New Twins in Town
Copyright© 2024 by AuroraAccident
Chapter 11: First Date
The final chapter before the school year officially kicks off for these characters.
Thanks as always to AuroraIncident for not only allowing me to use this universe but also contributing a lot of suggestions that imrpove each chapter. Boots and adub for keeping the story consistant. MakorDal and Poutnikl also came in to give feedback from non-native English Speakers.
Sunday, August 27, 11:22 AM, White Residence
“So, you think it’ll be like that every week?” Zoe asked once their mother’s car was out of sight.
“I figure next week we won’t be burdened with so many Welcome-to-the-Neighborhood offerings.”
“So ... worse?” She personally felt that the food they received had been the highlight of the morning.
Miles sighed, “I dunno if I can imagine worse. What was the final count on those anyway?”
“Two meatloafs, three different cornbreads, five pies; one strawberry rhubarb, two peach, an apple, and a blackberry cobbler, a lasagna tray, a batch of chocolate chip, a batch of-”
“How many meals in total?” Miles said, giving her the ‘wrap-it-up’ signal.
“Twenty-five Dinners. Eight Desserts. Six breads. Three bags of regional snacks. Two bags of gourmet coffee. And ... the other thing.”
“Yeah, who the hell gives half a suckling pig as a welcoming gift?”
“You know mom is going to have you be the one to figure out what we do with it, right?”
“She’s not gonna- Damn. You’re probably right,” Miles shrugged.
“You’ll have time to figure out what to do,” Zoe offered.
“Yeah,” Miles chuckled. “Bet mom didn’t think we’d wind up needing an extra freezer when we told her we had to go to church. On the plus side, she pretty much doesn’t need to cook for like a month. So thats ... I don’t know what that is.”
“I believe they call that Southern Hospitality,” Zoe acknowledged.
A vibration in her pocket drew her away from the conversation.
“Lemme guess, she decided she wanted one of us to come with her after all?” Miles asked.
“No,” Zoe said, looking at the screen. “It’s not in my contacts.”
She nearly rejected the call but thought better of it.
“This is the area code, isn’t it?” She showed her brother. “It’s not a 425 or 206, so I doubt it’s a Telemarketer. Gotta be someone we met in the past couple of weeks.”
“Y’know, you coulda exchanged numbers with someone and typed their’s in wrong.”
“Yeah, I should probably take this,” she accepted the call on the final ring as she stepped into her room.
“Hey, is this Zoe?”
Though it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar, she couldn’t place the voice. She chalked it up to a combination of being introduced to so many people in such a short span combined with the slight alterations that occurred when talking into a phone.
“Um ... yeah, that’s me?” She abhorred the sensation of being at such a disadvantage.
“Hey! Sorry. It’s Oz,” there was excitement to his speech. An infectious excitement that Zoe caught without resistance.
“Sorry,” he apologized again. “Pixie and I were talking last night and ... uh, well, she gave me your number. I hope that’s alright.”
Heck yeah, it is!
“Yes. That’s fine,” she said coolly. Even if he was willing to let his eagerness show, she felt it more appropriate to play her emotions closer to the chest.
“Oh, thank God,” he let out a quick sigh of relief. “So, I realize I’m supposed to act cool and disinterested...”
She smirked at what she was hearing.
“but ... I’m going to be driving back to Chapel Hill today. Actually ... I had planned on leaving about now...”
Zoe’s smile wavered slightly.
“Well, Pix asked me why I hadn’t asked you out. And frankly, I didn’t have a great answer...”
Yes!
“Well ... I guess I did have a good answer. Since I’ll be so far away...”
No!
“But I realized I could really regret it if I didn’t take the opportunity to get to know you right now. Now-Now! And I realize there’s a bit of an age difference. And I ... yeah, it’ll probably be difficult ‘cause I’m so far away. But I can’t go back if I’m just gonna be thinking about you all the time.”
He’ll be thinking about me all the time?
“Because it would affect your studies and your grades?” She suggested, before pulling the mouthpiece away from her lips to laugh at his nervousness. It was flattering, and she wanted to avoid showing how much that nervousness made her feel giddy.
“Yeah! No ... NO! I mean ... I do think it would affect my ability to study. But I haven’t been able to get you out of my head, and I don’t want to ... I-uh...” he groaned, clearly frustrated with how flustered he’d become.
