This Love | ✓

Part 34

I clicked on the email application and sat up, swinging my legs off the edge of the bed while I waited for my account to load. I groaned when I found my inbox cluttered with spam emails. After deleting each one, I checked to see if Chris was online, realising that we hadn't talked in over two weeks. Upon finding that he wasn't available to chat, I typed a quick email asking him how he was doing.

The rest of the afternoon passed in an uneventful blur. As I had plenty of time until Jason was scheduled to pick me up for dinner, I decided to watch a cloying romantic comedy film with Claire.

Once the sun started to set, I headed back to my bedroom and took a long, warm soak in the bathtub. The warmth of the soapy water soaked through my skin, soothing my jangled nerves. After styling my hair into soft, bouncy waves, I pulled on the outfit that I had picked out the previous day. A floral, knee-length pencil skirt, a long-sleeved black top, and a simple pair of black ballet flats suited the occasion perfectly.

Applying a light coat of lip gloss, I gave my reflection a reassuring nod. Now, all that was left to do was wait.

***

I couldn't help the way my stomach clenched with knots when the door clicked open. Thankfully, Jason rested his hand against my back in a comforting gesture that helped me control my nervousness.

"Hey, Mom," Jason smiled at the short, dark-haired woman who answered the door. 

My eyes immediately flitted to the small sprinkling of freckles across her face, identical to the ones on Jason's nose. 

"Mom, this is Leena Faye," he gestured towards me with a proud flourish. "Leena, this is my mom."

"Hi, Jase," she greeted her son. Her smile widened when her eyes landed on me. "Hello, Leena!"

"Hi, Mrs. Hunter," I smiled. 

"Come in, come in," she ushered us into her home. Her short braid swayed as she turned and called, "Brad, look who's here!"

As we walked further into the cozy flat strewn with an interesting assortment of furniture, the air got thicker with the smell of food. 

 "Dinner smells really good," I said to Jason's mother, inhaling deeply.

"Oh, thank you, dear," she said with a pleased smile. "Jase told me you're a vegetarian, so I've made a vegetable casserole. And there's apple pie for dessert."

The sound of a door opening and closing interrupted our conversation. 

Turning to Jason's mother, I said, "I hope it wasn't too much trouble for you and Mr. Hunter to have me over."

A low-pitched male voice -- an octave deeper than Jason's -- sounded from my left. 

"It wasn't any trouble at all," Jason's father said as he walked towards us.

Mr. Hunter was so tall that he made Jason's mother and me appear elfin. His shock of brown hair, greying at the temples, accentuated his over-six-feet-tall frame. There was no doubt as to which parent gave Jason his impressive stature.

"That's my dad," Jason spoke up from my side. "Dad, meet my girlfriend, Leena."

I suppressed the squeal of excitement that bubbled up from my throat when Jason referred to me as his girlfriend. 

Focus, I chided myself as I smiled at Jason's father in greeting. 

"Hello, Mr. Hunter," I said, shaking the hand that he offered me. Turning to look at both parents, I said, "Jason told me that you are professors at a university here."