Page 88 of No Place Like You

She turns to Lucy. “Dad needs more Tums too.”

Lucy looks away and nods, plastering a forced smile in Nat’s direction. “Yeah, it looks like they ran out,” she says softly, pointing to the shelf carrying Tylenol and Advil and an empty spot where the Tums must’ve been.

“He probably bought their entire supply after all of that bacon and sausage at the breakfast buffet,” she comments. “Did you still need your water?”

“Uh,” Lucy mutters, eyeing me. “I just remembered I have an unopened one in our room.”

“Okay, then let’s go. Mom and Dad are waiting.”

Lucy turns to me, that fake smile so obvious it makes me want to call her bluff. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Dex.”

“Bye!” Nat calls.

39

Lucy

“How are your feet?”

Nat peeks down to the marble floor just at the edge of the large glass door leading out to the luscious lawn, the tips of her freshly polished toes peeking through her peep-toe pumps. “They’re fine. Why?”

“Just making sure they aren’t getting cold.”

She responds with an eye roll and a long gaze outside, where a white gazebo sits at the end of a makeshift walkway. Hayden stands at the end, listening intently to the wedding planner who looks frazzled as she’s wrangling the groom and groomsmen, her hands waving in front of her like she’s explaining something to a classroom full of kindergarteners at circle time. Hayden glances at Nat with an exasperated look, and his eyes cross as he makes a cheesy grin at his bride to be. “They’re pretty warm.”

I glance to Hayden’s left, where Dexter and the other groomsman, Ashton, are standing. I look at Dexter, and he glances in our direction. Right where Nat, Carmen, my dad, and I are waiting patiently. He has hishands linked in front of him, one hand gripping the opposite wrist, and he lifts a hand and waves at me. It’s subtle and quick, but it’s only for me.

I smile, unable to resist the silly grin creeping up on my face, and wave back. He smirks, and we continue this silent staring contest, filled with secret smiles and bashful giggles.

“I didn’t know you and Dexter were that close.”

I jerk my head in Nat’s direction. She’s still looking toward the altar, where the men are now at their markers, indicating it’ll soon be our turn to enter the garden.

“I mean,” I say, a little flustered, “we’ve sort of kept in touch since the last time I was in New York.”

A look of indifference covers her face. “Well, obviously. I just didn’t know.”

“But you know, he’s been fun to hang out with while we’re here.”

Nat nods, but she doesn’t say anything else. And I feel my ears getting hot. Should I tell her I think he’s repulsive? Just so I can fend off the scent of something cooking between me and Dexter? Like something about him makes me think he has a tail or webbed toes?(“I don’t know, he just gives off a vibe.”)

“Okay, ladies.” The wedding planner interrupts whatever absurd lie I’m about to spew and approaches us with a clap and an overly eager smile. “When the music cues, I’ll give the signal and maid of honor number two will step off first, followed by maid of honor number one.” She faces Nat. “Then you and father of the bride will count to fifteen and follow.”

We all nod, Nat’s attention shifting to the wedding planner’s instructions. She takes a quick step to my dad’s side, and the four of us do sort of a square dance like tango to take our places. Once Carmen has made her way to about halfway down the aisle, it’s my cue. I step out onto the lush grass, where the sun is streaming down in shiny streaks across the lawn. I step slowly and carefully, pretending like there’s actual music playing, andmake sure to walk at a slow, steady pace. When I look ahead at the altar, I see Dexter still looking at me. His gaze is full of intent with a lingering smile twitching his lips.

I take my place on the side of the altar where further instructions will be given, like when to take the bouquet from the bride or when to hand her her little note paper where she wrote down her vows. Nat does her quick procession with our dad by her side, and they do the clumsy exchange where my dad gives my sister away. And the whole process feels so definite. This is actually happening. In less than twenty-four hours, my sister will no longer be just my sister. She’ll be a married woman.

After the fake bits of an invisible officiant are over and Hayden and Nat are given the “you may now kiss the bride” green light, it’s time for me to walk down the aisle again, but this time, with the best man. In true Hayden and Nat fashion, they wave at the empty crowd, where it’ll be filled with the handful of guests scheduled to check in tonight and tomorrow morning. And it’s my turn to link my arm through Dexter’s. He crooks his elbow, offering it to me at the same time a warm blush heats my cheeks.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

“Right?” I say, faking a shocked look of pleasant surprise. “I thought the next time we met, you’d be nursing a horrible case of food poisoning.”

“I guess I should’ve had more faith in convenience store deli.”

I nod in agreement. “Seriously. We need to find out where your trust issues stem from. Did you fall for a phishing email? Or you accidentally signed up for a shopping rewards program the last time you were at Bath & Body Works? If that’s the case, I totally get it.” I lift a brow with a teasing smirk, and Dexter chuckles, with his warm hand covering mine.

Our steps move parallel, his right foot somehow stepping forward at the same time as mine, and he looks at me with those downcast eyes, almost like he’s pleading. Maybe to ask if I want to chance an episode of explosive diarrhea and toilet hugging by trying out the tuna sandwich tonight sincethe cold cuts are already deemed safe. Or maybe to ask me again to spend time with him. To isolate ourselves somewhere. The beach, a utility closet, a remote island, since we seem to be surrounded by them. And I almost want to say yes. Even though he hasn’t asked me, I want to tell him to whisk me away somewhere. So we can pretend things aren’t the way they are.

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