“Awww. You got this. In fact, you’re doing really good. Although you were starting to repeat yourself.”
“Ahh. Yeah...” the excitement in his voice was replaced by embarrassment. “I know.”
“Oz?”
“Yeah?”
“I’d love to.”
“Shit yeah! I mean ... Excellent.”
Did he just say that? Zoe laughed silently.
“Uh, can we pretend I said something more eloquent than ‘excellent’?”
“Nope,” she smirked. “I concur, this is indeed, excellent.”
“Hey, how come it doesn’t sound lame when you say it?”
“A lady never reveals her secrets,” she said confidently.
“You’re thinking of magicians.”
The word caused her to remember something she’d been told about him the day before. Her smile widened at the reminder.
“Give me an hour and I’ll be ready,” she glanced at the mirror, knowing she would easily be ready in half that time, but she had always heard it was best to ‘make ‘em wait.’
“Sounds great. I’ll see you in like an hour.”
“An hour,” as much as she wanted to seem aloof, their time would already be limited, she didn’t intend to waste any more of it than was absolutely necessary. If ladies named Hepburn had taught her anything, it was that making him wait for her to be ready was an absolute necessity.
“Right! I’ll see you in li- an hour.”
“Looking forward to it. See you then, Oz.”
“Yeah. See you then, Zo.”
CLICK
Pixie gave Miles a thumbs up as she heard her brother wrap up and stepped to the hall.
It had taken virtually no effort to convince Miles to transcribe what he heard on his end. Her first text of
PR: Hey! This Zoe?
While initially met with confusion, became perfectly clear upon her follow up text, relaying her brother’s next sentence. Together, there was little mystery to what their siblings had agreed to.
“There is no way that worked,” Pixie stated as her brother exited his room.
“What?” Oz said, looking around to find the source of his confusion.
“You! Just now. On the phone,” she clarified. “How the hell did you get a date out of that?”
“I was charming.”
“You were a train-wreck,” she shook her head. “No. Scratch that. Trains are on tracks and you had no clue how to get to your destination.”
“Well ... I got there,” he shrugged.
“Any landing you can walk away from, I suppose,” she mirrored his gesture.
“You can’t criticize me of being directionless while mixing metaphors like that,” he chuckled. “But yeah ... I’m sure I’ll be feeling that one in the morning.”
“Don’t make it gross.”
“I meant ... cause you were implying that I crashed and-”
“A-ha! You admit it,” she crossed her arms, satisfied he’d met her half-way. “So, you gonna tell her about Gabriella?”
“Why would I tell her about Gabi?”
“Uh, cause that girl’s been obsessed with you for like ... nearly a whole year now.”
“That’s ... no. You’re just wrong about that. We’re friends.”
Pixie gave her brother a dubious look.
“We are!” He insisted. “Not even friends with benefits. We just-”
“Don’t finish that thought. I don’t need to hear the rest of that sentence. EW,” Pixie shivered.
“It’s not like that,” he said with more conviction.
“But does she want it to be?”
“No! I mean ... yeah, but...” Oz scowled in frustration. “She just has been having a hard time finding other good guys to take an interest in since-”
“Whoa! Hold your hoses!” Pixie said. “Just because you’re not like ... morally apprehensible doesn’t make you an in-facto good guy.”
“There were so many things wrong with that sentence,” Oz said as he shook his head. “First, it’s reprehensible. And ... actually I kinda like ‘in-facto.’ The point is ... she’ll move on. She’s just interested in me ‘cause of the thing, and the more time passes, the less she’ll think of it.”
“If you say so,” Pixie resolved. “By the way, we introduced the twins to Smitty’s yesterday.”
“Um ... okay?”
“Your default first-date spot.”
“Uh...”
“Oz! Where ya gonna take her?”
“Oh,” Oz uttered, then to himself whispered. “Son of a bitch.”
12:25 PM, White Residence
A knock at the door alerted Zoe that her suitor was capable of following simple directions. As well as reading a clock. But it was the following of directions she found alluring.
