by K. A. Gandy
We repeat the hug-and-back-pat routine before she finally lets me go and wanders into my room. “So, who are we going with tonight? Hunk-a-hunk-a-burning Matthew, or the mysterious Mr. Patrick?”
“Err, well, both?” She spins back to face me, and her face lights up. “I need some outside opinions. And who better than you and Teddy?”
She claps twice, “Oh, excellent idea. Your brother will be thrilled to grill those two tonight!”
I groan, “No! No grilling, I just need, I don’t know, someone else to see them both together, with me, and tell me who to pick. I’m torn in so many directions and I just don’t know what to do. I need someone else to decide.” I flop on the end of my bed, sprawled out and staring at the ceiling.
She sits on the bench, and wiggles my booted foot. “Sadie, I am excited to finally try out this whole “sisters” thing, but I don’t think siblings usually pick each other’s spouses.” She releases my foot.
“Ugh, why not?” I complain.
“Okay, well, let’s just do this date and then we can talk girl talk after. Are you ready?”
“Mostly, I’m just not sure about this shirt. I don’t really have anything fancy. I feel like I need to step it up a little, and this is the best I packed.” I sit up, and smooth my hair back from my face.
She looks me up and down, “Hold on a second, I’ll be right back.” She heads out the door, leaving it flapping open behind her.
I get up, turn off my music, and she’s already back, holding something black and sparkly in her hands. She shoves it at me.
“Go put this on, and let’s go! We don’t want to keep our men waiting.” She shoos me into the bathroom.
Moving quickly, I pull off my top and pull on its much more sparkly cousin, who is much lower cut. I quickly adjust my cleavage, and make sure I’m firmly tucked in. I give myself one last perusal in the mirror, taking in my brunette curls, blue eyes, and pale skin. I feel like I clean up okay; hopefully the guys agree.
Exiting the bathroom, Faith is waiting with hands on hips. “Much better!” she says, before grabbing my arm and hauling me out of the room. I manage to get the door shut and locked behind us, barely.
She rolls her eyes, “Why are you so worried about the door? There’s nobody in here but us girls.”
My brain flips back to the day on the porch, hearing Eric in somebody’s room. “I’ll tell you later, but you’re not going to believe me.”
“Ooh, juicy!” she quips as we make our way down the stairs.
I can’t help but notice how much more chipper the girl beside me is than the one who showed up that first day here. I wonder what’s changed. Does she actually have feelings for Teddy, too? That possibility makes my heart happy; they both deserve a chance at real love.
We quickly make our way past the main hall, and follow the stone-lined walking-path to the sports center. Faith pushes the door open, and we are instantly greeted with the sounds of cheering male voices coming from one of the mini sports theaters.
“There must be a game on,” I observe.
Faith ignores me in lieu of heading straight for the bowling lanes, still pulling me by the arm.
“Faith, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re excited to see my brother tonight,” I test the waters.
She shrugs one shoulder, but I see a hint of a blush creeping up her neck that can’t be denied.
“Oh, my gosh,” I stop stock still in the middle of the hallway, “Are you falling for Teddy? Like, for real falling for Teddy?”
There’s that lip bite again, and she looks nervously at me.
“You ARE! Oh, my gosh, Faith, that’s amazing!” Now I surprise her with a spontaneous hug. “Is that the real reason you wanted to go ahead and have the wedding?!” I ask as I pull back.
Her eyes drop, “Sadie, you cannot say anything to him, okay? Promise me you won’t! I don’t want him to spook and pull back. He’s so genuine and kind and just, I don’t know, better than any other guy I’ve met. I don’t want to do something to ruin it, okay?”
She looks way more anxious than excited, so I try to rein it in. “Okay, I won’t say anything; but, I don’t think he’d freak.” She nods, and grabs my elbow again, but with more reserve this time.
We arrive at the bowling lanes, and the three men are all standing with their hands in their pockets, not speaking. This is off to a grand start I think drily.
Patrick is the first to break the standoff, and steps forward with a smile, “Hey ladies! Looking beautiful this evening.” He holds his arms out for a hug, which I briefly accept. I turn to Matthew, and give him a hug also.
