A Sophisticated Seduction

Lizzie's Ghost Comes Back To Haunt Me

Excerpt

"I don't care what the hell happens between now and ten years from now. All I want, is to spend as much time as possible with you. I don't give a shit about death right now."

"Because you've experienced it already? Losing someone?" her tone was slightly unsteady. "Because she simply pushed you away and your coping strategy is to place all your bets on a future with me, hoping that the same thing wouldn't happen?"

I stared back and couldn't decipher her words. To me, it appeared as if she was harsh. Because my heart was always the first organ to respond to her words and right there and then, I felt a squeeze and a slice of pain.

"What does that mean?" It had to be asked, because we had a misunderstanding before and I didn't want another one. I wanted her to tell me up front, what this was about.

"It means that I'm your second chance, Emma. She was there first, in your heart," tears clouded her brown eyes. "Wasn't she?"

xx

Friday

"So have you two used a strap on as yet?"

I nearly choked on my glass of lemonade and had to double over, clawing the chair under me because that was mom. Imagine my mom was asking me that and we were literally sitting outside, practically in the middle of a conversation about my studies. Guys, we had been talking about financial accounting and the fact that taxation had brutally stabbed me. The realization had kicked in when Regina noted that I mentioned going into my third year at university when this was really my fourth. I was just about to explain to her that my first year was spent doing marketing so basically drifting over to business management exempted me from some courses.

And mom suddenly swung the table around.

With her cup of Lipton tea neatly resting upon a white saucer, Regina studied me with this amused expression. "Quite a refreshing turn of conversation."

"I am so not going to answer that," I said to my mother. She was smiling back at me so innocently, I couldn't understand how it was possible to ask a question like that with such a convincing expression on that round face.

"Do you use toys?"

"Mom," I held up my right hand, trying to send her a warning, "don't you dare." I sighed and focused on Regina. "So basically, it's four years in total but Business Management only consisted of three."

"A Diploma in Marketing and a Degree in Business Management."

"Correcto," I nodded.

"Or are you really old fashioned and you're waiting on marriage?"

"That." I nodded and prayed to the heavens that the conversation would end there. "We're waiting."

"I mean, she was always good with her hands," mom continued, scrunching up her face and turning to face Regina. "Quite handsy like her father. He's always utilizing his hands around the house or in...other departments. But -"

"Mom!" she was not doing this to me. "Stop it."

"I figure that she's a topper because she always likes to take control of things -"

"Dad!" I reared my head and tried to get his attention because he'd save me from this, hopefully. He was inside there, stretched off on the couch watching ELF.

"Always used to play the little man around the house. Busy fixing this or fixing that."

"Oh, she's quite the same in New York," Regina was contributing.