The Commitment Test (The Marin Test Series Book 2)

by Aksel, Amanda

  Still, something was up with Rachel. It was something I’d noticed about six months ago when she and David stopped therapy—against my recommendation, I might add. I could only describe it as emotional teetering. One day everything was great, the next was like what’s the rush!

  I didn’t respond, instead, I watched Holly text for what seemed like the tenth time since we sat down.

  “Whatcha got going on there, Holly?” Her eyes widened like she was trying to make something up on short notice. Rachel peeked over.

  “Oh, she’s just texting Noom again,” Rachel said.

  I raised my brows. “I thought you two broke it off forever ago.”

  “Yeah, we did.” Holly finished her text then set her phone on the table facedown.

  “So . . .” I started. “What’s going on with you two?”

  “We’re just catching up. It’s nothing. We’re friends.” Holly fidgeted around the words.

  “O . . . kay.” I shrugged.

  An awkward silence hung over our table. Maybe we all wanted to say something, but thought better of it. Me with my non-engagement, Holly with her non-boyfriend, and Rachel with her non-emotional stability.

  Whenever we talked about Noom, Holly clenched up and changed the subject. She seemed uncomfortable with the topic, probably because the two had been passionately on again and off again too many times. I never understood his appeal or why she let him get under her skin. Based on the facts, I was in no way in favor of the very long distance relationship, separated by eight thousand miles, language, and two inches in stature. Maybe it was just as inexplicable to her, and perhaps she wanted to fight it as much as I thought she should.

  “You’re both still coming over for dinner on Friday, right?”

  “Yep,” I said, hoping Rachel and David would behave as the picture perfect couple, as they usually did during social events.

  “What’s the occasion again?” Holly asked, taking a bite of her soy chorizo breakfast burrito.

  “Nothing special. David and I just got back from St. Bart’s a couple weeks ago, so we can show you all the cool photos. Plus, we got this underwater video camera. You have to see some of the videos we took.”

  “Videos, huh?” I bounced my eyebrows.

  “Marin!” Holly snapped. “See what happens when you hang out with Telly all week.”

  “I haven’t seen her since the showings last week. I think she’s banging my realtor.”

  “Is that who has her tied up?” Rachel asked.

  I checked my phone for a response from my missing friend.

  Ha! I wish I were. Call you later.

  “Nope, she’s just busy,” I said.

  “Well, on that note, I’ve got to get to the gym. I’ll see you girls later.” Rachel dropped her napkin on her half-empty plate and gave each of us a goodbye kiss on the cheek.

  When she was out of the restaurant, I leaned in. “Is she okay?”

  Holly scrunched her face as if she was trying to solve a difficult crossword puzzle.

  “I dunno,” she said.

  “Something seems off. Has she said anything to you, about David maybe? Her job? Is she pregnant?”

  “I know what you mean, but she hasn’t mentioned anything.”

  “Do you think she’d talk to me?” I asked.

  Holly shrugged. “You were her therapist, so I don’t see why not.”

  “That’s exactly why not. She probably sees me as her doctor and not her friend.” I probably never should’ve been their therapist in the first place, but under the circumstances, it was the best of few options.

  “Let’s see what happens at dinner on Friday.”

  James and I showed up twenty minutes late for Rachel’s dinner party that Friday. She wasn’t keen on tardiness, so we brought a nice bottle of pinot noir and cannolis from an Italian bakery as a peace offering. She greeted us with hugs and inspected the dessert, seeming to salivate.

  “Sorry we’re late,” I said.

  “No problem. Dinner’s not going to be ready for another thirty minutes.” Damn, I was hungry. “We’re in the living room watching videos from St. Bart’s.”

  James and I joined Holly who was swapping her attention between the video and her phone. David, almost asleep in his chair with a splash of scotch left in his glass, shot awake when he saw James.

  “What’s up, man,” David said, slurring his words some. “It’s good to see you.”

  “Yeah, you too.”

  David walked over to the wet bar and poured himself another. “You look pretty, Marin.”

  I thanked him, though he stared at me a moment too long. He’d probably indulged in a little too much scotch.

  “James com’ere,” he said, almost in a whisper.

  “Where are you guys going?” Rachel asked.

  “The garage, we’ll be right back,” David said.

  Rachel shot him a pissy look.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  Her frown quickly turned up with a smile that could light a dark room.

  “I’m great!” she said and sat on the couch. “Oh, oh. Check this out. David and I went fly boarding.” I watched David as water from a jetpack looking device propelled him into the air.

  “That looks really fun, Rach. Did you do it too?” Holly said.

