It’s crazy how life can turn around in one moment. It’s interesting, rather. One moment, you’re sitting under the sun, admiring the penguin-shaped cloud and next you are being hit by an asteroid heading towards Earth. I’m glad I’m not “you” though. I’m not sure if I’m glad to be me either. My name is Claire Wordsworth. You can pretty much tell I’m your average girl by my name. Maybe if my parents gave me a name like “Zendaya”, I would be busting ass. But they didn’t, so I’m the white girl named Claire. I’m half Italian and half Hungarian. My Italian side comes up whenever I’m pissed off or in an argument—I’d start flapping my hands in the air and yelling. My Hungarian side is just mainly in the looks. I look like a younger version of my mum, Susan. Same wavy brown hair and blue eyes. I had a really weird dream this morning. I was back in middle school and my teacher had asked me a question when suddenly, she turned into a whale and then I was in a field; it was raining apples in the
“Girl, you say what?”“Keep it down!” I shushed her. “You tell me that hot stuff asked you to marry him and you want me to keep it down? That’s not going to happen!”“What am I going to say to him?” I was a nervous wreck. “Is that even a question? You’re obviously going to say yes!” “You don’t just say yes to a marriage proposal that easily.”“I’d say yes to him right away if it were me,” Aniyah said. I have been married previously, that feels like another life time. I felt in love, that head over heels kind of thing. He cheated on me a week later. The ink on our marriage certificate had just dried. I haven’t been “in love” since then. I haven’t had sex in a while either and I’m desperate for action, that’s why when Nathaniel asked me out on a date, I said yes right away because he’s too hot to say no to. “I have a feeling my mum is up to something tonight, could you join me for dinner at my parent’s house?”“I’d love to!” Aniyah squealed, “I love your grandmother.”Yeah, they lov
He smiled again. “It wouldn’t be difficult to fall in love with you. Anyway, we’ll be going over to my parent’s place on Sunday, after that, we’ll decide how to make our proposal public. An engagement party or something.” He picked up a bottle of beer, tipped his head back and downed it. Goddamn, just drinking beer and he looks so hot. “I haven’t said yes to the arrangement, Mr. Carter.”“You haven’t said no either, miss Wordsworth,” he said with a lopsided smile. “Call me Nathaniel while I call you Claire, you’re my fiancée now, babe.” Babe. Just a simple word, yet my stomach fluttered at the sound of it. His voice was deep and rough which made it sound all better. “I like your SpongeBob shirt but I bet I’ll like you better when you take it off,” he said. I flushed red. He picked up his coat and made way to the door. “See you later, babe. I’ll pick you up by two on Sunday. Wear something nice.” And with that he was out of my door and I wished he was out of my life too. I sighed de
I was forced to promise to get Joyce a job at The Dress Code. I sighed. How’d I even get that done? I couldn’t get anything done at the moment anyway, with grandma singing along to Anaconda by Nicki Minaj that was blasting from my car’s radio. She was bouncing up and down in an attempt to twerk. Her performance was horrible. I was driving to a fancy restaurant where she’d meet up with her date. Grandma had her license taken away from her a while back because of reckless driving. She still took the grandpa’s old Buick out on a ride when mum wasn’t home. I dropped her off at a restaurant that had a French name, I’m not good at French. I got back to my apartment by a few minutes past ten. I was beat, from the shopping to the emotion cladded dinner. I parked in the parking lot, took the left over desert up the elevator with me. When I got to my apartment entrance, I saw a man seating at the foot of my door. My heart skipped a beat. “It’s about damn time, lady. It’s felt like ages since
“What?” I asked. Where did that question even come from? “I mean no harm but you do look a little bloated in that dress.” She gave a little chuckle. I narrowed my eyes at her. I felt Nathaniel rub my knee and I let out an awkward chuckle. “Ignore Evelyn, you look amazing in that dress. It makes your eyes pop,” Judith told me and I smiled at her in response. However, Judith’s hair was fire engine red, the same shade as her lips. The small talk continued until I spoke up. “You’ve got to give me your plastic surgeon’s contact. My—”“Excuse me?” Evelyn piped up. “Huh? Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just that you look so young, your surgeon must be so good. My grandmother would definitely like to meet them,” I replied. “Nathaniel, tell the secretary you’re fucking to shut up or I’d kick her out.” She said it so casually. I certainly won’t get along with her. I began laughing and every other person at the table joined me. “You all look like you’re having so much fun,” Jarrett Carter said as h
“How about Nathaniel?” I choked on my wine and after a coughing fit I asked, “how about him?”“You haven’t had sex?” I shook my head, no. She looked disappointed, even I was disappointed. I was beginning to believe I lacked the basic skills to bed a man. “Do you want to sleep with him?” I stared at her. Was she crazy? What kind of question is that? “Of course I do! I haven’t had sex in ages! I want tear him apart and ravish him.”“What’s stopping you?” She asked. “I don’t want to seem too forward and—”“What? Girl, you want that ass, go get it. A lady needs to be taken care of in every way. What’s the delay about anyway? You guys are in love, right? You’re getting married.” My heartbeat sped up after I heard the last thing she said. I was getting married. It felt so surreal. After Vincent, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get married again, I was so sad and devastated. “I didn’t think you’d be up for it again after Vincent. I’m so proud of you.” She gave me a hug. “Are you going to do
“Claire, I was wondering if I could get a ride to the funeral home, it’s Owen’s viewing. I hope it’s an open casket. I want to see what they did with his thing.” “I’m not free. You could ask Joyce to take you. She can drive grandpa’s old Buick,” I told grandma. “Yeah. But she’s been crying a lot so that’s sort of a challenge. You’re not free?” “Yes. I’m going on a date.” “I thought you were engaged, why are you going on a date?”“I’m going on a date with Nathaniel.” “Susan! Claire is going out on a date with Nathaniel.” “I can’t even keep a husband.” I heard Joyce sniffle in the background. I could hear the TV too and children yelling. “That’s great! Ask her if he can come over for dinner on Friday.” Mum replied. “What? No!” I yelled. “You heard your mum, bye Claire.” And she ended the call. Great. I haven’t even gone around getting a job for Joyce and now they’re inviting him over for dinner. I was ready before nine and I was feeling pretty confident. I was wearing a black
“Maybe if I stay silent, he’ll go away,” I whispered to Nathan who was clearly still amused. “Why are your clothes are shoes in here? I know you’re home, I saw your car in the parking lot,” Anthony said. “I don’t think so,” Nathan told me. He was grinning ear to ear. I narrowed my eyes at him, pushed him away, picked up my bathrobe, put it on and went to see Anthony. “Why are you in your bathrobe?” Anthony asked. He was eating crackers which he must have found in my fridge because he said, “your fridge looks better now.” “Who let you in?” I asked him.“I let myself in.” “You don’t have a key.”“Easy lock.”I took a breath in. “I have told you countless times, Anthony—”“You have a man over,” he said, cutting me off. I was stunned, didn’t know what to say, didn’t have anything to say. Nathan’s shoes were there, his shirt too, right next to my shoes and my dress. “You were having sex!” Anthony exclaimed.“What!” “Where’s he?”“Nice to see you again, Anthony,” Nathan’s voice echoe