Chapter 10
“You’re never going to believe what’s happened!” Sascha’s voice woke her up even before she realized she’d picked up her phone and put it to her ear. She sat up slowly, reorienting herself in an unfamiliar space.
“Sascha? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong! Everything’s great!” Sascha laughed into her ear. She sounded at least a bit tipsy.
“Okay, so why are you calling me at…”, Elmira glanced at the bedside clock glowing on the table, “3a.m?”
“Oh my gaad, I’m sorry. I didn’t think about the time difference. I am sooo sorry El. Silly me.” Sascha said.
“Tell me why you called Alexandra or I will reach through the phone and break your neck.”
Sascha laughed, “Ooh I’m so scared. Anyway, just wanted to share the news with my bestest friend in the world.”
“Yes? What news?”
“I’m getting married!” Sascha shouted so loud that Elmira had to move the phone away from her ear. Beside her, Sven turned in the bed to stare up at her, eyebrows raised. She could see by the light of the phone and the glowing dials of the clock. She shook her head at him and waited for her friend to stop screaming with joy.
“Are you serious right now?” she asked.
“I ain’t never been more serious in my life Elly,” Sascha said.
“Then…I’m happy for you. I guess.”
“Oh Elly, I know it’s fast but…you know when you meet the one you just know. You just know Elly.”
Elmira glanced involuntarily at Sven. Maybe there was something in the water at fashion week…
“Yeah Sascha. I know.” She said quietly, “So where are you? You back?”
“Naw. We're doing south east Asia right now. I’m not even sure which country we’re in. Or where we’re going next. But don’t worry, I’m not getting married without you girl. I wouldn’t do that.”
“ ‘preciate it Sash,” Elmira said warmly, she was genuinely glad for her friend if still shocked that this was happening.
“Mwah. Go back to sleep. We’ll skype when you wake up.”
“Yeah okay. Bye bitch. Get me a sari or some shit.”
“You got it.”
They hung up and Elmira put her phone back down on the table with a sigh.
“What happened?” Sven asked.
“Sascha’s getting married,” Elmira said avoiding his eye. She didn’t know how she felt about this. Worried for her in case she was rushing into things too fast, maybe envious that she had the courage to just jump in like that…she glanced at Sven again. Yeah, there was definitely some envy. But mostly she was happy that her friend wasn’t gonna die alone after all.
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Sven’s voice cut into her musings.
Elmira shrugged, “I don’t know. I mean she met this chick like five seconds ago.”
“Yeah, I guess that can be tricky. I mean look at us; we met five seconds ago too and it’s not like we’re serious or anything…”
Elmira pushed him in the arm so he almost fell off the bed.
“What? What did I say?” he teased, a wide smile on his face.
“You love me,” Elmira said sticking her tongue out at him.
“You love me too,” he replied, his tone much more serious than hers.
“Yeah. I guess,” she said.
“Is it because her girl asked her before I asked you? Is this a competition because if it is I could get you the biggest ring you ever saw…” Elmira pushed him right out of the bed amid his laughter.
“Can I be worried about how fast my friend is moving without everyone throwing a bitch fit?” she asked the room in general.
“Sure you can. But it’s not like there’s anything you can do about it if she is so…just be happy for her and hope for the best.”
“Ugh, my mother is going to give me such shit about this…” Elmira said hiding her face in her hands.
“Why?”
“Just…Sascha’s such a slut you know. I mean not like I’m insulting her or nothin’ but she has a different girl on her arm like every week. And my mother knows it. I can just hear her criticizing me about not being able to get a man before my slutty friend got hitched.”
“That…doesn’t sound nice.” Sven said.
“Yeah. My mother doesn’t really do nice?”
“Is that why you don’t want me to meet her?”
Elmira flopped back on the bed, hand covering her eyes, “Ugh. That again? You haven’t taken me to meet your folks yet either.”
“Fine. But I also haven’t been home since I met you. You have.”
“It was a family dinner!”
“Your mother said you could bring a friend!”
“Yeah well you’re not a friend.”
“Then what am I? huh? Am I your little dirty secret Elly? The wrong color for your mama.”
“Actually yeah Sven. Welcome to Guess Who, Brooklyn version where Percy Jones is actually Percia Jones and she’s more concerned about your inability to understand how to maintain nappy hair than whether you have a job or not.”
Sven smiled, “Relax. I’ll just tell her ‘You know, if Elmira had told me you guys were black it really could have saved us an awkward situation’ and everyone’ll laugh and it’ll be over.”
Elmira sighed again and rolled her eyes, “And it is just that cavalier attitude that is going to get your ass in more hot water than you understand how to get out of.”
“Aww, you’re worried about me. I’m so touched.”
“I’m not worried about you. I am trying to save your hide. But you refuse to believe me.”
“Okay how about this? We have dinner at my place, and invite both of our parents. That way, we’re on neutral ground and they’ll probably be too busy sizing each other up to pay attention to us.”
“While I like how you think Marcel, the point is are we even there yet? Do we have to do this? Why can’t we just chill out and watch Netflix?”
“Well mostly because I’m happy. And when that happens, it means that something really bad is about to go down. And if that bad thing is your mother not accepting me, I’d like to get it over with. Because if it’s a deal breaker, I need to find out sooner rather than later.”
Elmira stared at him in shock, opening her mouth to tell him she knew not what but then closed it again. Sure he’d told her before that he loved her, that he was serious about this thing between them…but this was the first time she understood it.
Shit had just become real.
She looked up at Sven, standing at the foot of his bed in his boxers, pacing as he poured his heart out to her.
Was it a deal breaker if her family didn’t accept him? This wasn’t a movie, it was real life and the possibility was very real. Would she break up with him over it? She just couldn’t answer that question right now. She wasn’t like Sascha; her family was close knit. But in the same vein, it wasn’t like they would ever make her choose…would they?
“Come here,” she said.
Sven stopped pacing, “What?”
“Come here Sven.”
Sven looked at her and then he put one knee on the bed, “Okay.” He said, “But this isn’t over.”
“Of course Sven. Now come here and sex me before my ovaries explode.”