  “Yeah.” She grinned and fast-forwarded the video to her fly boarding experience. Rachel was not as sturdy in the air as David had been. The three of us watched a few more videos from their St. Bart’s excursions and she streamed a ten-minute slide show. The sound of a timer beeped from the kitchen. Rachel excused herself. Holly’s attention was diverted to her phone once again.

  “Who are you texting?” I asked.

  “No one. I’m responding to work emails,” she said, keeping her eyes on her phone. Though I lacked proper ninja skills, I managed to snatch the phone from her and saw that she had, in fact, been texting Noom. Again. I tossed the phone back and shot her a look.

  “It’s nothing,” she said.

  “If it’s nothing, then why are you trying to hide it?”

  “Because it’s private,” she snapped.

  “Well, can you put the phone away? We’re about to have dinner.”

  Holly tucked the phone in her back pocket. “Yes, mom.” I gave her a playful shove and she smirked.

  “Come on, you guys, dinner’s ready!” Rachel called from the dining room.

  The table was filled with warm food that created a little bubble of heat. The smell of wine seeped from the open bottles and I filled my glass for the second time. The five of us took our seats at the table, passing around dishes and keeping the conversation light. Rachel began telling stories from St. Bart’s and every so often she’d say ‘isn’t that right, honey,’ or ‘didn’t you think so, honey,’ to which David replied a simple ‘Mmhmm.’ Eventually, the table fell uncomfortably silent. In fact, the entire night had been a little off, something about the energy amongst us. I shared a look with Holly. Maybe she should’ve saged the place.

  “Telly wants to have lunch tomorrow,” I said, breaking the silence. “You girls wanna join.”

  “Sure,” Holly said.

  “I can’t,” Rachel said and I pouted my lip.

  “Oh, don’t be sad, Marin,” David said. “She’s got Bobby tomorrow.”

  “Who’s Bobby?” James asked.

  “He’s my fitness trainer.” Rachel’s eyes didn’t leave her plate. “How’s the meatloaf?”

  We all responded positively, half of us with our mouths full of the delicious beef.

  “And, how’s the lentil-loaf, Holly?” Rachel asked her vegetarian sister.

  “Really good. Thanks for making it.”

  “Holly, I’ll never understand why you would choose to go without this delicious meat,” David said holding up a tender piece of beef with his fork.

  “You don’t have to,” she replied, almost under her breath.

  “But I want to. This meatloaf is so good. Exactly why won’t you eat it?
” David was in one of his pricky moods. I never saw them much, but Rachel confided about them in one-on-one sessions. He took another bite and moaned with pleasure as he chewed. The last time I’d been that uncomfortable in their house was when we found out about David’s affair.

  “David, can you please not patronize my sister right now?” Rachel asked through a tight, phony smile.

  “It’s okay,” Holly said, leaving her napkin on the table. “I’m gonna go.”

  “No,” Rachel begged.

  “C’mon, Holly. I was just messing around,” David said.

  Holly left a kiss on both mine and Rachel’s cheeks and a severe glare at David before heading out. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she told me.

  And then there were four.

  James and I ate quickly and excused ourselves too. The night had been a huge bust. So much for the David-and-Rachel-happy-couple-show. Considering the influence David had with James, I didn’t know how bad the damage from the evening would be, but his silence on the drive home wasn’t a good sign.

  James’ right hand rested on the gearshift, so I took it.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  “Uh-huh,” he said, giving me the impression that he was definitely not okay.

  “That was pretty weird tonight, huh?”

  James sighed. “Yeah, it was.”

  “What’s up with David? Have you ever seen him act like that?”

  “He can get a little belligerent when he’s drunk.”

  “Drunk or not, I’ve never seen him that bad before. What were you guys doing in the garage?”

  “Nothing. Just talking.”

  “Did he say anything?” I asked. His hand stiffened under mine.

  “About what?” James acted distant and uncomfortable. I didn’t know what was going on and James wasn’t willing to share.

  “Never mind,” I said and took my hand back in order to cross my arms. “Something’s going on with him and Rachel, something bad.”

  “I think we just caught them on a bad day.”

  “Maybe,” I said, my words drifting toward the passenger side window. “Do you think they’re happy?”

  James shrugged as if he couldn’t care less. “I think only David and Rachel are the ones with the answer to that.”

  Maybe James was right and we caught them on a bad day. Maybe the weird stuff with Rachel was in my head . . . and Holly’s. If there’s anything I’ve learned in my profession it’s that things are not always what they seem.