She walked around her room for what she told herself would be the last time. Unfortunately, she’d told herself that six rotations ago. And with each lap, she paused in front of the mirror. Did she overdo her makeup? Not enough? Hair too playful? Too casual? Was she overdressed? Not sexy enough? Her tight jeans weren’t great for mobility, but accentuated her curves in the best ways. The blouse she picked out looked black in most conditions, but under the radiant North Carolina summer heat, its green tint would be apparent so long as her oversized sun hat didn’t shade it too much. She knew it wasn’t what girls wore on a first date. Hell, it wasn’t what girls wore unless they were going to a mid-century themed soiree. But it was one of her most fashion-forward looks, and she wanted to ‘Wow’ him.
What ever happened to making him chase me? Her reflection held all the beauty she’d become accustomed to seeing in herself. Not accustomed. Expected. But she felt more self-conscious than she had in years.
Courtesy told her she needed to go downstairs and rescue her date from the barrage of her mother’s inquires. Film told her it was important to make him wait.
What if he wants to take me somewhere to eat? I’m way too nervous for that. Oh God, is it too late to cancel? She panicked. Though ravenous, she was already struggling with the kaleidoscope in her belly, having just hatched from their cocoons.
She silently cursed Cleo. In her exuberance, she had called her new friend to tell her the joyous news. Oz. A date. A first date. And what had Cleo’s response been? Telling Zoe that she understood why they had to, again, put off the plans they’d made. Something Zoe hadn’t even considered when she called.
Her guilt was compounded when she wasn’t able to detect a trace of hurt or bitterness in her friend’s voice. Just complete support.
Though it was a possibility that Cleo’s means of getting back at her was to point out that if Oz had seen her at church, it might be a nice gesture to wear something different for their outing.
It didn’t matter that she hadn’t seen him at church. Her family had been so overwhelmed with the welcoming committee, the gifts, not to mention the sermon, the last thing Zoe had wanted to do was run into the Reids. Well, not all the Reids.
“Damn you Cleo,” she whispered to herself as she straightened out her top before reaching for her door handle. “You’re too good to me.”
“Miles, why aren’t you answering the door?” She heard her mother call from somewhere downstairs. Mom had been annoyed at their insistence that they go to church. It wasn’t until the flurry of warm greetings from strangers that their mother understood the significance of the communal gathering. A community. The residents of the town knowing each other well enough to build connections instead of merely existing near one another. They may have been superficial. They may have been real and deep. Regardless, they were connections. Connections that, six months ago, Miles shied away from.
“It’s for Zoe,” Miles said, pointing to the door. He then redirected his finger to the ceiling. “Haven’t you been listening to her nervously clomping around?”
“I’m not clomping!” Zoe announced as she stepped to the banister.
“Then why aren’t you opening the door?” He called back up the stairs.
She gestured for him to open it in her stead.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Nicole White glanced up at her daughter standing at the top of the stairs.
Attending church wasn’t part of the life they were accustomed to, and mom hadn’t embraced the idea when the twins pitched it. Her mood was boosted upon the warm reception, and ascended further upon seeing the various gifts bestowed upon them. Returning home to discover they needed new freezer to accommodate all the meals tipped her demeanor back in the other direction. Since she’d gotten back home, Zoe hadn’t inquired about her current disposition. Something she regretted as her mom reached for the handle.
It was then that Zoe discovered the open door blocked her vantage point from the stairs. She could only watch as her mother took in the sight before her.
Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh Shit.
Her mom looked the visitor up and down before turning and shouting, “Kids, busy yourselves. Mommy has a gentleman caller!”
The solitary blessing of not having line of sight with Oz was that he couldn’t witness her makeup failing to hide every drop of color draining from Zoe’s face.
“Um. No!” Gone was the confidence she’d heard in his voice the day before. Even the charming, nervous, tongue-tied voice over the phone disappeared. This was the voice of someone who not anticipating the greeting he was receiving at the door. “I-uhh ... Ma’am, I-my name is Reid. Oz-Oz-Ozzy Reid!”
“His name is Ozzy!”
“Mom!” Zoe hissed.
“Not now, sweetie,” her mom chided. “Mommy’s busy getting to know her date for evening.”
“That’s my date!” Zoe blurted.
“Your date?” She did a double take. “Then why am I the one answering the door?”
As Zoe bore holes into her mother with her eyes, she was only passively aware of her brother stepping away to burst into laughter in another room.
She tried to squeeze by her mother to save Oz from further torment, but it turned out a door was a surprisingly good means of keeping someone from entering or exiting somewhere, and her mother swung it with wild abandon.
