True Choices (3 page)

Chapter 2 HER

Phew. No one else is awake. I pad in Max's socks through the kitchen and find the switch for the light above the coffee pot. He went for a run a few minutes ago, so I know I'll have some time to myself.

I have somethings to do and I'd rather do them alone.

I look at my phone again. Start with messages or texts? I'd rather hear how they sound first, I guess.

"Hey, Lucy. It's Laura...duh right?! Are you ok? Are you guys still here? Call me back." I can hear the concern in her voice.

"Luce. Call me back. I'm with Laura by the pool if you're still here." Tracy, minutes after Laura's call.

"Lucy...we're worried about you. Call one of us back!" Tracy again, an hour later.

"Hey...me again...I'm home if you wanna talk...are you still going to his parent's tomorrow? If not...well, we could all hang out...please call me!" Laura. She sounded very tired. And very concerned.

"I know Laura just tried to call you too...I'm heading to your place now. Please call me back if you're home and just want to be alone...or if you're not home...or if you wanna come to my place instead...just call me dammit!" Tracy. Sounding very concerned. And still pissed a little.

The last call makes my heart skip though. "Hey, Lucy. It's Rich. Um...I know it's kinda late. I looked for you at the party again, but I don't know if you left early with that guy...I just wanted to check if you're ok...I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Take care." He left the message last night. He thinks I'm going to be in the office today. Did I give him my number?  No...I wouldn't have done that. He must've looked it up in the company directory. I use my cell for phone interviews sometimes, so it's listed.

I put my phone down after making sure all voicemails are deleted. Thank God Max didn't hear that one! I shudder again thinking about how mad Max got when Rich touched my arm a few times at the party. He went ballistic after hearing that I'd gone to lunch with him, even just as a work thing. If he thought I gave my number to Rich and he was calling me during non-work hours...I shudder again.

I get a cup of coffee and sit in the family room with the blanket wrapped around me.

Ok. Texts. I take a deep breath before opening the thread from Tracy and Laura. More of the same...concerned pleas to call or text. A last one from Tracy saying that my neighbor's dog won't stop barking at her, so she's leaving. I stare at my phone for a while. It's early, but they're both probably up getting ready for work.

I send a text to them. "Got your messages. I'm fine. At lake house with Max. Heading home later. I'll call you. xoxo"

"Whatcha doin in the dark?"

I jump, "Shit!" coffee spills on the blanket and me.

Jake turns on the overhead light, laughing. "You've really gotta watch your language around here, little girl."

I jolt at him saying this. Exactly how Max would've said it, except he doesn't sound so much mad as amused. But I rebound quickly, "And you've gotta stop sneaking up on me!" He scared me yesterday morning the same way, but this time I know Max isn't around to hear me.

He gives me that strange, looking through me look again. I want to yell more at him, to curse at him actually, but I don't. I just get up for a towel.

He follows me and heads for the coffeepot. "Get the creamer out." I stop. The fridge is in between us. He could just as easily get it himself. He can see that I have a towel in my hand and I'm heading back to the family room.

My mind goes blank. Is he testing me? Numb, I go to the fridge and hand him the creamer. "Thank you, Lucy." Looking right through me with the same crooked grin that Max wears so often.

I leave with the towel without saying anything.

He follows me though. "Are you texting all your friends the good news?"

I'd left my phone on the arm of the sofa. I pick this up defensively. I have two new texts. "Yes."

"Well I'm sure you're going to be a very busy girl for the next few weeks...if you guys are still planning a wedding for next month that is?"

"Yes. I..." I sit down slowly. That was the other thing I needed to do...start thinking about everything that needs to be done. "Frankly...I'm a little overwhelmed. I've only been to weddings, I've not even stood up in one yet..."

Jake sits on the fireplace stone. "I'm sure Max will make all the big decisions..." He says this into his cup, his eyes looking over the rim at me.

"Yes...I'm sure he will..." I feel we're dangerously close to the edge of a conversation we've already had.

"And this is what you really want, Lucy?"

"Yes. I am sure, Jake." I look him squarely in the eye. "And you really have to stop asking me...it's getting annoying!" I stick my tongue out at him, trying to lighten things between us. I don't want to be on eggshells around him, waiting for him to say something about Max or our relationship.

