"Everything is about business, Savannah. You'll learn that eventually." His tone is patient, like he's explaining something obvious to a child. "Besides, it'll be good for you to be seen with me. Reminds people that you're spoken for."
The phrase makes my skin crawl.Spoken for.Like I'm property, something to be claimed and displayed.
"I have to go," I say. "I'm meeting with my advisor."
"Alright. But Savannah?" His voice drops, becomes more serious. "I've been thinking. About us. About our timeline."
My stomach clenches. "What about it?"
"I think we should move up the wedding. Get married while you're still in school."
"What? Thad, we talked about this. I want to finish my degree first?—"
"You can finish it while we're married. There's no reason to wait. Unless—" He pauses, and I can hear the suspicion in his voice. "Unless you're having second thoughts?"
"No, I just?—"
"Because if you're not seeing anyone else, if you're committed to this relationship, then there's no reason to delay. Especially since you keep insisting on this prudish sense of chastity when we’re together. We can get married at Christmas, enjoy our relationship to the fullest when I visit you, and you can continue your studies. It's practical."
I ignore the part where he wants to get married in a couple of months, which would give my mother an aneurysm. No wedding like the kind of wedding my family—and his—expects can be planned in that amount of time, but he wouldn’t know that, and I don’t care about that part. "My studies aren't a hobby, Thad. They're my career?—"
"Of course they are. For now. But let's be realistic, Savannah. Once we're married, once we start a family, you'll have other priorities. This archaeology thing is interesting, but it's not exactly practical for a wife and mother. My mother had interests too, but she understood that family comes first."
"I have to go," I say again, my voice tight.
"Think about what I said. About Christmas. I really think it's the right move for us."
He hangs up before I can respond.
I stand there in the hallway where I was when he called, students flowing around me, feeling like I can't breathe.Christmas.If he somehow convinces my family and his that a proper wedding can be pulled off in that amount of time, that's less than three months away. Three months until I'm married to a man who thinks my life's work is a hobby. Three months until I'm trapped in a life I never chose.
My phone buzzes. Another text from Romeo.I miss arguing with you about Minoan trade routes.
I delete the message without responding. But I can't delete the feeling it creates—the warmth, the longing. The sense that someone sees me in a way Thad never has.
—
Friday arrives too quickly.
The department gala is an event I normally would enjoy. I can admit that the dressing-up part of the cotillion balls and society events my family insisted I be a part of was something I enjoyed—and still do—and this is an opportunity to do that within a setting that Ialsoenjoy. But knowing Thad will be there and knowing Romeo might also be there, I feel nothing but dread.
The dress I chose looked simple and elegant when I picked it out, but now all I can think about is the fact that Thad is going to see it and probably have something to say. It’s a sapphire blue evening gown with clean lines and a basic cut, strapless with a sweetheart neckline. I know Thad is going to have something to say about that… I’ve never worn strapless to any event before, and he’s going to say it’s too revealing. He’ll probably have something to say about the slit in the side too, even though it stops just above my knee.
His opinion aside, it’s professional enough for an academic event and formal enough for a gala. I pair it with simple heels and minimal jewelry—just the diamond studs my mother gave me and my engagement ring, now that I have to wear it.
Thad arrives at my apartment to pick me up, looking impeccable in a tailored suit. He looks me over critically when I open the door.
"That's what you're wearing?"
I look down at my dress. "Yes. Why?"
"It's very... bold. And it's quite revealing, isn't it?"
“Plenty of girls back home wear strapless dresses, Thad.”
"If you say so." He steps inside, not bothering to compliment me or tell me I look nice, but at least he didn’t demand I change."Are you ready? We should get there early. I want to make sure I have time to talk to Dean Blackwood before the crowd arrives."
"This is my department's event," I remind him. "I should probably spend time with my cohort?—"
