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Winter hasn’t spoken since the word “Egypt” crossed Logan’s lips, and she’s now giving him the stare of death, daring him to get up and go talk to his exin private.
Desperate, Logan stares at his best friend for help. Archie gives him a subtle shake of the head that I interpret as a, “No, dude, you’d better keep your ass glued to that chair if you want to speak with your ex who you haven’t heard from in years.”
Logan must understand the same unspoken message because, with a resigned sigh, he picks up. “Hello.”
“Hey.”
Tara’s is a simple greeting, but the tone is loaded with familiarity and a shared past. Unfortunately for the groom, the voice on the other side is loud enough for everyone at the table to hear and pick up on these details. Also, we’re all keeping a religious silence as we shamelessly eavesdrop on the conversation. And even if we weren’t, I suspect Winter would kill anyone who dared utter a sound in cold blood.
“Err, how have you been?” Logan asks.
“Oh, you know,” Tara says. “Busy. Lots of cataloging going on, and the work on the new museum is crazy. I’ve switched the exposition around a thousand times to find the perfect order of presentation and still can’t decide, even if I know patrons won’t care or notice that much,” she rants on, clearly nervous. “You must have the same troubles in Thailand.”
Logan lets out an awkward chuckle. “Oh, no. We got lucky; the government threw a boatload of money at us and we’re just working on opening the final wing of the exposition.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” Tara says. I look at my sister’s face, and it’s like Winter has turned to stone. “From what I’ve heard, it’s magnificent.”
“I hope so,” Logan says, the portrait of a man who’d gladly crawl out of his skin.
Silence stretches on the line until Tara speaks again. “I heard congratulations are in order. You’re getting married?”
The question seems to be loaded, in a “have you truly forgotten about me?” way.
“Yes,” Logan says, staring directly at my sister, “to the most wonderful woman on Earth, the day after tomorrow.”
Another protracted pause, and then Tara speaks in a small voice, “Well, as I said, congratulations. I have to go now; they need me at the museum. Goodbye, Logan.”
The ex hangs up before he has time to reply, prompting the entire table to let go of a collective breath of relief.
Logan turns to Winter. “I’m sorry,” he says. “She hasn’t called me in years. I thought something bad might’ve happened.”
My sister swallows and nods. “It’s okay,” she says. “I just feel sorry for her.”
“Why?” Logan asks, looking puzzled.
“Because Tara has realized she was the dumbest cow to dump you for a stupid pharaoh’s tomb, and now she’s too late.”
They kiss. And it’s not a chaste peck on the lips. It’s a real, deep, long kiss that prompts my dad to cough and hide his face in his napkin.
They’re so in love, it’s disgusting. I can’t help but steal a glance at Archie, and find him observing me. When our eyes meet, he winks, causing my stomach to do a silly little flip.
And I have such a crush,I’mdisgusting.
When the betrothed couple finally break their kiss, my sister’s good mood seems completely restored.
Winter places her napkin on her legs, asking, “What are you guys all doing tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” I ask, on edge. “Friday is a free day, right?” This afternoon, Archie and I made plans to have lunch in Yountville, and maybe visit a vineyard or brewery together. And I don’t want Winter’s well-meaning desire for conviviality to ruin the plan. “We don’t have any mandatory activities.”
I flash a panicked stare at Archie, and if eyes could talk, his would be saying,“Sheesh, woman, be cool.”
On his left, Winter pouts. “I’m sorry amandatoryspa day has been so hard on you. Where did you disappear to, anyway?”
“I had a work call,” I lie.
“I thought phones weren’t allowed.”
“No, but I went to the locker room to check my messages and had to call the office back.”
