"I don't know. I thought that kind of thing bores you."
"No. What?"
"You don't like parties. I know. I grew up with you. You don't like parties."
"You don't like them either?"
"Yeah. But it's for work for me."
"Wait. So you don't want me to come along?"
"Babe, I never said I don't want you to come along," he replies.
I just stare at him.
"I wanna go there if you're going there. We've gotten invited to stuff before when we were younger, and I've always gone with you."
"Not all the time," he says.
Okay. Now this is really getting on my nerves.
"Fine. I won't go. My bad for suggesting it." I snap, upset, storming away before I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder, Lincoln pulling me back.
"Baby, I'm sorry. I just don't want you to feel as though you're trapped," he says.
"I suggested to go along," I remind him.
"I know, but I'm just saying you don't need to feel obligated to just because you're my wife."
"That's the very definition of why I should go because I'm your wife, unless there's a reason you don't want me to go."
Lincoln looks shocked and then closes his eyes, shaking his head slowly.
"Seriously, we're gonna fight about this?"
"I'm not fighting, but what kind of husband hears that his wife wants to go along to his dinner party at work, and he's trying to talk her out of going? That's really fucking weird."
"You're making it weird. I never said anything. You know what? Never mind. Youcango. I'm not saying you can't go. I'm just saying that I know how you are, and you'd be bored by it. That's all. Not everything is something to be suspicious over."
"Well, if you weren't acting so suspicious, I wouldn’t have a reason to feel suspicious."
"Baby, you have so much time on your hands that everything to you looks suspicious. I bet if you were working the kind of hours I was working or the kind of job I was working, you would be more understanding."
I have no idea where all of this is coming from. Then I think maybe Iambeing unreasonable.
"I'm sorry, Link. If you don't want me to go, I won't go," I say sadly, walking away. He grabs me gently.
"I want you to go," he tells me.
"Do you really?" I ask.
"Yes, baby. I want you to come along. You're my wife. Of course, I want you there, but only if you wanna be there."
I don’t know if I believe him… but he convinces me.
Later that evening, I put on a cute little casual dress; white, with frills at the bottom that almost make me look like a ballerina, and truffles on the sleeves. My long black hair is straightened and braided down my back. Diamond chandelier earrings. I think I look really cute.
When I arrive at his job, everyone talks to Lincoln like they've known him forever. I can tell the coworkers all get along here. I link my arm through his, staying close.
