“You’re so tense all the time. Let loose a little. Hang with some wild drummer. Pound theliquor.”
“None of this sounds like good, solid advice,Keith.”
“And good god, Em, go buy yourself some new clothes that aren’t out of the men’sdepartment.”
* * *
“Can I ask you a question?”Casey’s sunny demeanor turned instantly serious, and I felt my stomach do a nervous little flip. Up to this point our shopping trip had been fun and light-hearted. I’d even go as far as to say she might have actually changed my mind about visits to the mall. I’d found three awesome outfits with Casey’s help and was feeling pretty good about our connection. Jake would bepleased.
But then, out of the blue, she changed the rules of the game, and my mood turned instantly sour. “Okay,what?”
“Why are youalone?”
It took effort to force my face to stay neutral when, in reality, I wanted to blast obscenities at her. Why I was alone was none of her damnbusiness.
“You’re a beautiful woman… smart and successful. Men fall all over you. I mean, you could have anyone you wanted. So whydon’tyou?”
Oh, she was going right for the jugular, the answer to her question hitting to the very core of who I was as a person. Certainly I wouldn’t be discussing my hang-ups with the world’s most perfectwoman.
“I guess I just haven’t found the right guy.” I shrugged, hoping she’d take the hint, all the while knowing Casey wasn’t the type to letthingslie.
“Are youlooking?”
“Why doyoucare?”
Casey appeared startled by the hostility in my voice, but she bravely held my glare. In that moment, I knew. She and Jake had been discussing me, and for whatever reason, that was infuriating. It was like Jake went and got himself engaged and then immediately turned traitor. My issues were not his to share, especially seeing as I’d spent my lifesafeguardinghis.
“Why? What has he told you?” I asked, looking away inirritation.
“Please don’t be mad. I’m just trying to understand youbetter.”
That was the wrong thing to say. Now I was really pissed. “You don’t think I know that you and Jake are having little powwow sessions about me? I’m telling you now:stopit.”
Casey raised herbrows. “Wow.”
“Wow, what?” I asked,grumbling.
“Sensitive subject. Sorry I saidanything.”
I didn’t care for the tone. She was the one who’d brought it up, and if she didn’t like the response, well, too damn bad. “Not everyone is you, Casey. Not everyone gets thefairytale.”
She looked away and silence ensued. If Jake wanted me to work harder with his fiancee, then he’d better stop throwing me under the bus with her. He was going to get a swift talking to thisweekend.
“You know,” Casey started, but then the words stopped suddenly. She placed her hand over her heart, looking up at the ceiling as emotion played out over her face. “If you mean fairytale in the sense that I found the man I love more than life itself, then yes, I would have to agree with you. But if you mean fairytale in that everything is always perfectly perfect… well, then, you don’t know your brother as well as youclaimto.”
Her words hit me. Of course I knew Jake had issues, but for whatever reason, I guess I didn’t see them spilling out into his relationship with her. Certainly they’d always portrayed their unity as near perfection, and her confession both surprised and intrigued me. “Are you and Jake havingproblems?”
“Youfirst.”
“What?”
“You answer my question and I’ll answer yours.” Casey sat back in her seat and crossed her arms in front of her. “Why don’tyoudate?”
We stared each other down. Oh, she was good. For the first time, I was seeing this girl in a different light. Something told me she was stronger than I’d ever given her credit for. I contemplated how to answer her question but then opted for fulldisclosure.
“I don’t want to getmarried.”
“Ever?”
