Page 6 of The Great Dating Fake Off
“The wedding is nothing for you to worry about,” he tells me evenly. He tilts his head to regard Rosalina. “Nora is my new girlfriend, which means we haven’t broached the topic of family events. And with the wedding being so soon, I wouldn’t dare add a plus one at the last minute. I’ll be there the day of the ceremony only, alone, as planned.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. The plus one doesn’t expire for siblings.” Rosalina clasps her hands beneath her chin as her attention shifts to me. “Please come to my wedding, Nora. The family will lose their collective shit to meet the woman who finally caught Benji’s eye.”
Benji makes a sound of dissent. “Eh, we wouldn’t want to detract from your big day.”
“You’re not allowed to disagree with the bride, and I say bring her.”
My “boyfriend” lets out an aggrieved sigh. “Why don’t we wait until Christmas for her to meet the family?”
“That’s seven months from now,” Veronica interjects. “You want to keep her from the family for seven months? What kind of foundation are you building for your relationship if you don’t let her get to know us?”
“A solid one. Lots of quality time.” Benji smacks me on the shoulder. “Now, we’ve really got to get to work. Give everyone my love.”
He says give everyone my love the way most people say get out.
I get it. His relationship with his family is complicated. According to the stories he’s told me, his parents meddle in more than just his love life. He pivoted careers away from law—to his parents’ disappointment—toward bookstore ownership and academia, and they won’t let it go. And they want him to be, oh, a thousand times more involved in their day-to-day life than he has been as long as I’ve known him. Avoiding has been easier than dealing with all that, or so he told me the one and only time I’ve seen him truly drunk.
I try to remember the last time my mother—the only living family member that I know of—passed judgment on my choices. She loves me the best she can, but she’s been completely consumed with her own life, unfulfilled dreams, and various boyfriends since I was old enough to form memories. It was the Lulu show and I was her unplanned, unwanted sidekick she learned to love. And if our life was a show, it would’ve been eighteen straight seasons of road trips, her flitting from mediocre job to mediocre job, and me never quite fitting in at any of my new schools. The plot would be driven by Mom’s whimsy.
It’s bizarre to feel so deeply on your own yet so entangled with another person at the same time. Our lives are linked yet distant, our relationship dependent but lonely, the contradictions playing out like a familiar song.
But I still miss her when we don’t talk. Heck, I often miss her when we’re in the same room. She’d never show up at my work like this. I’m not even sure she knows where I work, truth be told.
Rosalina leans across the counter, unabashedly peeking at my body as if finally getting an answer on what Benji’s “physical preference” is. “I can sense we’ve overstayed our welcome, which is fine, because we’ve got reservations at Sushi King. Nora, I hope you’ll talk some sense into my brother. The wedding would be a great way to meet everyone. And maybe you and I can get some quality time together, get to know each other?”
My ears perk up at the friendly offer. “That sounds nice. Thanks, Rosalina.”
“You can call me Ro.” She turns to Benji. “You know, Nonno will be thrilled to see you happy and on the path to settling down, whether at the wedding or after. He worries about you.”
At this, something changes in Benji. His usually neutral, if not exasperated, expression softens, like this tacit Nonno approval is the first thing he’s truly cared about since they walked in.“And he’ll be there all week?”
“He will,” Ro says, her smile pointed. “He said he wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Point: Ro.Even Benji seems to be considering the implication of this, of what it would mean to miss out on extra time with his grandfather.
I may not have a family like Benji’s and therefore can’t understand the intricate dynamics at play, but I know my friend. He rarely lets this part of him show—the part that wants something but doesn’t know how to get out of his own way long enough to go after it. The internal struggle is written all over his face.
“Weddings are important,” I say, not that I’ve been to one before. “It’s decided: we’ll be there for the week.”
Benji’s head whips my way, his gaze taking a sharp turn for the incredulous. “Can we discuss this later?”
Ro claps her nicely manicured hands. “Fantastic. It’s settled! I’ll update your RSVP for the caterer. Oh, I’m so glad we stopped by.”
“Ambushed me at the airport,” Benji murmurs under his breath as Rosalina saunters toward the exit.
Ro pauses at the edge of Veronica’s aisle on her way out. “You buying that or just reading it for free?”
Veronica startles and shoves the book back onto the shelf. After a second of consideration, she snatches it back off, flashing the cover our way. “Put this one on my tab, Benjamino, would you? You know how I love history.”
They are barely through the door when Benji’s forehead hits the counter. His groan skates across the surface, fogging it.
“You’re welcome. Happy to help,” I say, patting his shoulder. “Your sister is friendly. Why don’t you ever talk about her? Though, in fairness, you almost never talk about your family. Were you not planning on telling me—”
“Jesus, Nora.” As if it takes every ounce of energy he possesses, he lifts his head just enough to glare at me. “You have no idea what you’ve just gotten us into.”
Chapter Two
Sebastian