He laughs. A big laugh. "Ok. I promise...no more questions from me." He laughs a little more. "I've always wanted a little sister...someone I can tease!" He sticks his tongue out at me.

He looks so ridiculous that I'm laughing loudly too. He looks so much like Max, but I could never imagine Max looking so silly.

Ron joins us in the family room, "What's so funny you two?" His smile fills a room, just like Max's. There's no family resemblance, but the man stands and sounds so much like Max.

"I was just saying that I always wanted a kid sister," he sticks his tongue out again.

"We're all happy to have you in the family, Lucy." Ron raises his coffee cup to me. Ron's definitely warmed up to me more on this trip. The first visit, he really intimidated me. Then learning about Max's past, I was even more scared of him. But both Ron and Alex have turned out to be very welcoming and nice to me. "We're looking forward to meeting your parents this week. I understand you have a brother that lives around here, too?"

"Yes. He and his wife with my two nieces live in Downers Grove."

"Good. Family's important to have around. Especially at times like these. Max said it'll be a small wedding, just your closest family and friends. But we look forward to meeting everyone."

Max had sent me up to bed last night again at 11:00. He must have stayed up talking more about me and the wedding. I blush thinking about what he might have said. It seems like they know more about the wedding than I do.

My phone buzzes next to me. I see it's a call from Laura. I didn't read this morning's texts yet, but I'd rather tell Laura first anyway...she's likely to be more excited for me at least...hopefully?!

"Excuse me." I pick it up and head back upstairs, answering. "Hey, Laura."

"Wow! You finally picked up! Tracy, you can call off the dogs..." Great, they're together. Well, two birds...

"You guys are up early."

"Yeah. Big staff meeting. We're launching that new referral program, so it's all hands on deck, for the marketing department anyway. How are you?"

"I'm great actually."

"Oh? So...what happened Saturday?" I can tell that she's put me on speaker for Tracy to hear too.

I don't have anything prepared. I know what Max expects. He's been very clear about this. He expects me to tell the truth. But I can't possibly tell them all that! My face is beet red again. "Max was upset with me, but everything's fine now."

"Max was upset?! What about you?" Tracy is almost yelling into the phone.

"Where are you guys?" I really don't want my business broadcast in the office.

"We just got coffee around the corner...no one can hear us, Lucy...just tell us what happened." Laura is her usual nurturing self. I can tell that she's more worried than mad at me for ignoring all their attempts to reach me this weekend.

"There really isn't much to tell..." a major white lie, "I was wrong for letting Rich and that other guy think they could act like that with me and..."

"Lucy...do you hear yourself, for fuck's sake, quit with...?!" Laura obviously stops Tracy from interrupting.

"But Max and I are fine now," a blatant attempt to wash over everything. But full speed ahead, I take a deep breath, "Actually...better than fine. Max proposed yesterday!" Absolutely nothing but street noise. "So...I'm sorry that I didn't get back to you guys sooner...we've obviously been a little busy. My parents are really excited and his Dad..."

"You said yes?!" Tracy's voice is almost as high as mine. I imagine her flaming red hair is paled by her face too.

"Of course."

"Oh my God.
You
talk to her...I can't even believe...I
can't
believe you!" Tracy is walking away from and back to the phone yelling into it.

"Stop yelling, people are looking at us!" Laura takes me off speaker. "Lucy...Um...so you are getting married?" She obviously doesn't know what to say, caught between Tracy's ranting in the background and my silence.

"Yes." I take a deep breath again. "Next month."

"Um...oh...that's crazy quick..." She's still trying to think of what to say, speaking slowly. In a whisper, "Are you...are you pregnant?"

I can hear another "Oh my God" from Tracy in the background. I nervously laugh, "No, no. We just don't want to wait."

"Wow." I wait for her to say something else, but she must have passed the phone to Tracy instead.

"Are you coming in today?"

"No. We're still in Wisconsin till this afternoon."

"Then we'll come over after work...we really need to talk!"

"I...I'll have to see...we have a lot of plans to make, so I think I'm staying at Max's tonight..." I don't want to say that I have to ask Max's permission first to stay at my own place or to arrange seeing my friends. I feel a huge knot in my stomach and sit down on the bed.

"Fine. We'll see you there then." She hangs up before I can say anything more. I just stare at my phone, unsure of what to do.

