Charlotte, after pounding her first drink proclaims, “You know, I’m sorry for being a bitch about the venue, and sort of furious Chloe is also right about talking about my feelings.”
“I knew you’d come around,” Austin says, leaning back and splaying his thighs, so he’s encroaching on my safe zone in the far recesses of the sofa.
“Maybe I’ve done more talking over them instead of talking to them. The truth must come out, and I need to go talk to Mr. Charlotte-to-be about the parents and the wedding. And then I’m going to talk to the parents.”
“I never tire of hearing I’m an inspiration,” I say.
“Ah, yes. You are the inspiration for truth-tellers everywhere,” Austin teases.
“Let me practice first,” she says. “Austin, sit closer to Chloe. Pretend you’re the parents. Like, really pretend. And push back on me, because they will, and I need to be on top of my game.”
Austin scoots much too close to me. “Hi, dear.”
“Hi, honey.”
This is why I need to pack my things and go, because this game of pretend gave me a brief twinge of wanting it to be real. If you envision a different house, the princess-cut diamond on your finger, and beanie-wearing babies eating fresh prepared food, it’s really time to pack your bags and head to your hill.
“Bonus Mom and Dad,” Charlotte starts and then holds up a finger in response to my raised brows. “Pause. I call them that because his mother insists. Which has made it infinitely harder to be passive-aggressive in my dealings. Unpause.” She takes a deep breath. “I need to express my feelings to you.” We wait for her to continue, but she doesn’t.
“Go ahead, Charlotte,” I say. “I’m here to listen to whatever you have to tell me. My ears are open. Tell us what’s troubling you.”
She huffs. “Pause. She’d never say that, but okay. Unpause.”
“Charlotte,” Austin says, “your bonus mother and I have places to go. Spit it out, woman.”
“That’s actually a really good impression,” Charlotte whispers. She takes a seat across from us and leans forward, hands clasped. “As you know, I want a mountain wedding and you don’t. I love you both, and understand your arthritis concerns, but this is more than just a place to get married. It’s where I’m starting my future with your son, and the place we’ll remember when we’re old and don’t remember much else. It’s the place we start our lives. And I’m sorry, but I get final say.”
“Sounds good to me,” Austin says.
“I don’t know,” I say. “I did raise him so you could have him on this special day, so seems like I get some sort of say? That’s my baby boy I’m giving to you. Did you change his diapers? Seems like you get the reward of all my work and sleepless nights, and I get swollen hands in the mountains.”
Charlotte’s eyes widen. She told me to push back, though. “How about we compromise, Bonus Mom? I’ll agree to the traditional vanilla cake you want instead of the red velvet that matches the theme. And I’m willing to get rid of the hot chocolate bar and have the fruit bar you want.”
I gasp. “Pause,” I say. “Really? I’ll need to update the Pinterest board because that just threw everything off. The hot chocolate bar had peppermint stick stirrers. I don’t know if I’d compromise that far,” I mutter. “Unpause.”
Charlotte bites her lip and then rushes out, “And I’ll go with the wreaths you liked instead of the red and white roses.”
Oh.
My.
God.
The entire Pinterest board is useless. I’ll have to delete Five Fantastic Flowers You’ll Fall For and start over.
“Sounds like an excellent compromise,” Austin says. I give him a death stare. “Make sure to tell that handsome man that catering is what we compromised on tonight. He needs to prepare.”
Charlotte smiles. “I will.” She claps her hands and stands. “Hopefully they’re as easy as you two.” She gathers her things. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck. Let me know how it goes,” I call out to her hustling back. “And make sure to log into Pinterest to see the changes to the wedding board.”
“You know I will.”
Once she’s gone, I look over at Austin.
Lucy is still out of town, so it’s just the two of us and the rest of this bottle.
“So, it’s just the two of us.”
“I guess it is.” He pours us both another drink. “I think our future daughter-in-law is going to finally get what she wants.”
“Not really. She’s giving up the hot chocolate bar. No one wants fruit instead of whipped cream and candy cane sprinkles. Fruit is not festive. If this is what marrying a family is like, I don’t know if I can do it.”
“You will,” he says. “I know you and you’ll get it. Charlotte gets it. She just needed nudging.”
Warmth from the whiskey heats my veins. Yes, it’s the whiskey. We’re sitting awfully close on the couch. It didn’t seem too close when there was a third person with us. Why haven’t either of us moved since Charlotte left?
“Get what?”
“That it’s a unit. And just because they have a say doesn’t mean it’s the final say, but you do need to listen.”
“Yeah. I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that in this lifetime.”
“You know, don’t take this wrong, but I knew you and Ryan weren’t going to last.”
I brave a glance over at him. “How so? I didn’t even know.”
“You don’t usually start lying until you’re near the end. Plus, he didn’t carry the door for you.”
So chivalrous. He’s definitely a Jack and would sacrifice his spot for Lucy. I don’t like myself much when I think I’m a Jack too and would sacrifice my spot...for him.
He stares at the liquid in his glass, swirling it. “Now I don’t have to share your history facts anymore.”
But I’ll always have to share you, I don’t say.
“Wonder if I’ll ever find someone?”
He looks over at me, and I can’t look away from his dark gaze. “Maybe you need to stop looking.”
And then, I reach for the bottle, and he reaches for my glass, and the stars align, and Aquarius is in the seventh sun, and every moral Granny Mae instilled in me dies while the devil prepares my seat in hell.
And then…
We accidentally on-purpose kiss.
Chloe’s dating adventures continue in
Winter Bloom
They say winter is coming… and thanks to Logan, I am too.
If the past year has taught me anything, it’s that I am an idiot. Nearly murdering the lead singer of my favorite local band really should have been on everyone’s bingo card.
Their drummer going from medic to love interest was a surprise, but love this journey for me!
Logan has all the things I’ve been looking for--the newness of spring, the heat of summer, comfort of fall. Best of all, he loves my favorite winter sport: indoorsing. It may not be the traditional third date, but I’m bringing him to my best friend’s wedding anyway.