Page 21 of Dial A for Aunties

“It’s very clear what I mean!” Ma snaps. “Yes, we know your English is very good, no need to show off, okay?”

Fourth Aunt throws her arms up. “I’m just helping!”

Big Aunt catches her eye and gives a small shake of the head, and immediately Fourth Aunt deflates, her breath coming out in an angry sigh. She mumbles, “Do whatever you want.”

It’s as though there’s a fire under my skin. My cheeks are red-hot. My mom and aunt are fighting because of me. I mean, okay, Ma has never gotten along with Fourth Aunt, and they fight every chance they get, but still, it sucks to be the reason they’re fighting now.

Big Aunt nods. “Okay, no police. Come, we go see body.”

8

Senior Year, Four Years Ago

“—and they say want twelve lily tower!” Ma practically shouts at me over the phone.

“Wow, that’s amazing, Ma,” I say, lowering the volume on my phone to the minimum. I can’t see her face. As usual, she’s got the camera pointing too high, so it’s only showing her forehead and her permed bangs.

“Yes, it all go so well, Meddy. When you finish school and come home, it will go even better, especially then we have photos of everything we done.”

I don’t even have to force my smile. The family business, sans me, has been surprisingly successful. I have to admit that my mom and aunts have exceeded my expectations, even though I was somewhat dubious about the idea to begin with. I’ve been helping out here and there whenever I’m home, taking as manyphotos as I can of Ma’s flower arrangements and Big Aunt’s cakes. I even set up a website for them. It doesn’t look half bad, but I can’t wait to be able to spend a lot more time streamlining everything and making it look all shiny and impressive. Weirdly, I’m actually really looking forward to graduating and plunging headfirst into the business. Who woulda thunk it?

There’s a knock at my door. A second later, Nathan pops his head in. I quickly tell Ma I have to go and cut the call short. Still haven’t told her about Nathan. I figured we’re so close to graduating, and once we do, I’ll definitely tell them about Nathan because he’ll be coming round to our house all the time. With them constantly fussing over him, I’d lose him to them. So for now, I choose to be selfish again. Keep him all to myself. Just for the time being. There’s plenty of time to serve him up to the sharks. At least with graduation looming, Nathan’s stopped asking when I’ll introduce him to my family. He knows it won’t be long now, so he can afford to be patient.

“I’ve got news,” Nathan says, dimples on full assault as he walks in.

“Oh?” Three years together and the sight of him still makes my breath catch. Maybe I have asthma. I shouldn’t still be so breathless around such a long-term boyfriend. But seriously, those stupid dimples. They should be outlawed.

“No horny face,” he scolds, grinning. “Not yet, anyway.” He takes both of my hands in his. “Okay, so. You know how I was interning at JLL last summer?”

I gasp. “Did they offer you a position? That’s awesome! I knew they would!”

“They did.”

I squeal and leap into his arms, and he lifts me right off the floor, laughing. “Wait, I’m not done telling you the offer yet.”

I’m peppering his entire face with kisses, so I miss the next thing he says. Or rather, I hear it, but my brain says,Does not compute. I pause mid-kiss. “Come again?”

“It’s in New York. That’s where their headquarters are.”

“I—oh. Can you put me down?”

He does so, gently, and the second my toes touch the floor, I start pacing about the small room. Thoughts race through my head at Nathan’s news. What does it mean? It means, dumbass, that he’s going to move to New York. Wait, does it mean that? He hasn’t said he accepted. But how can he not accept? It’s the biggest business consulting company in the country, if not the world. And it’s New York! But what about his dream of staying here in California and opening a hotel?What about it? It was obviously just that, a dream.

“You okay?” Nathan says, rubbing his hands up and down my arms. “I wasn’t actually done telling you stuff.”

“Oh?” My head pops up like a meerkat. Maybe he’s going to tell me he got an even better offer, from an even bigger consulting firm that I have never heard of. Which would be totally plausible.

Nathan’s eyes grow soft, and he takes my hands again. “I’d love it if you’d come with me, Meddy.”

My mouth drops open. No sound comes out of it. My mind, whatever’s left of it, has short-circuited.

“Meddy? Hmm. Did I break you?” He waves a hand right in front of my face. “Hey.”

“Sorry. What? Come with you? To New York?”

“Yeah,” he laughs. “Come with me. We’ll explore the Big Apple together. We can get an apartment together; we’ll wake up next to each other every morning. I’ll make you a latte and get you fresh bagels every day. It’s a great city for photographers. You’d have your work in galleries, Meddy, I know it. You’re brilliant.”

My knees grow weak. God, I want all those things so badly. I want me and Nathan in a tiny New York City apartment with exposed brick walls and wood floors and those old school radiators.

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