by J. P. Comeau
“You know my father by now, man. Neither of us would have been upset about you being a few minutes late, especially if it’s because you were busy talking with a hot chic.”
Richard had a good point, but I prided myself on always being punctual. “It’s alright. I gave her my business card, so the ball is in her court.”
“Hopefully, she calls you, but going forward, don’t ever worry about being late. You deserve to have fun. I mean, you know, you never date anymore.”
I just laughed at Richard and shook my head. “There’s a reason for avoiding women, Richard. I don’t have the same luck that you had in meeting Annie, or with Jake reconnecting with Julianna. I’ve seen the women who are attracted to me, and that’s not my scene.”
“What do you mean?”
I leaned against my car. “They see a rich businessman, someone who can buy them jewelry and take them out to expensive restaurants. I’m telling you, most of the women in the world lack substance. They’re gold diggers who only want a sugar daddy. You know that. You ran into the same situation until Annie came along.”
“You shouldn’t sell yourself short, Gavin. I know the type of women you’re referring to, but they’re the minority.”
I didn’t want to bring it up, but I had to mention his previous relationship. “Need I remind you about your ex-girlfriend, Richard? The one who tried to make you change into someone that you’re not, only to skip town and keep your child a secret from you for so long?”
It was a painful subject that he and I no longer discussed, but I had a good point. His ex-girlfriend, Heather, was the reason he stopped dating altogether.
Richard palmed his hair. “I knew you were going to bring up Heather…and yes, she was definitely a classic bitch. But take a look at Annie and Julianna. I know for a fact that both of them aren’t after the Truman fortune. They love us for who we are, not for what’s in our bank accounts. And that only makes Jake and I love them more and want to spoil them and take care of their every need.”
I thought about what he was saying. “I’m sure you’re right, man. There’s a woman out there for me somewhere, but my life is too busy right now. Dating just seems so exhausting. I hate having to date so many toxic women while telling myself there must be a normal one around the corner. You know what I’m talking about, too.”
Richard walked over and put his hands on my shoulders. “Sometimes, you gotta throw a few rotten apples out to get to the good ones, but it’s worth it in the end.”
5
_____
CRYSTAL
The baby shower was going very well. I was keeping myself busy by making sure that every guest was having a good time, refilling drinks as needed, and making small talk with everyone. There seemed to be an equal mix of people that I did and didn’t know, and it was easy to spot a Truman the moment they walked through the door by their expensive designer clothes.
Two of their cousins walked in wearing clothes I wouldn’t be caught dead in, and I overheard a few family members recognize it as some designer brand whose name I couldn’t pronounce. The outfits weren’t even that attractive. They were walking around in what I could only describe as black garbage bags and leggings, whereas I was wearing an ordinary outfit purchased from a consignment shop. They must have thought I was a peasant.
A woman wearing a ring the size of my eyeball waltzed over to me. “Darling, this party is divine! An excellent choice of champagne, too. How adorable of you gals, serving pizza and salad! I was just telling my dear husband that I was tired of caviar, anyway. You must have read my mind! Julianna gave me the name of the place this pizza came from. I’m going to call them for their recipe before we go back to LA.”
For some reason, I doubted that, and I bit my lip, trying not to rebut her condescending remark.
After pondering this for a moment, I realized how much I loved the Truman family as my own, especially Annie and Julianna. But also I figured some of the others who didn’t live in River Valley could use a heavy dose of reality. It blew my mind how some people could swim in money, whereas the rest of the world was struggling to stay afloat. Hell, I’d be happy just to have an apartment the size of this living room.
As I sat down and guzzled another glass of champagne, I realized that some of those people reminded me of the jerk that had hit my car. He was so arrogant and condescending, treating me as though he were too good even to acknowledge my existence — or his mistake.
I shook my head at myself and took another gulp of bubbly. I couldn’t believe what the Truman’s had spent on this champagne. It’d take me months to pay it off if I had bought it. Then the more I thought about my financial situation, the more I wanted to drink their expensive alcohol.
Just as I was about to pour myself another glass, I felt two hands grab my arms and yank me to my feet. “Annie! Julianna! What’s wrong with you two? You almost got champagne all over my blouse!”
They didn’t answer my question, though. Annie and Julianna were too busy giggling like school girls as they rushed me into the kitchen.
Annie peeked into the living room and then shut the kitchen door. “Remember how we said we’d set you up with someone?”
I felt my heart drop into my stomach. “Yeah, but I kind of thought that it was too last-minute to find me a blind date.”
Julianna rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. We wouldn’t have suggested if we didn’t think he could come.”
I reached for a chair and sat down. It felt like the room was spinning, and I hadn’t that much champagne yet. Being on a date with everything on my mind made me nervous, despite agreeing to it earlier.
“Alright, look, I didn’t think you two would get anyone to show up since this idea was so last minute. I don’t know how I feel about this now.”
Annie sat down across from me. “Let us tell you about him first before you brush him off! He’s Richard’s best friend, Gavin. I’d suggested you meet him earlier, but his job involves a lot of traveling.”
