do you have class? If so, I'm flexible. Please call me. Your friends seem to think you are in a bad way and if it's my fault… I'm sorry."
He paced the floor with his phone in his hand. Distraction. He needed to distract himself. He started a load of laundry, put the clean dishes away, refilled the dishwasher, took the clothes from the dryer, and folded them on the dining room table. If only Mrs. Raleigh hadn't had to work this morning. He could have used her advice.
He dared a look at his phone. Still no calls or texts. She was avoiding him. That had to be it. Had she decided that he was wrong for her? Did she want to break up? Were they even going out yet? Yes. Did she agree? He needed to have some small place in her heart.
Diego had to go to Lavender's house and find out what was really up. He'd apologize. He'd beg and grovel if that's what it took.
He locked the house and set out. The streets looked different during the day, but he eventually found the right one. He squared his shoulders and rang the doorbell. No sounds. He tried again. The house was still silent. Maybe no one was home. She was probably at school and unaware of his worry.
Or maybe the doorbell didn't work.
He knocked this time and heard slippers across a hard floor. The door opened to the biggest woman Diego had ever seen. She was at least his height and her shoulders were wider. Her hair was in curlers under a bed cap and her terrycloth robe could have covered Diego and Lavender with room to spare. He nodded his head. "Hello, ma'am. Is Lavender home?"
She looked down her nose at him. "Young man, do you have any idea what time it is?"
He looked at his phone. "Half past nine."
She humphed. "A good two hours before any decent person gets up."
Oops. No wonder no one had answered his texts. "Sorry, ma'am."
A vision appeared at the top of the stairs: his beautiful girl in a ruffled nightgown. She was the heroine of a gothic novel.
He stepped forward. The lady in the doorway stopped him. He'd forgotten she was there.
The woman turned. "Lavender, go back in your room, and don't come down until you're dressed properly." She turned to Diego. "And you, young man, should come back at a decent hour."
She closed the door in his face.
Now, that hadn't gone as well as he'd have liked. Still, Lavender was home. She'd have to come out sooner or later.
*~*~*
Lavender hurried into her room, ignoring all the questions. "Someone run out and tell him to wait."
"I'm not dressed."
"My makeup's only half done."
"I thought you hated him."
Lavender pulled on the first skirt she found. "He asked me to marry him."
"What?" chorused her friends, who could have been doing something more constructive, like keeping Diego from driving off.
Vish crossed her arms. "Then what made you cry?"
She turned to their expectant faces, and then away, to put on her bra and a new shirt. "I can't marry him, can I?"
"Civil union, domestic partnership. That kind of thing."
Lavender sighed. "I don't want that and neither does he. He wants a wife that can give him children as much as I want to be that woman."
Caiside frowned. "Did he mention kids?"
"No, but…"
"You didn't tell him, did you?" Alana rolled her eyes.
"Well, it's not like girls like us ever get 'happily ever afters'." Lavender pushed past them to the stairs.
Vish stopped her. "You can't go down, hanging out like that. If he's still here, I'll make sure he doesn't leave."
Lavender sighed and turned toward the bathroom. Ariel leaned against the door. "I don't believe that."
"Believe what?"
"That we can't have an 'ever after'. One of those boys from Saturday…"
Lavender froze.
Ariel pouted. "One of them likes me and we've been texting."
Lavender's gut sank.
"I haven't told him yet, and I won't until your week is up, if you don't want me to."
"Please."
"But you shouldn't let Miss Magnolia feed you lies. Her body has less to do with why she's single than her personality does."
True. Who would fall for
He paced the floor with his phone in his hand. Distraction. He needed to distract himself. He started a load of laundry, put the clean dishes away, refilled the dishwasher, took the clothes from the dryer, and folded them on the dining room table. If only Mrs. Raleigh hadn't had to work this morning. He could have used her advice.
He dared a look at his phone. Still no calls or texts. She was avoiding him. That had to be it. Had she decided that he was wrong for her? Did she want to break up? Were they even going out yet? Yes. Did she agree? He needed to have some small place in her heart.
Diego had to go to Lavender's house and find out what was really up. He'd apologize. He'd beg and grovel if that's what it took.
He locked the house and set out. The streets looked different during the day, but he eventually found the right one. He squared his shoulders and rang the doorbell. No sounds. He tried again. The house was still silent. Maybe no one was home. She was probably at school and unaware of his worry.
Or maybe the doorbell didn't work.
He knocked this time and heard slippers across a hard floor. The door opened to the biggest woman Diego had ever seen. She was at least his height and her shoulders were wider. Her hair was in curlers under a bed cap and her terrycloth robe could have covered Diego and Lavender with room to spare. He nodded his head. "Hello, ma'am. Is Lavender home?"
She looked down her nose at him. "Young man, do you have any idea what time it is?"
He looked at his phone. "Half past nine."
She humphed. "A good two hours before any decent person gets up."
Oops. No wonder no one had answered his texts. "Sorry, ma'am."
A vision appeared at the top of the stairs: his beautiful girl in a ruffled nightgown. She was the heroine of a gothic novel.
He stepped forward. The lady in the doorway stopped him. He'd forgotten she was there.
The woman turned. "Lavender, go back in your room, and don't come down until you're dressed properly." She turned to Diego. "And you, young man, should come back at a decent hour."
She closed the door in his face.
Now, that hadn't gone as well as he'd have liked. Still, Lavender was home. She'd have to come out sooner or later.
*~*~*
Lavender hurried into her room, ignoring all the questions. "Someone run out and tell him to wait."
"I'm not dressed."
"My makeup's only half done."
"I thought you hated him."
Lavender pulled on the first skirt she found. "He asked me to marry him."
"What?" chorused her friends, who could have been doing something more constructive, like keeping Diego from driving off.
Vish crossed her arms. "Then what made you cry?"
She turned to their expectant faces, and then away, to put on her bra and a new shirt. "I can't marry him, can I?"
"Civil union, domestic partnership. That kind of thing."
Lavender sighed. "I don't want that and neither does he. He wants a wife that can give him children as much as I want to be that woman."
Caiside frowned. "Did he mention kids?"
"No, but…"
"You didn't tell him, did you?" Alana rolled her eyes.
"Well, it's not like girls like us ever get 'happily ever afters'." Lavender pushed past them to the stairs.
Vish stopped her. "You can't go down, hanging out like that. If he's still here, I'll make sure he doesn't leave."
Lavender sighed and turned toward the bathroom. Ariel leaned against the door. "I don't believe that."
"Believe what?"
"That we can't have an 'ever after'. One of those boys from Saturday…"
Lavender froze.
Ariel pouted. "One of them likes me and we've been texting."
Lavender's gut sank.
"I haven't told him yet, and I won't until your week is up, if you don't want me to."
"Please."
"But you shouldn't let Miss Magnolia feed you lies. Her body has less to do with why she's single than her personality does."
True. Who would fall for
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