Meeting Mr. Wright

by Cassie Cross

  “So,” I say, fiddling with the edge of the blanket. “I did something on Friday night.”

  Gabby’s expression changes ever so slightly, from content to cautious.

  “If I have to find a new maid of honor, Callie, I swear I’ll-”

  “What, do you think I committed a felony or something?” I ask, laughing.

  Gabby laughs too, and I can’t help but think about what a lovely bride she’ll be. She has flawless mocha-colored skin and shiny, gorgeous hair that comes down to her shoulders in springy, tight spirals. She’s radiant even in the barely there early morning light.

  “Did you commit a felony?”

  “Not this time.”

  “Good,” she replies. “It would’ve been difficult to find someone who could fit into that tiny dress of yours on such short notice anyway.”

  “We have six more days to focus on the wedding, Gabs,” I say, trying to sound exasperated. “Can we please just focus on me right now?”

  Gabby bumps my shoulder with hers. “What is it?”

  I twist my fingers together, nervous to tell her about this for some reason. But she’s my best friend. If I can’t tell her, who can I tell?

  “I, um…I slept with a guy I met at the airport.” I can’t help but cringe as I say it. It’s not that I’m ashamed or anything…it’s just that the words sound wrong coming out of my mouth for some reason. Like I’m telling her about something someone else did.

  “Is that why you didn’t come until yesterday morning?” she asks, her eyes wide.

  “I came Friday night, actually. Several times.”

  Gabby leans forward, clutching her stomach as she laughs. “Oh my god, Callie.”

  “Seriously though, there was actually a weather delay. That was how I spent it.”

  “I thought you were swearing off men?” she asks. It’s not an accusatory tone, but more of an I-told-you-so. Because she doesn’t think that I can do it, doesn’t think that I’ll stick with it.

  “I swore off love, not men,” I remind her. “I don’t need Ethan: Part Two.”

  “Was it good?”

  I take a deep breath and stretch out my arms, sinking back against the cab of the truck. “It was better than good. It was…amazing.” I know that’s not the right word to describe it, but I can’t think of another one that will do it justice. Maybe there isn’t a word that will do it justice.

  “Who was it?”

  “Just some guy I met,” I tell her.

  “So you just said goodbye and that was that?”

  I can tell that Gabby is having difficulty grasping the fact that I’ve done something like this. Truthfully, that it stuns her makes me proud in an odd sort of way. It makes me feel less predictable, like maybe I’m not as boring as I think I am, not boring enough to push Ethan to look for entertainment elsewhere.

  “I actually didn’t say goodbye to him,” I admit. “I kind of left while he was sleeping.”

  “That is so not like you,” she says. She almost sounds proud.

  “I know.” I don’t tell her that I regret leaving the way that I did, that I wish I had gotten his number. No good can come from that admission. “I’m just moving on, I guess.” That part is true.

  “Really?” She takes a sip of her hot chocolate. “In that case, I need to tell you something, too.”

  I know by the tone of her voice that this ’something’ is going to be a thing that I don’t want to hear. She says the words slowly and deliberately, like she’s defusing a bomb.

  “Doesn’t the sky look like a watercolor?” I look up, mainly to avoid Gabby’s gaze. I’m an expert avoider.

  “Callie.”

  “You know, I’ve been thinking. Maybe I should move out here. I like the country, and it’s as pretty as Texas but more temperate. It doesn’t feel like we’ve walked through the gates of Hell when we step outside here.”

  “Callie,” Gabby says again, still sounding so patient. She lets me work through things in my own way, in my own time. It’s one of the things that I love most about her.

  I stop talking and stare straight ahead. I prefer not to look at the bullet when it’s coming straight at me. I’m pretty sure I know what this one is anyway.

  “He’s bringing someone.”

  Despite my efforts to avoid it, it hits me right in the chest. In the heart. But the thing is, I thought the words would hurt more than they do. They sting, it’s true, but it’s not the gut-wrenching pain I was expecting. Still, I sigh, looking to my right across the hilltops, hating myself for telling Gabby and Ben that I wouldn’t mind if they invited Ethan to the wedding. Ethan and Ben have known each other for years, though. How could I have said no?

