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“It doesn’t sound like everything is fine. Is there anything I can do to smooth things over with your sisters?”
“Avery, my older sister, is getting married and she’s determined to plan the entire thing herself.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Typically, no. She’s a great event planner. It’s honestly her calling in life. However, trying to plan every aspect of your own wedding while running all of these other events at the same time isn’t exactly reasonable, and she’s in denial about us needing to hire more people to help with the administrative stuff.”
“Ah, that can’t be easy.”
I shake my head. “It’s really not. And usually you have a mom to help out, but we don’t, and I think that adds an extra layer of conflicted feelings for Avery.”
“She has you and your sister, though.”
“She does, but it’s really not the same. Moms come with life experience and perspective. We’ve hosted at least fifty weddings over the past few years and seen so many different family dynamics, all the way from the best to the worst. I want her to have this, and I want to be supportive, but I also want to have a life and some breathing room, and I don’t feel like I have any of those things right now.”
“Is there any way you can make her see how hard this is on you and Harley?”
“I don’t know. The only person she listens to other than me and Harley is Declan, her fiancé. But he knows her, probably better than we do. He wouldn’t tell her to give up control of Spark House.”
“But isn’t that what a partner should do? Call you on things that no one else can?”
“Normally, he does. He’s really good for her. They’re good for each other. Relationship goals and all that. They both love hard.”
“And what about you? Do you love hard?”
“I’d do anything for my sisters.”
“I don’t mean your sisters. I mean in relationships.”
When he asks questions like this, it makes me question why he cares. Another mixed signal. “Honestly? I don’t think I’ve ever truly been in love. Not the way they love each other, anyway. That all-consuming, soulful kind of love that has the power to turn your entire world upside down. They broke up for a while, and I’d never seen Avery so devastated. And I’ve seen her experience enough of life’s disappointments to know that he’s her penguin.”
“Her penguin?”
“Her soulmate. They were meant to be together. I’ve never been that upset by the ending of a relationship. Sure, I’ve been sad and looked to Ben & Jerry’s and margaritas for comfort, but it wasn’t the kind of heartbreak that took months to recover from. Take that guy I was going out with earlier this year—Daniel. The part I was dreading wasn’t being alone, it was hurting his feelings. I kept putting it off, thinking maybe something would change and that spark would suddenly happen, but it never did.”
“Ah. I see. So, if you’d broken up with him sooner, you might have taken my phone number.” I can’t tell if he’s serious or poking fun at me.
“And then you would have found out firsthand just what a relationship train wreck I am.”
“Or maybe we would still be here, and going to this estate sale under different circumstances.”
I laugh, but it’s high and a little reedy. “Do you want to know what my sisters call me when I’m not in a relationship?”
“What’s that?”
“Fun London.”
“And what do they call you when you’re in a relationship?” He glances at me out of the corner of his eye.
“Serious London.”
“And what are the key differences between Fun and Serious London, apart from the obvious?”
“I don’t know, but apparently when I’m in a relationship, I’m a real drag.”
“Hmm.” His tongue peeks out and his lip curls up in a half smile. “Well, you’ve been pretty fun to be around as far as I’m concerned.”
“That’s because I’m not in a relationship.” I cross my arms, feeling like I’ve just proven my point.
“I suppose as long as you don’t go out with any random guys, you’ll remain Fun London.”
“Works for me, since I have no intention of dating anyone.” I roll my head on my shoulders, trying to figure why everything feels suddenly tight.
“I’m in the same boat, so this should work out well. Especially since I very much enjoy Fun London, and Serious London sounds like she wouldn’t be up for surprise estate sales.”
“Now you’re making fun of me.”
“Not at all. I just wonder if it’s not necessarily you who is the issue, but the guys you’re dating. It’s possible that this Fun London is authentically you, and that this serious version is a result of poor matches, but that’s a topic for another day.” He pulls down the Spark House driveway. “I have a business associate that I’d like to introduce you to next week if you have availability, say on Wednesday? It would be a dinner meeting, and they are very big on networking and conversation, so it would be preferable that you don’t have engagements first thing in the morning on Thursday. Do you think that would be something you could manage?”
