Page 49 of Almost Not Quite Engaged

“Ginny and Colin would be proud. It’s been a whole morning and I haven’t called you an asshole yet.”

“That’s true, Harpy. Good job,” I say as condescendingly as possible. I lean over and pat her on the head. She busts out with her loud boisterous joyful laugh. It’s the one thing about her, besides her perfect ass, I’ve never disliked.

“Go get dressed. I have something to show you.” I’m already in shorts and a t-shirt but sadly, I’m going to have her get out of her robe.

ZANE: Mom. I love you. I promise to call and visit more. But tell Nate and Stacey, we’ll see them at the ceremony. Now that everyone knows about the engagement, we’d like to put the focus back on them. We’ll just take up room at the events today and it shouldn’t be about us.

That’s a pretty good text. I feel as if I’m channeling my inner Kat with this comforting lie rather than flat out complaining and then blowing it off.

MOM: No such thing. You are expected.

She’s a slick one. New tactic that she will eat up with a fucking silver spoon.

ZANE: We don’t get to see each other that often due to my traveling. We’d really like to have the day to ourselves. I want to show her the island and hold her hand and reconnect before I fly off to my next adventure.

MOM: Come to my Villa before the ceremony and we’ll all ride over there together. If Katy would like someone to do her hair or make up she needs to be in the bridal suite by 2.

ZANE: She’s fine. Love you. See you at 5.

And she really is. The last thing either of us would want is for her to look like Stacey, my sister or my mom.

She’s holding her chest while we fly around the backroad to the hiking spot. It makes me want to hit every pot hole.

“My mom texted me a bunch of dates after coordinating with your mom,” I tell her.

“Let’s make sure it’s mutual when we break their hearts.” She taps away at her phone.

“Don’t talk about our parents now. Let’s leave them behind, wasn’t that the point of all this.”

“Says the man who will be half a world away while I’ll hold down the home front. Shit. Do I have to move to Boston?”

“Nah. But you will have to find a place to live.”

“True dat.”

I turn the corner and the ocean comes into view and she gasps. Parents forgotten in the name of exploration.

“Whatcha Want” blares and she turns her phone ringer off.

“Put it in the glove compartment.”

“How will I take pictures?” I reach in the back and place a black bag on her lap.

“Open it.”

She looks down and runs her finger over it then snaps her gaze back to me and I smile. “What the fuck are you doing with a Canon EOS R1 Mirrorless Camera Body - 6577C002?”

“Why do you know what that is and don’t have one?” She doesn’t even look at me as she runs her finger over it and the two lenses in the case. Her breathing is stilted and her voice low.

“This is an amazing camera. My friend at my old job uses one. When we used to go into the office he’d let me play around with the version just before this one. This is some fancy shit. I didn’t know you took pictures?” She seems a little defeated.

“I don’t. But you should.”

Chapter 24

And It All Clicks In Place

KAT