30. Chapter 30
Chapter 30
Spencer
T he next few days are the busiest of the entire summer. That’s the only reason I’m not going completely insane thinking about if Lis is ever going to speak to me again. If she does, it’s at work and only about Blue Vista business. She has stopped letting me walk her home. She has stopped seeking me out for anything except things that are specifically my responsibilities. I have never hated my job, until now.
The rest of Pride and the Celebration of Light goes smoothly. Lis brings in Pride cookies she made for the parade. We all take the time to watch it as it passes by our building. But then we have to get back to work. There are three weddings that day.
With Pride and the fireworks happening on the same day, Vic wanted to let multiple people get married at our venue. We dropped the price for the one day, made a lower maximum guest limit, and had all three weddings happen together as one big party.
It was an interesting struggle getting three different couples together and sorting out wedding details, but it had been a fun and exciting exercise.
The three couples share their first dance as the fireworks start.
There’s another wedding the next day since Monday is a holiday. And then finally, finally, we get to rest.
As we’re about to leave, I ask Lis what her plans are for her days off and if she wants to go hiking. I’d intended to ask her out on a date, but now, I just feel like I need to get us back to our friend status.
Her smile is strained when she refuses.
“Oh. I can’t. I have a hair appointment and then I’m going to get some wedding stuff done with Daze and Sophie.”
They’d agreed to take the date I’d offered them in September, so the wedding is swiftly approaching.
“How’s everything going with that?”
“They both have their dresses. We went to this really cool consignment dress shop on West Hastings. Daze got this really cute, ethereal gown and Sophie got this simple, elegant one. They’re going to look stunning together.”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah. And they only needed minor alterations, so that was awesome too. This week we’re going to find my dress and the other maid of honour’s dress.”
“That’s awesome. I can’t wait to see it all come together. Are you walking home? You want me to walk you?”
I hold my breath as I wait for her response.
“No. My feet are killing me. I’m going to take transit.”
I want to go with her, but she said she needed time and I’m determined to give it to her.
A couple days later, I go through my morning routine of wake up, coffee, stare like a pathetic creep out my front window. When I move, I won’t be able to do this. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe I need to take a step back. Maybe Derek was right and I’m just going to have my heart broken.
I sit down at the dining table with my mug as Vic comes out of her bedroom, dressed and ready for the day, though I have no idea what she has planned.
I run my hands over the tabletop.
“I don’t have any furniture,” I say.
“No, you don’t. Except in your bedroom.”
“How did I get to be a thirty-year-old man with no furniture?”
She laughs. “A girlfriend asked you to move in with her and you freaked out and moved in with me instead.”
“Well, if I’m going to move into a new place, I should probably get some things.”
“Probably, yes,” she says with a sage nod.
“And some dishes. I don’t have any dishes.”
“You have that mug,” she points to it.
It came with a coffee gift set from some past girlfriend who thought we needed to exchange presents at Christmas. I can’t even remember what I’d gotten her. We’d barely been dating a couple of months and broke up shortly after Christmas. At the time, I had the feeling she’d just not wanted to be alone during the holidays.
The end result being that I have one mug. I don’t particularly like it, but since it’s mine, it’s the one I habitually reach for.
“Let’s go shopping,” I say.
“Isn’t this something you might want to do with someone else?” she asks.
“No,” I say, standing. I know she means Lis. She also knows that Lis isn’t exactly speaking to me right now. “This is something I need to do for myself. And as my best friend, you are contractually obligated to assist me.”
She raises one eyebrow. “Contractually?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t remember signing a contract.”
“Okay. Maybe not a contract.” Then I smile. “It’s the law. The federally regulated best friend law.”
“I’ll need you to show that to me.”
“No time,” I say as I bring my single mug to the kitchen and load it in the dishwasher. “We have to get going if we’re going furniture shopping.”
I usher Vic out of the apartment and she agrees to drive us. She takes us to a few places. I look at couches, tables, and chairs for indoors and outdoors. But I don’t buy anything.
“We’ve been at this for hours already, Spencer,” Vic says as I drag her into another store. “We’ve been to five stores. Can’t you just pick something?”
“I figure I’m going to have this stuff for a while. I don’t want to choose the wrong thing. And I haven’t found anything that really made me stop. There was that one sectional I liked. I might want to go back and order it.”
She rolls her eyes but follows me inside.
“This should be easier,” I say as we walk into a kitchen supply store. “I don’t think it’s as big a deal to choose the exact right plate.”
She looks at the display of glasses in front of the store. “I guess that depends. I’m sure it would be more important to someone like Lis than to you or me.”
“Hm. Maybe you’re right.”
“Oh no. Don’t start this wishy-washy crap again. Choose something.”
I look through the dishes, finding a simple set that’s white with two blue lines around the edge. It comes with four each of dinner plates, dessert plates, bowls, and mugs.
“Look! More mugs,” I say as I pick the box off the shelf and put it in a cart.
“Congratulations,” Vic says. “What else are you going to get? Pots and pans? Coffee maker? Blender?”
“What do I need a blender for?”
She shrugs.
“No blender. And I was thinking of waiting on the pots and pans and asking Lis’ advice.” We start toward the small appliances. “It makes sense to have a chef give advice. Right?”
“Yeah. I think so.”
“She’s going to talk to me again, right?”
Vic casts a glance at me. “She talks to you now.”
I shake my head. “It’s not the same. Not since she found out about my stake in Blue Vista.” We reach the coffee makers and I look through a few of them. “Except for the other day when she mentioned Daze and Sophie’s wedding, she’s only talked to me about business stuff. Nothing else. She won’t walk home with me. And I haven’t seen her smile.”
“She smiles all the time.”
I sigh as I turn one of the boxes on the shelf to read the features on the side.
“There’s this smile she has. It’s like we’re sharing a secret. Like she’s got a joke and I’m the only one in on it with her.”
I turn the box around and look at the next one.
“Spencer. Are you…” she hesitates.
But I already know what she’s going to ask. And this time, I’m not afraid to say it out loud. I’d tell Lis tomorrow if she’d let me. “Yes. I’m in love with her.”
“Since when?”
I laugh. “I don’t know. The first night we met? Some time during the summer? You know how in Pride and Prejudice , Darcy says something like I was in the middle before I knew I had begun ?”
Vic looks at me with a raised eyebrow. “You’ve read Pride and Prejudice ?”
“Of course not. I watched the movie. With Keira Knightley. Anyway, it’s like that. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late to stop it.” I lift a shoulder in a helpless shrug. “Pretty sure I wouldn’t have stopped it even if I could.”
We stand there without talking for a while and then I tap the box I’m looking at. “This is the one. What else do I need?”
“Cutlery.”
“Right. Let’s go find some.”
I start to push the cart in the direction we need when Vic grabs my arm.
“You’ll be okay, right?”
“I will. I’ve always got you.”
She holds up her pinky finger. “No matter what.”
I link mine with hers. “Even when I fuck up.”
When I try to let go, she holds on. “And even when you don’t.”