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4
Katie watchedMary stick her finger into the rotary dial of the old-fashioned home phone before giving the handset to her.
Katie pressed the receiver to her ear as the call connected.After some pleasantries, she gave her RSVP to Laurie, who was delighted but didn’t let her off the hook that easily.She asked if Katie had a plus one.Katie told her she didn’t.Laurie said she had just the person for her.Katie paused when she heard who Laurie had in mind, then hemmed and hawed before answering.Finally, she said, “Okay, you’re the bride.”
Katie sighed as she handed the receiver back to Mary to hang up.
“What was all that about?”
“Laurie had a fit I didn’t have a plus one.”
Mary knitted her brow.“Oh yeah?”
“She has a thing about everybody pairing up for her wedding.”
“Meaning, you’re not going?”Mary asked.
“Meaning I agreed to go…”
“Wait, you just said you don’t have a plus one.”
“Right, Ididn’t.But now I do,” Katie said.
“Explain to me, missy.”
“Okay, you know Laurie’s cousin Chase, the one who was in my class in school?”
“Uh… you mean yourex-boyfriend?”
Katie threw her an exasperated look.She didn’t like being reminded he was her ex.“Yes, but didn’t he move away or something?”Katie asked.
“He went away for a few years, to college and work.But he came back about a year ago.”
Katie hadn’t seen Chase since their breakup after high school.He was her first love.It’d taken her a long time to get over the hurt.She wasn’t staying in town once she had her diploma.She’d worked hard for her grades and had gotten a college scholarship in the city.College was her ticket out of town.Chase had applied to her school but ended up with a scholarship to another college.They’d separated and gone their own ways.She didn’t want to maintain a long-distance relationship during college.Her focus was on her studies.It would be hard enough to juggle school and a part-time job.But a relationship?She wasn’t ready for it and couldn’t deal with a long-distance boyfriend.
They fought.Chase tried so hard and even talked about giving up his scholarship to come to her school.But she wouldn’t hear of it and broke off their relationship.It was the last time they’d talked.It’d been almost ten years now, and she hadn’t seen him since.
“Laurie told me he’s back in town—and she’d put Chase down as my plus one,” Katie said.
“And you said—”
“Well, I tried.But I can’t say no to the bride, can I?”Katie rolled her eyes.But she couldn’t still the fluttering in her heart or hide the flush on her cheeks at the thought of Chase.What was he like now?Would she recognize him?Had he changed?She turned her face away from Mary as her thoughts of Chase turned private—the way his strong arms locked around her, the deep cleft in his chin, his boyish scent, the warmth of his lean fingers clutching her hand as they walked.
