"Alexander Reid?" When Evelyn nodded, Melissa did not say anything.
For a moment, the silence stretched thin between them.
Melissa blinked once and then twice as if processing the name.
"The same Alexander Reid who was in the headlines with you a few weeks ago?" she asked slowly.
Evelyn winced slightly. "Yes, that Alexander."
Melissa crossed her arms again, studying her daughter's face carefully. "You didn't tell us you were seeing him."
"I am not—" Evelyn started, then paused. "It was just dinner. He asked and I just said yes."
Melissa's expression didn't soften yet but there was no anger in it either. "I see." She turned slightly, walking toward the living room as she gestured for Evelyn to follow.
And Evelyn did with her heart thudding nervously. She wasn't sure how her parents would react with the idea of her going out for dinner with Alexander. This is why she didn't tell them about it.
Melissa stopped near the coffee table and looked at her again "Was it a date?"
