Page 46 of Reeling in Love

I feel like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a betrayer to my closest friend. She thinks she’s doing it for appearances, helping me out, while me… All I can think of is getting my lips on hers again, of feeling her skin on mine. I’m probably the worst friend one could have. Am I worse than Brutus? Who knows? I don’t even remember the play very well.

“Well, your house sure has changed over the years,” Nora says, pulling me in through the gates.

I nod. The house has changed. It’s become bigger, grander, more stylish. To me, however, it’s more a fashion statement than home now—a lavish space right out of a home-interior magazine. I don’t recognize this place anymore than I do a hotel I stay in for work. To others, it may seem like an upgrade, but not to me.

As if sensing my thoughts, Nora squeezes my arm. “You miss your old home?” she asks. “To be honest, I do too. I guess I spent as much time here as I did in my own home. So yeah, I miss our spaces that had so many memories.”

“Ah, my two favorite people are finally here,” comes Dad’s booming voice as he walks toward us with outstretched arms. “Nora! How’ve you been? Don’t you miss seeing this old man? I’ve missed you. And Gabriel. How are you? And I can’t say how glad I am to know that you two finally saw what I knew many years ago—that you’re meant to be together.”

I cough at his words, happy to hear them but wondering how Nora would take them. He hugs us both tightly. “Welcome home, both of you.”

“George, don’t suffocate them, please,” Mom says, peeking out from the window.

Dad lets us go and pats us on the back. “You both go right in and make yourselves comfortable. I’ll get someone to take your luggage to your room. Okay? Lovely to have you both back home,” Dad says, smiling from ear to ear.

We go inside. I dare not even look at Nora for fear of what her expressions will tell me. Dad makes things really weird, I must say.

“Hi darlings,” Mom says, giving us both a peck on the cheek. “How was the drive?”

“It was fine, thank you,” Nora says.

“The guests will arrive soon. If you like, you can freshen up and change upstairs or rest for a while. It’s just an intimate gathering. Only close friends. And Nora, my dear, thank you for coming today. It’s been a long time.”

Nora smiles. “Thank you for inviting me, Daphne. As always, it’s good to see you.”

They both can act super formal with each other and not even feel awkward about it. Well, this is supposed to be me introducing Mom to my girlfriend. Should I say something? Do something? Jesus! They already know each other. What should I say to make it believable?

“Um. Okay,” I say, feeling as awkward as a penguin in a flamingo party. “What time should we come down?”

“In an hour? Nora, will that be enough time for you to get ready?”

“I can be ready even in five minutes, Daphne, if you need me to. Don’t worry about me at all.”

Mom laughs her artificial laugh and Nora echoes it. “Of course you can. I’ll see you in an hour, then. And Gabriel,” she turns to me. “Je suis vraiment heureuse de te voir.” She kisses me on the cheek again and floats away to the other side of the room.

Nora is already walking up the stairs. I follow her to my room and as soon as I close the door behind me, she bursts out laughing.

“This is going to be fun. Daphne seems to be more ceremonial and queen-like every time I meet her. What’s up with her? And what has she done to your real mom, the woman who baked muffins for us when we were kids? Could she be a witch who has eaten her and taken her place?”

This was a thing we often said as kids once we were back from France after my grandfather’s death.

“I guess she was always like this. But when she didn’t have so much money to spare, she had stifled this persona of hers inside. I don’t know. She was always nicer to you than to me then.”

“Yeah, and that changed completely after she returned from Paris. If not for George, I would’ve stopped coming here after that. Remember how she used to scoff at my dresses and my braces?”

I hold her by the shoulders. “If she’s mean to you today, you let me know, okay? I’ll call her out on it right then and there. I don’t care if it’s in front of a hundred other people. No one. No one at all will get away with being mean to you. Not when you’re my guest. My girlfriend.”

It feels nice to say that.

“Ooh,” she says, stepping closer to me, barely inches away. “You’re taking this girlfriend thing quite seriously.”

“I am. When I do something, I do it fully.”

I look into her eyes, our gazes locked. I pull her closer, our faces so close that I can feel her warm breath on my lips. Her breathing quickens and I bend my face a little. She closes her eyes and pouts her lips. Oh, sweet Jesus. Does she want it too? Should I kiss those delicious lips?

The indecisiveness costs me the kiss because a knock on the door breaks the moment. Nora quickly disengages herself and steps into the washroom while I open the door. It’s a liveried man, holding our bags. Yes, Mom has a few helpers who are now dressed in uniforms. Talk about being ostentatious.

“Thank you,” I say as he places them inside.

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