered, and I introduced him to her.
“I can see why Lexi never came back to work at the park,” Courtney said, grinning at him. “Oh my god, Lexi, I have to steal you for a bit. I’m on break. You have to come get a coffee with me.”
“It’s all right,” Grayson assured me. “I knew you’d be a celebrity here.”
“I’ll catch up with you guys,” I promised.
“Bring back memories?” Courtney elbowed me.
“So many happy memories.”
“Come on! Hannah’s still here. She’s going to die when she sees you.”
I took a long look at Grayson. Was he mad I was ditching him? I was definitely going to make it up to him.
“See you later?”
He just nodded.
2
GRAYSON
I knew Lexi, a self-avowed Disney adult, wasn’t going to stick by my side for the duration of our stay. How could she? This was her old workplace. Of course she was going to want to reconnect.
However, I was now left alone with my family—only my family, since Lexi’s parents had disappeared into the bowels of the colorful park.
I wished I had done a better job of bribing Marius to come early. Then at least I wouldn’t have been the odd man out.
My brothers, as they often did, had fallen into their usual pattern of trading inside jokes and engaging in familiar interactions with each other. It was like I wasn’t even there. They were in their own little world, Aaron snapping at them while they goaded each other into a giant turkey leg eating contest while Niles cheered.
Beside me, my mother, eyes unreadable behind dark sunglasses, crossed her arms and sighed.
“You know,” she said to me under her breath, “I hear they let you drink here at the Disney hotel outside the park.”
“You looked like you needed a rescue,” my mom said when the drinks arrived. We were sitting at the air-conditioned hotel bar. Around us people in blue vests with gold Mickey Mouse pins circulated around the gem-inlaid tables. I assumed it was supposed to mimic being in one of the ubiquitous princess movies. It wasn’t my taste, but I could order a scotch, and that was all that mattered.
Look at me being positive.
“You staying for the entire week?” I asked my mother.
READ A TOTALLY AWKWARD ENGAGEMENT!
This is a short story that takes place after The Art of Awkward Affection. It is given away for free to mailinglist subscribers.
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FAMILY TREE
Richmond Brothers
From oldest to youngest
Grayson Richmond
Aaron Richmond
Spencer Richmond
Finn Richmond
Graham Richmond
Connor Richmond
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A big thank you to Red Adept Editing for editing and proofreading and Jayne for typo hunting team!
And finally a big thank you to all the readers! I had a great time writing this romantic comedy!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
If you like steamy romantic comedy novels with a creative streak, then I'm your girl!
Architect by day, writer by night, I love matcha green tea, chocolate, and books! So many books…
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Alina Jacobs, The Art of Awkward Affection: A Romantic Comedy