  “It’s not her is it?” I’m not sure I could handle him bringing the girl he cheated on me with. I would be surprised if Ethan did something that tacky, but I never thought he’d cheat on me, either.

  “No, it’s someone else. Someone new.”

  That makes me feel marginally better, despite the fact that he’s obviously moving on quickly. “Okay.”

  “I’m sorry,” Gabby says, her eyes full of sadness. “I shouldn’t have invited him.”

  “It’s okay,” I say, smiling. And it is okay. “He’s Ben’s best friend. Him not being invited would be like me not being invited, which would be completely unacceptable.”

  Gabby smiles, and I decide then and there not to let Ethan’s presence bother me. For her sake.

  “When’s he coming?” I ask.

  “Tonight. I don’t think he plans on hanging out with us very much. He wanted to bring someone with him so he wouldn’t be-”

  “I don’t need to know.” I sigh and hold up my thermos. “Why didn’t you bring something to spike this with? I’m going to need something a lot stronger than hot chocolate if I’m going to make it through the next week.”

  “Oh, I think you’ll be all right,” she replies playfully. “I’ve got something planned for you to take your mind off things.”

  I can see the mischievous glint in her eyes, and I know better than to ask her what’s coming. Besides, it’s much too beautiful of a morning for me to worry about it anyway. The sun is bright, burning off what’s left of the morning fog. I close my eyes, loving the warmth on my face and the sounds of the birds chirping around us. I haven’t felt this peaceful in a long time.

  Gabby and I somehow manage to drift off to sleep, and we wake up close to ten. She seems a bit frantic as we both climb out of the truck bed and into the cab. She speeds along the dirt paths leading back to the house, and I get the impression from the look on her face that she hasn’t told Ben’s parents exactly where we were and what we were doing this morning.

  I’m kind of impressed by the way Gabby’s driving Ben’s truck; she maneuvers the thing like she’s lived on this land her whole life. When the main house comes into view, I see Mrs. Wright sitting on the porch steps, waiting for us like a true mother.

  “You’re in trouble,” I tease, but Gabby isn’t in the mood for it. The brakes squeal as we come to a stop.

  “Where have you girls been?” Mrs. Wright says as she rushes over to us. She cups Gabby’s face in her hands, looking relieved to see her. “What would I tell Ben if his bride went missing right before the wedding?”

  “We’re fine Amy,” Gabby says, smiling through her embarrassment.

  “Sorry we worried you, Mrs. Wright,” I say.

  Ben’s mom is a short, slightly round woman, with reddish brown hair and the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Everything about her is so warm and friendly that it’s nearly impossible not to smile and feel right at home around her, even when she’s being a total mother bear.

  “Call me Amy,” she says, smiling.

  “Leave them alone, Mom,” a strangely familiar voice calls from the porch. “I’m here for all your motherly nagging needs. Gab’s getting married in a few days, she needs to de-stress.”

  When I look up, I see the very last person I ever expected to see here standin
g on the front porch. Hell, he’s the very last person I expected to see anywhere again. Ever.

  It’s Nate.

  Airport Nate.

  Best-sex-of-my-life Nate.

  Guy-I-left-naked-in-bed-without-saying-goodbye Nate.

  He’s just as gorgeous as I remember. I want to run toward him and I want to run in the opposite direction. Instead of doing either, I’m frozen in my spot. Either he doesn’t get a good look at my face right away, or he doesn’t recognize me. I’m not sure which option I would prefer. I’m hiding on the passenger side of the truck, trying to buy some time.

  “All right then, smartass,” Amy says. “You want to be nagged? Clean your room. Do your homework. Wash your face. Wash your hands.”

  “Mow the lawn,” he shouts with a laugh, the most gorgeous smile on his face.

  “Rake the leaves!”

  “Is that it?”

