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Next to the rules, there was a detailed schedule for the next week. After the chef came to prepare her breakfast, her personal shopper was coming to pay her a visit to talk through the wedding outfit. She felt like a celebrity. Like Kim Kardashian. If Kim Kardashian was a Little. And if Kim Kardashian was into elevator races with a partially blind doggy.
“This is the life,” she said aloud, with a sigh.
As much as she was enjoying herself, there was a guilty feeling nagging away inside her. It felt really strange to be having all this fun without her friends. She hadn’t told them anything about this secret fake wedding plan, either. They didn’t even know she was in Miami right now — they thought she’d gone back to Connecticut!
Thing was, though, she felt snubbed by them. It felt kinda good to do this without their knowledge. Maybe that’s why she was eating so much ice-cream now. Trying to hide the guilt under layers of vanilla and choc chip, and cookie dough.
She shoveled in another huge spoonful and immediately regretted it.
Brain freeze!
She jumped off the chair she was perched on, and started hopping from foot to foot.
“Argh! Argh!!” she shouted. She opened her mouth as wide as it would go, trying to let some of the coldness escape from her tongue. Her temples felt like they were stuck in a vice. Her nose felt like it was pinched by a crocodile clip. “I’m dying!”
Just then, her front door burst open, and Isaac ran in.
“What is it?” he yelled, rushing over to her. “Are you alright?”
She spat the big dollop of ice-cream out into the palm of her hand and smiled up at him. “Er, brain freeze,” she said, grinning with embarrassment. Her head still hurt.
Isaac looked at her, and she became aware of how she must have appeared to him.
She was still wearing her pajamas — a pink shorts and t-shirt set, with Skye from PAW Patrol on them. She was holding partially-melted, sticky ice-cream in the palm of her hand, and there were Giant Jenga blocks all over the kitchen floor.
“I see,” said Isaac. “Well, I’m sorry for bursting in like that. I was about to knock, but then I heard you screaming and used my spare key.”
“That’s okay,” said Peach. “I, er, I’m just gonna go wash this…”
Awkwardly, she stepped over the huge Jenga blocks to get to the sink and washed her hand. It was sad seeing all that good ice-cream go to waste, but there was plenty more where it had come from. At least her nose didn’t feel like it was being pinched anymore.
“I came to tell you I’m heading to work shortly, and I wanted to check you were settling in okay. You found everything you need?”
“Mmm-hmm,” said Peach. “It’s perfect, thank you.”
“Good. I’m going to be picking the wedding venue today, by the way. Any preferences?”
“Nope,” said Peach, awkwardly trying to pull her shorts down over her butt. These things were so short and kept riding up between her cheeks.
“Fine,” Isaac replied. “I’ll just pick something straightforward then.”
There was something oddly attractive about how wooden Isaac was. He seemed so stiff, like it was so hard for him to express any true emotion. It made Peach think of Mr. Darcy, in a good way.
Isaac started to go. “Just one more thing,” he said, turning to her.
“Yes, sir?” asked Peach.
“Looks like you broke at least two of my rules already, so you’ll receive a punishment today.”
“Already? But I didn’t do anything wrong! Did I?” She looked around at the Giant Jenga pieces, which she’d brought out here to try to build a new obstacle course for Teddy. And at the ice-cream melting in a sticky puddle on the countertop. And at the elevator, whose doors were currently jammed open with a stuffie and it was quietly beeping a warning at her.
Alright. Well, maybe she hadn’t been perfect. But she would be from now on. Because she definitely didn’t want any punishments. Definitely,definitelynot.
*
“No, Teddy,” said Peach. “I’m not breaking any more rules. We’re not allowed to take you outside, remember. Not unless it’s in that courtyard.”
Peach pointed at the central courtyard to show Teddy where he was allowed. It’s not like Teddy didn’t like it in the house. They’d played with the obstacle course loads already, and Teddy had run in circles around the olive tree in the courtyard like he was a young pup again.
