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I straightened, and he stepped back reflexively, dropping his arms. Like a plant turning toward sunlight, I found myself leaning toward him, despite knowing that we both needed some physical space. Sweat trickled down my back, and I felt like I was burning up from the inside out, and not just because we were standing in a hot kitchen.
Get it together, Ciara!
“It’s not that,” I said once I got my external reaction to him under control. “But say we get married in May, two months from now, right? That means we wouldn’t be able to officially ‘break up’ until November. So for the last three months of our relationship, I’d be in an entirely different state. Wouldn’t that be weird? And wouldn’t it raise questions?”
Nathan tilted his head from side to side, considering. “I don’t think so,” he said slowly. His eyes lit up. “In fact, it might provide the perfect excuse to get a divorce. You’re in a different state, and it’s too hard to be together long distance. Or we’re growing apart because we realized that we are in two different life stages. It’s a much smoother transition than having to be in the same place and explain to our friends and family, and then awkwardly see each other in church.”
I bit my lip. “True, I guess.”
“Yeah. So definitely apply,” he encouraged. “Besides, I want to make sure you get something out of this marriage, too.”
Other than being close to a hometown celebrity and getting to look at you every day?I wanted to ask. But that would complicate things, and I figured it would make him uncomfortable, so I refrained.
“True, I guess,” I repeated instead. I turned back to the stove as an errant thought—I wonder if I’ll see him half-naked while we live together—popped into my head, and I had to hide my blush.
“So,” I said, “our engagement. How are we going to announce it?”
“Well, I have to propose first,” he said, chuckling. “Are you okay if I keep that part a surprise?”
The possibility of him proposing in front of a crowd of people made me queasy, but I nodded. “Sure, go for it,” I said, my voice sounding more easygoing than I felt.
“Great.” A chair scraped the floor behind me, and I heard Nathan lower himself into it with a small grunt. I turned to hand him a bowl of food and a fork from the drawer next to me, and he nodded his thanks.
I joined him with my food. “So, I’ll probably meet your family soon,” I said. “We should figure out our meet-cute, right?”
Nathan frowned at his bowl as he twirled the noodles around his fork. “What’s a meet-cute?”
I smiled. “Before I tell you, I have a confession to make.”
He frowned. “You’re not an ax murder or a stalker, are you?”
I laughed, the sound loud in the small space of the kitchen. “No! It’s just…” I sighed, rolling my eyes. “I’m a bit of a romantic. I read a lot of…romance books. And watch a lot of romcoms on TV.”
His eyes lit up, and he leaned forward. “Ah, another piece of the Ciara puzzle!”
I blushed, brushing this away. “It’s no big deal. But anyway, back to the meet-cute. It’s the first time a couple meets each other and is one of the most exciting parts of a romance.”
I blushed, hoping he didn’t think I was pathetic for knowing that or wanting to discuss it.He probably thinks I’m childish and uncultured.
But instead of ridiculing me, he nodded. “You’re right; we should definitely figure that out so our story is believable.” He chuckled. “Can you imagine if we had two different stories? We’d be found out for sure.”
I nodded. “So,” I said, “what do you suggest?”
We spent a few minutes working out the major details, such as where we met and our first date. We agreed to get more into our “love story” only when we were both in the room—“So we can feed off each other’s energy as we tell it, while also making sure we have the same details,” Nathan explained. All the while, I furtively watched the door to make sure my dad didn’t overhear.
By the time my dad came back into the room, I had agreed to go to his siblings’ birthday party that weekend so I could get to know them. Though he didn’t say anything at first, I could feel my dad’s presence behind me, in the doorway.
When there was finally a break in the conversation, my dad cleared his throat. Both Nathan and I looked up to see my dad’s sheepish expression.
“I’m sorry for running out,” he said. He grimaced. “That was…rude of me, and unsupportive. And probably didn’t make a good first impression on you, Nathan.”
“No worries, sir,” he said. “I’m not a father, but I can only imagine how difficult it would be to hear that your only child is getting married, even if you’d known the person for years. You just met me today.”
My dad studied Nathan for a minute, squinting slightly. My heart sank; I knew what was coming. My dad was planning on grilling Nathan about his intentions.
“What do you love most about my daughter? And keep it PG,” he added, a hint of sternness in his voice. “I don’t wanna have to settle this outside.”
“Of course,” Nathan said, nodding and looking slightly subdued. I hid my smile. Though Nathan and I had not been intimate, Nathan played it off well.
