The F It List - Alexis Winter Page 0,87

flag down the waiter and motion toward my empty wine glass.

“I’ll make you a deal. I won’t tell my mother you were late as long as you don’t tell my mother how much wine I have with dinner tonight.” I offer up a flirty smile.

He lets out a quiet laugh and nods. “Agreed.”

The waiter is back with the bottle of wine and he fills both our glasses.

“Thank you,” I say as I pick up the glass and take a sip. “So, Max. Tell me about yourself.”

He straightens his back and sits taller as his eyes move to focus on mine. “Well, my full name is Maxwell Weaver the third. My family is the owner of The Weaver Distillery. I’m currently working there as head of operations.”

“My mother told you to say all of this, didn’t she?”

He pauses his speech and his face goes slack. He was hoping I didn’t see through his well thought out speech to win me over with old family money, a name everyone knows, and the promise of a bright and luxurious future. “She did,” he finally admits, hanging his head.

I laugh and that causes his eyes to lift back up to mine. “She’s always doing this, you know?”

“What’s that?”

I roll my eyes. “She’s so determined to find me a suitable husband that she latches onto anyone who has a social status and forces them down my throat. No offense, Max, but this is never going to work out between us. It’s only our first time meeting and already it wreaks of Evelyn Greer.”

“Well, that’s good news on my part. I’m sort of engaged,” he says around a nervous chuckle.

That makes me bust out laughing. “Does my mother know?”

He laughs and nods. “She does, but she had it in her head that I would like you better than the woman I’ve been dating for the last four years, so…”

I laugh and take a sip of my wine. “This is a new low. Her list of men must be dwindling.” I place my glass of wine back on the table. “So, what does your fiancé think you’re doing right now?”

“I told her I had a business dinner, that the Greer family was looking to invest and I needed to convince you.” He shrugs one shoulder and offers up a crooked smile. “It was the only thing I could think of.”

“My mother,” I breathe out, running my fingers up and down the stem of my wine glass. “Does your mother do this to you?”

“She tried to. Until I finally meet a woman on my own and brought her home. She hasn’t tried setting me up in two years now.” His brows draw together as he thinks back.

“I thought you said you’ve been with her for four?”

“I did,” he says around a smile. “She didn’t give up until we were engaged. The wedding is set for this fall.”

I take a long drink of my wine. The more I drink the funnier this whole thing is, but the funnier it gets the more angry I get. I can’t believe my mother set me up with a man who’s getting married in a few short months. I plan on giving her a piece of my mind. All this match making has to stop. I don’t know why she’s so adamant about marrying me off. It’s not like it’s the early 1900’s anymore. A single woman isn’t looked down on anymore. In fact, these days, they have a higher standing than ever.

She thinks something is wrong with me because I like to focus on my schooling and career. A woman my age should be focusing on finding a man, getting married, and having children, or so she says.

“Look, you obviously have some place better to be, so this fake meeting/date can wrap up at any time.” I reach for my purse to pay for the wine but he holds up his hand.

“The way I look at it, this got me out of picking out wedding flowers—something I couldn’t care less about. So, how about we continue with our meeting and since this is a business dinner, it’s on dear old dad.” He smiles. “Go ahead and order the most expensive steak on the menu. Hell, steak and lobster, like surf and turf?”

I smile. “That’s nice of you, but I really would like to get out of here. It’s been a long day.” I pick up my purse and pull out my card.

He holds up his hand. “Don’t worry about paying for the