1
Chance
“I don’t see why you have to take this trip so close to the wedding.” I’ve been hearing that same refrain for a month now, and it still grated on my nerves each time.
Every mention of the wedding felt like a noose tightening around my neck and I wondered, not for the first time, how the hell I’d let myself get backed into this corner.
Overwork, a don’t-carish attitude, and a mother who was constantly bemoaning the fact that her eldest son had yet to marry and give her grandchildren is the culprit I guess. “It’s already settled Brittany there’s no point in going over it, over and over again.”
I wish she would just leave already and go about her business. Maybe go shopping or any one of the other mundane things she does each day to pass the time. Maybe she was hanging around for money, or my card. I wasn’t ever making that mistake again.
The one and only time I’d done that she’d gone way overboard. I have no problem spending money on a woman, but I abhor waste. And besides, I don’t think I’ve ever felt like she was my woman. More like the leash my mother had chosen for me.
I wasn’t sure why it was bothering me now. It hadn’t in the beginning, that don’t-carish thing again. I was too busy doing what I love to pay too much attention to my personal life.
When mom had suggested I ask out the daughter of one of her old school friends I hadn’t thought anything of it. She was nice enough, beautiful, with a good education and great ancestry. I admit to not having too much interest in the whole falling in love and settling down thing. But within three months her and mom was on that bandwagon.
I can’t say that I was in love with Brittany, I’d even told her as much, but she said it would come with time. I just wasn’t interested. I knew at some point I’d have to get married and settle down, but at just twenty-eight I wasn’t in any hurry.
But mom had other ideas I guess, because pretty soon Brittany was a regular at the family’s Sunday dinners, which is a big thing with mom.
Then they started pushing for a wedding and stupid me, after dodging them both for weeks finally relented.
That was four months ago. I’ve had sex with Brittany once, that’s right once. I just wasn’t into her like that, and the truth is that yes, I’m a workaholic, and I never had time for relationships.
Before and even after meeting her, I had my fair share of partners here and there, but nothing to write home about. But after accepting my fate and saying yes, it wasn’t in me to cheat.
That one time had been not so long ago. She seemed to think it was the best thing in the world; it left me cold. Maybe because I’d come to realize that I didn’t like this girl. She was selfish, opinionated and a snob. Three of the things I hate most. She also seemed to think that she now had a direct link to my bank account. Guess again. I didn’t trust her or her mother, mom’s old friend.
Now I’m stuck, the wedding day looming up ahead like a specter. I reached for my wallet to pass her some cash; I knew that would get her on her way. I don’t know how she got into my place anyway. “How did you get in?”
“Oh your mom gave me a key, since we’re getting married soon she thought there was nothing wrong with it. That shit was just too much.
“Oh she did- did she.” I was going to ask for that shit back, but thought, what the hell? Why make waves? I’ll just change the locks.
I gave her a wad of bills, which made her eyes sparkle, as she headed back the way she came. I doubt she’d even cleared the door before I was on the phone with the locksmith. I would call mom and give her a dressing down for overstepping, but there was no point, she’d just do as she pleased anyway.
I’m not sure what has come over me here lately; maybe it was that feeling of impending doom. But it’s as if I’d finally picked my head up out of the sand and started giving a shit. Did I really want to do this? Saddle myself with a woman that I had no real feelings for, and couldn’t even stand to touch?
And why the hell would she want to marry me anyway? The one time she’d tried to crawl in my bed after that disastrous night, I’d sent her packing. Why would a young, beautiful, intelligent girl want to waste herself on a union like that?
I waited around for the locksmith to get here and then I had some work to look over. My firm was finally doing what I wanted it to, after years of hard work. As one of the leading investment bankers in the city, I was now in high demand, and I’d done it, not with my family’s name, but by the sweat of my brow.