The Boys of Blueberries

16

"He said, 'I want to marry you'. And you know what I said?"

Sabina purses her lips and shrugs. "I'm going to be honest with you, your tits are so huge right now."

"I said, 'Me? Why?' Like an idiot!" MJ continues frustratingly, raising her palms in the air and leaning back forcibly on her chair. "Who else would it be, dumbass," she mutters to herself, grabbing her wine glass.

"They're huge in that dress," Sabina comments, nodding at her outfit today.

"Sabina." The ginger glares at her, teeth baring. "I know they're great, but right now, what do I do?"

"About what?" Sabina asks, blinking.

"Adrian!"

"Oh, he still wants to marry you after that?"

MJ doesn't find it funny. Sabina giggles and takes a sip of her mimosa.

"I'm freaking out, I don't want him to propose yet, it's too soon," her friend mutters, shaking her head. Strands of hair fall in her eyes, and Sabina reaches out to tuck her hair behind her ear. MJ's looking at a distance, bouncing her leg. "Is it? Too soon?"

Sabina rolls her eyes and flatly asks, "Do you even want it?"

She blinks at her. "Okay, I know it's kind of hard for you to be nice, but Adrian is a person, Sabina."

"I was talking about marriage, stupid," the older says. She clicks her tongue. "Mm. I can see why he should withhold the proposal. Consider his options."

"God." MJ smacks her. "I don't know, okay? I don't know, I'm busy, I have hotels to run, he has a clinic to run—"

"Just say you're scared he'll hurt you again and go," Sabina snaps. "At least with your situation right now, you know you can leave him any time he lies to you again. But marriage—no, you're tied down to this man for the rest of your life. Do you want that, Mary Jane?"

"What I want right now is to leave for work, Dad's coming to check on our progress for the anniversary." She downs the last of her wine. "You were useless. Ah, how's babysitting going, by the way?"

Sabina glares at her.

MJ laughs and stands up. "Calm your tits, I'm going. Good luck to Tristan." She reaches over to kiss Sabina's cheek and then she's out the door, heels clicking loudly on the tiles. She says goodbye to her mother and to Allan, too, seated on the table out at the balcony, talking to each other while they patiently wait for Sabina's boyfriend.

Sabina's boyfriend, who, when he comes, is bringing a bouquet of flowers for her parents.

He's embarrassing, Sabina thinks, even as her pulse jumps. She stands up and walks over, halting him from stepping out the elevator. "Hello, handsome."

He's wearing a polo shirt and slacks. His watch is shiny on his wrist, and he smiles at her. "Hey, beautiful. Anything I should know before I walk in there?"

Sabina wraps an arm around his waist and kisses his jaw. In his ear, she whispers, "Eat everything on the table. Madeline gets offended if you don't."

"Got it." He swallows thickly. "What about your dad?"

"Oh, he loves you already, come on."

MJ's mother lets out a pleasant laugh, opening her arms once they spot them coming closer to the balcony. "Ah!" she says delightedly. "You're the man making my Sabina happy!"

"Madeline, this is Tristan. Tristan, this is Madeline, my mother in all ways but one."

They do air kisses, and Tristan sends Sabina a look with a smile, mouthing, "Happy?"