Never Kiss A Stranger

“I’m not dating him after you’ve had your lips all over him.”

“I haven’t had my lips all over him.” I think back to our kiss. “Just slightly on him.”

“You totally have a crush on him, don’t you?” Poppi’s face dares me to deny it.

“I do not.” I cross my arms. “I’m getting married to Henry, remember? And he’s perfect for me.” He really is. I’m trying to remember all the ways he’s just so perfect for me, but I can’t think of any right now. These girls have me all flustered. I turn away from them and shut down the computer.

My mind is scrambled like eggs, unable to even hold a thought together.

“So you wouldn’t mind if Lola dated him?” Poppi challenges.

I don’t dare look at them. “Nope, not at all.”

“No, it’s ok,” Lola says. “I was only teasing.”

Honestly, I’m kind of wondering if Ellis is single too. Damn traitorous mind. I hate that I’m wondering about this.

Poppi gathers our glasses and throws them in the trash. “You better get moving if you’re going to meet Henry for dinner,” she says.

“Henry?” I ask, absentmindedly. “Oh, right. Henry.” My fiancé. We have plans at an Italian restaurant, because spaghetti is my favorite. I remember when he and I made the plans, I suggested a new little Thai place, but Henry said Italian is always the best selection.

Now that I think of it, I compromised and said we could try Thai next time. I’m always compromising. We gather our things and I can barely focus on my friends chatter as I lock up.

Wonder if Henry will bring Ellis? No, stop that right now, Kiki. No more of this. I need to tell Henry the kiss bandit was his friend.

My mind keeps replaying how Ellis’ eyes appeared sad when he found out I was Henry’s fiancée. I hate to admit it, but I was a little sad to have him find out too.

“Any word from the farmer, yet?” Lola asks, on our way out, reminding me I’m still waiting on a goat to poop out my ring.

“Nothing yet. I guess my ring made him constipated.”

“I’m sure he’ll poop soon,” the always optimistic Lola singsongs.

“If he doesn’t, does that mean the wedding is off?” Poppi asks.

We laugh, but as I drive away, a minuscule part of me finds myself hoping Peter won’t poop it out.

* * *

Ellis isn’t with Henry when I arrive at the restaurant and I can’t believe there’s a small ounce of disappointment settled in the pit of my stomach. I shrug it off as I pass by the candlelit tables covered with checkered tablecloths.

My resolve strengthens to tell Henry as we weave between the diners. I can’t go into a marriage full of lies.

Henry stands and kisses my cheek. Why does he never kiss my lips? He goes to pull out the chair for me but then stops when he’s distracted by a chime from his phone. He sits. “Did everyone enjoy the dog thing?” he asks, tapping away to whoever sent the message.

I pull out my own chair. “They did.” Henry glances up and smiles. “Listen, there’s something we need to talk about.”

He’s back to his phone and I try to think of the best way to tell him about Ellis and me.

“I think you should know that, well, it wasn’t my fault.” Ugh, I’m botching this and Henry still hasn’t even looked up from his phone. We can come back to this topic.

“Sorry.” He sets the phone down. “Did everyone enjoy the wedding?”

My stomach twists tighter than the garlic knot in the bread basket.

“They did,” I repeat. “I actually just said that. Listen, we need to…” my words fade away as Henry answers a call. He holds his finger up, and then rises and steps away from the table.

With a sigh, I pick up a buttery garlic knot and stuff a large chunk in my mouth. As I chew, I glance around at all the other couples. Most of the men here are in suits, like Henry, and are all more occupied with their phones than the person with them.

The women all look like me, trying to make small talk with a man who can’t disconnect from the lifeline in their hand.

Henry returns, and I just don’t have it in me anymore to tell him about the kiss. It was one senseless kiss that wasn’t my fault, and if Ellis tells him, so be it.

“Sorry,” Henry says. “Just need to take care of one more thing.”

I give him a tight smile, not that he’d notice since I’m not a phone, and debate the best way to ask him a few things about Ellis.

There’s a million questions circulating in my head. Like for starters, who the heck is he? And how does Henry know him?

And I do need to find out if he’s single...for Lola, of course.