“Nah, you’ll be too busy crying in your corn flakes over all the money I’m going to take from you tonight.”
Jack laughs, then points to me with his thumb. “You believe this kid? I taught him everything he knows about poker and yet, he still thinks he can beat me.”
“Hey, I cleaned up last week,” I say, pretending to be offended.
“That doesn’t count. You got lucky,” Jack says. “Come on, Cal, let’s get the table set up before the rest of the boys get here.”
I get busy washing the dishes, the whole time trying to brush off this uncomfortable feeling inside. There’s reallyno reason for it. It’s not like I didn’t know Lisa had moved on, and I certainly don’t want her back. But still…
By the time I’m hanging up the dish towel on the oven handle, I decide that it’s probably a normal reaction to seeing your ex’s new baby. A weird sense of ‘what if’ that would naturally come over a person. There’s no need to dig too deep into it. She left. I’m glad. End of story.
So, why do I feel so … off?
5
Planes, Shame, and Automobiles…
Paige - Two Days Later
So that horriblefeeling I had that things were about to get worse turned out to be a premonition. Because things are most definitely so much worse than I ever could have imagined. The meeting was still going strong at eleven yesterday morning. By the time I decided to pull the pin and abandon ship, I only had fifty-two minutes to make it to LaGuardia. I paid the taxi driver an extra hundred to speed his ass off, only to pull up at the airport to find out that all flights were delayed due to fog. And I’m pretty freaking sure the driver knew about the fog but took my money anyway. Bastard.
So instead of making the mother of all rehearsal dinner speeches and impressing the hell out of my family, I missed the entire thing. And Guy is so furious, I’m sure I’ll be out on my ass the second he can find a replacement. I wound up spending the night in a chair at the gate, and finally, this morning, my flight was able to leave (fifteen hours after it was supposed to take off). I’ve just landed inSan Felipe, on Santa Valentina Island, and am currently wandering around the small airport looking for the charter service I was supposed to take to get to Azure Island.
And I don’t know whether there was a bomb threat or what, but this airport is empty. Like Zombie-apocalypse empty, even though it’s the middle of the day. Truth be told, it’s kind of eerie and it’s making me feel a bit panicky.
Oh my God. I just realized I’ve committed all three of the deadly Chadwick sins. I’m late. I’m almost certain to be unemployed soon. And I’ve eaten five pounds worth of Cool Ranch Doritos in the last twenty-four hours (because apparently I only eat food that matches my skin tone). So when you put all of these things together, what do you get? Yes, that’s right—I’m a late, fat loser. Okay, I’m not fat. I’m a little bloated. I actually object to the use of that particular ‘f’ word on account of it being freaking rude. I’m only saying that because that’s what my family is going to think/tell me when they see me.
I hurry down the middle of the airport, dragging my suitcase, my dress bag, and my makeup kit, in search of an open kiosk, but so far, nothing. My cell phone rings. It’s my mom. Of course.
“Hello, Mother!” I say brightly even though my heart has sunk so low, it might as well be at the bottom of the sea.
“Where are you?” she hisses into the phone. “The wedding is inthree hours. Tiffany is losing her mind.”
“Tell her not to worry! I’ll be there in plenty of time.” Total lie.
“Plenty of time for what? Her baby shower?”
“Is Tiff pregnant?”
“No, she’s not. I’m being hyperbolic. Now where the hell are you, Paige? And don’t you dare say New York because I will lose it!”
“I’m not in New York.”
“Are you on Azure Island yet? Please tell me you’re on this island.”
“I’m at the airport in San Felipe right now, and it’s only a fifteen-minute flight from here. See? I’m almost there.”
“I can’t believe you’ve done this again. Not this time.” Her voice breaks, and I can feel tears forming in my own eyes. “We’re starting photos in ten minutes, and you’re going to miss that, too. The hairstylist and makeup artists just left. Even if you do make it, you’re not going to look anything like the other bridesmaids.”
Let’s be honest, I wouldn’t have anyway. “I know, but if you knew what the last four days have been like. A man had a massive heart attack, Mom. Well, big. Let’s try to keep in mind that this was a legit emergen?—"
“What time will you land?”
I skid to a stop in front of the one charter service kiosk that doesn’t have a ‘closed’ sign on the desk. “Umm, it’s a charter, so they’re just waiting for one passenger, but then we’re loading up.” Oh, I’m going straight to hell for all these lies. “Gotta go, Mom! I think she just arrived! See you in a few minutes!”
I hang up before she can say anything else. No one is standing behind the counter, so I ring the bell repeatedly, even though I know it’s totally rude. “Hello! I’m having an emergency! Somebody?! Anybody?!”
A woman in a navy uniform comes out of the back room. Her name tag reads: Noreen, Santa Valentina Charters. Noreen does not look happy. “What’s wrong? You’re in a huge hurry to leave paradise so you can go be obnoxious somewhere else?”
