“Claire? How did you even find me this time?”
This time? Oh no. Caroline had hit another rough patch. Another rotten apple.
“You seem like a nice young lady but don’t date this creep. He had 3 children while we were together. Unless you want number four, I suggest you leave.”
No one had to twist Caroline’s arm to get out of there. After doing the math she realized that 5 year old Cameron was one of the few boys that he had while married to Claire meaning he had the affair within the first year of the marriage.
“How ridiculous,” she thought.
She stormed out and wasted no time getting into the car with Austin who hadn’t seen her coming because he was on the phone.
She slammed the car door and that was it for the night. Forever. She wouldn’t try again.
Chapter 6
Caroline was exhausted. She just reclined in the passenger seat of his Honda Civic. She was silent. She didn’t want to talk. All possibilities had been exhausted.
“We can try and hire an escort,” Austin said. He was serious this time. Escorts would do just about anything and surely they could pull off a marital arrangement.
“No thanks, Aussie. With my kind of luck my escort would probably turn out to be the Grim Reaper.”
Caroline wondered if things would’ve turned out differently if she had her mom in her life. Lizzie didn’t come into the picture until she was 18 and was on the way off to Texas. Maybe she should’ve never left Colorado for college. Maybe she should’ve stayed with Austin and gotten close to him. It was too late. Jeanine was in the picture.
“Carrie, I never got the chance to apologize for not defending you against Jeanine the other night.”
“It’s not a big deal, it wasn’t her fault anyway. You know how I get after a few glasses of wine.”
“You’re still my best friend, and I should’ve made her apologize for disrespecting you.”
Caroline couldn’t argue that. The night she had went on a blind date with Robbie he had mentioned things that only could’ve been brought up by Jeanine, because there was no way he had had prior knowledge himself. Caroline didn’t even appear to be 36. Between talking about her age, her lack of children and making her father’s dental practice seem mediocre in comparison to his dad’s corporation provoked enough anger in Caroline to slap Jeanine.
“Well at least one of us is getting married, Aussie.”
“It’ll happen...”
“I really don’t care if it does at this point. I have a good life and an amazing friend.”
Austin smiled at his best friend.
“With that being said I need a favor. Not for me, but for my dad.”
“Sure, anything.”
“I need you to marry me, Austin.”
He burst out with laughter. Surely, this was not the way a proposal happened. Though it was all unorthodox, he couldn’t deny the fact that he was happy. He wasn’t sure why he was happy though. It didn’t seem right. She was being sarcastic. Caroline joked a lot and this time had to be one of those times.
“I’m serious, Austin. I don’t know how long my father will be here.”
She wasn’t joking. His happiness had morphed into confusion and flat out stress. How was he going to marry Caroline? It was enough to almost make him miss the red light.
“Be careful, Aussie.”
“You’re joking, Caroline. What’s the matter with you?”
“Look, it won’t be a big deal. We can arrange a wedding. My parents’ house is perfect. It’ll be an intimate gathering...”
Austin began to block out the senseless words Caroline was saying. She rambled on about how harmless the idea was.
“It won’t be such a bad idea, Aussie.”
“What about Jeanine?”
“It won’t be legal. We can just stage it. It won’t be a real marriage but it’ll be a nice wedding.”
“I don’t think so, Caroline.”
“Is it Jeanine you’re worried about? It’s not like we have romantic feelings for each other so we can just go through the wedding plans and include Lizzie. She would love that.”
Ouch. The only words that stuck out to Austin was “It’s not like we have romantic feelings for each other...” If that was the case, what was the other night about? He wanted to ask but he couldn’t. Caroline was already in a sensitive state enough as it is. He wrote off his feelings and figured that maybe this time it was just the alcohol. At least for Caroline, that seemed to be the case.
“I’ll do it.”
“Oh perfect!”
“But please, Caroline, we can’t tell Jeanine. Even if it is fake, she wouldn’t know how to take it. It wouldn’t sit well with her and...”
“Yes, she’s not invited. Done deal.”
“When are you going to tell your folks?”
“I’ll take care of that tomorrow. Are you going to tell yours?”
Austin knew deep down that his parents would be happy if he married Caroline. Quite frankly, they weren’t fond of Jeanine either. She thought she was so much better than everyone else. Caroline couldn’t understand why Austin picked such mean girls. She was a pretty 28 year old, she’ll give her that, but those looks would soon wear off and there would come a time where she would have to rely on her personality rather than her youthful looks and big boobs. It hadn’t hit Jeanine yet that she would be joining the 30’s club in a short two years.
“Where are we going to find a fake minister?”
“We can find anyone online,” Caroline said.
For a moment, she was happy to get married. Fake married that is. The love of her life had just said yes.
A bridal glow overcame her. Though it was a fake arrangement, she was genuinely happy.
Chapter 7
“I knew you guys had something going on!” Dr. van Buren exclaimed to his daughter and future fake son in law.
“You two are perfect for each other,” Lizzie said in excitement.
