Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 117177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
“You should just call her up instead of attending Darcy’s engagement party to see her. The party doesn’t seem like a good idea.”
“I’m not calling Hallie. I have every intention of telling her the truth, and I can’t do that on the phone. It has to be face-to-face.”
“Then hire her.”
“What?”
“Hire her. Get her to help you plan a retirement party from the air force. Weren’t you just saying the other day that you feel you didn’t get closure? That one minute you were in the air force and the next you weren’t. You could invite friends from the military, if they’re home, and your colleagues from NASA. The college friends you still talk to. Maybe having those people in the same room will provide some clarity.”
I considered this. “I can’t ask people to come to New York for a party.”
“Well, have it in Houston.”
“A few of my college friends live in New York and Boston, but most of them are scattered all over.”
“We’ll have it here,” she suddenly announced. “And we’ll invite your father’s fancy friends to keep him placated.”
“All so I can meet Hallie?”
Aunt Richelle nudged me playfully. “You’re not subtle—I have caught you watching her videos more times than I can count. Meet the woman. See what’s she all about. Planning something together will give you the perfect opportunity to get to know her.”
As much as I’d like that, I didn’t want to have to be the center of attention at a party that involved dragging people out to the Hamptons. “People will feel obligated to come, and they’re too busy for me to throw something as frivolous as a retirement party.”
“Boo, you’re no fun.” Aunt Richelle sighed. “Fine, go to your ex-girlfriend’s engagement party. Just don’t be blinded by her long legs and perky tits.”
I burst out laughing. “She’s engaged to another man.”
“So? Sweetheart, you may be one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever known, but you’re still a man. And when it comes to women, men are stupid. They will happily overlook the cute-as-a-button event planner for the supermodel even if the supermodel is a selfish, disloyal, cheating, uppity society cow.”
“You really don’t like Darcy, do you?”
“No, I really don’t. You being cool with her . . . well . . . that’s just too well-adjusted.”
Chuckling, I shook my head. “I’m over her, I promise.” My thoughts were a little preoccupied by my cute-as-a-button event planner. “I resent the idea that I would overlook a good woman for someone more physically attractive.”
“Bah, attraction is all up here.” Aunt Richelle tapped her temple. “When I met Akio, we were just friends. I barely even noticed him like that. Then, within days of spending time with him, I realized I was growing more and more attracted to him. One day he didn’t give me butterflies, and the next day he smiled at me and, whoosh, butterflies galore.” She threw me a sad smile. “You fall in love with the person, Chris, not the face. Otherwise it isn’t love.”
She never talked about Akio.
Not sure what to say, I repeated, “You’re so fucking wise.”
Relief glittered in her eyes. “I am. I am goddamn Yoda.”
We laughed into our Thai food, but her words stayed with me, just like they always did.
ELEVEN
Hallie
That’s what I love about science, Darce . . . there’s always a solution to be sought. Always hope that this thing you can’t figure out or fix can be figured out, can be fixed. It’s not like that with people or emotions. We both know that sometimes relationships can’t be mended. There’s too much damage. It can feel hopeless. The only thing to do, the only thing that keeps you sane, is to make peace with the fact that whatever it is, is unfixable. Find your hope in something else. Find the next problem to solve, the next solution. Move on. That’s so much harder than just being able to fix it. Losing hope. But it’s the only thing left for us to do.
—CAPTAIN CHRISTOPHER ORTIZ, VIDEO DIARY #6
My Sundays were precious to me. Very few of my events fell on a Sunday, whereas I usually had an event at least two Saturdays out of the month. I did not, therefore, want to spend one of my few days off doing something I didn’t choose. As terrible of a daughter as it made me, I didn’t want to go to my mom’s for lunch.
Especially when I was distracted.
A few days ago, Darcy had sent me an updated guest list for the engagement party, and Captain Christopher Ortiz had RSVPed. I did not think in a million years that her ex-boyfriend would show up, and now he was planning to attend. The object of my crush, the man whose privacy I had invaded, would be at the party. In the same room as me.