Norah
We’ve just had family dinner, and now my sisters and I are all piled on top of my bed, talking about everything under the sun. Madeline just finished telling us a story about her ridiculous boyfriend, Chad. She wanted to rearrange her living room, and he wouldn’t help. She had to ask her boss to help her. Talk about awkward! I still don’t understand why she’s with him. He’s just a mooch. He refuses to get a full-time job, insisting that his art career is going to take off any day now. He’s been saying that for at least three years now.
“So, Norah, give us the latest Colby update,” Chelsea says, changing the subject. Madeline and Layla perk up, ready to hear the news. I throw my head back on my pillow and groan dramatically. I knew this was coming. I’m honestly surprised they waited until we were all up in my room to start asking. I expected my mom to be the first to ask about us while we were sitting around the dinner table, but she talked about everything else under the sun instead, to my great relief.
“There’s really nothing to tell,” I say, attempting to put an end to the conversation before it gets started. But I know better because I know my sisters. They don’t know how to let anything go.
“Oh, come on!” Layla yells and slams a decorative pillow into my face. I throw it back at her, but she catches it before it lands in her face.
“Fine. Principal Spears called us into her office and had us sign a form stating what is expected of us and that we agree to the expectations. She gushed about how excited she is that she won’t have to fire both of us for fighting after all. That’s it.”
“I feel like I’m missing something,” Madeline says. Her eyebrows are scrunched up as she tries to unload all the information in my short explanation. “Why did she think she was going to have to fire you?”
“Colby and I were getting into arguments all the time.”
“Okay, so are y’all dating now or what?” Layla asks.
“No.”
“Then, why did you have to sign a form about a workplace relationship?” Chelsea asks. We’re getting into the nitty-gritty questions now, and my heartrate kicks it up a notch.
“Because the woman was so ecstatic that I couldn’t let her find out it isn’t true, and I just didn’t want to have that conversation at that moment. Now I don’t know what to do. This is awful.”
“So, you and Colby are just going to make her think you’re a couple?” Madeline asks. She busts out laughing before I can even answer.
“I guess so.” I shrug my shoulders, trying to make it seem like the thought of fake-dating Colby doesn’t make my heart go pitter-patter. Is it even fake-dating, though? His little show in my classroom earlier makes me wonder. He says he’s interested in dating me for real, but would he have ever asked me out or taken me seriously if we hadn’t been forced into this situation? I don’t know. I can’t say for sure. I’m leaning more toward no.
Colby is smart, financially stable, and physically flawless. He could have almost anyone, so why would he notice me? It’s really crappy knowing that a man you’re falling for is only interested in dating you because a bunch of asinine rumors forced him to. I wish he had realized my merits without coercion, but I guess a girl will take what she can get.
Layla grabs my shoulders and gives me a shake. “Give the people what they want! Are y’all going on a date any time this century?” she yells in my face.
“Yeah, he’s taking me out tomorrow night,” I say, bracing myself for the outburst of excited squeals and a barrage of questions. I’m not disappointed. They’ve been waiting for this day for almost two months, after all. All three sisters jump up from my bed and begin to rifle through all the clothes in my closet to find me the perfect date-night outfit.
“Where’s he taking you?” Chelsea asks. She holds up a bold, red dress that I bought to wear to an ex-boyfriend’s work function two years ago. I haven’t worn it since, which is a crying shame. It’s a stunning dress, and it’s going to waste hanging in my closet.
“Nowhere fancy enough to wear that,” I reply. Her face falls, and she hangs it back in the closet.
“How disappointing,” she says. “Your curves would look amazing in that dress. He’d lose his mind.”
“No way. Have you seen that man? He’s the definition of perfection. Why would he want all of this flab?”
“Um, because all of your ‘flab’ is strategically placed in all the places men love,” Madeline says. Everyone breaks out into a fit of giggles. I look at myself in my full-length mirror. My arms are a little jiggly, and my thighs have some cellulite. I’ve never been one to feel overly self-conscious about my body, because my parents always made sure I knew my appearance was the least-interesting thing about myself while also telling me I was beautiful. It was confusing for a little while, trying to figure out if I cared or not. In middle school, I was firmly in the not-caring camp. But as I got older, I realized that some things are easier for the tiny girls…like finding jeans and V-neck shirts.
Since turning thirty and dealing with a cancer diagnosis, I’m once again in the not-caring camp. I’m happy with who I am and how I look. But being the short, curvy girl standing next to a man built like a superhero is a little intimidating. I know when I’ve been outmatched. I know every woman who sees us together will wonder why he’s slumming it with me.
I grab my phone to text him.
Norah: You know, I think we should just tell Principal Spears the truth.
Colby: Okay, we can. But I’m still taking you out tomorrow.
Norah: It’s ok. You really don’t have to.
Colby: I know. I want to.
I toss my phone on my bed. I’m trying to give the man an out, and he’s not taking it. Why won’t he take it?
Colby picks me up right at five o’clock with a bouquet of colorful flowers in his hand. I don’t know what kind of game he’s trying to play, but whatever it is, I’m in it. My mom takes the flowers to put in water for me and calls out, “Have a good night.” I hear the excitement in her voice, and I know I’m going to have to talk to her about managing her expectations when I get back home later. She’s probably already picking out my wedding dress and figuring out who to invite to the wedding. That will be a fun conversation.