Why couldn’t Lizzie have come into the picture before she hit 18? Dr. van Buren was afraid that him dating would strain his relationship with Caroline. Caroline was happy when she found out that he had been dating. She always wanted him to go out and have fun but as his daughter she felt it wasn’t her place to nag him about it. Lizzie had a daughter around Caroline’s age that never took the time to visit her. Caroline couldn’t even remember the way she looked because she had only seen and met her once.
“I’d be so happy to help! I know an Italian guy who makes the best tasting wedding cakes and...”
Lizzie was filled with excitement that her stepdaughter was getting married. She was the daughter that she wanted her biological daughter to be. Lizzie seemed nice enough and it was a shame that her daughter resented her because Lizzie divorced her husband. It was a selfish deed for children to make their parents feel bad for finding love.
“What dress will you be wearing? Oh my god, can I shop with you?”
“Of course you can!” Caroline exclaimed as she gave her a hug.
Austin watched as his second family celebrated the news, but he wasn’t sure how he was going to break it to his parents yet or if he was even going to tell them. It would be unusual to have his parents absent from the wedding though and if word got out that they weren’t invited, his mother would have his head. If he tells his parents, there is no real way to hide it from Jeanine. Did he really care about her? He did love her at a point in time but now, he wasn’t so sure.
“In two weeks? We have so much to do!” Lizzie exclaimed.
“You all had better get to work” Dr. van Buren said excitedly. “You two were really too old to be playing around,” he added on.
“You mean we are too old to be playing around,” he thought.
He and Jeanine hadn’t exactly started wedding plans yet and here he was ready to plan the fake one. In an essence, Austin began to believe that he had proposed to Jeanine out of propriety.
After all, he was almost 40 and living as a bachelor was becoming old yet, he never moved in with Jeanine. He liked having his own space. It was possible that Jeanine was just excited to be engaged so that she could keep with her flock of her pretentious friends. All they did was try to keep up appearances. Watching them interact was like watching episodes of Downton Abbey.
Caroline and Austin went to her apartment. They both sat on the couch next to Barkie the Beagle.
“First things, first. We have to find a venue.”
“I thought this was happening at your dads place.”
“Right. I can’t do this in a church. I don’t want to lie right in front of God right below the alter.”
If that were to happen her luck could easily digress to worse than what it already was. Their plans were interrupted when Jeanine called.
“She has the worse timing,” Caroline thought.
Austin had gotten up and walked away so that he could have some privacy. He made his way into Caroline’s room. Caroline followed closely so that she could get a listen. She was never really nosy when it came to Austin because there was no real need to be investigative. He had always told her everything. Today, was different though. He had gotten up and walked away to have a conversation with his fiancée this time. That was out of the ordinary.
She couldn’t believe it, but she had gotten up to eavesdrop on her best friend’s conversation. Careful not to get caught, she walked slowly, grazing her feet along the carpet until she made it just outside her bedroom.
“No, not tonight Jeanine...”
“Well you should’ve told me earlier because I’m here with Caroline.”
“Because she’s going through a tough time, Jeanine. She needs me.”
“No, don’t say that about her.”
“I don’t bother you when you’re with your group of male friends. Why are you bothering me about the only real friend I have?”
“No. Robbie is your friend, not mine...he’s a jerk that’s why.”
“You always want to stay out late and party. You act like you’re fresh out of high school. I’m not going so I can be a trophy to your friends...”
At that point, Austin had begun to make his way back to her direction. Caroline couldn’t tell if he was just pacing or really returning back to the living room to sit with her. She didn’t want to take any chances. She rushed back to her sofa and reunited with Barkie.
It turned out to be a false alarm because about 5 minutes later he still wasn’t in the living room.
“What the hell, Jeanine!” he yelled out.
Caroline may have wanted him for herself but she never wanted to be the reason his relationships were strained. She loved him that much and she knew that he’d be a good husband one day. Even if it wasn’t her.
“So have you come to a decision about the venue yet?”
He came back with a smile as if he wasn’t just having it out with Jeanine a few minutes ago. Unlike Caroline, Austin was good at hiding but the fact they were going back and forth made her nervous. Sure couples argued, but she didn’t want to be the butt of the argument.
“Caroline, whenever you do get it in a real relationship, don’t let anyone control you. Make sure they love you for you. You deserve it.”
Where did that come from?
“Thank you, Aussie,” she said, out of pity for her best friend.
“Go check on Jeanine, Aussie. I’ll be fine. I’m just figuring things out.”
“I want to be here for you.”
“You do enough for me already, Aussie. Plus this is a woman's thing. I can call Lizzie and you can come back tomorrow morning.”
Austin locked eyes with Caroline. She was sincerely an amazing person. If Jeanine had been half as sincere as Caroline maybe they would be happier. Two long years with Jeanine felt like a lifetime to him but decades with Caroline only seemed like two years.
“Go,” she demanded.
“And thank you,” she said followed by a graceful kiss on his forehead.
