Page 52 of Reeling in Love

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. It’s not that we’re free to marry who we choose, so why get into that mess? Get out before it gets too complicated. That’s my mantra. I guess that’s yours too. I see why our granddads thought we’d be good for each other. We think alike.”

“So, you know?”

“What? Our arranged marriage? Yes. Of course.”

“And you’re okay with it? We don’t even know each other.”

I can’t believe it. What the hell is wrong with her?

She shrugs. “How does it matter? I don’t believe in all that soulmate crap. I think any two people can live together and be decently happy if other things are taken care of. Our businesses will do better if we work together. We can stay in Paris. My house is enormous. So is your ancestral house. We can visit here once or twice a month so you can still meet up with your friends while taking care of the business here.”

She seems to have it all planned out. Gosh! Others seem to have given my future and my life more thought than I ever have. It’s crazy. It is, right? Crazy, I mean. Or am I going a little nutty?

“You seem to have given this a lot of thought.” The words finally emerge from my mouth. “But you can’t be serious about it. I mean, I don’t believe in soulmates and stuff myself, but I believe in compatibility and to figure that out, knowing each other is a must. As of now, I find it equivalent to cheating if I think about you or any other woman, given that I’m with Nora. So, I guess, what I’m trying to say is that… this… us… isn’t something I can even think about right now.”

I see Nora looking at us through the window with a weird expression on her face. It looks like a mix of anger, disappointment, and something else. But my brain is too busy with my life’s mess to think much about it.

“You don’t have to think about it right now. Looks like your girlfriend doesn’t like that you’re here with me,” Sophia remarks, giving me a very uncalled-for peck on the cheek before sashaying inside.

I wave to Nora and beckon her outside. “Shall we leave?” I ask. “Did you speak to Carla?”

“Well, about that. Apparently, Kevin has moved in with them and he’s converted my room into his makeshift office. So my bed isn’t there anymore. Carla was offering for me to take their room and they’ll sleep on the mattress, but I said no. I figured I could stay here tonight and see them tomorrow. Hope that’s okay.”

“Sure. There has to be a spare room here. Don’t worry about it.”

We go inside. Most of the guests have taken their leave. I don’t see Sophia anywhere. I guess she’s gone too. Mom is sending the last ones out on their way.

Dad comes over to us. “Nora, I’m thrilled you joined us today. It’s always such a pleasure to meet you. You’re like sunbeams after a storm.”

“Oh, George,” Nora says. “I’m always happy to be here. Always was and always will be.”

“So you planning to meet Carla and your mom tonight? That’s what Gabs was saying. It’s late. Maybe you should go tomorrow.”

She nods. “Yeah. We were thinking the same thing.”

Perfect time to ask him which room I should settle her in. But that gets cleared in the next instant.

“You two lovebirds can’t stay away even for a few hours?” He winks. “But I understand. Ah, to be young and to be in love. The best feeling ever. Go on. I won’t keep you longer.”

Well, of course. We are a couple now, fake or real doesn’t matter. It’s not like old times anymore. Of course, she’ll be staying in my room.

“Night Dad,” I say and walk upstairs toward my room, my heart pounding, followed by a hesitant Nora.

Chapter 22

Nora: #PerfectDisaster

Well, this is weird.

I wish I’d had the foresight to call Carla beforehand and tell her about my plan to spend the night at home. But I didn’t. In my defense, I didn’t know Kevin had moved in with her. I didn’t think they’d reached that point in their relationship already. But whatever. And it’s my home too, even if I stay there only for a week in a year, including holidays.

Well, just thinking about it brings things into perspective. I stay more, much more than that, at Gabs’ place or Eva’s or Lily’s. So I guess I don’t really have a case going to still call it my home.

But this stupidity has led to my spending the night in the same room as Gabriel. It wouldn’t have been a problem a few weeks ago. However, now, as you know, my brain and my heart have been doing a number on me and I can’t fathom what to do about it, so it might not be the best of ideas.

We enter his room. Even though Daphne has redone most of the house, I’m glad she’s left Gabs’ room as close to what it was as possible. The bed, the study table where we both had scratched our names with a pin, the couch which still has the oil stain from when I was trying some experiment, the yearly height marks on the bookshelf that George made on Gabs’ birthday.

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