“Yes, Elaine. My girlfriend. From work. I know I told you about her. We sat on the deck, and you and Nick harassed me for being too chickenshit to ask her out.”
“I remember, I just...I hadn’t realized you did. Ask her out. That you were dating, and I…”
“We are. I want her to meet dad and Nan, too. And the rest of the crew.” He clasps my hand. “I thought you were right behind me, but then I got swept up in a swarm of relatives. Sorry, Lain. You want to eat first and then I’ll show you around?”
I feel like the walls are closing in on me. Something significant has changed in the last ten minutes, and I can’t quite name it, but I know I need to get out of here. “You know what? I’m actually not that hungry. I’m, um..I’m just going to go get some air. Is it hot in here? I’m warm.” I thread my fingers through my scarf to loosen it, and I walk out the sliding glass doors to the deck, down the steps, and out to the yard. I never even put my purse down, which is a damn good thing. Now, do I call Uber first, or Molly? Yea, I need a ride, but I also need a drink.
I’M WATCHING ELAINEwalk out of the kitchen, and I have no idea what just happened. “What did I miss?”
“A lot.” My mother sighs. “For starters, you missed the opportunity to tell me you were bringing your girlfriend over to the party.”
Why is she hung up on this? “Yea, I know. I meant to say something, but it slipped my mind. I’ve seriously been spending every spare minute with Lainie, and I haven’t been good for much else. But, is it that big a deal?” I spare a glance out at the deck, but I don’t see my girl. “You always say everyone’s welcome, right? There’s always room for more, you know?”
“Yes, of course, but…”
Natalie clears her throat, and despite the fact I’m wondering where my girlfriend is, I’m also wondering what she’s still doing, standing in the kitchen like she’s at an audition.
“Oh, Natalie, dear. I am so sorry. I didn’t know... Oh, this is just embarrassing.” My mother stammers, which is unlike her.
“Simon, go get your girlfriend and bring her back here. Hell, if you came in her car, she’s probably halfway home by now…”
“Why? What did you say to her? You are seriously freaking me out.”
“Nothing.” My mother rolls her eyes sarcastically. “I just mistook her for a parent of party-going twins and then introduced her to Natalie, whom I invited with the sole purpose of setting you up.”
The awkwardness of the last ten minutes falls into place. “Fucking hell.”
“That about sums it up, now go.” I don’t hesitate another minute. I bolt through the sliding glass doors and nearly vault down the steps, scanning for her as I go. As I round the corner, I hear my mother call, “And bring her back so I can apologize!”
Yeah, that’s gonna have to happen over breakfast tomorrow, since I have a feeling I’ll be groveling most of the night.
My suspicions are confirmed when I spot her at the end of the driveway, texting on her phone.
“Hey, Lainie, I… Jesus. I am so sorry.”
“What are you doing out here?” Her question is genuine.
“What am I doing? Um, I’m apologizing to you.” I hold out her coat, and she slips into it, wrapping her arms around her like a shield. “Please, I’m...I’m so sorry. My mom feels awful, and I am such a shit. Come on back inside. I’ll get you fed and my mom will shower you with apologies, and I’ll introduce you to my family properly, like I should have. I’m so sorry—I thought you were right behind me—”
“No, um...I don’t think this is a good idea.” Her face has this far away look, and it breaks my heart. “I need to leave.”
“The party? Yea, ok. Just let me tell my folks, and we’ll head out, ok? Spend a quiet night at home.”
“No, I don’t think this—us, our relationship—is a good idea. I—”
“What? I mean, yes, I fucked up. I did. I should have totally told everyone you were coming, but, honestly, I knew they’d come on strong, like china-pattern, baby-name strong—and I didn’t want to overwhelm you.”
“Your mom didn’t even know I existed, not really. And if we were that serious about each other, don’t you think we’d have told our families?”
Damn. That one hurts. “No. I wasn’t keeping you a secret, Lainie, you have to know that. I think I just fell so hard that I got swept up in us, you know? Like, my world has revolved around nothing but you for the past few weeks. And maybe I liked that bubble, you know? I like being totally wrapped up in you. But I also want everyone I know to know and love you, too. You have to know that. I took you to trivia. The guys adore you. I just—I fucked up, Lainie.”
“It’s not just that, Simon. That woman, Natalie? There’s a reason your mom wanted to set you up. She’s perfect for you. She’s adorable. She’s all geeky and pocket-sized, and—”
“What? No. Not at all. I want you, Elaine. I didn’t even look at her. Seriously. I just want you.” This is all spiralling out of control way too fast, and I feel like I can’t catch up.
“Do you? I mean, I know we’ve had fun, but Simon, look at us. Even your mother mistook me for a middle-aged soccer mom. And you know why? Because I’m way too old for you. And we want different things in life.”
“No, we don’t. We want the same things. I want you. You want me. See? That’s the same.” I’m not being snarky, I’m just desperate as hell.
