Five

FIVE

Everett

T he audacity. The gall. The disrespect.

This woman had some fucking nerve.

"Is everything alright?" Carmen squeezed my hand as the pilot shut the doors. "You've been pretty pissy all day."

"The word ‘pissy' is putting it mildly." Leo looked up from his newspaper. "He's been an asshole, you mean."

"Sorry." I picked up my bourbon glass and tossed it back. "Just one of those days."

"Probably a bad stock market day," The two of them spoke in unison. Then, they ignored me and talked amongst themselves as the plane began to take off.

I couldn't believe Dahlia's first time reaching out to me in years would be about my relationship. I'd always figured it'd be an apology.

She still owed me one for fucking up our relationship.

Her abandoning me didn't make any sense…

"Ohhh! We have a new RSVP to our engagement party!" Carmen danced in her seat, snapping me out of my thoughts. "And it's a yes!"

"Are you planning to do that every time someone says they're coming?" I smiled at her.

"Of course, I am," she said. "It's exciting to see the number go up every day."

"Who was it?"

"It's someone from your side of things." She pointed to her screen. "Mr. Calvin Hill."

"My high school gym teacher?"

"Yeah, and his wife. How cute is that?"

"It's not ‘cute' at all…" I didn't remember inviting him. "We don't have to invite every person I've ever been in contact with to the party. They'll see us around town eventually."

"And then they'll ask why we didn't invite them." She gave me a pointed stare. "That's rude, and it's not like we can't afford it."

"It's not about affording things. It's about inviting people we actually know."

"That's what the actual wedding invites are for," she said, rubbing my shoulder. "This is just a party, remember?"

"I'm going to refill my drink." I stood up and headed to the back of the plane.

As I opened a new decanter, Leo walked toward me and held out an empty glass.

"Ooop!" Carmen yelled from her seat again. "We have two more yeses for the party!"

"Are you sure about this?" Leo asked, his voice low.

" This ?"

"Getting married to a girl you've only known for seven months."

"I've known Carmen for six months."

"Even better." He placed his hands on my shoulders. "I mean, I know you two were friends for longer than that, but you don't have to rush."

"The wedding isn't until next year, Leo," I said. "I'll be fine. I'm just frustrated."

"I can sense that." He was talking to me like I was one of his therapy patients. "Is it about the engagement or something else?"

"Something else." I gritted my teeth.

"Want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Want to write it down on a napkin and let me read it?"

"Hell no."

"Okay, then." He filled his drink to the top. "Just know that I'm here for you, man. Whenever you need me, no matter what it is. Even if you want to turn this plane around and delay going back home, I'm with you, friend."

"Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"Get the fuck back to your seat."

"I can do that, too." He laughed and walked away.

I sipped the alcohol slowly and let it burn its way down my throat, vowing not to let Dahlia and her ridiculous emails cross my mind again.