“Laura’s the worst.” My mother answers and she lets out a sigh. “Are you sure you don’t want us to come? It’s hard for me to check her from here, you know. I can reschedule with Jacob and Georgina.” She continues her ramble about how no one can disrespect her baby and she has a few choice words for Laura Anderson but I’m so focused on what she said prior to really hear what she’s talking about. It takes a minute but I remember the situation that set everything in motion last night.

She set Jacob and Georgina up. A double date. My parents and them.

My man. Another woman.

“You’re still setting JP up with Georgina? I mean, are you sure she’s ready to start dating?”

“She said she is and the only way to find out is to just try.”

“Okay and JP is interested? Because when you and Georgina left the room, he told Dad he wasn’t.” I’m trying my best to seem aloof but I worry I’m coming off as hyper as I feel.

“JP doesn’t know what he wants and I’m not saying he has to marry her for crying out loud. It’s just dinner.”

Relax, Jacob loves you. He wants you. He wanted to come with you to New York and you told him no.

“Right, well. Have fun!” I roll my eyes at the high pitch of my voice.

“Keep us posted about Parker, okay?” I hear the subtext in her voice or maybe I’m just imagining that she’s confused as to why I’m more concerned about JP and Georgina’s sort of date than I am about my fiancé being in the hospital.

I’m barely off the phone before I’m sending him a text.

Me: Alone?

Jacob: I can be.

Me: Please.

My phone begins ringing moments later. “You’re still going on a date with my parent’s neighbor?” I ask before he can utter a hello.

“Hi beautiful.” I can hear the smile in his voice and I don’t know if it’s because he’s talking to me or because I’m feeling jealous and territorial.

“JP, a date…?”

“I wouldn’t call it that.”

“My mother is trying to set you up, what would you call it?”

“A favor.” I begin pacing the hallway, peering over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure no one is within earshot. “Baby, come on. I feel like a dick if I back out and I hate when your mother is mad at me.”

“I thought you hated when I was mad at you?”

“You’re mad at me?”