Elle“You look like you had such an amazing time,” I say as Christine swipes through
her photos of Hawaii. It’s the first time I’ve seen her since the wedding, and she’s absolutely glow- ing. We’re at my favorite wine bar downtown, and after half a glass of merlot, I’m feeling sentimental.
“I don’t know if it’s the tan or the marriage, but something you’re doing is working for you,” I say, grinning at her. I’m so happy for her and my brother. They really are the perfect couple.
She laughs, putting her phone away. “It’s prob- ably the relief of making it through the wedding without anything going horribly wrong.” She takes a sip of her chardonnay before continuing. “What have you been up to? I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”
I fill her in on everything that’s been going on with work. Secretly, I’ve been dying to ask her more about Nic, but I don’t want to seem too eager. When I texted her asking her to tell me more about him, she seemed hesitant and didn’t say much, but I’m not letting her off the hook that easily. If she didn’t want me to ask about Nic, she should have known better than to set us up. Especially when she knows he’s basically the sexiest, sweetest guy alive. I mean, seriously.
“I also saw Nic again,” I admit after I’ve fin- ished telling her about work. I give her a sheepish look, anticipating her judgment.
“Elle!” she says, as if she’s admonishing me for something.
“What?” I shake my head. “I don’t get it. You’re the one who set us up.”
“To make Jeremy jealous,” she says, giving me a serious look. “Not to start dating. Don’t tell me you slept with him.”
“No, I didn’t sleep with him.” I sigh. “We just got coffee and talked. It was very PG; you would have been so proud of me, Mom.” I decide not to tell her that after the wedding, I was ready to ride him like a stallion before I got too drunk. “Look,
whatever happened in college that makes you think he’s not dating material isn’t true anymore. He’s changed. He’s been a total gentleman with me.”
“People don’t change, Elle, trust me,” she says, taking another sip of her wine.
I’m still baffled by how weird she’s being about this whole thing. Like she thinks he’s slimy. I’ve never heard her talk about someone this way, even people she doesn’t like, and supposedly she and Nic were close. But then why did she set me up with him on a blind date? It’s strange.
“Did you guys have a thing or something?” I have a loose theory that Christine and Nic hooked up in college, and now she feels weird about the thought of us getting together.
“What? No way. I’m just being protective. I don’t want to see you get hurt again, that’s all, and we both know that rebound men are never keep- ers.” She stares at me intently, and despite how strange she’s acting, I can tell she genuinely does care.
Before I can say anything else, my phone vi- brates. It’s a text from Nic, and my heart jumps at the sight of his name on my screen.
Are you free for dinner this week?
“I’m going to be fine. Also, he just asked me out to dinner,” I say, unable to keep the smile off my face, even in front of Christine.
When I show her the text, she looks horrified. I
hold myself back from rolling my eyes.
“Christine, whatever douchey things Nic did in college are way in the past. Most college kids sow their wild oats during that time, right? And then they grow up to be normal people who get married and have children. Trust me, he’s not like that any- more. If he were, don’t you think he’d have tried to do more than just kiss me by now?”
“Please just be careful with this.” She puts a hand on mine, looking into my eyes. “I can’t tell you who to date, but just know that I’m warning you about this guy. I don’t want you to end up with a broken heart.”
“I am being careful,” I say, frustration creeping into my voice. “When am I not careful? And why are you so sure I’ll end up with a broken heart?”
Christine sighs and looks down at her hands. “I’m not sure; I’m just worried. But you’re an
adult, and I respect that. You can make your own decisions.”
Damn right I can.
“He’s a good guy, I promise. I know you’ve known him longer, but you haven’t seen him in a long time. He’s not a player, or an asshole, or any- thing like that. He’s really sweet and supportive.”
I don’t tell her about his encouragement with the bar exam, or the sweet compliments he offered when Jeremy said I was too curvy. I have a feeling she’d only find a way to condemn them as being less than genuine.
Christine stares at me for a few moments with-
out saying anything while she finishes her drink.
Not wanting to get into an argument with my friend and now sister-in-law, I decide to change the subject. We spend the next little while making plans to go to the farmers’ market next weekend, and chat about a new chick flick we’d both like to go see.
After I finish my drink, I head home. I wait until after I leave Christine to accept Nic’s invite. The truth is I’m more excited about this dinner date than I’ve been about anything in a long time.
I’d love to. Just tell me when and
where.
As I wait for his response, I decide not to men- tion Nic to Christine anymore. She clearly has some hang-ups about him, and until things get seri- ous between him and me, there’s no reason to argue about it. The last thing I need is her bad attitude clouding my time with Nic.
She’s only a couple of years older than me, but she’s acting like I’m her daughter. I’m perfectly capable of deciding who’s a good person and who isn’t all on my own, and I don’t need her lecturing me.
Nic responds as I pull into my driveway, and my heart leaps again.
Saturday night, my place. I’ll cook for you.
I smile to myself as I step inside my apartment and start making my dinner. So I’ll finally get to see where Nic lives, and if things go the way I hope they will, the night will be ending with more than just dessert.