Page 51 of Love Unexpected
“It’s a shame we don’t have time to go to Dollywood,” Isaac said after a particularly long stretch of silence.
“Dolly what?” I leaned my head back in my seat.
Isaac shot me a look. “Have you never heard of Dollywood?”
“Is that what the billboard was for a few miles back?”
“Cut her some slack, man,” Tyler said from the back seat. “She didn’t grow up in the South.”
“Dollywood is possibly the best amusement park in the entire country, named most prodigiously for its creator and benefactor, the ever-talented Eastern Tennessee native, Dolly Parton.”
My eyebrows lifted and I looked back at Tyler. “Did he swallow a brochure or something?”
“He’s very passionate about Dollywood. So passionate, you should probably expect it as a part of your honeymoon tour.”
“You are never going to let me live that down, are you?”
Tyler shot me a knowing look. “Are you sure you want me to?”
I tensed, my eyes automatically darting to Isaac before I focused back on Tyler. What was he trying to say? And more importantly, what would Isaac make of it?
“Whatever,” I finally said. “I think you’re both ridiculous.” I turned around to face the front. “This is how rumors get started. And if the pack of middle-schoolers who nearly accosted me in the bathroom back at the restaurant is any indication, you cannot afford to start baseless rumors.”
Isaac suddenly looked concerned. “Are you okay? They didn’t actually accost you, did they?”
The warmth in his tone helped ease the sting of Tyler’s too-pointed teasing. “Not with anything but their words,” I said. “But they were very persistent with their questions. For a minute, I actually wondered if they were going to let me leave.”
“Did you answer any of their questions?” Isaac asked.
“Of course not. They were all...personal.”
“Like what?”
“Like whether or not I’m your girlfriend. Or whether or not I had something to do with you and Bridget breaking up. How much money do you make? Are you in love with the woman we’re going to meet in Kansas?”
“A middle school girl really asked how much money I make?”
I shrugged. “She was wearing a shirt that saidFuture Accountants of Americaon it.”
“Is that even a thing?” Tyler asked.
“Regardless, I didn’t answer anything. I hid in the kitchen until they’d all left so I could escape back to the terrace.”
Isaac nodded. “That’s definitely one strategy.”
“There’s another one? What would you have done in that situation?”
“Fortunately, I likely won’t ever be accosted by a pack of middle-school girls in the bathroom.”
I rolled my eyes. “Pretend for a minute, then. I’m genuinely curious. How do you deal with the questions?”
“The key is to answer just enough that they feel like they’re getting something from you. Then they’ll leave you alone.”
“So you just tell them what they want to know? Doesn’t that feel horrible? To share your personal life just because a curious stranger asked?”
Isaac tilted his head as if really thinking about my question. “Here’s the thing you have to remember. To me, the people asking questions are strangers. But I don’t feel like a stranger tothem.A lot of these people who recognize me, approach me, have been watching my show for years. Sometimes it seems like they know more about my life than I do. So even though the questions can feel inappropriate tomewhen they ask them, it helps to remember that they don’t feel like a violation of my privacy tothem.”
“Okay, that makes sense. But still. No matter how well they think they know you, they still shouldn’t ask how much money you make.”
