Yes, Sir.

Chapter 17: Invitation

CHAPTER 17

At 7 o'clock, I lug my grandmother's overnight bags into my bedroom and set it on a chair. "You can have the bed, Rose. I'll sleep on the couch," I say as she walks in after me.

"Nonsense, sweetheart," she presses a kiss to my forehead. "You're the one doing me a favor by letting me stay here. I'm not too old to sleep on a sofa."

I let her speak, not about to question my grandmother's vitality. She's nearly sixty-seven years old, but she has the face and figure of someone who is forty. Whenever we go out in public people always mistake her as my mother.

But then again, Rose was my mother growing up. She still is.

"I'm not saying you're old. Just take the bed, Rose. I won't sleep at all if I know you're stuck on the couch," I argue.

My grandmother sighs. "If you're sure-"

"I'm positive," I interrupt her, kicking off my pumps and pulling the clip from my hair, letting it flow freely down my shoulders. "Right now, all I want is some dinner. I'm starving," I add, heading towards the kitchen.

"Do you want anything?" I ask as I remove the ingredients to make a sandwich from the fridge. My stomach growls with hunger, and suddenly my mind flashes back to last week at this time, when I was eating chicken casserole with Harry. I set the bread down on the counter with a heavy sigh.

"Just some tea, please," Rose pipes up, effectively ending my daydream about Harry. I grab the kettle and she takes it from my hands. "And I'll make it myself."

"How are things going with Ryan?" she asks politely, pouring some water into the kettle. My back stiffens even though I was expecting her to ask that question. I hadn't told her about Ryan yet, simply because she never liked him and I couldn't bear to hear her say "I told you so."

"We-we aren't seeing each other anymore," I reply curtly before biting into my sandwich.

"Well," my grandmother hums, "I can't say I'm sorry to hear about that, because he was a total ass."

"Rose..."

"It's true," she defends herself, and this time I have to agree with her. "Can I ask what happened?"

"He cheated on me," I mutter darkly. I don't realize how tightly I'm clenching my sandwich until my nails break through the surface of the bread.

"I bet work is very awkward now," she sympathizes, folding her hands together, like she's praying for me or something.

"I got a new job," I tell her. She doesn't look surprised. I bet she was expecting that.

"Really? How is that going for you?" Rose asks yet another question. I take a big bite of my sandwich but by the time I swallow she's still staring expectantly at me.

"It's good," I finally answer. "It has better pay and a better environment. My boss and I argue sometimes but it's usually okay." I mentally curse myself for adding the last part, knowing that it will only prompt her to ask more questions.

I'm right. Rose takes a sip of her tea before speaking again. "Who is your boss?"

"His name is Harry, Harry Styles," I say in a monotone. The last thing I need is for my grandmother to find out I became involved with one of my co-workers...again.

She raises her eyebrows at me but thankfully doesn't say anything else about it. I sigh in relief and finish my sandwich, and no more questions are asked for the rest of dinner.