World's Worst Boyfriend: A Romantic Comedy Adventure (Fake It Book 3), Carina Taylor [ebook reader online txt] 📗

Even though Anna was condescending and difficult to be around, I could still admire the fact that she probably was a great surgeon. She didn’t bother with human emotions very much, and I’ve heard the good surgeons have zero bedside manners and all.

“I interviewed some potential employees this week,” Grandmother announced.

“Are you starting a business?” Dad asked.

“No, I was interviewing employees for Saidy’s little business.”

My fork clattered to the plate loudly. Mom’s eyes met mine in a wide-eyed panic. My jaw clenched, and I had to work on breathing in a regular pattern before I answered her. I kept my voice deceptively calm, even though I felt like throwing a plate at the wall. The wall right behind Grandma’s head…

“That’s nice of you to take an interest, but I’m not expanding my business and will not be hiring any employees.”

Dad gave me a wink, helping me calm down and making me remember that not everyone in my family was a controlling narcissist.

“You won’t become anything if you don’t begin to expand,” Grandmother said in exasperation.

“That’s nice,” I replied as I picked up another piece of bread and spread some butter on it.

“I’m going to find the right employees for your design business. It will take you to the next level.”

“You’ll have to start your own design business, then, because I’m not taking on any employees this year,” I said through gritted teeth.

Grandmother clicked her tongue. “Fine. These initial candidates weren’t right anyway. I’ll keep interviewing until I find a good crew for you.”

I didn’t want a crew. I wanted to run my own design business while hiring out occasional contract workers. I loved my work the way it was, and I definitely did not need my grandma coming in and messing with the way my business was run.

Mom jumped into the fray in an attempt to shift the conversation to neutral territory with a question about Grandma’s devil dog, who had been a bit under the weather. She then went on to tell all of us in great detail about the cough her Basenji was suffering through.

In my heart I knew that dog wasn’t suffering half as much as I was at the moment…

By some miracle, I made it through the rest of dinner, kissed Mom and Dad goodbye, handed Grandmother her birthday present, and ran out the door.

I climbed into my car and began the drive home. Alone. This was getting ridiculous.

My phone chimed, so I checked my text when I stopped at a deserted four-way.

Fletcher: Love you, pumpkin. I’m going to make tonight up to you.

If he loved me, why didn’t he ever want to spend time with me? I mean, I know he was busy with his IT company start up. He’d only recently started it when we first met.

I know starting a company wasn’t easy. I’d done it myself. I wasn’t unsympathetic to his plight. But what bothered me the most was he always told me he’d be somewhere, and then something always came up. I was beginning to think I was dating the world’s biggest flake.

A handsome, curl your toes, good-looking flake.

A flake that I’d caught changing the lightbulbs in my kitchen two days earlier. All this time and I’d thought I’d finally found magic lightbulbs that never needed to be replaced. Turns out, I had a little fairy who went around my house checking the lumen and wattage situation regularly.

Times like that, when I’d catch him doing sweet things for me without being asked, I thought there was no one better in the world. And then there were times like tonight, when he backed out on a commitment that made me think I couldn’t rely on him.

I ignored the text and turned onto the road that would lead me around the back of town toward my little neighborhood. I loved driving the back roads home. Even at night it was more peaceful. And it definitely strained my eyes less. Headlights coming toward me always blinded me. It seemed like the lights were shooting off in all directions making it hard to focus on the road. Fletcher had been hounding me to get my eyes checked out. He was convinced I needed glasses.

Just then, my car chugged and made a lurching movement. That was strange. I’d had it serviced recently, and the mechanic had said everything looked great and that I’d be good for at least a hundred-thousand miles.

The car lurched forward again, then stalled. The engine shut off.

That mechanic had lied.

I coasted to the side of the road without incident as I stared at the dashboard of my car.

This thing was still under warranty. It shouldn’t be dying like this. I popped the hood and stepped out of the car.

The country road was dark and deserted. I shivered, though not from the cold.

I pulled out my phone. I tried calling Fletcher. No answer. I would be shocked if I were any other girlfriend. So I called Dad. His phone was already off. He was probably asleep in his recliner. Oh well, that was probably for the best. If he’d answered, he would then give me a long lecture about why I should have bought the reliable Toyota he recommended.

I texted Fletcher. Still no answer.

I really needed some help right now. The peaceful country road was eerily silent. Even the bright moon wasn’t helping me feel at ease. Instead it seemed to cast an eery glow over everything.

I texted my friend Zoe. No answer.

I called Fletcher again. And again. I would have tried calling my friends Andrea and Milo, but I knew they were out of town for a couple days.

I finally tried calling a tow company. No such luck. There were no Ubers running at this time of night, either. #smalltownprobs

A set of headlights came around the corner and I hurriedly jumped in my car and locked the door. No way was I getting murdered tonight. I had a hair appointment in the morning, and I