  “I’ve got more,” Amy replies. “Remember your manners. Give your future sister-in-law a hug, and say hello to Callie.”

  Nate pauses a second when he hears my name, but he makes his way down the stairs anyway, and I’m still trying to figure out what to do. I’m going to have to step out and say hello to him eventually. As if Amy can sense my discomfort, she walks over and grabs my hand, pulling me around the front of the truck towards certain embarrassment.

  “Don’t be shy,” she says. My eyes meet Nate’s as he’s hugging Gabby.

  He lets her go, and I know he’s a little dumbfounded that I’m here. The corners of his eyes crinkle as he squints, like he’s trying to make sure I’m really standing in front of him. But then he smiles, like he’s relieved. And the beauty in it is unnerving.

  “Nate,” Gabby says, then looks in my direction. “This is my best friend Callie. Callie, this is Nate.”

  I’m silently begging him not to let on that we’ve already met. I don’t want to explain that to Gabby right now, and I really don’t want to explain that to his mother.

  “Callie,” he says warmly, familiarly, as he reaches out and takes my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  NATE AND I are just standing here, hands clasped together, smiling at each other like idiots. The second my hand slipped into his, all my nervousness fell away. And now all I can think about is the fact that he’s touching me, and that makes me remember the way he touched me two nights ago, which makes me want him to touch me again. Everywhere. It’s not until Gabby coughs that my eyes even lift to his, and I can feel my cheeks flush. I had completely forgotten that there are other people standing here with us.

  And then I see Nate’s mother, who is smiling too, and I remember that it’s her son that I’m standing here lusting after, and my cheeks feel hotter. Nate grins at me like he knows what I’m thinking.

  I let go of his hand like it’s on fire. But it’s too late, because Gabby’s already seen that there’s something between Nate and me, and even though she doesn’t know exactly what that thing is, I can tell that she’s plotting already and I’m going to have to find a way to put a stop to that.

  “You two seem to have hit it off,” Amy says in a singsongy voice with a knowing smile.

  I want the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Immediately, if not sooner.

  Thankfully Gabby recognizes the horrified look on my face and she steps in to steer the conversation away from me.

  “When did you get in?” she asks Nate. “I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow.”

  Nate looks over at me before he answers. “Dad sent me a text to tell me that he and Ben are camping tonight. I wanted to go, so I took a train from DC.”

  “Is that where you live?” The question comes out before I can stop my stupid mouth from moving.

  Nate grins. “No, I live in Colorado. I just made a detour before I came here. I went to visit a friend.”

  “Where’s Ben?” Gabby asks.

  “He’s fishing with his father, trying to catch something for dinner tonight. We’ll probably wind up having hot dogs,” Amy says, grinning as she makes her way back to the house. She opens the screen door and turns around. “Nate, will you come help me bring the card tables down from the attic?”

  Nate nods, then looks at Gabby. “It’s good to see you,” he says before turning to me. He takes my hand again, and I can’t even think straight, not while he’s touching me. “Callie, it was very nice to meet you.” He winks at me before he turns and walks up the steps, stopping once at the door to smile at me again.

  Gabby looks at me with wide eyes as she grabs my arm and leads me to a bench a few feet away where we can talk without worrying about anyone overhearing us.

  “What. Was. That?” she asks. “I was hoping you two would hit it off, but I never thought…”

  I’m not really sure what to do now. I know I should tell her, because she’s my best friend and I’ve never kept anything from her. I don’t think I could keep this from her, even if I tried. It’s bound to come out at some point, and at least if I let her know now I can be the one who’s in control of it. But once I tell her about my history with Nate, I know she’ll start waxing philosophic about fate or something equally ridiculous. Gabby’s such a hopeless romantic, bless her.

  I might as well get this over with.

  “Nate’s the guy,” I tell her. “The one from the airport.”

  “Are you kidding me?” She’s so excited that I’m a bit worried that she’s going to hyperventilate. “What are the odds of that? Holy shit.”