“You look breathtaking,” he says as we part.
I give him a smile, “Thank you. You look really nice too.” And he does, in clinging jeans and boat shoes, with a gray button-up shirt with the top button undone. His eyes are dark chocolate, warm and deep, and his hair is always done just so. It does make a girl wonder if he wakes up looking so perfect.
I blink, unsure what else to say. A wave of uncertainty rolls over me, second-guessing if this was really a good idea to invite my last two matches on the same date. Hopefully there’s no macho man drama.
Teddy rubs his hands together excitedly next to Faith, “All right, how are we doing this? Individuals? Teams? Guys vs. girls?”
Patrick weighs in, “Let’s do teams. It’s more fun that way.”
“Are we going to play two on three?” Matthew objects.
“No, we can just count Sadie’s score twice—once for each of us. So, three teams,” Patrick offers.
Matthew levels him with an intense gaze, “Fine. May the best match win.”
Teddy breaks the tension with an evil cackle, “You two are screwed! Sadie sucks at bowling!” He grabs Faith by the arm, “Come on, lets go get you a ball.”
“I do not suck at bowling! You just always team me up with Phil and he’s a terrible bowling partner!” I retort and roll my eyes. “Why did I invite my brother on this date again?”
Both Patrick and Matthew are looking at me appraisingly. “What?” I ask.
They look at each other, and Patrick is the first one to speak up, “It’s nice to see you with your brother. You seem lighter, more relaxed. I’m glad you’re able to have him here with you.”
“I was just trying to imagine you with six Teddys at one time,” Matthew says.
“Did it break your brain? You should see us on Founding Day; Mom roasts two whole turkeys and she practically has to beat them all out of the kitchen with a stick.” I smile at the happy memory.
“What do you make on Founding Day?” Patrick asks.
“Oh, I usually do all the baking. So, cornbread or rolls, and then a pound cake, because that’s my dad’s favorite. Oh! And, sometimes, a chocolate pecan pie. I don’t really like it, but my brothers will fight over the last piece like wolves.”
“That’s a lot of baking. You must be really good,” he says. “I’d love to confirm that for myself, but you never did make me those cookies,” he teases.
Matthew raises one eyebrow before cutting in, “Should we go pick a ball for you?”
“Yes! Let’s go.”
The three of us walk over to a half-wall lined with balls in all different colors and sizes. I choose a bright pink six-pound ball. The guys both pick much heavier ones, and then we head back to the lane. Teddy is already selecting our teams on the touchscreen. He’s named them “Teddy’s Triumph,” “Matt Attack,” and “Patrick the Pulverizer.”
I snort, but he just grins at me. Conversation flows pretty well once we get into a groove, and it’s all light banter. The awkwardness eases away by my second turn to bowl, and I even make a spare, which is good for me. Doing my standard victory dance, I turn around to see the whole group staring at me. Faith is the first one to laugh, and I just stick my tongue out and dance again. It feels good to let loose, be normal.
Our game goes pretty quickly, and the guys have all got competitive streaks a mile wide. Teddy and Faith are c
ute together, all politeness and small sideways glances. He’s in full gentleman mode, which Mom would be delighted to see. My mom will absolutely adore Faith, when they finally get to meet.
The first game ends with Matthew and me in first place, followed by Teddy and Faith, and then Patrick and me in last.
“I demand a rematch! We’re just getting warmed up,” Teddy declares, resetting the scoreboard for round two. Round two is well under way when Faith asks me where I want to go for my honeymoon.
“Uhm, I don’t know. To be honest, I haven’t really thought of it yet. Where are you two going to go?”
“We were thinking either Jamaica, or maybe somewhere further north where it’s cooler. Maybe Mairmont? Eat lobster, go sailing, enjoy the cold.”
“Oh, I have heard Mairmont is gorgeous this time of year. Once you choose a place, are you locked in to stay there until you go to a pregnancy center?” I ask.
Faith shakes her head, “No, you can request a transfer after three months, but most people stay put. The resorts are pretty nice, and you get into a daily groove.”
