Page 59 of Reeling in Love

“Anyway, how did it happen? And since when?” Carla repeats and Mom brings us some coffee and takes a seat opposite us.

“I made coffee for Kevin too. Where is he?”

“Probably working. He’s gotta finish something today, I guess. Don’t bother. Let’s focus on the important stuff.”

She looks at me, the steaming mug in her hands, her feet up on the couch, her eyes wide with excitement.

“Nothing spectacular. He broke up with Paula the same day I broke up with Rick.”

“Because of each other?”

“Nooo. I hadn’t even thought about it before that. It was Paula who said that he could never be in a relationship because we both are into each other. I guess that statement made us think. And we thought, well, let’s give it a try. That’s it.”

“Really? That’s lame,” Carla says, the excitement vanishing from her face.

“Unfortunately, I agree,” Mom says. “I was expecting something more dramatic. But, I’m happy for you, Nora.”

I hate lying to them. I hate lying to anyone, but especially to them. So, when I see the happiness and excitement that this news brings, I somehow don’t feel like going through with it. I mean, it’s my family. They deserve the truth.

“Well, how’s this for dramatic? We’re not really together. We’re faking it because his mom has planned for some arranged marriage for him otherwise.”

“What? Who? Is that true?”

I nod. “Sophia. She’s some French heiress of a big business. But you can’t tell anyone. Okay? Everyone needs to believe this.”

They’re both quiet for some time. “No wonder you both were so awkward together,” Mom remarks.

“Just a moment ago, weren’t you saying you always knew this would happen?” She’s really bizarre, this woman.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I still do. I think you’re perfect for each other. But you have to find that out for yourself. And sometimes, finding that out takes a long, long time.”

Something tells me she’s not talking about me right now. Her eyes seem to focus on nothingness, lost in a past that she’d rather never have lived. Was there a time when she thought Dad and she were good together? Did she take so much time to figure out it wasn’t working? I, of course, spared no words to tell her what I felt when I was old enough to understand.

She closes her eyes for a moment and when she opens them again; I see her studying my face with a strange look. “But coming back, you can’t keep up this ruse forever. What happens when you find someone or he does?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. Hopefully that Sophia girl will also find someone else till then. At least we buy some time for Gabs to figure out what can be done. Daphne wanted to fix it all up during dinner last night and in the coming weeks. We’ll take it one step at a time. But guys,” I say, my gaze oscillating between them. “Remember, please don’t tell anyone. This cannot go out. Not a single soul besides the two of you know it.”

“Of course, we won’t tell anyone. But tell me, does that mean you two haven’t… y’know what I mean? I mean, you both stay together, right?” Carla says, wiggling her eyebrows.

Of course, I know what she means. But I can’t tell her we did, despite this being a fake. “Grow up Carla. Asking such questions! Anyway, enough about me. You tell me, how are things here?”

And just like that, the conversation veers to more palatable topics, away from me picturing Gabs over me, his tongue licking me, him whispering in my ears. Ugh! I hate myself for being so impacted by one night. What am I? A schoolgirl?

Thankfully, the topic doesn’t come up again during the day. I talk to Kevin after a delectable lunch of pork pie. I get some mouth-watering pictures of the food that I share online. Hashtag Mom’s-Food-Is-The-Best. Good food always makes for some great photos, especially when the presentation is so awesome. Mom works as a chef in a nearby restaurant, so this is her area of expertise. She packs the leftovers for Gabs, though I’m not sure I’d like to share it with him. On second thoughts, I might.

I discuss digital marketing with Kevin and the things he can do. From what little he has done till now, I don’t see how he’s reaching any customers. He’s barely present on social media with less than a hundred followers and posts once a week, sometimes not even that. His business website is one page! One page. And that too is not optimized for searches. Jesus! There’s a lot to do.

“So, how do you find your clients right now?” I ask him while studying his one-page website and noting down the things he should add.

“It’s more of a word-of-mouth thing. I actually have a friend who gives me work, and he has recommended me to a few people. That’s it for now.”

“Okay. That’s good. Getting references through your existing clients speaks well. But how does someone who needs an illustrator find you?”

He’s at a loss and shrugs. “I’m listed on some of these freelance websites.”

“Look, Kevin. You have a business where you can have clients from across the globe. But they need to find you when they search for an illustrator.” I try to keep my tone upbeat and approachable. “Digital marketing is all about reaching your customers online. It’s where most people spend their time these days—on social media, reading emails, browsing websites.”

I spend over an hour with him giving him ideas, and showing him how he can make quick reels and posts on free software, the pages he can add to his website, the promotions he can run, and the frequency with which he should post.

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