Page 18 of Shy Girl
“One of my best friends, Grady, is getting married, and he asked me to be the best man. Of course I accepted.”
My hair stood up on end as I ran a hand through it. Dagny didn’t say a word, but her eyes seemed to be processing it in the background, as if I could see her brain working through everything I said. So I kept going, because that silence needed to be filled.
“But that was before I realized that a woman named Victoria would be there.” A pit fell into my stomach just thinking about her. “I . . . sort of dated her. We didn’t end well and she’s best friends with the bride. Anyway . . . I just . . . I don’t want to go to Grady’s wedding alone with her there. She's moved on to someone else and I don't want to show up by myself.”
“W-was it that bad?”
I snorted. “Yes, but it could have been worse. Besides, going to Grady’s wedding without a date?” My eyes rolled in the back of my head. “His mother will set me up with every bridesmaid or every other single woman at the wedding just to save me from Victoria, and that would be even worse.”
Her eyes lit up with a smile. “P-p-probably.”
Her affirmative response gave me pause. Did she know Grady? Most people in this area knew his family, at least. She must know his mother to agree with my statement so warmly. How old was Dagny anyway?
I brushed that aside for later.
“It would just be a lot easier if I took someone with me,” I concluded. “I won’t miss this just because of Victoria and because, well, they’re my brothers. We take care of each other. And that’s the other thing.”
Her eyes widened. “Th-there’s more?”
“Sort of.” I bit my bottom lip, then sighed. This was a disaster, but I was too far into it to go back now. “My friends . . . they can be hard to impress, for lack of a better word.”
“Oh?”
Uncomfortable with just how to phrase this, I rubbed a hand over the back of my neck. I had a feeling they’d love Dagny, but how to say that?
“I . . . I think they have my best interests at heart, they can just . . . be sort of . . . intense when they meet girlfriends.”
“Int-tense l-like a-a-asking a lot of questions?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “They've asked a lot of questions in the past.”
“A-a-are they r-rude?”
“No.”
She made a noise in her throat, and a puzzled expression followed. I sighed and played my next card, which, fortunately, was the truth.
“I know you’ll pass.” I lifted up a hand and let it fall again. “I know they would love you. It’s part of my selfish ask. You are the kind of person that would make things so much easier on me. Even though we don’t know each other very well yet, I think we could have fun. Even if we just lay out on the beach all the time.”
Dagny blinked and let out a long, long breath. When it finished, she paused there in a sort of puzzled state for several moments. I shifted my weight. My mind raced with thoughts but none of them would settle. Had I phrased that right? Or was she going to laugh me off and call me insane? I wouldn't blame her. The sheer amount of thought behind her eyes gave me hope. Because thiswasinsane, but it was also sincere. I needed help, as hard as it was to admit. Maybe that would count for something.
“W-why m-m-me?” She gestured helplessly to herself, as if to say,why would you do this?
“Because you’re so impressive. You’re real. I know you’ll fit right in.”
She scoffed, and I sensed some weight behind that. Before I could ask, she said, “B-but I s-s-stutter.”
I shrugged. “So?”
“S-s-so won’t that emb-b-barrass you?”
“No.”
An expression twisted her face that I couldn’t read and didn’t even try to. If she wanted to go, she’d do it. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t. Regardless of what she said, I’d figure it out . . . but it would be aloteasier if she were at my side.
“W-why fake it?” she asked next. “Y-you’re a catch. W-w-why don’t you h-have a g-girlfriend?”
It was my turn to be shocked. The question was fair and one I should have anticipated, but more than likely I just tried to avoid. “Ah . . . because I don’t make time for a girlfriend, I guess.”
