AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Luca and I got engaged,” I guess that’s why she really called me, “like officially, we all knew it, but you know. Now I have a ring. So, I am wedding planning. There’s nothing else to do.” I’m jealous, but I don’t want her to feel bad, we always knew they’d get married.
“How exciting, can I help with anything?” I ask her, waiting for what I know is coming.
“Would you be my maid of honor?” I am the oldest girl cousin, who else would she ask?
“Of course!” I try sound elated, and surprised. I am neither, I am distracted with thoughts of meeting IslandKING on Saturday. “Do you have a date?”
“We want a winter wedding, maybe in the Alps over the Christmas break. Hopefully everyone has calmed the fuck down by then,” she says, and it’s exactly the sort of wedding I imagined her having. I hate the cold, and the snow, and winter — but it’s not my day. It never is my day. Everyone is getting married except me. Not unless I want some Russian stranger, which is not happening. I’ll become a nun first. Or run away.
“That sounds gorgeous,” I say, staring off into the distance. I can see the train station where I have a date on Saturday. It makes me smile, thinking about getting out of here. “I will see if I can get Benito to set me free to come see you,” I say, not optimistic he’d allow it.
“I will get my dad to ask,” she says, “he wouldn’t say no to him.” She’s a smart cookie when she wants to be.
“Yes, try and see if he will.” Maybe I can get away for a couple of days, I need a change of scenery. “I am going a bit mad here,” I joke, and Laura laughs with me.
“Well, I can’t choose a dress without you, so he will just have to say yes!” she says, I can hear voices in the background and Laura continues, “I have to go, I will try get you out of there. Maybe this weekend?” And hangs up quickly. It was good to hear her voice, even if all I feel now is how lonely I am. I was supposed to be the first one married, now I’ll be lucky to find a husband at all. How did I end up like this?
***
“Did you ask Laura to try get you to of here?” My brother catches me in our home gym, “some bullshit about a wedding dress.” He sounds annoyed.
“I am her maid of honor, that’s part of the job,” I roll my eyes at his ignorance of girl-code. “It’s important, tradition is a big deal when it comes to weddings.” He gets on the treadmill and starts a slow walk.
“I said it’s fine, but I cannot spare men, so they will have to make sure you have security there.” He said yes! Oh, my God. This is perfect. I can go on my date then go to Laura. I try to hide my excitement in case he decides to be a dick and change his mind.
“Thank you, I know Laura will be so happy to have help with the wedding plans.”
“Just fucking behave yourself. When the Russians arrive, I will send for you to come back. It’s better there anyway, you are just under our feet here.”
He can send for me, I will not come. Fuck that.
“I will be on my best behavior, I promise.” I lie through my teeth, but I will do anything for some freedom at this point. He starts to run and sweat and it’s gross. I roll up my yoga mat as he yells through the Bluetooth earphones at the person, he’s on a call with. I have a date to get ready for, which means I have some serious self-love, grooming and primping to do.
***
I have waited all damn day for the stupid soccer to start, no one is going to want to take me to ‘Laura’ during the game. I know I will be told to drive myself and be careful, which is exactly what I wanted. I will see IslandKING first then go to Laura afterwards, she’s only expecting me tomorrow morning anyway — not that my brother knows that part. I wait until after kick-off and for the game to get intense. They are all screaming at the screens and calling the referee names.
“I need to go,” I say from the doorway, waiting for anyone to notice. But not loud enough they can tell me to wait.
“So go,” Sebastien says, and I don’t need to be told twice. I grab the keys to my Maserati SUV, and me and my suitcases are out the door before they can cry over the goal scored against them. As soon as I’m out of the compound gates, and on the road to the station, I text IslandKING on the dating app.
I’m almost there ;) don’t be late
I am never late.I’m always exactly where I am supposed to be, at the right time.
He is so cocky when he wants to be. I drive as fast as I can without getting pulled over or killing myself, and I park in the covered lot opposite the station, so my car is out of plain sight. I check my face in the mirror, put on some fresh lip-gloss and tidy my hair.
I take my phone and my purse in with me, so I can text him I am here early. The coffee shop is full, lots of commuters getting their fix. But it is mostly people sitting in here to watch the game on the screen in the corner.
I check the time and find an open table facing the door. A waitress asks if I’d like anything, and it is polite to order even if I am not staying. So, I order a juice and tell her I am waiting for someone. “No problem, dear,” she says with a smile. I stick out in here. The people in this place are not in designer clothes or driving million-dollar cars. This is where ordinary people go. I’m not ordinary and it is making me uncomfortable the way they all stare at me. I text him twice more, with no reply — the user is not online. Maybe he is driving, I wait a little while longer.
It’s starting to feel like I have been stood up, and I order a second juice. He’s ten minutes late, and I check my app again, no new messages. The coffee shop erupts into a roar as the team they support scores and I get a fright.
I hope you have not stood me up.
I text and wait. When I open the chat again, it’s all gone. His profile has been removed. I have been ghosted! How humiliating is this, sitting here waiting for some asshole who has stood me up and ghosted me. How dare he? I knew he was too good to be fucking true. They all are — men are fucking idiots. All of them. I pay the bill with cash, not wanting anyone to know I was even here, and leave a tip three hundred percent of the bill for my friendly waitress. I take my keys out my purse and tell myself not to cry over this fool.
“I can’t believe I fell for this,” I mutter as the door swings closed behind me. I cross the street to where I parked. I will call Laura from the car and let her know I will be there early. I will just pretend today never happened. I’ll pretend none of it happened. I was so sure he was the perfect man for me. He was perfect because he didn’t exist, it was all just one giant lie.
