Page 17 of Her Inconvenient Wedding Date

“Did you forget about him?”

I laugh nervously. Honestly? I kind of did. Normal people usually have some time to get used to having aboyfriend before having a fiancé. I apparently skipped the kiddie pool and dove straight into the deep end in more ways than one. “Of course, I didn’t forget about my fiancé. I’m just not used to being engaged.”

“Well, you better get used to it because you’re going to be married soon.”

“Speaking of getting married, Ma,” I casually try to redirect the conversation to the actual engaged couple, “Mei was telling me about the venue she and Bruce have been looking at for their wedding. It’s a mansion in Morgan Hill and it’s usually booked a year in advance, but they happen to have a cancellation in January. If she puts the deposit down today, she’ll be able to reserve it. Wouldn’t that be great?”

A moment of silence comes over the line, a sure sign that she’s contemplating her next mahjong move. My secret hope is that she’ll be distracted just enough to not question what I’m saying. But being the great multitasker that she is, she doesn’t miss a thing. “That means you and Hunter will get married before the end of the year. Have you started looking at venues yet?”

“We just got engaged, Ma. There’s no rush. And anyways, we don’t need a place that fancy that would require us to reserve it months in advance. We could get married at the courthouse for all we care.”

“The courthouse? You want to get married in such a cold and ugly place?”

“The San Francisco courthouse is beautiful. People take their wedding photos there all the time. I’m just saying it’s an option. But back to Mei—the important thing is that she gets her dream wedding. She’s waited so long, Ma, she deserves it.”

“You must know I have waited even longer foryouto get married. And I’m not getting any younger. Many of myfriends have grandbabies already. All I have are my mahjong trophies—zi mo!”

A chorus of groans comes over the line as my mother’s friends witness her victory. She just ended the game by drawing the winning tile herself, which means she’ll be in an even better mood. There’s no better time to persuade her than now. In my sweetest voice and using Mandarin—which I admit will soon turn into Chinglish—I say, “I know how much you want to be a grandma, and God willing, you will be. You know how much Mei wants kids. The sooner she gets married, the sooner your dream can come true. So, the best plan for everyone is for Mei to reserve her wedding venue today, don’t you agree?”

“Fine.”

My jaw drops. “Fine? So, you’re okay with Mei putting the deposit down today?”

She sighs dramatically. “Yes. As you know, Lily, I’m not the one preventing her from getting married. I am following the tradition of our ancestors. But now that you are engaged, your sister can move forward with her plans.”

Hunter walks over with two drinks in hand and sits down at the table. His brow shoots up as he mouths,Everything okay?

I give him a thumbs-up and nod enthusiastically. “I’ll tell Mei the good news! She’ll be so thrilled. Thank you, Ma!”

“After you talk to her, you can make your reservation at City Hall. I’m looking at their website right now, and you can book the appointments for your wedding license and civil ceremony at the same time.”

My stomach sinks. I just set my own trap and walked right into it. “B-but what about the huge banquet that you want to invite all our relatives and your friends to?”

“We will plan that for later, of course. What’simportant is that the two of you get married first.” She gasps. “I see an opening on the calendar for next week! Quick, give me Hunter’s birthday and his parents’ names. We need to take this spot before someone else claims it!”

“What?!” A cold sweat breaks out on my forehead. “Next week is a bit soon, don’t you think?”

“Is Hunter there with you?”

“He is.”

“Put him on the phone. Let me talk to him.”

I eye Hunter warily from across the table. He looks so calm and peaceful drinking his boba tea, with not a care in the world. I cannot, in good conscience, hand him over to my mother. “He’s kind of busy right now.”

“I’ll call him myself.”

As soon as my phone screen goes black, Hunter’s lights up. I don’t know when my mother even got his number, but that’s a moot point. He needs saving, and he needs saving fast. “Don’t?—”

“Hello?” His Superman reflexes are at work because he’s already chatting away with my mother—in perfect Mandarin, I might add. “My birthday? Sure, it’s…”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I drop my head into my hands. I can’t believe the twists and turns this day has brought. Just when I thought things were going in the right direction, my best intentions took us on a path straight into my mother’s trap. Only two things are for sure: she’s in the best mood ever now, and it looks like Hunter and I are getting married.

CHAPTER 10

Hunter

"Marriage: When dating goes too far."~Unknown

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