Free Losing at Love by Jennifer Iacopelli Page B

loaned you and I…I am…oh my goodness, my dear, I can’t apologize enough. I’m Anna.”
    She peeked out from over Alex’s shoulder and tried to make her feet move, but they felt like she’d just played a five setter. Despite being all the way across the room, it felt like his mother was standing just inches from her, taking in the bite mark on her shoulder and the wrinkles in her dress, the insanity that must be her hair.
    “Mum, just give us a minute, okay?”
    “Of course,” she said and spun around back into the hallway.
    “Oh my God,” Penny said, her feet finally moving as she paced the small space between the table and the island, back and forth, until Alex’s hands on her waist stopped her. “Oh my God, Alex.”
    “It’s fine, Pen. She didn’t really see anything and she doesn’t care, I promise.”
    “ I care. She’s your mother and she just saw us almost…oh God.”
    “Love, you’ve got to calm down. She’s going to love you and this will just be a funny story one day, something to tell the grandkids, eh?”
    “You’re hilarious. This isn’t funny. I wanted her to like me, to know that I wasn’t just another…”
    “She knows.”
    “How can…
    “Penny, she knows because I told her so. I told her I wanted her to meet you. That she was going to love you, like I do.”
    “I can’t. I just want to die.”
    “Right, okay. I’m going to go out there and tell her you’re too embarrassed to come out, all right? She’ll understand.”
    “She’s going to think I’m a coward.”
    “No, she won’t. I know my mum. She’s as red as a tomato out there right now too. Gimme a minute.”
    “It’s okay. I’ll…I’ll come with you.”
    Penny ran a hand through her hair, smoothed down the line of her dress, straightened her shoulders and took a step forward.
    Alex’s warm hand slipped into hers. “You’re not walking to the gallows, Pen. She’s just my mum. Relax.”
    “Right,” she muttered between her teeth as she forced her mouth into a smile. “I can’t wait for you to meet my dad.”
    His hand tightened around hers, but she slipped free as she stepped through the doorway. Her smile became genuine as she heard a murmured, “Fuck,” from behind her and the thought that however the next few minutes went, it was going to be easy as pie compared with what her dad would put Alex through.
    As soon as they made it into the hallway, they realized it was too late. Alex’s mom was gone. There was a note on the side table, neat scrawl across it. Alex read it and then passed it to her.
    So sorry. Still on for dinner tomorrow night. Be safe!
    “Your mother thinks I’m a…what do they call it here? A slag.”
    “Pen, no she doesn’t. I promise you. We’ll all go out to dinner tomorrow and be laughing about this by the time dessert comes.”
     

Chapter 7
     
    June 18th
     
    Indy was up early. Usually it took two different alarms and multiple snooze buttons to get her out of bed in the morning, but the last few days, her eyes had popped open just before the sun was peaking out over the horizon. In the corner of her room, her bags were stacked neatly. She packed the night before, making sure she had enough clothes to last her the two weeks in London. Penny had texted her strict instructions not to just bring shorts and t-shirts and had even told her to raid her closet if necessary to find some nicer dresses for nights out in the city. She hadn’t done it yet, but she’d left some room in her bags to do so after training.
    Just a meeting with Dom this morning and a doubles training session with Jasmine and then she had the afternoon off before their early flight the next day. Throwing on some clothes for training, she pocketed her phone and then plugged her earbuds into her ears, letting The Clash’s London Calling blare through the tiny speakers. Cliché, maybe, but London was calling and it was going to be amazing.
    She stepped out into the dorm hallway, lowering the volume just