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“Just don’t screw up planning the bachelorette party. I was thinking maybe a destination party like to Vegas or Miami Beach.”
“Are you serious? You want to go away for your party?”
“Of course I do. I think we would have a great time.”
Ava groaned to herself. Even though Robert had reeled Sam into becoming somewhat of a homebody, she still enjoyed the nightlife. Ava was afraid if they went away for a weekend she would end up being Sam’s babysitter. She would have just to suck it up and hope for the best. It would be several months away, and she would worry about it then.
Sam told her that she wanted to have a big engagement party and she expected Ava to help her plan it. She knew what Sam was doing. Sam was trying to take her mind off other things, like Xander. Even though she didn’t talk to her very often lately, she knew Sam could sense how she was feeling. She had pretty much turned back into the old Ava with one exception; she hid her feelings most of the time now whereas before she would wear them on her sleeve.
The nightmares continued, and they were always so vivid. Xander was always in a casket, and his body was damaged in one way or another. She would wake up screaming, bathed in sweat, and the cats would scatter off the bed. She didn’t know how to stop the nightmares or why they were happening. She never had them when they were apart for the four years. Why now?
The next weekend Sam enlisted her to send invitations out for the engagement party. Sam’s father was able to pull some strings to secure a room at The Pierre. They had chosen the date of Saturday, November thirtieth. It was right after the Thanksgiving holiday, and a lot of Robert’s old classmates would be in town for the party. By the time Sam was finished, the guest list had ballooned to four hundred people. She wondered how many people would be invited to the wedding.
Ava helped Sam affix labels and stamps to the RSVP cards. Dani had escaped after an hour claiming that she had some work to finish for a gallery opening. Aunt Mavis had also abandoned them saying that she had to get dinner going for the family. So they kept working until there was a short stack of cards left to do. Sam excused herself to take a call from Robert, leaving Ava to finish.
She continued to affix stamps while Sam was gone until she came upon the card for a name she did not want to see. There on the card was Xander’s name, plus guest. She felt nauseous thinking about him bringing his girlfriend, Kaycee. She didn’t want to see him with another woman; it would tear her apart. She tucked the card into her back pocket hoping that he wouldn’t question why he wasn’t invited.
By the time she finished Sam had come back to the table. She handed her the box of cards ready to go out to the post office.
“Thank you for helping me. We should go out to celebrate now that this is done.”
“I can’t,” she said as she looked at her watch. “I have a dinner date with Tim.”
Sam looked at her with a frown. “I thought you said that you didn’t like him?”
“He seems to have changed in the past few weeks. I think I do like him and tonight is officially a date. He is taking me to dinner at a steakhouse in midtown. He said he had eaten there several times.”
“Ok then. Enjoy your night. I will talk to you tomorrow.”
Ava pulled on her coat then hugged her goodbye. When she got home, she removed the card with Xander’s name on it and put it in her nightstand drawer. She hoped that he wouldn’t be asked why he never sent in the RSVP card. If he did, then he would probably come. Since the engagement party was around Thanksgiving, he might be in the city visiting with his parents.
Tim took her to Gallagher’s Steakhouse. The restaurant had been there for many years, and she enjoyed the food. He told her to order anything she wanted. She had selected the filet mignon with a side of sautéed spinach; it was more than enough for her to eat. When the check came, Tim again paid with several hundred from his money clip. She had given up trying to offer to pay; he wouldn’t hear it.
The weather had turned chilly, and it was raining when they left the restaurant. He made her wait inside while he hailed a cab and then used his coat to keep her hair dry. She held his hand while they drove to her apartment. She was enjoying spending time with him.
In her apartment, she offered him some coffee and pumpkin mousse she had made earlier. Her whole apartment smelled of cinnamon. Baking was one of her favorite things to do in the fall and winter. She was happy to have someone to share it. Tim raved about how delicious the mousse tasted. She went into her bedroom to change out of her dress and put on a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved Braves shirt.
She cleaned their plates and cups then sat down next to him. He looked handsome with his brown hair combed to the side. Now that it had grown, it looked much better than when he kept it nearly shaved. His beard and mustache were neatly trimmed and gave him a distinguished air. He had also started wearing cologne that smelled very much like Xander’s. She asked him what it was, but he said he didn’t remember.
She leaned in near his neck and inhaled deeply. She was sure it was the same cologne Xander wore. He took the opportunity at her closeness to kiss her. He trailed his lips from her cheek to her lips pressing against them. When she gave no resistance, he dipped his tongue into her mouth then removed it to suck on her lower lip. He continued to kiss her until she pushed back from him.
He looked at her, and a blush had bloomed on her face. She was shy, and he didn’t press her but rather told her that he needed to go home. He had a lot of work to do tomorrow because he had some papers to grade. In reality, he had to meet his supplier for replenishment of his stock. He was selling more and more each week as word spread.
His product was good, and he was selling bigger batches to the same kids each week. Through one of the kids, he had scored a contact to supply someone who dealt at several of the local colleges. He liked it better that way because then the risk was with that dealer, not him. He could just supply that person and let them sell for him. Business was brisk, and he was clearing several thousand dollars a week.
He had hollowed out a place in the ceiling of his bedroom closet. It was almost unnoticeable, and if he were raided, they would have a hard time locating it. He kept a few joints around that would probably net him a misdemeanor and a fine if he was caught. The money he was saving was safely tucked under some floorboards near his kitchen cabinet. He was doing great financially and soon he would invest in something legitimate. Of course, his big score would be when he married Ava.
