Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“I’ll find out, Mom. I gotta go.” I set the umbrella on the ground so that I can crouch down and try to find my keys without ending up in a puddle myself. After reaching around blindly under my car, I finally get them.
“Not yet, Callie. It’s critical that I get a name for the place card by tomorrow. Do you understand?”
I’d like to tell her that I’ll never understand how it seems that the fate of the world hinges on some fancy letters being printed on a little paper rectangle. I really thought she’d have let this go by now, since all throughout the past year, different elements of wedding planning have been an emergency one day and a non-issue the next.
Thanks to Rick, I don’t have any male friends I can ask to go to the wedding. I used to have friends from school, but Rick made me feel like a slut if I wanted to hang out with them, even though I’d have been in mixed groups of both girls and guys, and even though I always invited Rick to come too. He isolated me from most of my friends.
There are dudes at the health club, of course, but I don’t know any of them personally, and I can’t just randomly ask one of them to be my date for such a big event. Besides, the owners might frown upon instructors dating each other, and I can’t afford to do anything to jeopardize my job.
Meanwhile, Big Daddy’s is owned and staffed by women, and though I’d love to give my mom a shock by bringing a woman, even one of my roommates, as my date, I wouldn’t subject a friend to the kind of awkward drama that would create.
Further complicating all of this is the fact that the wedding isn’t just one day, like a normal wedding. There are several events planned, taking place over five days.
“If your boyfriend can’t come—”
When did I say I had a boyfriend?
“…it’s going to make the reception seating arrangements lopsided. Adam’s best man is married, so obviously, he’ll have a date. All of the other bridesmaids are bringing dates too, and I have all of their names already.”
I tune her out again, putting ninety-percent of my focus on my car that I am somehow locked out of, even though I’m holding the key in my hand. Maybe the battery’s dead in the keyfob? That must be it.
“I don’t want you to be the odd one out, Callie, especially since— Oh dear, I’m not sure whether I should tell you this …”
“Mom, I really need to get going.”
“Sadie wanted to be the one to tell you, but it’s better you know right away. Callie, Rick’s going to be at the wedding.”
A loud humming sound in my ears drowns out everything—my mom, the weather, any concerns about my car.
“What did you say?”
“He’s apparently dating Adam’s sister, Alexis. She’s one of the bridesmaids, of course, and surely you don’t want to show up without a date when your ex-fiancé will be there, accompanying someone in the wedding party.”
My vision goes red.
Why does the universe hate me so much?
How in the world could Rick be coming to this wedding? Surely, it’s a joke. How does he even have the nerve?
“How could you let that happen?” My voice cracks, and I’m gripping my phone so tightly, it’s probably about to break.
“What can we do, Callie? Sadie was upset about it, but we can’t very well tell Alexis Hargrove that she’s not allowed to bring her boyfriend to the wedding.”
Bitter tears mix in with the raindrops that splatter my face.
“You just need to put your best foot forward, Callie. Bring your new boyfriend, show Rick you’ve moved on. It won’t be that bad.”
It won’t be that bad? Please tell me this is a nightmare.
The phone starts to slip from my grip. As I clutch at it, the keys fall instead—again—straight toward another puddle. I kick my foot out, trying to break their fall, but all I manage to do is splash water up my leg.
After I pick up my keys, I stomp my foot down hard to let out some frustration, sending up a spray in all directions. “I gotta go, Mom.”
“I’m sure your boyfriend will be able to come. What’s his name, so I can tell the calligrapher?”
“I’ll call you tomorrow, Mom. I need to go. Bye.”
As soon as I click off, a groan of frustration thunders out of me. Fuck my life! Fuck this car. Fuck Rick, most of all, and not in the good way.
I pull back and kick the front tire hard. It hurts my foot, but it’s so satisfying I give it another kick with my other foot.
I have no idea what I’m going to do about anything, but getting out of the rain seems like a logical first step. Before I turn to go back inside the sandwich shop, I jab my thumb down on the unlock button, pressing it as hard as I kicked the car.