The Reluctant Romantics Box Set (The Fall, The Mind, The Heart)

“Looks like the return is a Dean Martin. Sign here.” I rolled my eyes as I pulled the first pillow out. The man came back from his truck carrying five more boxes.

“What in the hell?” I questioned as I signed for them. “How many more are there?” I said, peering behind him.

He ignored me as he brought the boxes in one by one and stacked them in my entryway. I thanked him and shut the door, staring at the intrusion. I quickly dug in and found every single one of them was a pillow. Memory Foam, Wassaba, My Pillow…all of the infomercial pillows made an appearance in my new collection. I laughed hysterically as I opened each one, testing them out with my fist.

Dean was well aware of my issue with the right pillow. More than once in college, I had turned him down to sleep at his place to get back to the comfort of my bed. He had six brand new pillows laying on his bed at his frat house the next night and we had used every single one in one form or another. I had griped a few times recently at his new place for not having more than one for each of us. He simply looked at me, shook his head and threw his pillow in my face, opting to sleep without one. I teared up at the recent memory.

“This has got to be the coolest thing ever. Did Dean send these?” Rose smiled, shutting my front door as she eyed me on the floor. “Dallas?”

“Fuck,” I bit out before throwing my arms around her, dragging her down to the floor with me and crying on her shoulder while I clung to her.

“What is it?” Rose said taken by surprise. She let me have my minute and when I pulled away from her, I was laughing.

“What the hell is wrong with you, crazy woman?” She was giggling as she gauged my reaction.

I looked around me and laughed with her, surrounded by a mountain of pillows.

“Most girls get flowers. Only Dean would know a comfortable pillow would be the way to your heart.” She picked one up and tossed it at me playfully. I nodded, wiping away my last stray tear. “Did you bring food?”

“No, you were supposed to order it.” She stood up, rolling her eyes. “I’ve got this, loser. What good are you?”

“I’m not lately,” I said on a whisper.

“I’ll handle it. Just go shower or find about twenty-five new cases for these.” She gestured, pulling her phone from her pocket. “And Dallas, you will be telling me what the hell is going on.”

I nodded, dragging a handful of pillows to my bedroom.

I sat on the edge of my bed trying to beat down the urge to fly over to Dean’s in nothing but a winter coat when I got a text.

DEAN: Twenty-five notifications from UPS that your packages arrived. Sleep well, Dallas.

I couldn’t stop myself from replying.

DALLAS: I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.

I didn’t have to wait long.

DEAN: I’m sorry I broke my promise.

“Dallas, Kung Pao chicken?” I heard Rose call from the living room. I slid my phone underneath my new pillow and joined my sister. Being near her made me so much stronger.

“Yes!” I said with a smile. An hour later, we were in a carb induced noodle coma in matching yoga pants sharing a bowl of New York Super Fudge Chunk.

“This is the cure for…everything,” I said around a mouthful of chocolate.

“So, I think I’m going to nail the interview,” Rose said, matter of fact.

“You will, you’ve so got this.” She was referring to the interview for a prestigious surgical fellowship she had earned. Only one student was chosen per year and Rose was up for it. She was by far the more disciplined of the two of us. I envied her and the fact that she had more of a normal college experience than I had. Just the same, I was happy for her.

“If I don’t get it, I guess I’ll just chill for a bit and ease into marriage.” She widened her eyes at the word marriage and I chuckled.

“Married, good Lord, I’m close to old maid status,” I remarked, retiring my spoon.

“Oh, horseshit,” she huffed. “Everything can change in a hot minute. I mean the love of your life came waltzing back after what, five years?”

“Seven,” I corrected.

Picking up the trash off my coffee table, she continued her argument, following me to the kitchen. “Okay seven, still he’s back. He’s courting you with pillows and hot damn, Dallas, he is better looking than ever.”