“What’d she do now?” It’s only been a couple of weeks, but Tiffany’s already put in her two cents about color schemes, venues, and vows.
“She’s trying to convince me to let her walk me down the aisle with Dad. But she still wants him to pay for the entire wedding. And the honeymoon.”
“Please tell me you’re kidding.” With a groan, I lean my head back on my pillow and stare at the ceiling.
“I’m not. Don’t worry, though, I’m not even entertaining the idea. I love my dad. Mom didn’t make it easy for him, and he could have bailed, but he didn’t. He was always happy to have me during his visitations, took off work and made plans with me when I was there, paid for college, and now he’s paying for a wedding even though he’s never met my fiancé. I think he deserves to walk me down solo. He missed out on so much because Mom didn’t bother to tell him about stuff.”
“I hate that she even suggested it to you.”
“Me, too. I think she’s hoping to get back together with him now that he has money. I’m going to try to talk him into bringing a date to the wedding. I’m pretty sure he’s in love with his secretary. He talks about her all the time, and I swear his voice gets a little softer when he does.”
“Maybe she’s like his work wife.” Sometimes, I feel like Alex’s work wife. It’s not my first choice, but I’ll take it. I’ll take whatever I can get. God knows I’d marry the man in a heartbeat and be his real wife if he asked me to.
“It’s more than that,” she insists. “He’s never talked about a woman before. He never brought one around, never mentioned having a girlfriend, and never mentioned a single secretary before this one. I just would love for him to find someone. He’s a great guy, a great dad, and he’s spent too long being married to his job. It’s time he lived a little, you know? And he’s still so young!”
“Yeah, I know someone kind of like that,” I chuckle.
“How’s that crush going on that guy you work with, anyway?”
She doesn’t know my crush is on my boss. I don’t hide much from her or my family, but I haven’t really been honest with them about my job. When I got hired, they thought it was as part of a cubicle team, and I just never corrected them. I figured I wouldn’t last long and now I don’t know how to tell anyone, even Bean, the truth.
“Same as it ever is. I stare at him too long and live for our banter and his smiles.” I let out a long sigh. “And nothing will ever come of it.”
“Maybe you should make a move on him.”
“Ha, ha, ha, ha…no. I can’t. What if he’s not interested? Or can’t get beyond the age thing, and then I still have to see him, and it gets awkward?”
“What if he feels the same way you do, Minnie?”
“I don’t know, Bean. Anyway, what wedding stuff is nailed down?”
“I know you’re changing the subject on purpose, and I’m going to allow it, but I’m also going to come back to this topic in the future.”
I groan loudly in her ear. She continues on as if I didn’t.
“The date and venue are set. Wedding party is being finalized. We have Stephanie as maid of honor, which is still a terrible idea, Peter as best man?—”
I groan again, louder this time, because I fucking hate Peter. I met him while I was home for Christmas, and he quickly took a top spot on my ‘not at all cool, dude’ list when he constantly tried to convince me to go out with him and tried to kiss me out of nowhere. At least me not being the maid of honor means I don’t have to walk down the aisle with him.
Bean chuckles. “I know, Peter sucks ass. I don’t know whyCalvin likes him, but I can’t really tell him to pick a different best man. We’re working out the rest of the pairs right now. Oh, get this! Mom’s pushing for Aaron to be the ring bearer.”
My face crinkles at the thought of her seven-year-old brother having any part in a wedding. “He wouldhateit.”
“That’s what I said! I love him to death, but no fucking thanks.”
I groan a third time. “It’s not her wedding, Bean. She’s had two of her own; she doesn’t get yours, too.”
“I know. Aaron doesn’t want to do it, so that helps. I’m trying not to let Mom bulldoze over me on stuff. Really, I am, Min. It’s just a lot harder to do that without you here in my corner.”
“I’m always in your corner, and I’ll do anything I can to help, even though Stephanie should be the one standing up for you against the shrew regarding wedding stuff.”
She laughs. “Ha, Stephanie, stand up for me? Never. She’s so immature. I mean, we’re immature, but in silly ways. She’s just straight-up immature. And selfish as fuck. Just like Mom.”
We chat for a while before she hangs up to go to work. I finally get dressed and grab a coffee from a nearby shop before wandering around looking at window displays.
The few friends I have in the city work weekends, so we don’t see each other often. After an hour or so, I head for home and hope that maybe something will come up and Alex will need me to come into the office. It’s happened before, and I’ve never been sad about it. I would go in every day if I could. I rarely leave before he does now, seeing no point in going home at five when I could be near him for another couple of hours. But the later it gets, the less likely he’ll need me tonight.
Usually, I can distract myself with some form of entertainment. But some days, nothing works because I just want Alex. Idon’t even care if that sounds pathetic. Being in his presence makes me feel better.