“That makes sense. Where do you two think you’d want to go?” I pose the question to my matches, realizing we’ve not discussed the honeymoon. I think I’ve been blocking out the next phase of this program, but I need to pull my head out of the sand.
Patrick looks thoughtful, but Matthew has an immediate answer, “I’d prefer Mairmont, just because it’s closer to York. It would be much more convenient if I had to fly out for meetings on non-fertile weeks.”
I’m floored by his response. I didn’t think it was an option to leave the honeymoon. And is he already thinking about fertile weeks? My face heats. Of course he is, that’s the whole point, Sadie.
Patrick comes to my rescue, “I’m down for anywhere! I’ve always loved travel when I’ve had the chance to do it.”
“Well, we’d like to all decide together, so we can go to the same place. It’s really important to Teddy to stay with you as much as possible in this process. I think the Mairmont location actually has a pregnancy center on site, so whoever gets pregnant first can stay on location until the other does, too, and is ready to come back to Georada.” She pauses, and I can see the hope in her eyes, “Or York, I guess. I’ve heard they’ve got top-of-the-line fertility and pregnancy centers, too,” she adds, looking at Matthew.
Teddy finishes his turn, and walks up, “I’m another vote for the Mairmont resort. It’d be nice to go somewhere with snow for awhile, instead of all this heat.”
“Mairmont it is!” Patrick agrees with a smile. Matthew shoots him a look, and tension starts to rise again. You can practically feel the testosterone between the two of them, and I’m anxious for an escape.
“My turn!” Standing quickly, I grab my pink ball, happy to get out of the conversation, even temporarily. My concentration is crap, and I only hit two pins.
Matthew frowns at the scoreboard, as Teddy and Faith take the lead from us. Teddy pumps his fist in the air, then grabs Faith and plants a kiss on her temple.
“That’s what I’m talking about! Way to hand it to us, Sadie!”
I’ll take the ribbing if it means the end of the honeymoon conversation. Thankfully, it’s Matthew’s turn, and the talk returns to random bowling chatter. But my brain won’t stop turning over the reality of what’s about to happen.
After a few more turns, I ask Faith, “So, have you picked a wedding day?”
“Well, we were hoping for this Friday. But we don’t want to rush you into choosing, so, we can wait for next month if you’re still on the fence.” Her voice drops lower at the end, not wanting to draw the guys’ attention.
“I really don’t want you two to wait around on me; it’s not fair to keep you on hold when you’ve already waited so long,” I respond, my gaze flicking back and forth between the two men. They are so opposite, and whoever I choose is going to steer my life down a completely different path. The question is, which path do I want to be on? “You should schedule it for Friday. I’m going to choose by then,” I say firmly, and Faith’s jaw drops.
“Are you sure? We really want you to take your time and get comfortable. Teddy is very firm on not abandoning you here. He keeps saying Cade will kick his butt if he lets you out of his sight.”
“Well, I’ll make it easy on him. I’ll set a date for Friday, too. And then we’ll all head to Mairmont together.”
“Wait, you want to get married Friday?” Patrick interjects, and Matthew whips around. “This Friday?” he repeats.
I nod, “I think it’s time, don’t you?” I meet his eyes, and he looks back searchingly. After a moment he recognizes my resolve, and gives me a nod. I flick my gaze to Matthew, and he looks calculating.
“Are you sure you’re ready to make that decision?” he asks, and I can hear his skepticism.
“Yes, I am.” All four of them stare at me, as if I’m about to sprout another head. “I’m not going to make some big announcement right now, I need to sleep on it. But, tomorrow; I promise. And then Friday we’ll have two weddings.”
Teddy lets out a loud breath, and slaps both of the other guys on the shoulder. “Well, I hope neither of you have cold feet, because it’s about to get real up in here.” He winks at me. “And while I hate to change the subject, I’d love to point out that Faith and I just won round two, and I think we’re ready to call it a night. I’ll let you two escort my sister wherever she’d like to head next.” He gives me a peck on the cheek before absconding with Faith.
