Word has it that opposites attract. Jessica Keith would give the pithy expression two middle fingers because a wild party girl like her and the prim do-gooder, Matthew Parkinson are opposites hopeless to attract, let alone breathe the same air.
Howe...
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Jessica
"Oh, my little jellybean." My grandmother squeezed me into a hug. "As always, fashionably late." She kept me in arm's length, doing a quick inspection with her green eyes. "You look fabulous. Your mother is probably going to kill you."
"I know, grandma." I winked.
She gasped when she spotted Matthew beside me. "And you brought a handsome gentleman like you said you will." She gave him a quick appraising glance. "I'm sorry, I thought this was a prank. It took me a while to be sure you're actually with Jessica. It was a miracle to see you standing this close."
"Grandma." I protested.
"When Jessica told me she's bringing a plus one, I thought it's going to be another tattooed ass. To my surprise, she told me it's a Parkinson. And then surprises me again by bringing here the philanthropist Parkinson. She didn't bring you here at gunpoint, did she?"
"Oh, my fucking God. Grandma, stop." I laughed, a little embarrassed. "Matthew came with me out of the goodness of his heart. Right, Matty?"
Matthew puts on a shy smile, his dimple a thousand times adorable than usual.
And I swear, my grandmother swooned.
"I was brought here of my own free will. No guns involved." He says, a perfectly charming smile intact.
My grandmother laughs softly. "It's good that you're here. Alistair is circling the vicinity like a shark looking for Jessica. Sweetie, does he know about the thing with Alistair?"
"Grandma, he doesn't have to—"
She just went right on. "Alistair is one of those people who insist that they're a "good dude" and pretends he's a panty-dropper." She did a dramatic quotation mark in the air.
Matthew flinched at the word 'panty-dropper' and swung a glance my way.
I mouthed. 'Sorry.'
"But really just another asshole," Grandma continues. "A big narcissistic dickwad who needs to be boiled inside a pot until he learns about consent."
I froze. "Grandma."
She stiffened. In a blink of a second, she goes back on. "Anyways, thank you for coming. Now, I gotta go and wipe the sweat off my pits. I'll see you both in a bit. In the meantime, you guys can check out the bar. Party while you're young."
Grandma sashayed away.
"Sorry about that," I murmured.
"Trust me, she's nothing to apologize for," he reassures.
I smiled. "Some people can find her vibrant personality too... bright. But you don't have to worry about meeting someone else with that same vibe. My parents are on the other side of the spectrum. We're just going to say 'hi' and leave the party. Thirty minutes max."
