What is happening?
“You look like ya just seen a ghost,” he said.
The voice sounded off.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry. It’s just…you’re not who I was expecting. You don’t even sound like yourself.”
He tilted his head. “What were you expecting?”
What was I supposed to say? Someone without wrinkles? Someone who doesn’t look creepy as fuck?
“Can I ask you a question?” I said.
“Shoot.”
“If you’re really Silas, what were we talking about the last time we spoke on the phone?”
He smiled slowly like a Cheshire cat, then said, “Underpanties.”
Ew! This guy is gross.
At that moment, a raspy laugh registered from behind me.
Then his voice. “I wish I could’ve fucking seen your face from here.”
As I turned around, my jaw dropped.
It was the handsome guy I remembered, all six-feet plus of him.
My forehead wrinkled. “Silas?”
He smiled wide. “Lola…”
A mixture of relief and confusion washed over me.
“If you’re you…” I turned back toward the old man at the table. “Who’s he?”
The man lifted his hand in a wave. “Nice to meet ya. Uncle Barry here. Or as he likes to call me, Funcle—the fun uncle. Sorry to play ya like that, but my neph pays in cash and chewing tobacco.”
Silas patted him on the shoulder. “You can go now, Barry.”
‘Funcle Barry’ snickered as he stood up and made his way toward the door.
Silas then took the seat across from me.
I crossed my arms and hugged them into my chest as I sat there on guard. “Why would you do that to me?”
“I was just having a little fun.” Then his accent changed to a fake British one. “You know…with the girl from Schwinn and all.” His head bent back in laughter. “Schwinn? Fucking Schwinn? You couldn’t come up with anything better than the brand of your damn bike?”
I sighed. “You knew all this time?”
He leaned in, and it gave me goosebumps.
“Lola…I knew from almost the very first night. When you told me you were renting a house, I got this strange feeling that maybe it could have been one of mine. So, I looked at the list of phone numbers your roommate had given me when you guys moved in. She’d listed all your names and cell phones in case of an emergency. Sure enough, Lola Lancaster was one of them, and her number matched the one in my phone. I suspected you had no idea you were talking to the ‘nasty’ landlord at that time, so I figured I would just let things play out.”
“So, wait…that day I came to your place, you also recognized my face. How did you know it was me? We’d never met.”
“I looked you up on social media after our first phone call, once I knew your name. Already knew exactly what you looked liked, so I recognized you. Fucking nearly lost it when you started talking in a British accent.”
“Why didn’t you just out me then? Put me out of my misery?”
“Because I was having too much fun.”
“You could’ve handled this more maturely,” I huffed.
He raised his brow. “Like you did?”
Feeling ashamed, I closed my eyes and opened them again. “I was going to come clean tonight. It was why I wanted the full hour. I didn’t want you to run away before I had a chance to explain myself. I didn’t mean for this to happen or to trick you.”
“I know, Lola. I know you didn’t. You freaked out. I could see the wheels turning in your head before you put on the fake accent yesterday. I saw the moment you realized it was me in your eyes. But I have to say, when you came up with the Schwinn thing, it nearly put me over the edge.”
Unable to keep myself from laughing, I covered my mouth. “I can’t believe this.”
“Look…” He reached across the table and grabbed my hand. That one touch lit my body on fire. “I pulled this shit on you,” he said. “Now we’re even. Let’s start fresh.”
He let go of my hand, and I longed for his touch again.
Feeling like I’d dodged a bullet, I said, “Are you serious?”
“Yes. I’m dead serious. I’ve told you this before, but I’ve always known you’re good people. Even if you make some crazy ass, knee-jerk decisions. But no more fucked-up tricks…from either of us…okay? Let’s get to know each other for real this time.”
A sense of relief came over me. “Well, thank you for the pass. If we’re starting from the beginning…” I held out my hand. “Hi…I’m Lola.”
He took it and squeezed, sending a burst of electricity through me. “I’m Mark. Or as you’ve seen me sign my emails…M.S. Borden—Mark Silas Borden.”
Oh wow.
“You’re weren’t kidding when you said your name was Mark on our first phone call.”
“Well, someone seemed to think it was a boring name. I like my middle name better, too.” He winked. “You can keep using Silas, though. I love it when you call me that.”
I spent several seconds just taking the sight of him in. Oh my God. This was really my Silas, sitting in front of me.
“I can’t believe we’re actually together…in person,” I said.
He moved his head back and forth slowly. “You’re absolutely gorgeous, Lola. Even if I wanted to ditch you for lying, I couldn’t get your beautiful face out of my mind. I had to meet you.”
“You’re not so bad yourself. And thank you for returning our clothes, by the way.”
A hint of mischief crossed his face. “Well, I did keep one thing for myself.”
My forehead raised. “You did?”
“I figured I earned the pink lace thong for putting up with your lying butt.” He winked.
My face felt flush. “You’re bad.”
“You have no idea, Lola. If you manage to stick around until the end of the summer, you might just find out how bad.”
Now my entire body buzzed.
Over the next hour,
