“I know,” I commiserate. “But—”
“No buts,” she cuts me off. “It’s not fair. She had her day. This is mine. And now, I’m rethinking everything. If she’s deciding where we get married, what else is she going to decide?”
“You need to just deal with it and accept that’s how it is when you marry a family,” Austin, not reading the room, says to Charlotte’s glare.
“She’s not marrying his parents,” I say.
Austin glances over his shoulder. “You do marry a family.”
“He’s right about that,” Charlotte says. “And take this as a warning, Chloe. Interview the parents about their wedding vision before you commit to Ryan. You sit down and discuss all the details before you accept a ring. Have a plan and a back-up plan. We should require that they sign a contract to agree that the bride gets what she wants.” She leans in. “You think you have a great relationship and next thing you know, mother-in-law-zilla stomps all over it. You need to make sure she truly likes you. Otherwise, it’s a competition you’ll never win.”
“Charlotte, she loves you,” I say. “She just…loves the Hilton too.”
“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she says with a raised brow. “Wish someone had warned me.”
“I don’t think Chloe has to worry about any of that,” Austin says.
“Why?” I take a sip of wine.
“Well, you just met him,” he says. “And I don’t know…”
His open-ended sentence has me in suspense, “You don’t know what?”
“Whether it will last.” He pulls out a cutting board and multitasks chopping basil and offending me. “Do you even want something that lasts?”
Austin is not faring well with the women tonight. “I can’t believe you just said that,” I borrow from Charlotte’s previous indignation. “Why would I be going through this if I didn’t want something that lasts? Isn’t that the whole point of a relationship? No one wants to break up.”
“I’m not trying to upset you.”
“Ryan is perfect for me. Even you couldn’t find anything wrong with him.”
He slices through the onion with gusto. “Actually, I have found something wrong with him.”
“Do tell,” Charlotte says.
He points his knife at me. “Why hasn’t he picked you up? You’re always meeting him somewhere.”
“Oh my God, seriously?” Charlotte says so I don’t have to. “That’s what you think is wrong with him? This isn’t the 18th century, ya know. A girl can get to the guy on her own.”
“Exactly. I think you’re reaching here,” I say. And why is he reaching? Why is he trying to find a negative? Things are going well with Ryan. I’m a bearded man’s muse and I won’t let Austin ruin it just because he doesn’t want axe-throwing to be a regular feature for our friend group.
“Chivalry isn’t dead,” he says. “I’m just leery that you’re always going to him. Is he a hermit?”
“No, he’s not a hermit.” Although, he’d make a great one, all reclusive and such, with his beard in my dream rugged tiny-cabin in the woods. Swoon. “I don’t see why this is a big deal.”
“Maybe you need a break from dating,” he says. “I don’t know about this site you’re using to pick up guys.”
I spent years and years on a break from dating. At the time, I didn’t mind being alone. Now, I do. I mind it very much.
“I’m not picking up guys. You’re being a tad judgmental. It’s not like I can go to the grocery store and pick out the perfect guy for me. I have to date to find someone. Before Lucy, you had a ton of girlfriends.” Insert chest ache. “Plus, Ryan happened organically. You were there and saw how we were thrown together. And we have so much in common. For example, history. What are the chances of that? And he’s an artist. It must be fate.”
“Fate?” Austin scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Next you’re going to say he’s your soulmate.”
“Actually, maybe a twin flame.”
“What’s that?” Charlotte asks.
“It’s the other half of your soul. It’s a unique connection, different than a soulmate. They say everyone has a soulmate but not everyone has a twin flame. Maybe he’s mine.”
Austin remains silent, chopping more basil than we need with ferocious precision.
“Just make sure your future in-laws don’t break the special bond between you,” Charlotte chimes in. “It’s never as strong as you think. Blazing twin flames one moment. Extinguished the next.”
“I wish I could fix your doldrums. Want me to call her and pretend I’m the Hilton and say we’re booked?”
She slumps in her chair. “I already tried that. She knows the owner. Things got weird.”
Austin moves to the fridge and grabs a block of Parmesan cheese. “Come on, Charlotte. Cut them some slack. You can’t just get married and think they won’t be involved in everything.”
“I do think that,” she argues.
“What about grandkids?” he asks. “Think they won’t force you into letting them advise you on decision making?”
“Does she even want kids?” I ask. “Charlotte, do you want kids?”
“Who doesn’t want kids?” Charlotte says. “Like, later, obviously.”
“I don’t know if I want kids,” Austin throws out. My wine turns to grape jelly in my throat and I nearly choke.
“Since when?” I ask. “You’ve never mentioned this.”
He shrugs, gathering a mound of fresh grated cheese to sprinkle on the loaf of garlic bread. “They’re just not in the plan. I don’t know if I want to be responsible for tiny humans and their fragile egos. Someday, they’ll grow up, get engaged to someone who will complain I’m ruining their life by not agreeing to their wedding venue.” He gives Charlotte a pointed look.
“Does your girlfriend know this?” I ask.
“She knows. She doesn’t want them either.”
Huh. Why does it bother me they’ve had the discussion about kids? Are they moving into engagement territory?
“I think that I—”
I hold up a hand to cut off Charlotte. “Wait. We need to explore this with Austin.”
“Um... it was supposed to be about me,” she says.
“It is about you,” I say. “But we can take a moment to find out more about Austin’s reasoning?”
Charlotte’s eyes narrow to slits. “Chloe, we need to porch.” She rises with a screech of her chair against the floor, and power walks out of the kitchen.
“Uh-oh,” Austin whispers. “Good luck.”
I stand. “Thanks. If I don’t make it back alive, just know your fettuccine smells divine.”
Porch is old-school code for “I need a side-bar with you.” We’ve only porched on one other occasion this year and that was when Charlotte almost revealed my secret crush to Austin.
She stomps to the door and swings it open with a flourish. I follow her into the chilly air.