down is the smart thing to do. I think if you keep trying to shove it in your father’s face, he’s only going to push back harder. Let him get used to the idea a little at a time. He’ll soon see it’s not as bad as he thought.”
“I hope so. Xander is amazing.”
“Of course, you are going to say that.”
“He really is,” I told her. “I feel like I must be wearing different glasses than the rest of the world.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t see what my dad sees, or even his dad. Every time he tells me about his father, I’m just dumbfounded. Then I think about my dad, and I’m like, I get it. They hate him because he’s rich and successful. They must have shared from the same bitter pills bottle.”
“You do have on some rose-colored glasses, but that’s because you are in love.”
I flinched. “Don’t say that.”
“But it’s true.”
“I don’t know if it is.”
“I think it is,” she said as if she was an authority on the subject.
“Maybe. I do miss him like crazy.”
“Is he going to be back tomorrow?”
“I hope so,” I answered. “I’m not sure. He was talking about giving a proposal on Monday, but he wasn’t sure it was going to happen.”
“For his new thing?”
“Yep.”
“Your rich boyfriend is going to be even richer.”
I smiled. “It’s not about the money, but I do love that he is so successful. I just wish his family was around to share in it all.”
“He has you,” she reminded me. “But speaking of family, any more from the brother? I’m looking forward to my date with him.”
I laughed. “I don’t think the Marines grant leave for a first date. You are just going to have to be patient. That is assuming he wants to date you. You can be obnoxious.”
She cocked her head to the side before waving a hand over her body. “Seriously, he would be lucky to get a date with me.”
“You are right. He would be. Maybe he can come back for the holidays.”
“I don’t know. That’s a lot of pressure.”
“Eating a meal is a lot of pressure?”
“For a first date, yes. I don’t want him to meet me and see me stuffing my face.”
“Oh, that’s a good point,” I said.
“But I do want to meet him. You’ve got me excited to meet the little brother of your perfect man.”
“He’s a good guy. I like him and I know you will.”
We sipped our drinks, our eyes drifting around the bar as it began to fill up. It was still early, but I considered myself an old lady. I couldn’t stay out until the wee hours of the morning. I had to work tomorrow. I did not want to show up with a hangover. After learning a hangover was just really not worth it and completely preventable, I had made a conscious decision to avoid them like the plague.
“Do you think Xander is the guy that will father your future children?”
I nearly choked on my drink. “What? What are you talking about? Why would you ask me that?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I was just thinking about our future.”
“Our future, like me and you?”
“Yes. Me and you. You are pretty wrapped up in this guy and I don’t blame you for a minute. I am a little jealous but I’m happy for you. You deserve a good man.”
“I don’t know what our future holds,” I told her. “I would not even dare to speculate or fantasize about it.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“Because it’s been a month. We aren’t that serious. I am not going to start thinking about marriage and all that stuff.”
She looked thoughtful. “But do you think you might get to that point?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
“I’ll say it. You love him.”
“I don’t really know what love is,” I told her. “I have never been in love with a man. I have liked a few and been fond of others, but how do you know what love is? There isn’t a definition or a test you take that tells you whether you are or not. This is a new thing and I think I might just kind of be in the mindset that it’s an infatuation.”
“I’m sure there is an element of infatuation to it, but I don’t think it’s just that. You are different.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “It feels different than anything I have ever experienced before. I do feel a little bit infatuated, but I also feel like it’s more whole. Like it