Previously, Mia continued to help Wes overcome his physical and psychological trauma (from terrorist kidnapping if you recall!) with her vajeen.
Calendar Girl (November) Chapter 3:
Time to check in on Mason and Rachel! Mason is a famous baseball player and Rachel is his PR-person-turned-lover-but-still-PR-person. You’ll be able to distinguish them from Anton and Heather because Heather is Anton’s assistant-turned-manager-but-not-lover.
The second I stepped around the tall marble pillar and into the grand opening of the lobby area, I saw Mason’s large frame with his arm casually slung over his woman.
He turned, and his eyes met mine. I smiled huge. My heart thumped in my chest. The last time I’d seen him, he was taking care of me in a hotel after I’d been attacked by the California Senator.
Oh god, I forgot that Mia was sexually assaulted not so long ago. Boy, we’ve moved on from that quickly.
The engagement is announced! Mia sounds…enthusiastic?
Rachel’s eyes opened wide, bright as a car’s headlights in the dead of night. “You’re getting married?” she screeched.
My shoulders automatically went up toward my ears. “I so am!”
I have no idea what kind of reaction this is, but I urge you to try it for yourself at home just to let how strange it is sink in.
Rachel and Mia show off their rings to one another. Rachel’s is very fancy.
“I only wanted the man,” she grumbled, but I knew she didn’t care. Rachel was not the type of woman who worried about those things. Sure, she dressed incredibly well, was perfect for keeping Mace in check, and could easily hang with all the richie riches, but deep down, she was a normal girl who just wanted the man.
We know, Mia. Rachel just said that! Weren’t you paying attention?
They start talking about when their respective weddings will take place, and Wes insists it will be in less than two months, on New Year’s Day. This causes Mia to have a panic attack in the middle of the restaurant. Oh wait. I’m sorry, the panic attack is because Wes mentions having a big wedding and not how pushy he’s being about the whole thing.
Don’t worry. Everything is resolved instantly.
His eyes gleamed, positively smiled in response. “She would love that. We can get married on our beach for us. Have our reception at my childhood home.” He held my cheeks. “Christ, I love you more and more each and every day.”
“Rockin’,” I whispered as he laughed and kissed me sweetly. Nothing like his normally intense kisses, but definitely one to remember.
OR IS IT?
Can you get your list to twenty or less?”
He sucked in a breath through his teeth. “I don’t know. We’ll talk about it, though. I’ll make a list tonight.”
Tonight. He’d make a list of who to invite to our wedding tonight. The man was dead set on this happening in seven weeks. Now I only needed to get to the bottom of why.
Because he’s S C A R Y!
That night, Mia asks Wes why he’s being so insistent about getting married.
“It’s not that we can’t wait. I know we could spend some time planning, but Mia, Jesus, after the time I spent locked up…the only thing that gave me hope was thinking of you. You were my constant. I had to survive. I just had to because I wanted to be there for you more than anything.”
I totally get wanting to make the most of your time with another person after a horrific experience like that, but why is marriage presented as The Ultimate Way to not waste a minute of time. I mean, let’s examine this for a minute. Mia told us two chapters ago that Wes was reluctant to go to New York with her until he realised she would be meeting him with Wes and Anton. For a man so concerned about not wasting a moment with Mia, you’d think he would have just agreed to go with her right away.
Mia also made a point earlier this chapter to tell us she was going to talk to Wes’ therapist about his jealousy–he’s okay with Mason, but only when Mason is being physically affectionate with Rachel, which calms the jealous beast within. So this race to the altar thing still doesn’t jive with me.
“I smiled huge.” ??
I write terrible.
“You’re getting married?” she screeched.
My shoulders automatically went up toward my ears. “I so am!”
I THINK Audrey Carlan was going for excitement as expressed by a rich white girl in a late 90s – early 2000s romantic comedy or sitcom. (See: Cher Horowitz, Elle Woods, Rachel Green in season 1.) Maybe she actually wrote this book in 2002.
Hahahaha I really like this take on it.
I thought she said “so I am” when I first read it, so I thought she was shrugging all nonchalant like she didn’t give a damn.
When I reread it and realised she’s exclaiming “I so am!” I was very confused