Ashley Elston - 10 Blind Dates

“Yeah, but Aunt Maggie Mae has one, so that’s not much better,” I whisper back. Olivia and Charlie will be fine, and Papa and Nonna will probably pick someone from their shop. I’m mostly worried about Aunt Patrice.

She’s weird.

“Okay, now that the excitement is over, let’s eat!” Nonna calls out.

And there goes my appetite.

Olivia ended up in the bed in the guest room with me sometime around midnight. I opted out of going to Wes’s, mainly because I needed yesterday to be over. I thought Charlie and Olivia would give me a hard time when I told them I was going to bed instead of going next door, but they didn’t seem surprised. I had tried not to feel annoyed.

“Thank God the shop is closed today. I never thought I’d be sick of Christmas, but I’m officially there,” Olivia says as she stretches around in the bed. “Do you want me to tell you who you’re going out with tonight? I won’t tell Nonna we cheated.”

I throw a pillow at her. “Is it anyone I know?”

Olivia stares at the ceiling. “I don’t think so.”

“Well, then it wouldn’t matter. I’ll just wait.” I pause before adding, “You’ll be there, too, right?” Olivia and I are in such a weird place right now and I have no idea what to expect.

Olivia sits up and throws the pillow back. “I’ll be with you every step, no matter who you have to go out with,” she says. I can’t help the warm feeling that rushes through me.

I grab my phone and the charger, since my battery is probably dead, and head to the bathroom. While I’m waiting for my phone to charge enough to turn back on, I brush my teeth and pace. I know I’ll have missed texts from Margot, along with pictures of God-knows-what part of her swollen anatomy. I’m sure Addie’s called and texted, too.

But what about Griffin?

When my phone lights up and the messages start pouring in, my stomach begins whirling.

Talking to him should be the last thing I do.

Too bad my heart isn’t listening.

I open my messages. The majority of the texts are from Addie and Griffin, although Margot isn’t far behind. Addie’s texts start out with: Where are you? and Call me! then graduate to: WHERE ARE YOU?!? and CALL ME!!!!

I tackle Margot’s messages first. There are three pictures: I can’t even tell what the first one is; the second might be an ankle; and the third looks like her…hand?

MARGOT: DO YOU SEE HOW SWOLLEN MY HANDS ARE NOW??? I’m going to need bedazzled gloves to match the shoes.

MARGOT: Okay not gloves since I can’t separate my fingers. I guess mittens. Will you bedazzle me some mittens?

Okay, so that was her hand.

MARGOT: Are you getting these? I look like a beast

MARGOT: Oh Soph, Mom just told me about Griffin. That asshole. Are you okay?

MARGOT: Seriously where are you??? I know you ALWAYS have your phone!!

MARGOT: Soooooppppphhhhiiiiiieeee????

Good grief, Margot. Dramatic much?

ME: Yes your hands are hideous. And no I will not bedazzle you any mittens.

It only takes a few seconds for her to respond.

MARGOT: Oh Soph are you ok? Tell me what happened

ME: Short version — overheard Griffin telling his friend he wanted to break up with me then he chased me down the driveway and there was drama in the street when I tried to leave then Addie screamed at him after I left

MARGOT: Oh. My. God.

ME: Yeah, we like to keep it classy.

MARGOT: Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?

ME: You’ve got enough to worry about. Have your toes fused together into one big nasty foot yet??

MARGOT: Ha, ha. You’re not going to brush this off that easily. If I can share hideous body parts, then you can cough up details about hideous boyfriends.

ME: Well, that’s not even the worst thing that’s happened to me. Nonna made a chart…

I tell Margot about the dates and the rules and the complete ridiculousness of the entire thing. Not surprisingly, she thinks it’s the best idea ever.

MARGOT: Okay I want details. And pictures. And live texting from the actual date. This is going to be better than the Dateline: Real Life Mysteries marathon.

ME: Whatever. I’ll text you later. My stomach is growling and I’m sure Nonna has fresh cinnamon rolls, and coffee and bacon and all that other stuff you can’t eat right now.

MARGOT: YOU SUCK!!!

I close out the conversation with Margot and take a deep breath before I open the messages from Griffin.

GRIFFIN: I’m sorry

GRIFFIN: I didn’t want things to end like this

GRIFFIN: I want to talk about this

GRIFFIN: I didn’t do anything wrong. I was just talking to Parker

GRIFFIN: I’m sorry

I swipe it closed — a little irritated that every single one of his texts is about how he feels — and call Addie.

“Why did it take you this long to call me back?” she huffs.

“I’m sorry. I just couldn’t deal. Please don’t be mad.” I sit on the edge of the bathtub. “I can’t take it if you’re mad at me.”

Addie lets out a deep breath. “Of course I’m not mad at you. Just worried. I had to hunt down Olivia’s number and text her to see if you were okay.”

I trace a finger along the grout pattern on the tile wall. “What happened after I left?”

She lets out a sharp laugh. “Griffin and I screamed at each other in the street until Matt’s neighbor threatened to call the cops. Then Griffin left. Danny and I didn’t stay much longer after that.”

I smile. “Thanks for taking up for me. It means more than you know.”

“Girl, I would do it again in a second. You’re better off without him.”

A wave of sadness rolls through me. Even though I want to believe she’s right, I’m not sure she is.

“Well, you won’t believe what Nonna’s done now.” I tell Addie about the calendar and the dates. She’s dying laughing on the other end.

“Soph, that is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard of. What if some total psycho shows up? No telling who your aunt Patrice is going to send over.”

I slide off the edge of the tub onto the floor. “I know. This is going to be the worst week and a half of my life. And we had plans for New Year’s Eve! You know I’d rather be there than here.”

“I know. Let’s wait and see how it works out. But Nonna’s probably right. You’ll have your hands too full to have any time left to worry about Griffin.”

I hope so, because right now, I still feel pretty broken inside.

By the time I finish talking to Addie, shower, and dress, Olivia has left the bedroom. I tiptoe down the hall, praying the house is empty.

Papa is at the table by himself, reading the paper and sipping coffee. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“I did, Papa. Where is everyone?” The house is unusually quiet — not that I’m complaining.

“Your nonna has gone to church, and thankfully, no one else has showed yet. Olivia ran home for clothes. She told me to tell you she would be back soon.”

I glance at the whiteboard on the wall below the chart Nonna made. Olivia’s name is printed at the top, and then in her handwriting it says:

I grin at the last line. The temperature has dropped over the weekend, and thankfully, it’s actually starting to feel like Christmas.