  “I bet they’re pretty long,” I tell her. Seriously long. “But I know that look on your face, and it’s not-”

  “It’s fate,” she says, clasping my hands in hers. “How can you think it’s anything but fate, Callie?”

  “I can think it’s a coincidence, Gab. Because that’s what it is.” It’s a delightful, scary coincidence.

  “He likes you.” She’s not going to give up very easily.

  “Stop it.”

  “Maybe one day-”

  “No,” I say firmly. I don’t want her getting any more ideas or thinking that she can just bulldoze through my plans with her iron will. “You know I don’t want that.”

  She rolls her eyes, but I shoot her a death glare that lets her know that I’m not kidding.

  “He’s the best man and you’re the maid of honor. I paired the two of you up at the bridal party’s table and everything.”

  I sigh. “As long as that’s all the pairing up you do, that’s fine.”

  “It might be out of my hands. He’s super charming,” she says slyly, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. She’s always doubted my commitment to my new life goal of never having my heart smashed again by someone I stupidly fall in love with. I wonder what it’ll take to get her to believe that I’m serious.

  “I think I’m aware of how charming he is,” I tell her. I mean, the man charmed my pants right off. “How come I haven’t met him before? I don’t even remember ever hearing about him.”

  “You knew Ben had a brother,” she says in a not-so-subtle chastising tone.

  “I knew he had a brother, but I didn’t know he was hot.” I didn’t know he was Nate.

  Gabby rolls her eyes. “When was I supposed to tell you that? When you were dating Ethan or when you were swearing off men?”

  “Swearing off love,” I correct her. She has a point though, I don’t try to argue that.

  “Oh, excuse me,” she says, smiling. “He lives in Boulder and manages a chain of sporting goods stores, in case you wanted to know.”

  “I didn’t,” I say, even though that’s a tiny white lie. I shouldn’t want to know, that’s the real issue here.

  “The way he looked at you, Callie,” she says dreamily, and I can tell that I’m not going to like where that train of thought is heading.

  “Can we please stop talking about this now?”

  “If we stop talking about this, I’m dragging you to the garage to help me make centerpieces.”

  Arts and crafts time sounds like
paradise compared to twenty questions. I stand and brush off my pants.

  “All right, let’s go.”

  THREE HOURS and thirty centerpieces later, I’m sitting on the front porch sipping an iced tea that Amy made especially for me. My right hand is throbbing, because apparently I’m not cut out to make centerpieces and my fingers swell after an afternoon of light manual labor. If I never see another bow again it’ll be too soon. I was intrigued when Gabby first told me about her plans for a small wedding on Ben’s family’s farm in Virginia, but I find myself wishing that she had gone even smaller. Like a courthouse in Dallas kind of small. Then I wouldn’t be dealing with centerpieces and swollen fingers. And I wouldn’t be worrying about what’s going to happen with Nate.

  I can understand what drew her to this place, though. The land is gorgeous, and the house, it’s absolutely breathtaking. Somehow both large and quaint at the same time, the Wright home is hugged by a wide wraparound porch. Brightly colored azaleas line the perimeter, popping against the white siding. There’s a smaller guest house down a short path connected to the back of the main one, which is where I’m staying along with the rest of the wedding party, whenever they arrive. The guest house is nicer than the one I grew up in. I’m admiring the cozy looking patio attached to it when the screen door behind me opens with a high-pitched squeak. The wood planks along the length of the porch creak as someone walks toward me. Every nerve in my body comes alive before I even turn around. My body knows who it is before my mind can even process it.

  “Mind if I sit?” Nate asks.

  I look up at him, squinting against the glare of the sun. “No, I don’t mind,” I reply, shaking my head.

  He sits down next to me, stretching his long legs out in front of him, and he’s quiet for a few moments, fiddling with a string that dangles from the frayed hem of his khaki shorts. As I watch his fingers, I wish there was some way to get rid of this light nervous feeling I have in my stomach.

  “So,” Nate says. “I have to admit that you were a first for me. I’ve never been so bad in bed that a woman felt the need to leave before the sun even came up.”