“And what is his job, exactly?”
Julianna’s excitement was growing by the minute. “He works for our company! Plus, he just got back from Spain, so he’ll probably have a lot to talk about with you.”
My stomach turned to knots as soon as they mentioned that he worked for their company. “Ladies, please don’t lie to me. Is he some jackass who thinks he can get away with anything because he is a gazillionaire who has a different woman on his arm every week?”
Annie shook her head. “Not at all, Crystal. You know that I would never set you up with a jerk. He’s one of the sweetest, funniest people I’ve ever met. He can be a bit awkward at times, though.”
My right eyebrow shot up. “Define awkward.”
“He’s not that awkward, Annie,” Julianna replied. “He’s just…not always that great with words. You’ll see what we mean. He can kind of be a nerd. Actually, he is very intelligent.”
Between the car accident and dealing with all of their wealthy family members, I had enough. “I don’t think that I will. I know you mean well, but I’m in no mood to deal with some ‘awkward’ rich guy who wants to drone on and on about his trip to Spain. In case you’ve forgotten, my mind is a little fixated on my financial situation right now and all I need to do about Mom’s estate. Besides, I thought you two were joking earlier.”
I felt guilty for being so snippy with them, but it was time for me to put my foot down.
Annie knew she could get to me, though. “Are you kidding, Crystal? We were on it five minutes after you were upset about not having a date tonight.”
“Why wouldn’t I be upset, Annie? I mean, who the hell brings a date to a baby shower?”
Julianna cupped her hands over mine. “Sweetie, with all due respect, you need to spend some time with Gavin tonight. Just give him a chance, and I promise that you won’t be disappointed.”
Both of them seemed to think that Gavin would be a good match for me, at least for tonight.
As much as it pained me to gi
ve in, I agreed to give it a shot. “Alright, but let’s not be awkward about setting this up, okay? We are adult women at a baby shower, not middle school girls hovering around the drink table at a dance.”
Julianna and Annie gave each other high fives, and, of course, that made me roll my eyes.
“So this is what we’re going to do,” Annie whispered, “we’ll go out first, Crystal. Wait a few minutes and then go into the living room. We think he’s here now. As soon as you come out, we’ll call you over and introduce you to him.”
I was too old to listen to a play-by-play for a blind date. “Can we please be a bit more casual about this, ladies?”
Julianna nudged me with her elbow. “You should chill every once in a while, sweetie.”
I watched them leave the kitchen and thought about how my mother used to say the same thing to me. If she were here right now, I know she’d want me to meet Gavin and encourage me to just have a good time.
I paced back and forth in the kitchen for several minutes as my anxiety was eating me alive. If only they hadn’t given a play-by-play of how the whole meet and greet would go down, I would be more relaxed about this whole thing.
After waiting for what seemed to be an eternity, I realized how ridiculous I was being and left the kitchen. I kept my head down, though, and walked straight to the food table, pretending to fix everything up.
It wasn’t long before Annie called my name. “Crystal, come on over!”
I let out a long breath to compose myself, counted to ten, and looked over to see the back of a man’s head standing next to Annie. As I walked over to him, I kept my eyes down and focused on the floor. By the time I got there, he had turned around and was looking in my direction.
I lifted my eyes and stared directly at that same bearded asshole who had hit my car.
Gavin smiled at me, and even though he was handsome as hell, it made me hate him even more. “Oh, wow, it’s you!”
I glared over at Annie and Julianna, then tilted my head suggestively so they would leave. “I’m Crystal, the person whose car you wrecked earlier.”
Gavin’s smile only got wider. “Are you still upset about that little fender-bender? Besides, I told you that I’d buy you a new car.”
I made my way back to the food table, where I proceeded to chug some of the spiked punch, then turned around to see that he was standing right behind me. “Perhaps you call it a ‘little fender-bender’ because you have a BMW. Ordinary people like myself, with normal-paying jobs, don’t have luxury cars.”
The more he smiled at me, the angrier I became.
Gavin watched me pour myself another glass of spiked punch. “Please don’t think that I’m some type of asshole, Crystal. Yes, I make a lot of money, but I’m not a jerk. I was just in a rush to get to a business meeting.”
I didn’t believe that for a second. “Yeah, right. What made you hit my car in the first place? Were you checking out some sexy chic walking down Main Street?”
“First of all, I was looking at the quaint shops and cafes. It’s what I like about River Valley. I love the small-town vibe of it, how everybody pretty much knows everybody.”
I sighed, starting to feel like a real bitch. “You should still keep your eyes on the road,” I muttered.
“I can’t say that I’m sorry about hitting your car. That would be a lie.”
I wanted to throw my drink in his gorgeous face. “I bet you don’t. I bet this is how you get all of your girlfriends, huh? You don’t look where you’re going, bump into them or damage some of their property, then promise to make it all better just to get them into bed.”
One side of my brain was screaming at the other, and the bitchy one was winning out.
