Someone Like You

“When are you going to get the ring?” Adam’s mother asked.

“I have an idea.” Teddy’s mom cut in. “I have to return that painting to the gallery in New York. Why don’t we go up there next week? I can return the painting and get the right one. You two can go pick out a ring and we can all have lunch at The Gaslight.”

“No,” Teddy said. Her voice was a little more emphatic than Adam knew she’d expected it to be.

The two mothers stared at her.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “This has been a little overwhelming. Adam and I need a little time to discuss things.” She reached for Adam’s hand and he immediately took it and pulled her into his side.

“Of course,” her mother said. She came forward and hugged Teddy again. “We can talk about this later.”

Gemma Granville turned back to Adam’s mom. With all the excitement of a bride herself, she said, “Ann, we’re going to have a wedding in the family.” The two women hugged and jumped up and down like children.

Adam closed his eyes and wondered how this had gotten so out of control.

* * *

Snow! The white puffy flakes should have surprised Teddy when they left Adam’s parents’ house and headed back to Princeton, but she was in no mood to care about the weather. Her life was falling apart. Both families were still celebrating, hugging them, waving goodbye, wishing them well as if they had already married and were off for their honeymoon.

Teddy’s parents and three siblings were staying with her. She knew they had taken a turn about the house looking for evidence that she and Adam were living together or at least leaving clothing and various grooming items around.

While Adam had spent the night several times, he’d left nothing behind, no toothbrush in the bathroom, no forgotten clothing in the closet or drawers. If he had, Teddy would have found and returned them before her family descended. She’d given the place a good cleaning. Although neither her mother nor any of her siblings were white-glove people, Teddy always cleaned like a mad woman when they were planning to stay over. Now she wouldn’t be going back there tonight. She and Adam had a lot to talk about, if she could even begin to talk.

“What were you thinking?” Teddy attacked him the moment they were in the car. “This was not part of the plan. We never talked about getting engaged, never discussed an engagement. This…this sham is supposed to be over by Christmas. Now what are we going to do?”

Adam glanced at her and sighed heavily, but he said nothing. In fact, the two of them remained quiet for the duration of the twenty-minute ride. When he made the turn that led to her house, Teddy spoke. “Don’t take me home,” she said. “I’m not going there tonight.”

Adam turned the car around and headed for his house.

“My entire family is staying with me. There’s no telling what I’ll admit if I have to continually be hugged and congratulated,” Teddy said. “And believe me they will want every detail that a newly engaged person should know.”

“I apologize,” Adam said as they walked into his house. He turned the light on in the living room and Teddy went in.

Nothing about their situation was black-and-white. There were too many shades of gray, too many shadows that hadn’t been lighted.

Teddy sat down heavily. Adam came to her and sat facing her on the sofa table. He took her hands.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized again. “I never told my mother we were engaged.”

“Then where did she get the idea?”

“We were talking about Veronica like I told you. Remember where we were when you and Diana met us that day?”

Teddy thought a moment, wondering how that could matter. “It was on Nassau Street near the sandwich shop.”

“We were standing in front of Varrick’s Jewelry.”

Teddy frowned. “So?”

“Veronica told my mother I was looking at wedding rings. She jumped to conclusions. Then everything got out of hand.”

“What are we going to do now?” Teddy asked. “An engagement wasn’t part of the deal.”

“It doesn’t change anything. We know we’re not really engaged.”