CARA
When I go back to my phone—fully clothed in my usual yoga pants and t-shirt—Toby is long gone.
My pulse is still racing from that exchange.
Friends can flirt, right?
And that’s all that was. But whoa, it was fun.
Maybe it was the dress.
I’m definitely wearing it for the elopement if it gives me magical acting skills.
But kissing Toby in the park was the same. No awkwardness, just easy, sexy teasing, and that’s a dangerous train of thought.
I check my email, and sure enough, there’s a message from Toby introducing me to Alex. He’s got a disposable email address, presumably to keep me out of escort-hiring-jail. Not like that’s a real thing, except in Toby’s mind, but I appreciate the concern.
From: Cara Russo
To: Alex
Subject: Friday, June 23 details
Thank you for helping me with this…project. The first date is Friday, June 23. We’ll need to discuss a trip to New York after that, but that timing is flexible based on your availability. Alex is a workaholic—ha!
On Friday, I’ve hired a photographer and an officiant.
We’ll meet the photographer on the platform of St. George Station at eleven, take a few photos there, then head onto campus. I have a permit organized, so this is all allowed, and that’s where the officiant will be meeting us. As a reminder, they don’t know you’re an…actor. The photographer thinks this is an actual wedding, and the officiant knows we don’t have a license and we just want a commitment ceremony.
Do you have any questions? If it’s easier, we can text using the email app.
Nice to “meet” you,
Cara
He doesn’t reply before I go to sleep.
But when I wake up in the morning, there’s a new contact in my messaging app. Again, just Alex.
Alex: Nice to meet you, too. I do have a couple of questions.
Cara: Hi! Shoot.
Alex: How will I know who you are?
Cara: I’ve lived here for a year; I’ve never seen a bride on the subway in that time.
Alex: LOL Good point. How will you know who I am?
I think about that for a second. Oh, I can give him the flowers assignment. I haven’t gotten around to that yet.
Cara: How about you get the flowers? You’ll be wearing an orchid on your suit jacket, and you’ll have a small bouquet for me, too. That’s how I’ll know you’re my fiancé. I’ll look for the flowers.
Alex: Sure, I can do that.
Cara: You can add that to the acting bill.
Alex: Don’t worry about that. Next question: Is there any backstory I need to know for why we don’t have a license?
Cara: I stuck to the truth as close as I could. We don’t philosophically believe in marriage, but our families want us to get hitched. The photos are mostly for them.
Alex: And a little bit for you?
Oh, perceptive. I find myself laughing and smiling as we text.
Cara: Well I do like my dress.
Alex: This sounds like a fun adventure.
Cara: It’s turning into that, yes. Thank you again for your assistance.
Alex: That’s my job.
Of course it is. Right. I keep my last reply short and to the point.
Cara: Okay, I’ll see you next Friday! Eleven in the morning on the platform of St. George Station. I’ll be the bride in blue.
“I’ve been thinking about something you said last week,” Toby says, his voice low and quiet in my ear.
I’m curled up on my bed. I called him almost an hour ago, and we’ve been talking about nothing and everything, except for what’s going to happen tomorrow.
“What did I say?”
“You don’t think you’ll ever get married.”
“Yeah.” I pick at the blanket. That’s getting dangerously close to the topic we’ve been avoiding.
“This plan of yours…it all hinges on Alex breaking up with you.”
“Or me breaking up with him. It doesn’t really matter.”
“But the relationship will end when you leave Toronto.”
“Yes.”
“What if Alex didn’t refuse to leave Toronto? What if he’d follow you?”
“Alex isn’t real.”
“I know.”
“So I don’t understand the question.”
“You’re hell bent on assuming that no guy will ever want to follow you around the globe, or maybe even share your wanderlust.”
Nobody I want, anyway. “Are you saying my standards are too high?”
“No, they’re perfect. Don’t settle for anything less than a mate who will follow you to the ends of the earth.” He says it the same way the rest of the conversation has gone, slow and smooth, but the little hairs on my back of neck lift.
I’ve never allowed myself to want that before, to think that was possible for me. But if Toby can see it, maybe one day…
I stretch out, pressing myself deeper into the pillows. “That’s some excellent advice…do you ever believe it for yourself?”
He laughs quietly. “Sure. I want all sorts of things. A family. Dorky domestic stuff like going to a farmer’s market and cooking dinner together. Arguments over throw cushions. That kind of thing sounds awesome. But I’ll never get there if I can’t find someone who understands the unique push and pull of my career.”