Page 57 of Four Weddings to Fall in Love
It’s not like my standards are crazily high, but good food is a must.
He tells me the name of the restaurant, and I make a mental note to look it up later.Hopefully it’s not all booked up for Saturday—it sounds like the patio isn’t too big.
“I’m glad it’s going well,” Evan says, “even if the start was rather rocky.Not to mention what happened at Isobel’s wedding.”
“It didn’t completely scare her off, which is the most I could ask for.”I pause.“She’s had bad experiences with boyfriends’ families in the past, so I’m counting on you all to behave yourselves.”
“I can’t speak for everyone else,” Evan says, “but I think I can manage.Are you going to Carl and Yvonne’s wedding together?”
“I’m not planning that far in advance.”
He raises his eyebrows over his cup of tea.I am, after all, a bit of a planner.
“I’d be happy to,” I say, “but I’m not sure about her.If we don’t end up sitting together for dinner, that’s fine.Though I should ask Carl to ensure we’re not at a table with all of our parents.I don’t need a repeat of that.”
Alas, I’m not certain my cousin has anything to do with the planning of his own wedding.He probably left it up to his fiancée and mother.
When Evan gets ready to head out, I make sure he takes some food.
“Oh, I forgot to mention,” he says.“I started some new antidepressants, and I think they’re working.It hasn’t been long, but they seem to be doing something.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“The only problem is…” He shakes his head.“Never mind.”
“Side effects?”
He nods but doesn’t elaborate.
“I hope they’re manageable,” I say.
“We’ll see.I’m just happy to have found something that actually has an impact.”
After Evan leaves, I look up the restaurant he suggested.It appears promising, so I try to make an online booking, but it doesn’t allow you to specify whether you want a table inside or on the patio.Hmph.
I don’t enjoy making phone calls, but I do it, my pulse speeding up as I listen to the phone ring.Fortunately, I’m able to make a reservation for the patio.Six o’clock—a little earlier than I’d like, but not bad.
After I end the call, it occurs to me that I should have checked the weather first.I breathe out a sigh of relief when I see it’s not supposed to rain on Saturday.
I hope that doesn’t change.
Chapter 22
Kim
Allweek,I’vealternatedbetween being uneasy and excited about seeing Max again.
One moment, I’ll think of his long body, covered only by a loose sheet pushed down to his waist, and the way he put on his glasses before getting dressed on Sunday morning.I’ve never had a thing for a naked guy wearing glasses before, but that definitely did it for me.Whenever I think about him in bed, there’s a flutter in my stomach, accompanied by an ache between my legs.I also remember the way he said “hedonistic” and “Kimberly”—both were positively devastating.
Then the next moment, I’ll try to think more than a week into the future, and I’ll feel a creeping sense of dread about the whole thing.Don’t I know better than to get involved with a guy?A guy who doesn’t just want something casual?
This stupid cycle repeats itself over and over, and Friday, when I’m working from home, I struggle to concentrate.Both numbers and words aren’t making sense.When I finally finish a proposal and hit send, I nearly weep with relief.
I shut down my laptop, put on my workout clothes, and head to the gym in my building.I need to burn off my frustration, and I’m not the sort of person who likes to run in the great outdoors; no, I prefer to work out indoors, thank you very much.I like how it’s always the same temperature and there aren’t any bugs.
I do fifteen minutes of weights before sticking in my headphones, loading up a pop culture podcast, and claiming my favorite elliptical machine.Moving my body feels even better than it usual does and…
My phone buzzes.I check the display and see a text from Max, which excites me more than it should.
