Page 77 of Not Part of the Plan
“The Monthly Moonposts write-ups on their triumphs. I believe they are 30 and 0, currently.”
“What is in the water here?” Niko wondered.
Emma shrugged. “My guess is hallucinogens.”
“So the entire town is in love?”
“They claim that happy, stable residents in happy, stable relationships make for a stronger community.”
“Can you imagine something like this flying in New York or L.A.?” Niko asked.
“No! People understand the importance of boundaries there. No one wants to dig into their neighbors’ lives.”
They sat in silence for a few moments, and Niko threaded his fingers through hers. “I guess there are worse things,” he ventured.
“I suppose. But I think being manipulated into a relationship is no better than falling head over heels for some stranger you don’t even know. Why can’t people just meet, assess their compatibility, and move forward based on that?”
“You’re such a romantic,” Niko teased. “Come on. Let’s take a walk.” He tugged her to her feet.
“I don’t have anything against romance, you know. I just don’t think it plays a role in building a partnership. It’s all artifice. Does it really matter if he sends you a dozen roses or takes you on long walks on the beach, or does it matter that you agree on retirement and school districts?”
Nikolai’s laugh warmed her even though it was at her own expense.
“You are one-of-a-kind, Emmaline.”
“Now you’re making fun of me.” She glared up at him in the darkness.
“Only a little. You fascinate me.”
“Then I’ll keep going,” Emma announced haughtily.
“Tell me everything.”
“Fine. You know what else I don’t like about ‘romance?’”
Niko slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her up against his side. “If you say puppies as part of marriage proposals you’re inhuman.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Ugh, no. It’s the whole grand gesture to prove your love to someone. It’s so… over-the-top,” she decided. “Like being willing to spend the rest of your life with someone should be big enough. You shouldn’t have to dress it up by chasing someone down to throw yourself at their feet and beg for forgiveness or surprising them with a spontaneous week in Paris or a Mercedes with a big red bow on it.”
“You’d say no to a Mercedes?” Nikolai asked with mock suspicion.
“Well, not if there was a puppy in the front seat. But do you get what I’m saying? The crap these insecure men surprise their indecisive women with should be decisions that are made jointly after carefully weighing the options.”
“You’re an incurable romantic,” Nikolai said, plucking a black-eyed Susan bloom from the edge of a flowerbed and tucking it behind her ear.
“I’m a realist. If you want to fall in love, go for it. But if you want to choose someone to spend the rest of your life with, you should make sure you’re choosing wisely.”
Nikolai stopped in his tracks. “Wait a minute. Are you saying that instead of marrying for love, people should marry for—”
“Security,” she filled in for him. “Love is too volatile. You can fall out of it too easily. My parents certainly did. But if you pick someone who wants the same things as you, you can be a team.”
“So, no love?” he asked, his expression still shocked.
“I like to think of it more as mutual respect.”
“What does your sister have with Beckett?” he asked, as they began to walk again.
Emma smiled softly. “I think they’re the lucky few. I think they got both. I can’t see Beckett getting sick of their life and packing up and running off. They make a great team, a united front, and I think they genuinely love each other.”
