See How She Runs (The Chronicles of Izzy #1)(4)

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THREE





When I arrived at the pub, there were only a handful of other people inside. There was a group of college hipsters in the corner. No doubt they were discussing what they thought to be the very best in unheard of pretentious music. Most likely that discussion would be followed by an in-depth study of the best Indian Pale Ale.

Sometimes living in this neighborhood was taxing. Don’t get me wrong, I loved great music as much as the next person. Was it not enough just to enjoy it without being all pretentious about it? I walked to the bar top and pulled up a stool. Fanfreakingtastic, Marky was working tonight.

He asked me out almost relentlessly. It had been several months since I had run into him. I had been meticulously avoiding him if truth be told. I know beggars can’t be choosers, but there was just something about him that made nails on a chalkboard more preferable. I guess I had not disguised the look of dismay on my face, because when I glanced at Kennan he was barely containing his laughter.

“Hey stranger, it has been a long while since I have seen you. Are you just not coming around here these days?" Marky asked, leaning in close.

I suppose he was not bad looking. He was just way too high on the cheese factor for me. Kennan knew how much I hated getting into awkward situations, so I knew he didn’t tell me about Marky working on purpose. He seemed to be getting an awful lot of enjoyment out of my discomfort. That jerk was so going to pay later for this.

“No, I have just been missing you, I guess. Can I have a Malibu and Coke please? Lots of limes." I asked as politely and disengaged as I could.

“Hey, did K.O. tell you?"

I looked at him like I had no idea what he was talking about, which only seemed to encourage him.

“I am getting married. Tying on the old ball and chain!” Marky beamed.

“Congratulations Marky, that is awesome. When’s the big day going to be?" I was genuinely curious how five months ago he was single and now he was going to get married, as in, "til death do us part."

“Oh, we are getting married this weekend. When you know, you just know, you know? I will be right back with your drink chickie." And with that he was off.

God, that saying annoyed the crap out of me. What does that even mean, when you know, you just know? That was such garbage. I was pretty sure it was a lie people told themselves when they were rushing head long into a disaster of a marriage. Ugh, maybe I was just a skeptic. Or perhaps it was that I actually believed that I needed to know a person really well before I made a promise like until death do us part. I would not be getting married to anyone anytime soon, mind you.

I looked up from tearing the closest coaster apart to find Kennan looking down at me. He had my drink in one hand and a cup of limes in the other. Did I mention how awesome he is? He eyed me steadily and then started in with the questions.

“So what gives, Red, I thought you would be stoked about our boy Marky’s news? You don’t seem interested. Obviously we aren’t that busy so I have a plethora of time for you to regale me with your adventures in bicycling.”

“I am fine. I am really happy for him and her whoever she may be. It is just weird. I feel like everyone around me is going into the mid-twenties, getting married, having kids, buying a house with a white picket fence and I am nowhere even close to that. Do you think there is something wrong with me that I don’t even want that right now?" I sounded mopey, even to my own ears. It was just so frustrating when everyone looked at me like I was a freak for not wanting those things yet.

“There is nothing wrong with you kid. You just want different things right now. You don’t see me jumping on the marriage bandwagon. Heck, I escaped my last apartment so I didn’t have to be surrounded by marital bliss. I think that it happens when it happens. Not that you just know, but that when it is the right time, you will know it."

There was something in the way he looked at me that was unnerving. It had been happening with some frequency lately. Like always, it passed as quickly as it showed up leaving me to feel as though I had imagined it all. I probably was hallucinating. That seemed to be happening to me more and more lately.

“Yeah, but you are a dude. It is cool for you to live your bachelor life until whenever you decide to get hitched. I don’t give a rat’s butt what people say about women’s lib. There is still a serious stigma out there. I don’t feel pathetic, but if people keep looking at me with that ‘Awe that poor girl’ look on their faces, I might start getting a complex. It is no big thing. Don’t worry, I am not about to rush out and buy all of the local Haagen Daz. I won’t force you to watch Pride and Prejudice or anything.”

I snickered at the thought of trying to convince him to sit through the entire Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice, which was my favorite. I could just imagine him literally climbing the walls to escape the torture, full on rock climbing gear and all. Sometimes I got these mental pictures that were so clear it was hard to not laugh at them.

“What is so funny, Iz?”

“Nothing, I was just imagining the many ways in which you would be trying to escape the room while I forced you to watch the movie with me. I was thinking of you scaling the walls to escape.”

“You are one weird chick, you know that? So, what about the creeper from today? What happened?”