“Shall we all grab a bite to eat?” Matthew suggests amiably.
"I'm down for that,” Patrick agrees, and they both look to me expectantly.
“Sure, sounds good.” They flank me as we exit the sports center to the sound of hollering from the sports theater. “What is going on in there?” I mutter.
“Ice hockey.” Matthew states, and I can see the longing in his eyes.
We make our way in silence to the Main Hall, and request a table for three. The host seats us, and a waiter brings us drinks shortly afterwards. I’m glancing back and forth between Matthew and Patrick, hoping one of them will start a neutral conversation when Elena appears at our table with Hector in tow.
“SADIE! Did you hear the new gossip?” she asks, eyes dancing.
“No? Good gossip or bad gossip?” Surely word of our impending double wedding hasn’t spread already?
“Oh, it’s not good, that’s for sure,” she says, her voice a hair quieter, “Apparently one of the female nurses’ routine medical exams came back with an STD. Can you believe that? These people preach about no illegal relationships, and one of the staff is clearly having one!”
I’m surprised, but not shocked. “How did you come upon this information, exactly?”
“Oh, well, you will have it, too, when you get back to the dormitory. There’s an announcement that an extra round of testing has been called for everyone on the premises. Apparently, if one person tests positive they make everyone test, unless they divulge the relationship.”
Matthew remarks drily, “Apparently this nurse can keep her mouth shut, if not her knees.”
I smack him on the arm, “Matthew! That’s an awful thing to say.”
He shrugs, “It’s true, regardless. Whoever tests positive with her is going to be in a world of hurt. The punishments are pretty severe for fraternization outside an approved relationship.”
“What if she’s not married? I know it’s not a sanctioned relationship, but if she’s old enough to be out of the program she shouldn’t get punished,” I argue, feeling bad for the mystery nurse.
“Didn’t you read the emergency declaration a few weeks back, to the Compulsory Marriage and Reproduction Act? Any woman under the age of forty-five who isn’t already married with children has to report for fertility testing. That’s probably why she was getting tested,” Patrick informs me.
“I read it, but I must have missed that.” My stomach sinks. The new laws are more and more restrictive, like a
collective noose tightening around the neck of every woman in the NAA.
Hector breaks in, “Ok, Elena, you told them. Let’s let them get back to their dinner.”
She sighs but follows him out.
“You said the penalties are harsh—what will they do if they find out someone is in an illegal relationship?” I direct the question to Matthew.
“It varies, but if you’re enrolled in the compulsory marriage program and they find out you’ve strayed, you can have a monetary fine, or get sent to a correctional institution.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” I wonder if that’s where they sent Josephine?
“Best not to find out firsthand,” Patrick agrees.
Our food arrives, and a weighty silence has fallen over the table. We eat the provided enchiladas mostly in silence. When we’re finished, Matthew kisses me on the cheek and then takes his leave to go make a business call, so Patrick walks me back to my dormitory.
Our fingers are lightly linked, and we stop at the bottom of the stairs.
“Now that it’s just the two of us, there’s something I need to tell you,” Patrick says, voice serious.
“Okay, is everything all right?” He has me worried.
“I’m not sure, but I wanted to give you an update. You know Glitch looked into Josephine’s whereabouts but wasn’t able to find her, right?”
I nod, and he continues. “Well, apparently he set an alert on her name, so that he’d get notified if she popped back into the system at any time. Kind of like a digital warrant. Well, she showed up today.”
I gasp, “Where is she? Is she at a correctional facility?”
He shifts, and runs his hand through his hair, “No, she’s not.”
“That’s a good thing, right? What aren’t you telling me?” I search his face, as if an answer is going to appear there if I look hard enough.
“Well, I’m not exactly sure. But the record that showed up is a pregnancy notice. She was transferred to the Mairmont pregnancy center this morning.” He falls silent, pensive.
My mouth falls open, “So they made her marry that guy, and she’s already pregnant? That’s insanely fast! It’s only been a few weeks—how is it even possible to get pregnant and know it that fast?” My mind is spinning.