“Sorry about that, Ozzy,” Nicole excused as she appeared to be fanning herself with the door. “That wasn’t fair to you. My daughter is the one who needed to learn a lesson.”
“‘S’alright ma’am. I’m sure my own mother would be able to supply you with multiple reasons why I should suffer the same fate.”
Zoe smiled. Her mother would appreciate his candor.
“Ah yes. I met your mother. Seemed quite astute. I have no doubt she would,” Nicole laughed softly, before finally relinquishing the door so her daughter could face her date. “So, Ozzy, do you two need to head out right away or can you stay a minute to chat with the mother of the girl you’re about to take out?”
Miles stepped into the kitchen, fished his phone from his pocket, and shot off a text before the others entered the room.
MW: Quick Question: Does Oz know this is Zoe’s first date?
He chuckled softly as he stepped into the kitchen. Pixie’s response came quicker than he expected.
PR: You guys r still new in town
PR: Not like she would date someone on the band trip
MW: No, FIRST first date. EVER.
He looked up from the text to discover he was still alone in the kitchen. With a glance to the foyer, he was surprised to find his mother was the only person in motion. Zoe hadn’t made it off the last stair. And Oz had yet to step beyond the house’s threshold. After an excruciatingly long couple of seconds, his mother stepped back from the pair while never turning her back to them.
“ ... Miles? What the fuck is going on here?” Nicole whispered, her eyes fixated on the sight before her. “It’s like they’ve gone stupid.”
“They’re just ... smitten,” he uttered as he ambled over. His phone vibrated in his hand to alert him to Pixie’s response.
PR: It’s her first date?!?! How is that possible?
“Smitten my ass,” his mother shook her head. “They’re spellbound. You think they’d notice if we started throwing things at ‘em?”
Further vibrations in his hand again drew his attention away from his mom’s concern.
PR: Is there a story? Multiple stories?
PR: You have to tell me
“Uh ... Probably,” Miles shrugged, hoping she wouldn’t notice his distraction.
MW: She’s kinda picky. You ready for classes to start?
“You’re right, that’s not subtle enough,” she said as she grabbed a dish towel. “Take this.”
He accepted the cloth rectangle, “I thought you just said we couldn’t.”
“We’re not throwing these,” she said as she wet hers under the kitchen sink. “I’m just making sure that my tax dollars haven’t gone to waste. So, show me what you’ve learned in gym class.”
While his mother wound the damp cloth into a tight spiral, Miles loudly cleared his throat.
Zoe responded by shaking her head suddenly, before turning to her brother and cocking her head, “It happened again, didn’t it?”
“I’m not even sure he’s out of it,” Miles pointed.
“Way to spoil my fun, Miles,” his mother sighed before ringing the towel out. “I really thought I’d found the perfect way to snap them out of it.”
“My bad,” he said nonchalantly.
“As penance, I should make you be their chaperone. Can’t have them head out if their brains stop functioning upon seeing one another. Show off your skills again and maybe he could finally get out of the doorway.”
“What!” Zoe exclaimed, her voice dripping with panic. “We don’t need a chaperone.” She rushed to her date and touched his arm lightly. “We’ll be good. Right, Oz?”
“Huh?” Oz shook his head as his mind began processing the conversation. “Uh ... yeah. Yeah! No. We’ll be good.”
“Uh-huh,” Nicole responded, clearly unconvinced. “Why don’t you come in for a second? Maybe have a glass of water?”
Miles couldn’t determine if it was out of concern for their safety, or if she was fulfilling her parental duty to interrogate the first guy her daughter had openly expressed interest in.
“Yes, ma’am,” Oz nodded as the family led him into the kitchen.
He moved about as if he were intimately familiar with their house.
“So,” their mom poured several glasses and offered them to the others in the room. “You’re not in high school?”
Oz gulped. “Um ... no ma’am. Uh, graduated the year before last.”
“I see,” her stoney face, unimpressed and insouciant.
“But ... my sister is,” he quietly added as he lifted the cup he’d been offered. “In high school that is.”
“Mm-hmm,” she hummed flatly. “And are you going to college? Do you work?”
“Yes. Ma’am,” he said for the third time. “I’ll be a Sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill. Work on campus to cover room and board.”
“Chapel Hill? Forgive me, I don’t know where...”