"Are you ok?" Jake is standing in the doorway. I jump again. He laughs, his hands up, "I swear I wasn't trying to sneak up...I thought you heard me come up the stairs."

"I...don't know what to do..."

"About what?" He doesn't come into the room, but his large shoulders block the doorframe as he leans against it.

"My friends aren't too happy for me..." I don't want to get into the whole mess with him, but I don't want to be alone with my fear either. I'm afraid what will happen when Max finds out that they're coming over and I didn't get his permission first. And I'm afraid of what they'll say later to me if they do come over. What a mess!

"Screw 'em then." He says this with a grin, but I can see that he's serious.

I laugh, it was exactly what I needed to hear. "Yeah...screw 'em!" And for a second, I mean it. But Tracy and Laura have been my best friends for two years. I'm closer with them than anyone. Anyone except Max.

"I'm heading back to the city. Will you tell Max that I'll call him this week to talk more?"

"Sure," he turns away, "and Jake? ...Thanks...You make a good big brother."

"Anytime, li'l sis."

My head feels clearer. I have only one choice. I can't please everyone. But I know that I need to please Max first. I send a text to Tracy and Laura together. "Tonight won't work. I really need to make some plans and I hope as my friends that you'll respect that. I will be in the office tomorrow, early. I love you both! xoxo"

Max will be proud of me. I head back downstairs to help with breakfast. The morning light is so pretty on my ring! I
am
going to go blind staring at it!

Chapter 2 HIM

"So your brother is going to pick your Mom and Dad up at the airport Thursday and they're going to stay with him over the weekend."

"Thank you!" She puts her arms out and I sit on the sofa pulling her onto my lap. I've been in the den on the computer coordinating with her Dad. "You and your Mom have an appointment to look at dresses on Friday and I'm going to take your Dad out for a man-to-man talk." I say this extra machismo-y, she laughs.

"Please don't call it that to him...he'll make fun of you!"

"What?! Your Dad already loves me!"

"What's not to love?!" She kisses my cheek. "I know for sure that my Mom loves you!"

"She just loves how much I love her daughter, baby." I kiss her a little longer.

"I can't believe you found a place that would guarantee a dress in less than four weeks! You do work fast, Mr. Traeger!"

"I'm just determined to not let anything get in my way...you
will
be Mrs. Traeger next month!" I kiss her forehead and pick up the checklist she was working on. "So...what's next on your wedding to-do?"

"Only a guest list, invitations, find a place, get someone who can marry us, your tux, catering, flowers...a bazillion things!"

"Well...you are in luck, then. You happen to know a guy who's connected in the restaurant biz..."

"So where then?"

"I like the idea of my parent's place, but I think the weather could be tricky. October can be beautiful up there, but it's snowed before too. So I'm thinking it'll be somewhere in the city. I have a few ideas. I'll check around tomorrow." I kiss her nose and get up to grab the wine bottle from the dining table, pouring more into my glass. She gives me a little pout for not pouring more for her.

"Lucy...take that pout off your beautiful mouth." She blushes and quickly changes to a small smile. "So...did you get a chance to talk to your friends today?"

"Yes...a little."

"You ignored your phone all weekend."

"I didn't want anything to disturb our time together..."

"I like that sentiment, baby...but we both know that isn't why you avoided your friends..." I'm a little stern with her.

"No...I didn't want to deal with them. I just wanted to be happy for a while...is that so bad?" She's frowning again but quickly wipes it away.

"But you told them we're engaged, getting married in a month?"

"Yes."

"Good." I stand up and stretch. "Get ready for bed." I hold my hand out and she takes it while I pull her easily to her feet.

She looks at her watch. I know it's 11:00 "Are you coming too?" 

"I'll be in soon. I'm going to track down a florist...can't remember the guy's name, but he did a nice job at a wedding last year for a buddy of mine. I know he gave his info to the LPE Group to keep on file."

"Oh. Ok." She starts to walk towards the bedroom, but turns in the hallway. "Max?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you giving me a set bedtime?" Her look is perfect, only a little questioning.

I grin. "Yes."

"Oh. ...Ok."

I walk over to her and kiss her head, "I'll wake you when I come to bed..." and I turn into the den and close the door.