The tension seemed to follow the water down the drain and when I stepped out, tugging a towel securely around my waist, I felt more relaxed than I had before, though my neck felt hot. I swiped my hand over the mirror, removing the foggy steam that covered the glass. My hair was growing longer than ever, and I ran my fingers through it, shaking the water from the blonde strands. For years, I had cut it short at my father’s request and against my own wishes. Now though, it didn’t seem as important, and I didn’t feel the need to crop it short.
It was almost lunch and Sadie wouldn't be back from the city for another half-hour. She hadn’t said where she had gone shopping for her wedding attire, though I knew it couldn’t be too far away because she wouldn’t have gone if it was. She was nervous about the wedding and apparently nothing in her closet was good enough. She had taken the cameraman, Alex, with her, thank goodness. It had been enough to put on a show for the people around me, not to mention Sadie’s family. It was another thing altogether to pretend in my own home. Though it wasn’t hard to like her family, I probably would have anyway. The Harlows were nothing like my father and nothing at all like my father’s friends. There was warmth and love there between them all, a kindness that extended past the point of politeness and necessity. Sadie herself was opinionated and passionate, but she was easy to be around, and it was getting harder and harder to pretend there was no attraction there between us. Judging by my time in the shower, it wasn’t something that was easy to deny anymore. The cameraman had only made it more difficult for me by putting my daily life and my feelings on display for the world to see. I took a breath and then let it out slowly, stepping out of the bathroom still dripping wet and tucked into my towel with my chest bare.
As soon as the bathroom door closed behind me and I padded into the kitchen, I heard a soft gasp to my right and then something broke, glittering across the floor behind me. I turned quickly to see Sadie standing stock-still in one of my sweaters, her hands full of bags and her cheeks flame red. Her mouth was open, and she was trying very hard to look away from me and not to make eye contact. I squeezed the towel around my waist, holding it tight in my grip when I realized that Alex was behind her, holding the camera on his shoulder and filming the entire unfortunate encounter.
“I bought Laurel and her fiancé some champagne glasses and I—” Sadie swallowed hard when she looked at me, smoothing down her auburn hair quickly. Her hazel eyes tracked down my body in a rush before she turned away again, squeezing her eyes shut and then blinking. “I dropped them on the floor,” she finished quietly. I realized the champagne glasses were what glittered brokenly over the hardwood, spread across the floor like scattered rain drops.
Warmth traveled up my neck and I felt a thin vein of guilt begin to take hold of me. “I thought—I mean… I didn’t think you would be back so soon, I’m sorry.”
Alex moved the camera around us with his thin arms and smart brown eyes, catching every angle, and I wanted to tell him that it wasn’t the time for that. Though really, this was what he had been hoping to catch, I assumed. The awkward tension, the naked skin, and blushing cheeks—it was a reality show dream and Alex had just gotten the entire thing. The show runners would be so proud of him, I thought morbidly.
“It’s— uh, you’re fine. I mean it’s fine!” Sadie stuttered, bending down to pick up the glass and scoop it into the trash can.
Guilt hit me for scaring her but when I reached down to help, she screeched, flapping her hands.
“No! Dressed—you need to get dressed, please. I’ve got it.”
I nodded quickly, hurrying into my bedroom before Alex—or Sadie could catch a good shot of my backside. I pulled on my sweatpants and hoodie, pulling on the fuzzy brown bedroom slippers that Nora had gifted me with last Christmas. I hurried into the main room where Alex was (finally) helping Sadie clean up the glittering crystal now that he had gotten his shot. He crouched down close to her, brushing her fingers as he held out the dustpan. For some reason, the sight of Alex staring at Sadie and being so close to her made me irrationally angry. I wanted to haul him up and away.
I shook my head, clearing it of the odd jealousy. I wasn’t thinking straight, that was all. Alex wandered off to fiddle with his camera when they were done, and I grabbed Sadie’s bags from the floor. Since it was my cousin’s wedding we were going to, I had given her one of my cards and told her to pick out whatever she wanted or needed. From the looks of it, Sadie had kept it simple. I didn’t see any designer brands on the bags. She wasn’t someone I expected to be frivolous with someone else’s money. When I turned around, she pressed my card into my hand and then waved at the bags I was carrying. “There’s a tie to match my dress in there for you. I hope you like it; I didn’t know if you had one or not.”