Eventually, I’d grown comfortable again, but I still missed home, especially on days when my aunt was being nosy, and I could hear my uncle in the background telling her how I’d never call again if she kept asking me questions.
“I’m going to a party,” I told her when she grilled me about my plans for that weekend.
“What kind of party?”
“Housewarming. My friend is moving in with her boyfriend.”
My aunt made a noise in her throat. “Stupid. Moving in with a guy before marriage is a bad idea. You try to do that, I’ll come drag you home by your hair.”
She was dramatic, but I had a feeling her words weren’t far from the truth. If she found out that Hailey and Sean had been dating for less than a month, she’d have even more to say, and I wouldn’t even be able to argue with her, since I thought the whole thing was insane. My aunt and uncle were young. They’d been newly married when I’d gone to live with them, and in a lot of ways we’d grown up together. They were the fun parents, the ones who’d pretended they didn’t know when my friends and I sneaked cigarettes and wine or spent hours discussing boys instead of doing our homework. However, underneath the surface, they’d always taken their duties as my surrogate parents very seriously.
“I don’t have a boyfriend, and I like my apartment,” I said seriously.
“Good. Wait until you come home before you find a man,” she replied. She’d said the same thing more than a few times before. “Easier that way.” It would be easier for her, she meant. If I met my future husband in New York, she could be as nosy as she wanted and meddle until she drove me completely crazy, and she wouldn’t have to worry that I’d stay in Missouri forever.
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, searching in my closet for something to wear. “I have to go—I have a million things to do tonight.”
After I promised I’d call again on Sunday, and dodged her questions about when I’d last set foot in a synagogue, we hung up. I didn’t know why she still asked if I was going to temple when she knew the answer. I’d lost my faith when I was fourteen, and no nagging from her would change that.
I stuffed my phone into the pocket of my robe and stared into my closet. I should have asked my aunt’s opinion on what I should wear; she’d seen nearly every item of clothing I owned. And she’d definitely have an opinion.
Jeans were always a good choice. Casual, so I didn’t look like I was trying too hard, and I had a pair that made my ass look really good. I didn’t know why I was so concerned with how my ass looked. Okay, no, that was a lie. I knew exactly why I had to look amazing at Hailey and Sean’s party tomorrow afternoon.
Alex Evans.
I hadn’t been lying when I told him that I was trying to focus on school instead of dating. But damn, it had been hard to tell him no. The man was gorgeous. Charming, too, when he tried to be.
I’d told him that he was prettier than I was, but that had been a lie. He wasn’t pretty; he was beautiful in a way that only a man could be. Muscular, commanding, confident. If I were looking for someone to spend time with, he’d be my exact type.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t looking. I was busy every day of the week and most nights. Working full-time and finishing graduate school pretty much took up every waking minute I had.
That didn’t mean that I was willing to look less than spectacular when I saw him again, though. There would be a lot of people at that party, plenty of women to catch his eye, but I wanted to be the one he couldn’t look away from.
I grabbed my favorite black sweater from the closet. It hung off my shoulder and gave the impression that I didn’t have anything on underneath. Sexy, but not trashy. There was something incredibly provocative about a bare shoulder or a high-necked dress that showed off a woman’s legs but nothing else.
As soon as I had my clothes laid out for the next day, I grabbed a cup of tea and climbed into bed with my planner. The next week was already full of reminders and timelines, but I still found a few spaces to make notes. I didn’t have much to add, because I always filled the little date boxes weeks in advance, but scheduling my time and making lists calmed me. Before long, my nervousness about seeing Alex again was gone.
* * *
The next morning I allowed myself to sleep in. Since I worked full-time and took classes at night, weekends were usually filled with homework and household chores. I’d known before I’d fallen asleep that I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on schoolwork before the party, though, so I hadn’t set an alarm. I’d needed the sleep so badly that by the time I woke up, it was already noon.