“Yes. The point is. You’re an amazing catch. Any man would be lucky to catch your attention. You deserve the best man there is. And, trust me - he’s worth waiting for.”
I roll my shoulders. “You’re just saying that because you’re still in the honeymoon phase of your love life and marriage.”
“I’m saying that because it took me an awful lot of freaking time to figure out what I wanted. And to learn I deserved it.”
“It probably helped that you had a giant Rock-sized hottie to help you figure all of that out,” I snicker. Celia’s new husband looked like The Rock’s Body Double and even had the sexy eyebrow to go along with it.
“Flint’s patience helped,” Celia continues. “He didn’t run at the first sign of trouble. He didn’t ghost me because things got challenging. He stuck around because he knew I was worth fighting for.”
“Damn straight,” I hear Celia’s new husband chime in from the background.
Ugh. These two.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m over the moon happy those idiots figured out they loved each other and got married. But seeing them together made my singlehood that much more frustrating.
“Is there a point to this phone call?”
“Oh, yeah. You’re still coming down for your reunion, right?”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.I forgot about my high school reunion.
“Uh, I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Celia’s voice raises an octave.
“I planned on taking Dr. Bau…Wendell… with me, but if he’s ghosted…”
“You listen here, sister,” Celia gets louder. “You’re going to that reunion. And I want you to take off a few extra days and visit us! We haven’t seen you in forever!”
I laugh despite the stern warning. “I just saw you a few weeks ago, at your wedding.”
“And you’re going to be a stone’s throw away from us for your 30th class reunion,” Celia clucks her tongue. “That means you have no excuse. You’re going. End. Of. Story.”
She sounds more like our Mama every day. Not that I’d tell her that. I know she’ll continue to hound me until I give in. Which is what I do. Celia squeals with delight, tells the “big lug” - a.k.a. her new husband - that her sister is coming for a visit, then they likely get it on like Donkey Kong, which is my cue to hang up.
I order my pizza, call for Inigo one more time, then walk around my townhouse double-checking the windows and doors are locked.
I do this three times, just to be sure. My therapist gave me exercises to cut down on the number of times I check the locks, but it’s not working tonight.
I eat my pizza in solitude.
No cat.
No boyfriend.
And no date to my 30th reunion.
Not even jazz hands can perk me up tonight.
Chapter 6
“Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
-Rand
“What are you doing home?”
There’s nothing like the annoyed voice of a teenager to cap off your day.
