Page 22 of Pretend You're Mine
Naomi assumed a smile so believable it was heartbreaking. “Oh, that’s just like Xander. We met one night out almost a year ago when we were with friends and, well, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind since then.”
As Aunt Edna latched on to her and they sat down in the living room, I hovered by, uncertain. But then the door burst open with more family members, and I was called back to play the gracious host.
Everyone was in a flurry of hugging everyone else. Although most of my family was stationed in Germany, not all of them were. Not to mention that, as far as they were concerned, even a week-long absence was cause for a great celebration once you were back and got to see everyone again. That was my family for you. Family was first, plain and simple.
“But you’ve lost weight!” Mama said, patting at my sides as if to confirm this.
“I’ve been going to the gym,” I said.
“He’s not a fat boy anymore, can’t you see that Miriam?” Papa boomed, giving my back a slap. He leaned in to shake my hand. “She’s a beauty, son. I would say congratulations, but I don’t know her yet.” He gave a great he-hawing laugh. “It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you all too,” I said.
As much grief as they caused me, my family was still my family.
Right now, everyone was busy oohing and awing over the Mediterranean food I’d had catered and set up on my massive extendable dining room table.
My family weren’t exactly the greatest Germans. While they loved their beers much as anyone, their favorite was Mediterranean food – chicken shish kabobs to be exact.
The preliminary part of the get-together went smoothly. Although just about every person I encountered had something to say about my spur-of-the-moment marriage.
“You wicked boy,” Aunt Edna said, now latched on to me, having sucked all the information she could glean out of Naomi. “Having a wedding and not inviting your family! I think you should have another one, to include all of us.”
“Your aunt is right,” Papa said, surprising since he hated Aunt Edna with a passion. “What is a wedding if not an excuse to celebrate?”
Beside me, Naomi’s face had gone white, while mine probably didn’t look much better. “We’re not having another wedding,” I announced over the clambering ruckus of voices. I took Naomi’s hand and squeezed. “One was enough for us, thank you.”
Amongst the unappeased muttering, there were a few good-natured chuckles.
When the meal finally began, I found myself trapped between my mom and dad.
“I can see why you like her,” Mama said to me in an undertone, indicating Naomi. My supposed wife was talking to my cousin Frederick, and she looked to be having a bit too good of a time. A sharp stab of jealousy pinged in my gut.
“She’s very beautiful,” Mama was saying. “And sweet. Even Aunt Edna couldn’t find anything to bitch about.”
“That is something,” I admitted.
Trust Aunt Edna to find anything she could to discredit the marriage she wasn’t present at. Luckily, I’d stationed my dear aunt at the far end of the table where she was harassing two of my cousins about their current life goal situations, leaving me and Naomi to enjoy our meals somewhat in peace. Although my dad wasn’t exactly making that easy.
“You have a great amount of golf courses here boy,” Papa was booming. “We’ll have to go sometime.”
“I’m pretty busy with work, Papa,” I said, spooning some rice into my mouth.
“Work,” Papa said derisively. “The family is only here once a year, and you can’t take time off?”
“Maybe,” I said, knowing that it was the only way to shut him up. Maybe I was being hard on him, but after what I’d found out last year, I could barely take looking at him.
As the night wore on, the tension that had gathered in my shoulders from the moment the door had opened with Aunt Edna gradually dissipated. I had to give it to her, Naomi was great. More than great, she was perfect. She seemed to know just the right notes to hit with my mom and my dad and the rest of the family too.
By the time my last cousin wandered out, still holding her half-finished beer and waving with a woozy smile, Naomi already had her purse strap hiked over her shoulder.
“Leaving so soon?” I asked.
Naomi and I hadn’t had much time to talk with all my family everywhere, but when we had it had been nice, like before, light, jokey. As if we really were this happy couple we were pretending to be.
Right now, as if all that had been a mask that she’d stripped away, Naomi looked at me with eyes that had zero feeling in them. “I have to get up for work tomorrow,” she said. “Goodnight Xander.”
