“Hello.” The voice is soft…Southern, and you’re instantly transported back into your past to days of eating watermelon at your uncle’s farm and climbing trees with your cousins.
“Hello.” You know that a smile accompanies your greeting because he smiles back.
“I’m Brian.” The hand that extends towards you looks comfortable, and you grasp it as much as for a lifeline as an introduction.
“I’m Mina.”
He tugs you into the apartment, and you barely manage to stop yourself from gaping at the lavishly decorated space. You have never been here—not for lack of invitation but because you didn’t want to find yourself pulled into the artificiality of it all. Kind of like you refuse to use artificial sweetener in your coffee because it isn’t real.
He comes around the corner and stops, just looking at you with a tiny smile on his lips. In a blur, he is moving towards you, sweeping you against his chest and kissing you. It feels like he’s trying find an anchor in the chaos.
“Thank you for coming.” The words are soft against your ear.
Pressing your hand against his cheek, you turn his face towards yours so that he can see your eyes. “I’m glad to be here, Howard.”
You notice that you’re alone in the foyer with him, Brian having disappeared into the elegant opulence that surrounds you. With a sigh, he takes your hand and leads you towards the living room and the laughing voices that greeted your ears when the door first opened.
“Everyone, this is Mina.”
Seven sets of eyes immediately turn in your direction. For a moment, you wonder if this is how butterflies feel as they’re pinned to a board, but you shake off the nervousness and smile. His hand is warm in yours, and he squeezes it gently in reassurance.
“You’ve met Brian, and this is his wife, LeighAnne. That’s Kevin and Kristin, AJ and Sarah, and Nick.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” You’re not sure how true your smile is, but you think it’s okay because there are other smiles reflecting back at you.
With an inward sigh, you allow yourself to be seated in a large, overstuffed chair as he perches on the arm next to you. You’re starting to remember why you hate small talk and prefer the soft murmur of the waves.
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Wonder Why