I decide now’s as good a time as any to change the subject. Talking about whatever Nadia claims to know just confuses me further. “So, what about the online guy?”
Teal shrugs. “What about him?”
“I mean. It felt like we had a real connection there…”
“Until he ghosted you after getting off,” Teal finishes.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Sage says. “I mean. You guys know that’s how Tenn and I first connected.”
“But you knew who he was,” Teal says. “This internet random could literally be anyone.”
Sage suggests, “Keep chatting with him. But be very careful. Stay anon for a really long time, till you know he’s not—”
“Another version of that Baker asshole,” Teal supplies.
“Good point,” I say sullenly, looking down at Oak, who is stretching and looking for some milk that I definitely do not have.
“He might be a good one, too,” Sage says, softly lifting Oak to her chest. “Just give it time. If he’s hiding red flags, they will show themselves sooner or later. They always do.”
Since I have to get to work within the hour, Teal cleans the kitchen while Sage finishes up giving Oak his snack. As I say goodbye to my sisters, a thought occurs to me. “Hey, did you guys notice that the church store only sells Mary Magdalene stuff now? That’s kind of weird, right?”
“Oh,” Sage says. “That’s always been that way. You never heard the rumors there’s a cult connected to her at the church?”
Goose bumps prick over my arms and I wrap them around myself. “No. Really? Acult?”
“Uh-huh. I always tried to ask Nadia about it but all she would do is smile and act like I was asking why is the moon made of cheese.”
“Wait, Nadia’s in a cult?” Teal asks.
“It would make a lot of sense, no?” Sage replies. “That woman lives at the church. Always has.”
“What about…” I think about what @tryingsomethingnew told me. “You know. Secret doors and rooms and stuff. Do you know of any in the church? Does the cult have those spots?”
Sage raises an eyebrow at me, like she’s curious about why I’masking, but decides to just humor me without questioning it. “The only weird room I know is in the director of education’s office. And that was, like, fifteen years ago. It might be a different office now. But back then at least, there was a weird, short door between the bookshelves. When I tried to open it up, it was locked. I only tried once, though. Honestly, it was probably filled with just a bunch of extra Bibles.” Sage kisses my cheek. “I gotta run. I’m starving, and I need to nap with this dude once he and I have both eaten again.”
Teal gives me a hug. “I’ll be in touch,” she says. “I promise.” And true to her word, even before she’s left Nadia’s in her car, she texts me.Two weeks from now. My little shop’s grand opening. Bring Adam
18
I go another whole daywithout speaking to @tryingsomethingnew. When I scroll back on our last exchange, I feel a little embarrassed, at first, at how unapologetically horny we were. How unapologetically hornyIwas. But then I shake my head, holding my shame at bay. What we did was fun and consensual. Even if I never speak to him again, I refuse to regret it.
I don’t see or hear from Adam for another several days, until the incredibly inconvenient time of me walking outside the house on Friday morning, gearing myself up for the blind date Amá has set me up on without even telling me.
Dress well, she’d texted the night before.Dress like the wife you want to be.
I’m so glad Teal spilled the beans on the date, because it would’ve been so weird to get that text from my grandmother without any context. Because of course, Amá Sonya hasn’t told me anything about the date herself.
I’d decided on a peach-pink dress, very body-conforming, but it looks a little less slutty with the delicate lace layer ofembroidery over the satinlike material. I’d left my hair down, in beach waves, clipping the front back with sparkling butterfly hair clips, leaving a couple of long curls by my crown. I’d slipped on strappy sandals the color of almonds and applied light pink makeup over my cheeks and lips.
I had intended to be ready much earlier, but by the time I walk outside, I only have two minutes until either Amá or this random guy is supposed to arrive to pick me up. Because of course, that information wasn’t conveyed to me, either.
And then, all of a sudden, there is Adam, for some reason, leaning against my car, tapping on his phone.
I furrow my brow. Adam wouldn’t be my blind date, would he? No. Amá Sonya made her feelings about him very clear. My brain just can’t seem to wrap around why he’s randomly in the driveway this early in the morning.
“Adam?” I call, approaching him.
“Oh hey, I was just about to—” When Adam looks up, his phone slips from his hand, falling to the driveway so hard, it bounces twice my way. I lean down to pick it up, but apparently he’s got the same idea, and the top of his head rams right into my shoulder, but before I can fall on my ass, he grabs me to bring me toward him to keep me upright, I assume. The problem is, he wasn’t exactly in a stable position, having just leaned over to get the phone, too. So when he pulls me in, I land on him just as he unceremoniously falls flat on his ass.