“It’s outside Durham, towards Raleigh,” he offered, then, seeing she still wasn’t certain about the geography, he simply pointed in the rough direction. “East of here about two hours, more like an hour and a half once you hit the freeway.”
“Ah, thank you,” she said, approving of his answers. “Zoe, go to the bathroom before you head out.”
“Excuse me?” Their mom had picked up some quirks trying to assume the role of both parents since their father passed, but neither of the twins had been instructed to use the lavatory before leaving in at least a decade. “Mom, I’m not five. You don’t need to tell me to-”
“Just humor me, sweetie.”
Both Miles and Oz furrowed their brows at Nicole as Zoe excused herself.
“So, where are you heading?” She asked once Zoe was out of earshot.
“Uh ... I was told Zoe’s kinda into cars,” Oz stated. Miles and his mother both nodded at this. “I know someone who is collecting classic cars, just a handful so far, but I figure she might enjoy taking a look.”
“Wouldn’t happen to be ‘Fishel’s Car Lot,’ Would it?” Nicole asked. “I think we spent more time there than here the first few days we were in town. Had to make sure her cars were going to be well taken care of.”
“Ah,” Oz ‘s expression turned to one of slight panic.
“Y’know, I didn’t get a chance to visit the mall until yesterday,” Miles offered. “Zoe hasn’t even checked it out yet. It’d be low-key and might not be a bad place to get to know one another.”
His smile returned, “Good looking out, thanks.”
“Miles!” Her curt tone made him jump slightly. “Don’t tell me you think going to the mall counts as first date activity.”
He shrugged at Oz, who nodded in agreement with Mrs. White’s comment.
“She likes places that don’t look like they were built in the last ten years. Older the better,” Miles suggested as the sound of the toilet flushing brought their short conversation to a close.
They were silent by the time she stepped out of the bathroom.
“Do I even want to know what you guys were talking about?” Zoe asked as she reentered the suspiciously quiet kitchen. As her eyes fell upon Oz, she froze in her tracks.
“Oh, so we’re doing this again,” their mother rolled her eyes.
“Mom,” Miles nudged her softly. Teasing was fun, but enough was enough.
“You’ve got nothing to worry about, honey,” Nicole said as she attempted to usher them back towards the entryway. A few seconds passed before Zoe shook her head and acknowledged what her mother said. She shot Miles a panicked look, but he simply gave her a reaffirming nod.
“So, you won’t be staying out too late, right?” Nicole asked as she turned to see the others were failing to progress towards their date.
“Uh ... no, I don’t think so,” Zoe thought out loud, then addressed a question to Oz. “You’re still heading back today?”
Hearing the question directed at him seemed to snap him back out of his trance, “Yeah? Yeah! I figured I’d drop you off back here ‘round 7:30, 8, maybe. Be on campus by ten-ish.”
“Oh, so this is a dinner date then, huh?” She said, running her tongue over her lips.
“Welllll, I uh...”
He’s taking her on a date with no plan for food?
Zoe smiled brightly at his apprehension, “I’m fooling with you, Ted.”
Nicole chuckled under her breath and gave her daughter an approving look, “7:30 or 8 sounds fine. You mind giving me updates every so often so I don’t have to worry?”
“Sure thing, mom,” Zoe called as she opened the door and stepped through it.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Oz said as he rushed to keep up with his date.
“You too. Drive safe,” Nicole waved. “And Zoe, don’t be stupid.”
“I know, mom,” Zoe waved back as she made her way toward the car.
While his mother took a second to embrace the sight of her daughter going off on her first date, Miles checked his phone for any further correspondence from Pixie.
“They’re pretty cute together, don’tcha think?”
“Uhhh, I guess so,” Miles absentmindedly responded as he put his phone back in his pocket.
“So, who’s on the receiving end of these texts you can’t help but send?”
“Oh, it’s just ... someone I met during the retreat.”
“Alright, well, if they didn’t have you smiling like that, I’d let that answer slide,” she smirked, knowingly. “But unless you’re planning on heading out, it’s just the two of us here tonight. I have no interest in losing your attention to a mystery person all evening.”
Miles let out a sigh, “Her name is Pixie.”
12:32 PM Oak Street
Pixie walked tentatively up towards the house she’d known as the Snyder Place, until a few months ago. It had only been a few minutes after she’d seen her brother take off with Zoe when Miles responded to one of her texts with
MW: Hey, my mom wants to meet you. You free?
