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A quiet settles between us. I gather my strength—no, not strength, more of a commitment to myself.
“I think you know that I don’t want to get married. If that wasn’t clear by what I said out there in the living room, then let me make this clear. I’m not here because of some romantic notion. As a matter of fact, I am not in love with Kieran.”
Okay, that might be a lie. But I’m not sure about that one yet.
I go on, “I’m not going to pretend for anyone that I want to look at flowers or pick a dress or any of the other things you’re going to need or want me to do. I believe those things are special and should be reserved for love. Real love. Not…”
My vocal cords tighten so hard it takes me a few seconds to recover. “Are you familiar with the mob?”
She blinks. Once. Slowly. Very precisely. Eva would make a great poker player. Or spy. “Yes. I know who I’m working for.”
“Then you know that most marriages in the Irish Mafia are arranged marriages, and I’d bet that nearly all of them are loveless.”
Her face remains perfectly calm.
I try to keep up a façade of calm, but inside, I’m simmering and losing my grip. Saying this out loud makes me feel even worse. Like an admission of just how fucked up my life is. I fail at faking nonchalance.
Sighing heavily, I drop my face into my hands.
She’s silent. Eva’s probably never had a breakdown. She’s too dragon-y for that.
And it might mess up her perfect posture. She also definitely hasn’t had an arranged marriage. “Picking flowers and a dress and cake flavors are for people who want to have a special day with the person that makes their heart sing,” I mutter from under the curtain of my hair.
I flinch when her fingers cup my forearm. She gently tugs my hand away from my face. Her eyes are giant, blue and luminous. For some reason, they make me feel even worse. In a soft voice, she says, “Thank you for being honest with me.”
“You’re welcome. Now, please just pick it all for me. I really don’t care.At all. Dress me in nun’s get-up for all I care. Actually, that might be kind of funny. Not funny haha.”
She squeezes my arm. Yep, she’s definitely never had a meltdown before. Calmly, she says, “I’ll pick it all. But will you listen to me for a few moments?”
I slump into the velvet chair, letting my hands fall weakly into my lap. “Do I have a choice? I don’t seem to have many of those.”
Eva rises and goes to the mini-bar. She brings back two little bottles of wine. They also look fancy, with labels in French. She cracks them open and pours them into two highball glasses. No stems for the dragon, I guess.
“You don’t have to listen, but it might make you feel better.”
I snort. Pick up the glass and stare at the ox-blood red liquid. “Then, by all means, proceed.”
“Did you ever play dress-up as a little kid?”
“Some. Not too much. But I know what you’re talking about.”
Swinging her five-inch, shiny black high heel back and forth, she asks, “Why did you do it?”
“Something to do? Kill time? I don’t know. Why do kids play any time?”
She sips her wine and carefully dabs her lipstick with a burgundy cloth cocktail napkin. “Exactly. Now, would you be willing to play dress-up with me for a day or two just for the sake of killing time? I mean, you could just sit around here and mope.” She raises a brow, sips again. “Or we could spend a fuckton of money. Play with some fabulous dresses and surround ourselves with beautiful flowers. Drink a LOT of champagne. Eat like queens. Get facials and manicures.”
I’m starting to see where she is going with this.
She grins. “All on someone else’s dime. While the men run around doing what they do. And we pay them no mind. Think of it as a mini-vacation from reality. If your schedule is like mine, that’s not likely to happen again any time too soon.”
I take a slug off my glass and let a grin spread on my face. “Gee. Maybe I need you to reframe my whole life.”
She laughs throatily. “Give me enough time and I will.”
I hold out my glass, clinking it against hers. “Bring it on. I need a fictional reprieve more than you’ll ever know.”
I also need an ally. Tiny, fire-breathing dragon Eva might just be the kind of person who would help a girl out of a bind.
