ChapterTwenty
Rain splattered against the windshield as Sam pulled up to the house in the suburbs. Once again, her parents were out for the evening. According to Nisha, it was an after-work event that their father “couldn’t miss.” And their mother never let an opportunity to socialize go unnoticed.
It was perfect for Sam, who only ever wanted to visit her sister without their parents ruining the atmosphere.
“What are you cooking this time?” Sam asked, crossing the threshold from rainy Seattle to warm, cozy home. “Huh. I don’t smell anything.”
Nisha hugged her sister before helping her take off her wet rain jacket and hanging it on a hook by the door. “You make it sound like all I do is cook. I only cook half of the time. And I’ll cook even less after I get married. Damien makes the most incredible pasta. I’m going to get so fat.”
The conversation always went straight to Nisha’s relationship. Not that Sam minded. Besides their jobs and childhoods, there wasn’t much else for them to talk about.
Which was probably why the next thing Nisha commented on was Sam’s slight change in appearance.
“Whoa. You braided your hair.” She plopped down on the couch and turned off the police procedural playing on the living room TV. “I don’t think I’ve seen it like that since I was a kid. Remember how Mom used to put all those little flowers in it?”
“Don’t remind me.” Sam instinctively grabbed her hair, which she’d let Bianca braid again, as she joined her sister on the couch. “How are the wedding plans coming along?”
Nisha withheld an immediate answer, silently acknowledging the abrupt change in subject. “Great, actually. Damien and I were able to lock down the Lutheran church his family goes to for the weekend before the real wedding. Although, we’re signing the marriage license the day of the Christian wedding, so I guess that’s the ‘real’ wedding.”
“Mom and Dad won’t think of it that way.”
“Yup. It’s exactly why I’m barely allowed to see Damien between weddings. I told Mom that we’ll be married in the eyes of the law and whatnot before then, but she’s adamant that we hold off on the ‘wedding night’ until the following weekend. I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m still a virgin.”
Sam chuckled. “I think she’d just rather not think about her daughter’s sex life.”
“Oh, she’s already giving me ‘subtle’ tips for my wedding night. And the honeymoon. She’s basically said she expects the two of us to spend the whole trip making her some grandkids.”
Sam smiled. “Hawaii, right?”
“Yup. It’s going to be awesome. Just me, Damien, and the beaches of Oahu. A whole week of paradise.” Nisha sighed wistfully. “By the way, what are you going to wear? Mom needs to know if she should get you a new sari.”
“I’ve got a perfectly good kurta to wear to your wedding. I hardly ever wear it, so Mom’s never seen it before. Then again, she might be scandalized if I show up in ‘menswear.’”
“What color is it? As long as it’s not white or black.”
“Of course not. It’s blue.”
“Ooh, that will look great on you!” Nisha pulled a pillow into her lap as her eyes wandered toward the ceiling. “You haven’t told me if your plus-one is filled yet. Have you found a date? Are you even seeing anyone right now?”
The questions kept coming at Sam like soccer balls at after-school goalkeeper practice. “No idea if I’ll bring a friend or not.”
“That’s not what I asked, Sam. I asked if you might be seeing someone. Someone you’d bring to the wedding who we could all meet.”
The corner of Sam’s eye twitched. The only reason she wasn’t with the woman who could be considered her girlfriend right now was because she’d decided to take a rare night off. Sam was confident that Bianca wouldn’t try to sneak out again, but she’d left Trevor to keep an eye on Bianca’s apartment in case anyone tried to get in. She wasn’t taking any chances.
She couldn’t tell anyone about Bianca yet. Not even Nisha. While she might not go blabbing to their parents, it was still much too soon. Sam was still getting used to the idea of dating someone, let alone someone as young, rich, and carefree as Bianca.
Who knows where it will go?It could turn into forever.It could blow up in their faces.
It could end in disaster.
“I don’t really do relationships, but I may be open to dating soon.” Although Sam tried her damnedest to keep her voice steady as she spoke, she still sounded like a thirteen-year-old boy. “I’m not sure yet.”
Nisha cocked her head. “If that’s true, you should tell Mom. She’s got it in her head now to play matchmaker for you.”
Sam threw her hands up. “Seriously? I thought she’d finally accepted that I’m never going to want a husband.”
“Oh, she has. That’s why she wants to set you up with the daughter of a family friend.”