Page 28 of Four Weddings to Fall in Love
“Too much.”
I can’t help laughing, but I stop myself from asking why he got drunk, which I’m positive is out of character for him.Does it have something to do with me?
We’re having a “normal” conversation, but it’s punctuated by loaded silences.
“You’ll be at Isobel’s and Carl’s weddings, I assume?”he asks.
Now it’s my turn to nod before taking another bite of my donut.
He sips his coffee.“Can I ask you something?”
“Ask away, but I can’t guarantee I’ll answer.”
“Fair.”He pauses.“Why don’t you do relationships?Why were you so terrified of catching Tessa’s bouquet?You said it was a stupid tradition, but that doesn’t explain…”
“To be clear, I don’t believe catching the bouquetmeansanything.I was just keen to avoid everyone’s comments.”
“Understandable.”
“And I used to date, but my ex…”
“What did he do?”There’s an edge to Max’s quiet voice.Foolishly, I rather like it.
I swallow.“When you’re in a serious relationship, the other person’s family is part of the deal, and I can’t overstate how much I hate that.Troy’s mother was always making little digs at me.Clearly, she didn’t think I was good enough for her son, but trust me, it was the other way.”
“I’m sure it was.”There’s no sarcasm in Max’s voice.“He should have stood up for you.”
“Ha!He ran to his mama whenever we had problems.Then she’d call me and yell at me.She would have been the mother-in-law from hell, and there are lots of in-laws from hell out there.”
“My…never mind.”Max shakes his head.“Did you have issues with other exes’ families?”
“Yep, I’m working with many data points here.There was also the ex with the racist dad, not to be confused with the ex whose dad had a terrible temper.Then there was the ex whose mom had a key to his apartment and used it at random times, which he failed to tell me.She found us making out on his couch.I was topless, naturally.”
“That’s horrible.”
“Is the thought of me topless that horrible?”I can’t resist teasing him.
“Of course not,” he grunts, then gulps his coffee.
“One of my exes had divorced parents, so we had to do Christmas three times—once with my family, once with each of his parents.I broke up with him before Lunar New Year, since I couldn’t stand the thought of doing that again.Tessa said that if I really cared for someone—and his mother didn’t keep insulting me to my face—then it wouldn’t feel like a burden.But it’s always felt like a burden to me.I gave relationships a serious chance, and now, I’ve moved on.I’m in my slut era.”
Max nearly spits out his coffee.
I admit I said that partly to get a reaction, though I half expect him to say I shouldn’t call myself a slut.
He doesn’t.Perhaps he can tell that I’m not putting myself down.No, even if I haven’t had as much sex as I like lately, I’m glorying in being a fun-loving, sexual being.
To emphasize this, I pull down the neckline of my shirt, just a little.
He looks, then he turns to gaze out the window, as if pretending he didn’t notice.
Heh.
“I still can’t believe,” I say, “that I saw you at the next wedding I attended, and I’ll see you at two more.Weddings with our entire families.Though I shouldn’t be surprised—it’s just the sort of thing that would happen to me.You know, to go along with my ex’s mom finding me topless.”
Hmm.I do enjoy Max’s company, even when he’s not saying naughty things.He really listens to what you say—and, okay, I enjoy the casual look on him, too.That blue polo shirt somehow manages to be the perfect color on him, although perhaps any shade of blue would look good on Max.
Some colors, however, I don’t think he could pull off.Neon green, for example.Bright pink.Bright yellow.I think he’d look thoroughly uncomfortable in those colors, and I chuckle at the image.
