Get her while she’s stunned into silence.
“Mom, Dad—meet Carrie Wolinski.”
23CARRIE
There’s a window to my left, and I’m wondering how many steps it would take to reach it.Too many. There’s a couch in the way, and when you factor in how hard my legs are shaking, I don’t think I’d make it before someone intercepts me.Urgh.
“Mom, Dad—meet Carrie Wolinski.”
That weight on my shoulders… It’s the sense of dread that washes over me when I think of the evening that lies ahead. Oh—and it’s Donovan’s dumbass arm. I just nearly took him out with a maraca, so it feels a little early to try breaking his elbow, too. Plus, his parents would be witnesses. The pair of them are standing there staring at us like they just caught us doing doggy on the piano.Fuck. For a minute there, I’d been in the flow, absorbed in the moment, totally unaware of where I was and who I was with.
Snap back to reality—I’m in the Wolinski family home. With Don.
Why did I agree to this, again?
“If you ever so much as cared about me—please kill me, Wolinski. Kill me now,” I say under my breath.
I can feel his side shaking with laughter.Great!
“Carrie—meet Mom and Dad.”
“Are you done embarrassing her?” his mother scolds him, stepping closer. She turns to me and smiles beamingly. “I’m Ellen. It’s a pleasure, honey.”
I hold out a stiff hand, but she’s the touchy-feely kind. Shoving Don out the way, she pulls me in for a bear hug, and as if by magic, my panic loosens.
“That’s sweet he played you his favorite song. Good luck making it to the hundredth time without breaking any of his fingers, though.” She winks at me.
Don groans from the corner. “Love you, too, Mom…”
“Yourfavorite song?” I raise an eyebrow at him. “I thought your mom forced you to learn it?”
“Okay, so maybe I hyped it up a little…”
“Did you say CarrieWolinski?” the coach cuts in.
I recognize him immediately. I’ve seen him around campus—usually from a distance, though. Now that he’s standing right in front of me, I’m struck by how much they look alike.
“Nice to meet you, sir.”
“Call me Eric.”
I hold my hand out again, and he takes it in his, before lifting it to his face.
He’s not… he’s not actually going to kiss it, right?
He doesn’t. Instead, he stands there staring at it for a while. Like way too long of a while. I’m wondering at what point it would be okay for me to snatch it back, when he looks up at me.
“He’s looking for a wedding ring,” Donovan explains. “I didn’t have time to pick one up, Dad. It was Vegas—and we were wasted.” He shrugs. “But I promised her a huge rock once I get signed.”
My eyes dart from Don to his parents, and back again.I’m going to kill this guy. As slowly as possible. A sharp blow to the back of the head, just as soon as I get my hand back.
“My last name is just Wolinski,” I explain. “Carrie Wolinski. Guess the name must be pretty common.”
Ellen nods. “What a funny coincidence, though.”
“It’s fate.” Don gives my bun a squeeze.
“Stop it!” I force out a polite laugh, while shooing his hand away.
