“I like sticking it to Christie’s, but I think our clients will complain about the weather...we can find a Golden Age mansion to rent for the event,” William says, getting out his phone.
“Yes. I’ll call a real estate agent tomorrow who specializes in old mansions like that and he can make a list of places we can tour at the end of the week.”
“Excellent. I’ll get another real estate agent on it, so we have variety. And I’ll start making lists of caterers. We need a traditional Christmas dinner: ham, fruitcake, the works.”
I take a page out of the Indian soap operas and check out everyone for their reaction. Gavin looks just as shocked as I am. But the moms are calmly sipping their drinks. They’ve had a lot more practice with the dads.
The meltdown at the beginning was expected, and I knew they’d eventually get over it. But I was not expecting the speed at which Dad pivoted from “Aiiii the world is ending!” to “How do I monetize this relationship?”
But...yay for us?
“Mom, I’m scared. So we’re going away from this.” I indicate the corporate synergy happening at our dining table.
“Good call. Both of you be here for dinner next Sunday. I’m making Ajay and Sonia come as well.”
Good. More people to witness and buffer all of this.
“Or we could host it?” Laura says. “We could switch off so you don’t have to do all the work.”
“I’ll take you up on that.” The moms clink wineglasses as we leave the house.
We walk to the subway station in a daze.
“That was really weird,” he finally says halfway home. He wraps his arms around me and sways with the train. He’s really getting the hang of this public transportation thing. “Do you think they’re going to hold an auction at our wedding?” he asks.
“Probably.” I lean into his chest, and then jerk back up. “Wait, what?”
We aren’t getting married. No one said anything about weddings. I just got over looking at him like an enemy and admitted I loved him, and he’s trying to get hitched?
“Oh look, our stop.” Gavin drags me out of the train when it comes to a stop.
It’s a stop too soon, but I don’t mind the walk if it means I don’t have to think about what Gavin just said.
Because there is no way we’re getting married any time soon.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Eleven Months Later
“I don’t have much time, so we need to do this fast,” I whisper, hunching down lower and looking over my shoulder to make sure Gavin hasn’t found me.
I already had to sneak away too many times for comfort, and I suspect he’s starting to doubt my claim that my bladder is really that tiny.
“Are you sure we should do this?” I ask Sonia, biting my lip.
“Yes, we need to switch the shows around, because some of the sellers for the show that was supposed to be first aren’t delivering their stuff and show two is being very compliant.”
I sigh into the phone. “Fine.”
“And you should listen to Gavin and stop calling me on your honeymoon!”
“Don’t tell me what to do, woman!” I whisper-yell at her through the phone.
“I have everything under control, and I will call you if I need your micromanaging. And now I’m going to hang up so you can spend time with your new husband.” She matches her actions with her words and hangs up on me.
“Rude, insubordinate...” I mutter to myself, looking at the satellite phone.
“Caught,” Gavin says to me, making me jump up from where I’m hidden behind a box of supplies in the cargo hold of a ship.
