I could hear my laughter, I could feel it yanking my lips back taut over my teeth, my lungs robotically churned out the forced sound – but I felt as if I were being sucked into a black hole at the same time.
In the science fiction movies Reagan loves to watch, when a person gets pulled into a black hole they stretch and contort and swirl all around until POP. They’re just gone. Just like that.
That’s what I expect to happen now.
I wait to disappear. I wait for everything to disappear. I’ve got to be in some crazy dream or an alternate universe or something.
But Maddox just keeps grimly staring at me, holding that box of cookies so effortlessly in his hands.
“Is this a prank?” I finally wheeze, clutching at my chest, “It’s cruel, you know, to do that to someone!”
“No.” He says simply, shoulders giving the faintest hint of a shrug, “Unfortunately not.”
“Unfortunately?” I shriek back, brain going from zero to sixty in seconds, “if you’re going to ask some random girl to marry you, unfortunately is not the right word to use!”
He holds up a hand, tiny hint of a smile tweaking the serious line of his mouth, “I can assure you I didn’t mean it that way, Ava.”
My feet move on their own, pacing me in a tiny circle before I whirl on him, “It’s wine night. I can’t deal with this right now.”
“I feel like wine night would be the perfect night to deal with it.”
“Alright wise guy, I think it’s time for you to leave.”
The slip of a smile on his handsome face twists down to a frown, “Aren’t you going to give me an answer?”
“You didn’t even get down on one knee! How am I supposed to accept a proposal without you on one knee?”
“I can redo it.” He shrugs, beginning to lower himself towards the smooth white tile of the café while I throw my hands up in the air in frustration.
“No!” I cry, stamping my foot, “I said I wasn’t going to deal with it tonight!”
He gazes up at me from his position on the floor, his head cocked to the side. He was making this as difficult as possible, the sexy, devious bastard.
“Out.” I finally whisper, closing my eyes, hands still extended upwards towards the ceiling, “I need you out.”
“I’ll leave, but I’ll be back.” He smirks, silken fabric of his pants rustling as he pulls himself up onto his feet. I don’t open my eyes, willing him to be gone. “And you’ll miss me.” He adds quietly, his voice suddenly in my ear.
The warmth of his breath plays at my earlobe, making my stomach drop to my feet and my heart seize in my chest and my blood run with frost.
My teeth scrape my lower lip, biting back a gasp.
The chime over the door rings happily despite the rain outside as it swings open and shut. By the time I work up the bravery to crack open my eyelids once more, he’s gone and there’s nothing but the rain drizzling like a white sheet against the glass door.
I shift forward slightly, palms pressing against the cool glass along with my nose as a distant roll of thunder vibrates the glass. A soft exhale makes a cloud bloom over the glass before fading away, just like Maddox had done.
What the hell had just happened?
Was he serious?
Maddox Dodge. Sexiest man on the silver screen. And he asked me to marry him.
It had to be a prank. It had to be. There was no other option. He probably just roamed town to town with his filming crew, making women feel bad about themselves.
Asshole. I’d give him a real dressing down if he ever came into my shop again.
Frowning, I give another careful glance around, waiting for the glint of a camera in the distance though I see none. Huffing, I whirl on my heel and stomp back to my desk, plopping down my arms crossed over my chest.
Mom giggles from her photograph, eyes half open and obscured behind her curls. She gazes at me, wise even in her laughter and windswept pose.
If his promise was real. Even a little bit. Maybe there was something I could get from him in exchange. Maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to save Nancy’s.
Don’t even think about it, Mom seems to warn, but I lift my chin firmly and ignore her rebukes. At the end of the day, this place is all that matters to me. Seeing her glowing pink name in the dismal dark of a rainy day, hearing the soft chatter of pleased guests as they devour treats and sip coffee, making Mom proud… That’s all I want.
I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
~~
As evening rolled in and the slow trickle of customers ground to a halt, I wiped down the counters, tucked away the food, and locked the front door.
