AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“See? Even the news anchors are seeing a wedding for the two of you!”
“Yia-Yia,” I say, keeping my tone even, just. “They don’t know what they’re talking about. And they’re reading too much into everything. I need you to calm down and know that Matthew and I are newly dating, getting to know each other and we are Not. Getting. Married.”
She huffs.
“Ever!”
“Fine,” she grumbles.
“Fine.”
“Good.”
“Great.”
We sit in silence, the TV presenters rattling on in the background, having moved on to something actually newsworthy, I hope.
“Alright, you two,” Mum the peacemaker finally pipes up. “Let’s just leave this for now. Mamma, we have to give Natalie space to pursue her relationship in peace. And Natalie, I know you are sometimes oblivious to what’s happening around you, so I want you to go into this with your eyes firmly open. Do you think you both can do that?”
We nod. Unhappily and somewhat grumpily. But at least an agreement has been struck.
“I’m going back to sleep.” I stand up. A nap is the only way through the next few hours. “I’ll see you both later.”
I walk out of the living room, leaving them to whisper about me, and go back to bed. This situation with Matthew has spiralled so out of control I don’t know where to start to fix it. All I know is, Matthew and I are on a speeding train, heading nowhere good, fast. And nothing, it seems, is going to stop this from exploding on impact.
*****
“You’re going out with him again tonight?” Bianca all but squeals down the phone line. “That’s two nights in a row. This is huge!”
I groan. There’s no escaping people who are shipping the newly crowned ‘Natthew.’ That’s a thing now, apparently. We have a ‘ship’ name.
“B, I need you to focus. This is raging out of control.”
“Where’s he taking you tonight?” she asks, ignoring my pleas, focussing instead on her incessant need to be part of the gossip.
“I’m not sure,” I admit, pulling myself off the bed to get dressed. Matthew had sent a message to be ready by 6 p.m., but no other details. ‘Be ready?’ For what? Who sends vague instructions like that?
“What are you going to wear?”
Another night, another wardrobe conundrum.
“I’m keeping it simple,” I tell her. “In lieu of any helpful details. I’m not making any effort at all.”
She laughs at my petulance. “You’ll regret that decision. Based on the media frenzy about the two of you, you’re going to be all over social media, no matter where you end up. I think you should try to look…decent?”
Pfft. This is all too hard.
“B, you’ve seen my closet. What do you suggest I wear on this date? Location and activity undisclosed.”
She goes quiet, and I can almost hear the wheels turning in her head.
“I’ve got it! Remember that black dress we bought for you when it was on sale? The one that you’ve never worn, because you think it makes you look too sexy?”
I pull said dress out of my cupboard and frown. All these months later, it somehow looks even sexier than I remember. “I can’t wear this. What if we’re going on a picnic?”
She snorts. “He’s the star of the national soccer team. Believe me, he’s not taking you on a picnic.”
“I’d love to go on a picnic.”
