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23
Gigi
The next week passed by in its usual slogging way. Beau and I got along more like roommates and less like people who fought all the time.
Not that there weren’t arguments between us, because there were. Especially when the naughty puppy would come out with a pair of my underwear. Especially then.
“Don’t you have any normal panties? Christ, Geneviève, these can’t be comfortable!” he’d boomed out at me yesterday.
I had no idea why he was so damn angry over it. I always apologized. And it wasn’t like his crap wasn’t spread out all over the apartment. It probably took me twenty minutes a day to tidy his things.
The dresser wasn’t the biggest, but I’d cleaned out one drawer for him. Incidentally, it was my underwear drawer. It didn’t bother me to put my stuff into a basket instead. But it also meant the dog could go shopping through my things if he so pleased.
A few days before our long weekend, Marcel and Angelique insisted on video chatting with us. The last few shows had gone well from what I saw. Beau and I appeared on the outside like we were the happy couple.
Our rink fight—when Beau had come out on the ice—had made it into the second show. Then they showed clips of our teammates saying how we often spoke to each other in French during our, “Lover’s Quarrels.”
That was awkward.
But we took it in stride, making sure to always be holding hands and smiling at one another in public.
“I wonder what they want?” I asked as I wandered over to Beau on the couch.
“Maybe they’ll let us move into my house?” Beau suggested, hope written all over his face.
He wanted that. Badly. I was much more reluctant.
Even though we were in more cramped quarters here—this is where my girls were. Anytime we traveled, we always shared quarters and stayed together. Being away from them, and alone with Beau made me anxious.
I needed to keep my finger on their pulse. That would be more difficult to do if I wasn’t here.
One day at a time. Right?
Sinking into the couch beside him, Beau answered his phone and we all exchanged hello’s.
Angelique hogged the screen as usual. “How is it going, my children?”
“We’re fine, Angelique. How are you?” I asked, smiling at my godmother.
“Excellent as usual, my dear. We called to see where you two were going for Thanksgiving? Montréal or Calgary? Who won?” Marcel asked, taking over the call.
Beau answered for me, “I’m going back home. Geneviève is staying here.”
They both gasped, Angelique’s hand slapped her chest. “Oh, non, non, Beauregard. You take Geneviève with you. How would it look if she stayed behind?”
The idea of going back to Beau’s house for Thanksgiving weekend was so entirely crazy, I started giggling. “I’m not going to crash their Thanksgiving supper,” I said, cracking up even more. “I have to study. This isn’t a good time for me to take a holiday.”
Angelique tsk’d at me something awful as she gave me her sternest godmother face. “Nonsense. If you don’t want to go to Montréal, then go see your beautiful mother. She would love to have you both for a visit.”
Before I could answer, Beau cut in, “Angelique, Mother has made her usual arrangements for the formal gathering she always has. If I cancel, she’ll be quite upset.”
“Then it’s settled. You’ll take Geneviève home with you. We’ll have someone there to take a clip of the two of you at le parti, and the world will smile with happiness.”
Now it was my turn to gasp. “I can’t go home with, him. Angelique, that would be crazy for me to show up.”
“Geneviève, I have a feeling Monique will love to see you.” She smiled, but it seemed like something more was behind it.
“Indeed, she will surely welcome you with open arms,” Marcel said, then they both laughed quite heartily before saying goodbye.
I turned fully to Beau. “I can’t go home with you.”
“Don’t look so panicked, G. My family’s not that bad.”
“I didn’t say they were,” I said, shoving his arm that was closest to me. “I’m not your family, Beau. They won’t want me there.”
“Look, every Thanksgiving, my mom throws a big—thing. If I don’t go, she’ll have a huge conniption and write me out of the will. Otherwise, I’d buy us two tickets to Calgary right now.” His eyes were so warm, I wanted to dive into them.
“Come home with me? It won’t be for long. They’re all insane, but they’re good people. And Angelique’s right—Mom will love you.”
