Oz: You’re my life forever, baby. I’d like for her to meet the woman I’ve been telling her about.

That snaps me out of my haze.

Me: You’ve been telling her about me? What did you say?

Oz: How incredibly smart you are, and how stunningly beautiful. And how we promise to give her 10 grandchildren.

Me: 10?! You did not say that!

Oz: You should probably come to lunch and correct me then.

I shake my head smiling, and then give in. I know what I feel for Oz, and I know what he feels for me, even if we haven’t said the exact words out loud. He’s it for me, so I know it’s going to happen at some point.

Me: Okay.

Oz: You continue to make me the happiest man alive.

I send a kiss emoji and place my phone on my desk. I smooth my hands down my light blue linen dress. Summertime in New York is hell on heat, so I wore something that was cooler, but now I’m wondering if it’s appropriate for meeting Oz’s mother. An off-white ribbon ties around the waist and I absentmindedly adjust it. I’m wearing cream wedges and my hair is pinned up, now that the freaking hickey has faded on my neck. Thank God, I never would have agreed if that thing was still there.

Taking a breath, I try to relax. It’s going to happen at some point, so it might as well be today. And I’m wondering if Oz didn’t mention it until now so that I didn’t have enough time to change my mind. He knows me far too well.

Skyler comes in wearing a royal blue blouse and white, high-waisted slacks that cling to her slim legs. She’s got her stick-straight dark hair pulled back in a severe ponytail and greets me as she hangs her bag up.

Leaning over our cubicle wall, she looks at me. “Who died now?”

I laugh because I swear she’s said that to me every day before Oz and I finally settled all our drama.

“No one yet.” She cocks her head to the side and I continue. “I’m meeting the mother.”

Skyler makes a sound only dogs can hear and does a kind of happy-clap jump. I don’t know how she does it in her shiny black stilettos, but I roll my eyes and try to bite back a laugh.

“I don’t usually go all girlie, but this is exciting news.” She walks around the wall and sits on the edge of my desk, putting her fists under her chin like an expectant child waiting on a story, and that makes me burst out laughing.

“Shut up! You’re supposed to be the friend that doesn’t care.” I playfully knock her arms out from under her.

“I’m trying to be supportive,” she says on a fake huff, and walks back to her side of the cubicle. “Hey.”

I look up and see her watching me.

“That’s really a big deal, and also really cool that he’s asking you to.” She shrugs a shoulder like it’s hard for her to get serious about our personal lives. “I think if he’s good enough for you, then you should give it your all.” With that, she moves back away from the wall.

I take a sip of my coffee. Unsurprisingly, it’s exactly how I like it. A lot of cream, a lot of sugar and a dash of cinnamon.

It’s perfect. And so is Oz, in his own way.

Pushing my fears aside, I get to work, knowing that dwelling on it doesn’t change a thing.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Mallory

* * *

Oz arrives at my desk before noon, and I hear Skyler on the other side of the wall humming the Jaws theme music.

“Dun dun. Dun dun. Duh duh duh duh.”

Oz raises an eyebrow at me, and I shrug. I put my hand in his and he leads me out of our department and onto the elevator.

“You’re nervous?” he asks, lifting our joined hands and kissing my wrist.

My pulse is fluttering there, and that’s how he knows.

“A little,” I confess, giving him a smile. “I’ve never done this before.”

He rubs my knuckles against his short stubble and looks at me with those beautiful sapphires of his. “Me either, baby.”

It’s then that it occurs to me he might be nervous, too. I know his mother is important to him, and he probably wants us to get along. He’s never felt this way about anyone but me before, so he’s obviously never brought another woman to lunch to meet her. Having this knowledge is kind of empowering, and it’s as if my focus has turned from myself to Oz. I can do this for him. I can make this first meeting as hard or as easy as I want it to be, and for Oz I will put his own fears to rest.

“I hope she likes me,” I say, and this time I put some determination into my voice. Thinking about this being a big moment for the both of us goes a long way to calm my nerves.

“She’ll love you.”

His words are final as the elevator goes to the bottom floor and the doors open. Oz leads me through the lobby, but instead of exiting the building, he turns me by the security desk and I realize we’re headed to the garden. My garden.

Oz opens the door for me and I walk through, remembering my first time in this space. The weather is beautiful today, and the shade from the wisteria flowers helps to keep the garden cool. Oz takes my hand and leads me down the stone path until we wind around to the open grassy area.

I look up to see a beautiful older woman sitting on the bench. A table, like the one laid out when I was here before, is placed in front of her with two chairs opposite.

She stands as soon as she sees us and takes a step around the table. She’s wearing a soft yellow pantsuit with brown wedges. I can even see the tips of her pink toenail polish peeking out of the peep toes. Her hair is to her shoulders and a beautiful salt-and-pepper. Her smile is easy, and she has the most beautiful dark green eyes.