She hadn’t expected the invitation, but her excitement overrode any hesitance she may have had. As she wandered across the yard towards her neighbor’s place, her eyes landed on Zoe’s car, instinctively she looked up at Miles’s room and shivered.
It’s alright. She tried to convince herself. There’s no such thing as ghosts. Don’t let your imagination run away from you.
She brushed her shirt down to smooth out the wrinkles. Or at least that’s what she told herself. There wasn’t a possibility that she did it because she was about to enter a house she believed to be haunted, and the thought gave her chills.
She squared up to the door and exhaled, raised her hand, clenched her fist, and-
The door opened before she made contact.
Shit! Shit! Shit! She swat at the air and jumped backwards just as Miles came into view.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he smiled warmly as he said it. “I saw you coming, so I figured I’d get it for you.”
“No! I was just ... showing the neighborhood spiders some kung fu moves I’ve been practicing,” she shrugged and tried to play it off with a smile. His presence removed the fears she held towards the house.
He stepped out of the way and held the door open for her. Eyeballing the doorframe, she held her breath as she stepped inside.
See, nothing’s going to happen. She exhaled and allowed herself to look around. Weird. It’s all backwards.
Miles’s mother peeked around the corner. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you knock. Otherwise, I would have gotten it.”
“I, uh ... I was ready for her mom,” Miles blushed slightly.
“Good,” his mom said slyly. “At least you’ve not conspired with your sister to turn me into the doorman.”
“What now?” Pixie inquired.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Miles chuckled. “Just Zoe making Oz wait so she could make a ‘grand entrance’ or something.”
“Hah,” his mother exclaimed. “And thankfully, this one doesn’t have you turning into a statue like your sister.”
“Statue?” Pixie asked. “No way! Again?”
“Uh huh, both of them,” Miles nodded, then made a peace sign with his hands and whispered, “twice.”
As much as Pixie wanted to keep the discussion there, she knew she was making her own first impression on his mother. She stepped forward and extended her hand out to Miles’s mother. “Thank you for having me over. I’m Charlotte, but I’d prefer you call me Pixie.”
“Pixie?” The older woman seemed to torn on the unconventional name. “I like it! Feel free to call me Nicole.”
“I don’t think I can do that, ma’am,” Pixie looked away shyly. “Dad would probably whoop my hide if he caught me addressing an adult by their first name.”
“Hmm, you sure about that, Charlotte?” Nicole raised an eyebrow as she asked the question. “How old are you? If you don’t mind me asking.”
She knew her friend’s mother was presenting a challenge, but the question reminded her of the previous week and made her blush as she glanced at Miles. “I just turned 18.”
“So technically, that would make you an adult, would it not?” A smirk crept across Nicole’s mouth.
“Yes, Ma’am...” Pixie guessed at what Mrs. White was getting at. “But I still live at home. And y’know, dad’s house, dad’s rules.”
“Right! But this isn’t his house. It’s mine.”
Pixie wasn’t sure if she’d actually lost the argument, or if the way that Miles’s mom crossed her arms with such certainty just made her feel like there was no point in continuing it.
“Well, I still don’t think my dad would like it...” Pixie admitted. “But I guess we can go with ‘Your house, your rules’.”
“It’s a start. Now, I’m getting a bit hungry. Miles, I know you haven’t eaten. Pixie, how’s your appetite?”
“Oh ... Uh ... I guess I sorta forgot to get lunch.”
“Perfect. I had something in mind before his sister went and ditched us. So, we’re set for three. Unless you two feel like heading out to eat?”
Shit, between shopping yesterday, and then Smitty’s, I don’t know if I can do another lunch out...
“We’ll stay here,” Miles offered.
She didn’t know if Miles read her mind or felt the same, but she was grateful for the out.
“As long as we get to help you make it,” Pixie insisted. “Wouldn’t be right having you slave away for us.”
“She’s sweet,” Nicole acknowledged. “Miles, you could learn a thing or two from her.”
Miles shot Pixie a playful scowl as his mother began fretting about the kitchen, “If I’d have known you were gonna get here so quick, I would have had it ready by the time you showed up. You must live extremely close.”
“Yeah,” Pixie giggled. “Didn’t Miles tell you? We’re neighbors.”