Page 10 of Forbidden Fruit
“Offended him?” Abby chuckles on the other side of the line. “He didn’t say anything to me. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him. But even if you did do something, Calvin isn’t the type to hold grudges.”
“Please, don’t talk to him. I don’t want to make a big deal out of this,” I say tensely. My cheeks burn, and I feel uncomfortable even just thinking about the possibility. I know Abby, I know this is precisely what she’d do, so I just want to make sure she knows she doesn’t have my approval. “Maybe I’m just a little in my head. Don’t talk to him. If I did offend him, I want to apologize myself.”
“It’s fine, Blair. Relax. I won’t talk to him. Oh, by the way, Mom and Dad want us to have dinner with them this Sunday,” she says, “but I have an appointment, so I’ll just meet you guys there.”
What’s going on? I know she has a lot of wedding planning to do, but I expected us to spend a little more time together. I expected her to want to drag me to all of her appointments. Of course I’d try to fight her on it every step of the way, but I expected her to at least try.
“That’s fine. I’ll probably just take an Uber or something.”
“Don’t be dramatic. You’ll go with Calvin,” she says firmly. Panic pounds through me the moment she says the word. I can’t imagine a situation worse than being stuck with him in the car, in such proximity. I’m more than sure I’ll be able to smell his cologne. His leg may brush against mine… Instantly, scenarios roam through my mind, but I shake my head.
I can’t do this to Abby.
But I also know better than to debate her on this. She’ll insist and go as far as to talk to him if I don’t agree, so, for once, I try to go with the flow. “Fine. Whatever,” I murmur, though it’s more to myself. “Oh, before I forget, I need some things. There’s a fabric store on Beach Street. We should go there and pick up what I need.” That’s my feeble attempt to change the subject, and she gets the hint immediately.
“Okay, get ready. I’ll pick you up in ten,” she says, ending the call.
I get up from the bed and sift through the clothes scattered on the floor, finally choosing a cute summer dress I made myself. I don’t have time to do my full makeup, so I just apply some blush and gloss. Heading to the bathroom, I check my reflection in the mirror and take a few pictures and some one-minute lip-sync videos. It’s a good use of my time while I wait for my sister. I love dressing up, and even for something as simple as going to the store I make sure to look my best, so why not use it?
Fifteen minutes later, I receive a text from Abigail letting me know she’s waiting out front. Gathering my belongings, I head out of the room. I nearly trip over nothing when I see Calvin casually sitting on the expensive couch downstairs, phone pressed to his ear, speaking in a low voice.
“Yeah, man, I got you,” he says smoothly into the phone.
He’s wearing a navy blue suit and as always, he’s impeccably groomed. His eyes sweep over me from head to toe before meeting mine, expression unreadable. It’s like he’s looking through me, not at me. I tear my gaze away and stride past him without a word, ignoring the simmering tension.
I can feel his eyes on me as I make my way to the elevator. I feel them as I press the button to call the elevator, as I wait, and even when the doors finally open. I step inside,hoping for a reprieve, but just as the doors are about to close, our eyes lock again. This time, he smirks, like he’s in on some private joke at my expense.
Just before the doors shut completely, he says, “Blair.”
I reply, “Calvin.”
Then the doors close, leaving me alone with the echo of his voice lingering in my head. What was that? What, exactly, is his plan? To mess with me? Does he get some twisted pleasure from it? All I know is my breathing is heavy as the elevator drags down, and I count the floors until I get to my sister.
The elevator door finally opens and I step out. The doorman greets me, and I politely return the greeting. Outside, the breeze cools me down a little, even in the warm weather, and then I spot Abby’s car. I rush toward her.
“What took you so long?” she asks as soon as I enter.
“Me? I came down as soon as you texted me. You’re the one who’s five minutes late,” I protest.
“We won’t argue about who is or isn’t late. Can you send me the address, please?” she requests. I promptly send her the address, and she sets off, her smile radiating with excitement. She’s so happy to have me here, which makes me feel betterandworse at the same time. It’s an odd contrast.
“So, what do you think?” she asks.
“About what?” I respond, playing coy.
“My life, my soon-to-be hubby!” She giggles, and normally I’d tease her for acting so giddy at her age, but this time I hold back. She’s genuinely happy, and it’s contagious.
“You’re happy, aren’t you?”
“Yes! Isn’t it obvious?” She beams.
“It is.” I pause, choosing my words carefully. “To be honest, when you first told me you got engaged, I thought you were rushing into things. I had some questions… I still do, like how long you were dating before he proposed. I wish I knew more about him and how you two fell in love.” I look at her thoughtfully. “What makes him the one?”
She laughs lightly, but I notice her smile doesn’t quite reach her striking blue eyes. It’s the smallest of details, but I notice it like I notice everything about her. I’m not sure if she’s keeping something from me, or if I’m just making this up. “Well, it was kind of… love at first sight. And you know, at our age, we don’t play around with all the games anymore. You just get straight to business. You’ll understand when you get to my age sometime, baby.”
“I don’t think love should be treated like a business deal, but maybe that’s just me,” I reply gently, then ask, “Have you met his family? Does he have siblings? What are they like?”
“Uh… you’re asking too many questions,” she hesitates, looking slightly taken aback.