The cool fall air breezes over my shoulders, still damp from the afternoon rains. Overhead, the lazy moon hides behind grey clouds, not a shred of light sparkling from the stars. The streetlamps guide me down the sidewalk as I rub my arms, wishing I’d remembered to grab a sweater this morning.
Soon enough, I’d have a belly full of wine to keep me warm.
The walk to the vineyard was short, if chilly. I could barely afford to keep the café afloat, I didn’t have extra expense for a car or an Uber. Luckily enough I didn’t need either of those in this city. The restaurants and attractions were fairly clustered together, and when Reagan wanted to do something farther away, she always offered to drive me.
Hell, I didn’t even have my license.
Ahead, the warm lights of the vineyard glow like fireflies in the distance. Even before I approached the doors, I could hear the drunken giggles of girls sitting at the bar and the low chatter of men discussing the latest football games. Over their slurred words, classical music would hum softly.
It was impossible to feel more classy than I did in that moment, sipping my dollar wine and listening to the pianist play. Even if I was in holey jeans and a tee.
I stepped inside the restaurant, sighing at the welcome warmth. Reagan’s head bopped to the music as a familiar female face leaned over the table, her brunette eyebrows lifting happily.
The woman was a colleague and friend of Reagan’s, married to Reagan’s boss. She was nice enough, I supposed. I didn’t really know her that well. Shrugging, I walk over to the booth, grateful that they’d gotten there early enough to snag one. Usually we were relegated to the rough brick benches outside.
“Hey.” I announce lightly, slipping into the seat beside Reagan and tossing my purse onto her other side.
“I’m so glad you’re here!” She responds, twining her arms around my neck and squeezing too roughly, “I missed you!”
“You’re drunk!” I laugh in surprise, eying the line of empty, red stained wine glasses before her.
Reagan never got drunk, not that I’d seen anyway.
“I’m Poppy.” The woman across the table says, sticking out a slightly shy hand, “I think we might’ve met before.”
“Ava” I respond, shaking her hand and glancing up as the waiter approaches, “Can I have a glass of cabernet?”
“Of course.” He responds lightly, jotting it down on his notepad, “And another Riesling for you, ma’am?” He offers, glancing towards Poppy as she shakes her head and lifts her hands.
“I’m good. I think this one is good too.” She adds with a slight roll of her eyes and a gesture towards Reagan.
“No, no, bring on the sangria!” Reagan hollers, clapping her hands with the excitement of a toddler.
The waiter doesn’t respond, nodding at Poppy and turning to return to the bar.
“What’s going on with you, Reags?” I laugh as she grabs me in for another tight hug, “You didn’t even wait for me to get here!”
“I’m enjoying my last bit of freedom.” She slurs with a grin and a wink.
I laugh, exchanging a glance and a shrug with Poppy.
Reagan leans closer, her peach scented shampoo washing over me as her soft hair tumbles over her shoulders, “Eli and I are going to try for a baby.” She whispers, “A baby!”
“Oh my god!” I cry back, returning her squeeze, “That’s amazing!”
“I’m scared.” She murmurs with a sigh into my hair, “And I’m going to barf.”
Poppy’s wide eyes meet my own over the table as she grabs her arms and lifts a hand for the waiter to come back.
“I think we’d better skip the next round.” She murmurs wise as the waiter nods and slaps a check on the table.
Poppy leaves a wad of cash on the table and stands to help me drag Reagan from the booth. With her arms over both our necks, we lead the stumbling woman out to Poppy’s bright red BMW.
“I’ll take you both home.” The brown haired woman offers, tossing Reagan into the backseat where she lays practically comatose except for the noisy snoring.
“That’s alright.” I laugh, “I don’t live far and it looks like you’ve got your hands full.”
She nods, digging her keys from the purse, “See you later, Ava.”
I wave, watching her pull from the curb before I start the short walk home.
The moon peeks out now from behind its silvery shade, gazing down at me.
Mom had always loved watching the night skyf. She’d even gotten a telescope for her birthday a few months before she got sick. She’d never even gotten a chance to take it out of the box.