Peter and Donovan were college buddies. Of course, they were.
“Yes, you are,” Anna says. “You have to come with someone and you have no other option. You’ll ruin the seating arrangement otherwise.”
They’re more concerned with a dinner than they are about my feelings. I can’t even.
“Actually,” I say, pursing my lips in a fashion that is uniquely me. “I have a date.”
“You have a what?” Anna asks.
“A date. As in a man taking me to your wedding in two weeks. A date.”
Mom laughs. “Don’t be ridiculous, Alice. Even if you did have a date, you can’t just go with anyone. We would have to pre-approve –”
“No, actually you don’t have to pre-approve anything. I’m twenty-one years old. I live here because you won’t give me access to my trust fund until I get a spot in the symphony. But I can go to my sister’s wedding with whomever I please.”
“And who is this date of yours anyways?” Dad asks.
“For your information,” I tell them, hands clasped tight in my lap. “He’s my friend Aiden. My very good friend.”
“And where is this Aiden person from?”
“From Alaska. We met on the cruise.”
“And we never met him?” Anna asks. Disbelief is written on her face. “We were on that boat for seven days.”
“Right, well, we met on the fishing excursion.”
My sister laughs sharply. “But why didn’t we meet him?”
“He wasn’t exactly on the cruise. He was the guide.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Alice,” Dad cuts in. “A fishing guide you met for one day is going to fly down here for your sister’s wedding?”
“I can’t believe you guys. I can’t believe this conversation. Why is it so impossible to believe that someone would want to be with me?”
Mom shakes her head ever so slightly. “Alice, frankly, it’s hard to imagine anyone bringing you out of your shell. Let alone a fisherman.” She says the last part with such disdain I hear my teeth grind.
I’ve had enough.
“I’m only in this shell because you’re refusing to let me crack it open.” I toss my napkin on the table, hating that I’m getting angry and walking away, but I can’t stay any longer and listen to them talk like this about me.
They don’t seem to understand that they are the problem.
I feel stuck and I’m tired of it. I’m only having a breakthrough with my music because of Aiden.
Now I have to prove them wrong.
Now, I just have to tell my make-believe fiancé that he’s going to be my date to my sister’s wedding.
Chapter Eight
I have been waiting to get off my fishing trip for the last ten days. All I want to do is get back home, get cell service, and talk to Alice.
Of course, I’m terrified she forgot about me.
But I’m not plagued with that doubt too often.
Truth is, I don’t think she could have forgotten about me. What we shared was too real. It was one perfect fucking day.
One perfect day fucking.
I know she’ll call.
And she does. I’m in my truck driving to my parents’ house for family dinner when she calls. I pull over on the side of the road to answer the call.
“Hello?”
“Hello,” she answers breathlessly. Her voice is so soft over the phone that I can barely hear it.
“You sound surprised to hear me.”
“Part of me wondered if that whole day was a dream.”
“More like a fucking fantasy,” I tell her, looking at Chum who’s suddenly jumped closer to me, and barking. I put the phone on speaker to appease him.
“That Chum?” she asks warmly.
The sound of her voice settles him, and he curls back in his seat.
Her voice doesn’t calm me though.
It gives me a shock.
My body is immediately electrified. Pulsing with energy.
“Yeah. It’s Chum and me. We’re going to my parents’ for dinner. But, Alice, are you doing okay?” I ask. “I’ve missed you so fucking much.”
She pauses. A pause so long that I get scared something’s changed.
But when she speaks, I know nothing has. “I’ve been counting down the days until you got back from your trip,” she tells me. “I’ve been so anxious to hear your voice. I miss you, Aiden.”
“I can’t go to sleep at night without thinking about our time together,” I tell her. “About how fucking sweet you are.”
“The same is true for me,” she says. “Honestly, I can’t go to bed without...”
“Touching yourself when you think about me?” I tease.
I swear to God I can see her blushing through the phone.
“You can’t talk like that when Chum is present,” she jokes. But I know