Her Naughty Holiday (Men at Work 2)

“It’s important to him. No idea why it’s important to you.”

“If you’re dating him, everything about him is important to me.”

“Wait,” Clover said. “Are you dating him? Or am I dating him?”

“You are my daughter.”

“So we’re both dating him?”

“Clover, I have no idea what’s gotten into you, but I’m not thrilled with this attitude. Why won’t you answer my questions? Is this your new boyfriend’s doing?”

“Yes, my kind, funny, handsome, hardworking, thirty-eight-year-old boyfriend is forcing me against my will to not answe

r your personal questions.”

“I do hope you’re joking.”

Clover sighed. Heavily. So, so heavily.

“Yes, Mom. I’m joking. Erick isn’t here. He’s at work. We met at the nursery. We like each other. Nothing is serious yet. You’ll meet him on Thanksgiving. That’s all you could possibly need to know about him and me and us. Isn’t it?” Clover decided to put her mother on the defensive. Better to ask questions than be interrogated.

“I don’t know about that. Your father said Erick was at your house at eight thirty this morning.”

“He was fixing my deck. He does that sort of thing. It’s what he does for a living.”

“He didn’t charge you for fixing your deck, did he? That’s not very—”

“Oh, my God, no. He didn’t charge me. He’s a good guy. You should be happy I’m seeing him.”

“Of course we’re happy you’re dating anyone, dear.”

Clover didn’t reply to that. Perhaps if she clammed up and said nothing her mother would get the hint. And a comment like that didn’t deserve a reply. They’d be happy with her dating anyone? Anyone at all? A random dude off the internet? An ex-con with neck tattoos of AK-47s? A suspected serial killer? Anyone?

“It’s very interesting that you don’t want to talk about him. Your first boyfriend in a very, very long time and you don’t want to discuss him?”

“He’s not my first boyfriend in a very, very long time.”

“You’ve dated other people without telling us?”

“It’s not out of the realm of possibility. I am thirty years old. I do get to have a private life, don’t I?”

“You act like I’m interrogating you.”

“You are.”

“All your father and I care about is your happiness.”

“That’s all you care about? Not Kelly or Hunter or your jobs or each other? Just my happiness?”

“You know perfectly well what I mean. The only reason I ask you these questions is because we care about you. We want you to be happy.”

“I’m happy. Nothing else to see here.”

“You still haven’t told me about this girl of Erick’s. How old is she?”

“She’s seventeen. She’s also my assistant at the nursery.”

“Seventeen? That’s awfully old.”