On that note, he smiled and left. She wanted him there and he wanted to be there.
Chapter 8
Austin stumbled into Caroline’s living room with a loud ruckus. He had partied with Jeanine all night. It was normal for Austin to self-medicate when he was out with Jeanine and her group of friends. He was way past that drink until the sun comes up phase but tonight he had gotten so hammered that he had to take a cab back to Caroline’s apartment. He had been fiddling with the keys all of 5 minutes before he found the right one.
“Oh my god Austin, it’s 4 AM.”
“I know Carrieeeee....”
“Here, drink this,” she said, as she handed him a glass of warm water.
“You haven’t gotten this hammered in a while, Aussie,” she said in a motherly tone.
“What’s the matter with you anyway? This wouldn’t have anything to do with the phone argument from earlier today would it?”
“No Carrie. It’s because of you. Everything is your fault. It’s all your fault!”
What had she done now? It was never Caroline’s intention to anger her best friend. He was the calmest person she knew. Had he come over from partying with Jeanine just to scold her and finally tell her how stupid and ridiculously selfish she had been? Was he there to tell her that he was finally choosing Jeanine over her?
“I’m so sorry, Aussie. It is my fault. Everything. I shouldn’t have asked you to do something so stupid. What was I thinking?”
“You were thinking about your dad.”
“I was. I think I should call it off. I’ll call Lizzie in the morning. My father doesn’t deserve to be part of a joke.”
“Neither do you Carrie but that’s not what I’m talking about.”
“I don’t understand what you mean then.”
“Stop being stupid, Carrie!”
Caroline had figured she was right. He had gone there to tell her how stupid she was. From the idiots back in high school until her dates this past year Caroline made bad decisions. She braced for him to say that he couldn’t see her anymore and that he had to choose Jeanine.
“You’re so selfish!” he exclaimed.
It was coming in just a matter of time.
“Everything I have done has been because of you, Carrie. I’m in this miserable relationship because of you. I haven’t found real love because of you. Because of you, I don’t even have children yet. You’re not the only one with a clock ticking in your head and it’s not fair what you do to me. I loved you ever since I saw that red wine spilled all over your hair and clothes. You were perfect then and you’re perfect now. You act like the other night never even happened but it did.”
“I didn’t know you felt that way,” she said, on the verge of tears.
“Well, I do...your father was right Carrie. We’re too old to keep playing around. So I won’t lie to your father.”
“I’m sorry I...”
“So marry me for real. Real flowers, real church, real family and a real minister,’’ he said, as he stumbled down on one knee.
Caroline was in her pajamas and her night socks. This wasn’t what a typical proposal looked like but her friendship with Austin had never been typical. Because of this, it couldn’t have been more perfect. Caroline was beside herself. There was only one word to say.
“Okay.”
There was no ring. There was no photographer. There was just the sound of the Golden Girls and Barkie snoring in the background.
Her lifelong potential husband was now her fiancée.
Chapter 9
It was about 11AM and Austin had woken up to 12 missed calls and messages. He had woken up alone in Caroline’s bed. She was in the shower and was careful not to wake him. What had he done last night? All he knew was that his stomach felt heavy. Those complimentary Tequila shots were no joke.
If you don’t message me the engagement is off!
What are my friends gonna thi
nk now that I’m not getting married!
Don’t pretend that you don’t care!
I hope you know what you’re doing because I have so many guy friends who want to get with me and my parents don’t even like you
You think just because you’re handsome with money that you can treat women anyway you want! I don’t care about all the money you have.
Okay I know you’re mad about me and Johnny hooking up but it was only once in the two years we were together. Babe, it’s really not a big deal. I’m young and I made a mistake.
Word had gotten out that she hooked up with Johnny, her ex while they were together and he happened to be at that same club last night. She had forgotten that he was a friend, of a friend, of a friend.
It was all coming back to Austin now. Well, a gist of it. He couldn’t remember what exactly had happened after stumbling into Caroline’s apartment around 4 that morning.
He noted that he was naked and felt bad. Not because there was a possibility that he had slept with Caroline but because he wouldn’t have remembered it at all. Imagine waiting two decades to make love to the woman of your dreams and not being able to remember what she looked like naked because your memory of the whole act had been zapped.
“Yep, Austin, you’re an idiot,” he said out loud.
“Are you having second thoughts about last night?” Caroline reemerged from the steamy bathroom and into her bedroom.
“Second thoughts?”
“Yes.”
“Did we screw?”
“No, but we did get engaged,” she said laughing.
“Here, you must have a headache,” she said handing him two painkillers.
“Wait, where’s your ring?”
“Well see I was going to bring that up next. How did Jeanine take it?”
Oh god. He hadn’t told Jeanine he was getting married let alone that he was calling theirs off. Austin had too much pride to call off an engagement over the phone. It wasn’t right. Jeanine had cheated but Austin was no saint either. All he did was dream of Caroline.
A Prospective Husband Page 3