“I haven’t dated in years because of my schedule, and for some other reasons that I’ll keep to myself. I’d rather spend an evening alone than trying to sleep with some random woman.”
Gavin’s comments made me feel even worse. Maybe I was the one who was blowing this whole ‘rich thing’ with the Truman’s and their friends out of proportion. But all I could do at this point was to guzzle the spiked punch and pray that the hours would fly by so I could go home.
I tilted my head in wonder. “So why aren’t you sorry that you hit my car?”
“It’s going to sound corny as hell, but if I hadn’t hit your car, I would never have met you.”
“You’re right,” I said, feeling a bit tipsy. “That is corny as hell.”
Gavin took my hand, and we sat on the couch near the food table. “I figured it’s best if we sit down.” I noticed how he eyed my half-empty glass. “Plus, they are getting ready to pop the gender reveal balloons. You can see it all from right here.”
I elbowed him while continuing to drink my punch. “Well, that was very thoughtful of you. So, I heard you just got back from Spain. Did you hit any cars over there, too?”
“Nope,” he snickered, “but then again, I pretty much walked everywhere. It’s such a beautiful country just like here in River Valley, with independent shops and cafes lining the streets. You’d miss most of them if you drove.”
“It sounds like a romantic place.” I reached up and tried to pour myself some more spiked punch, but I ended up spilling some on the table.
Gavin walked over and cleaned it up, and I was starting to think that maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy. “It certainly is a romantic place. Speaking of place, I don’t think you should be driving back to yours tonight.”
As I slumped and hiccuped, I knew he was right. So far, I had been wrong about almost everything this evening. I knew I should go home before I made more of a fool out of myself, but I wanted to wait for Annie and Julianna to pop their balloons.
6
_____
GAVIN
I reached down and attempted to pull Crystal to her feet, but all she could do was slump back against the couch. Even though River Valley was a small town, I didn’t expect to see her at the baby shower tonight. Maybe it was because she drove a beat-up Honda. I pegged her as being one of those free-spirited people who shopped at discount stores, not someone who would attend a baby shower for Annie and Julianna Truman. Somehow, though, I found that notion refreshing and was a bit ashamed of myself for having such a snooty thought.
Realizing that she needed a few minutes to compose herself, I sat back on the couch and offered Crystal a piece of the delicious cake. “This might help absorb some of that alcohol.”
Crystal shook her head at me, though. “I’m not hungry, Gavin, but since you decided to hit my car, how about you get me some more of that spiked punch? I want to see the gender reveal.”
Richard walked over and cocked his head at us. “I think you’ve had enough to drink, Crystal. How about a bottle of water?”
As she took a bottle from Richard’s hand, Annie came over and seemed just as alarmed as Richard. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m having a blast, even though Gavin here thinks he’s above the law.”
Richard shot me a surprised look. “What the hell is she talking about, man?”
“Gavin hit Annie’s car earlier today,” Annie said into his ear. “Instead of exchanging insurance information, he promised to buy her a new car.”
Richard and I exchanged a knowing smirk, and I trusted him enough not to bring up our previous conversation.
I knew he’d taunt me about it later, though. “That’s mighty kind of you, Gavin. It’s not every day that a guy offers to buy a stranger a new car. Wouldn’t a normal person just offer to pay for the damage?”
I could feel my face turning beet red and answered his question through gritted teeth, trying not to burst out laughing. “Yes, but I was running late to a business meeting.”
Richard suppressed his laughter by looking away for a few moments.
I turned my attention back to Crystal, who was trying to stand up despite being too drunk to do so.
Annie reached her hand out to steady Crystal’s balance. “I’m fine, Annie. I just nee
d some fresh air,” Crystal told her.
Annie smiled, brushed a strand of hair out of her friend’s face, and said, “You need to get some rest, Crystal. I’m glad you had a good time, but you’re going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow.”
All three of us watched as Crystal rummaged through her purse, and I realized that she thought she could drive.
“Are you insane? You can’t drive home! You can’t even walk without someone helping you,” Annie told her.
When Richard passed me a sly smile, I knew what he was about to suggest. “You wouldn’t mind driving Crystal home, right, Gavin? It’s the least you could do after hitting her car.”
“Oh, hell no,” Crystal said while steadying herself against the food table. “I’d rather walk home, seeing how Gavin’s so easily distracted while driving.” Then she looked up at me and snickered. “Or maybe I will, but I won’t let you drive down any street that has stores or cafes.”
The way she made fun of me made me laugh. Even in her drunken state, she found a way to mock my driving skills. “You’re not walking home, Crystal. Come on. I’ll take you home, alright?”
“Fine, you can take me home, but I better not see you take your eyes off of the road! Not even for a second.”
I wrapped my arm around her waist and started for the door. But just as we reached the porch, Crystal struggled free and yelled, “Stop! What about the gender reveal?”
Thankfully, Annie heard her and rushed outside. “Hey, no worries, we are planning to video all the fun. You won’t miss a thing. I’ll text you later with the news.”
“You promise?” Crystal muttered.
“Pinky, swear!”