  James pulled up to my apartment. When he kissed me instead of shutting off the car, I knew the night was over. “

  Aren’t you coming in?”

  “I’ve got the hospital in the morning,” he said.

  “Okay.” I looked at him for reassurance, but his eyes seemed empty. I was smart enough to know that if I pestered him, it would just piss him off and start an argument. But that little insecure voice in my head told me to hold on for dear life. I was losing him!

  “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said.

  I climbed out of the car and turned to shut the door.

  “Hey,” he said.

  Our eyes met.

  “I love you.” He smiled.

  My lungs seemed to re-inflate with fresh, hopeful air.

  “I love you.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Family Matters

  The next day at lunch, I could barely get a piece of romaine in my mouth when Telly blurted, “I can’t go on any more of your apartment viewings.”

  “Why?” I sighed, already knowing the answer.

  “It’s Jared.”

  Yep, there it was. She’d slept with him. My fork clinked against my plate as I dropped it in frustration. “What happened?”

  “Well, we went out a couple of times this week, which was great until last night.”

  “What happened last night?” Holly asked.

  “We slept together.” Telly lowered her head. Was she ashamed? I’d never seen her less proud of her sexual conquests.

  “Congratulations,” Holly said. “You waited two whole weeks. That must be some kinda record.”

  Telly perked up, the shamed look transformed into pride. “Thanks. It’s a new thing I’m trying.”

  “What thing? Sleep with guys you kinda know?” I asked.

  Telly glared at me. “No, I really like Jared.”

  “So, what’s the problem?” Holly asked.

  Telly grimaced. “The sex was really bad.”

  “How bad?” Even though there was no substantial evidence to suggest otherwise, he didn’t look like he was bad in bed. In fact, with his confidence, I imagined Jared was pretty good.

  “Bad, like Carrie and Berger first time bad.”

  Yeah, that’s pretty bad.

  “Carrie and Berger?” Holly asked.

  “Sex and the City,” Telly and I said.

  “Ah.” Holly went back to her veggie wrap.

  “And it’s weird because we had such a great week.” Telly seemed genuinely disappointed.

  “First times can be awkward. Maybe you should try it again?” I never thought I’d be encouraging her to start seeing my realtor, but anyone was better than Will, who I hadn’t heard about in a while, which usually meant he was due for a visit.

  “Marin, I wrote the book on first-times, and this one was far and away the absolute worst of my life. There’s no coming back from that. So I can’t see him again, which means no more tagging along on your house huntings unless you get a new realtor.”

  “Oh, I know a good one,” Holly said. I gave her a grateful smile, then shrugged at Telly. I couldn’t take that damn girl anywhere.

  “You okay after last night, Holly?” I asked.

  “What happened last night?” Telly leaned toward Holly.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. David can be an ass sometimes. I think they’re just going through a tough time again.”

  “I think so too. James was acting really weird after dinner. I think he knows something.”

  “Oh, God, I hope there’s nothing to know.” Holly fidgeted as if she was shaking off the thought. “Can we talk about something else? What’s going on with the apartment search?”

  “I never realized how picky James was before. It’s like he’s looking for the one, and he won’t settle for anything less than perfect.”

  “Do you think that’s why he hasn’t proposed?” Telly asked. Holly and I glared at her.

  “How could you say that?” Holly demanded.

  Telly turned to me. “Marin, you know I care about you, which is why I think you should consider all the possibilities. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. I don’t sugarcoat shit. Life’s too fucking short.”

  “Well, I appreciate your candor as always, but that’s not it. I am the one and I’m going to prove it.”

  “Prove it?” Holly’s tone was low and flat, a sign that she wasn’t impressed.

  “Yeah, I have a plan,” I said.

  “Here we go again.” Telly dropped her fork and rolled her eyes.

  “What do you mean you have a plan?” Holly asked.

  “I mean James and I are destined for one another. How else would you describe our meeting? It’s like out of a romantic comedy film or a cheesy chick lit novel. You see how we are together. We have that thing. That thing people search their whole lives for. We’re . . . meant to be. So it’ll happen. I just need to give him a little push.”

  “I don’t know what you’re planning, but don’t do anything stupid like last time.”

  “Don’t worry. This time it’s all aboveboard. I promise.”

  After lunch, I went to James’ house to walk Marvin and used that time to reflect on my next move. I was concerned that last night’s dinner did more harm than good, but I was determined to move forward.

  Step Two: Family Matters

  Admittedly, I hadn’t been great with my family, but I think it was because they made it so difficult. James’ family was the total opposite, warm and loving, utte
rly supportive. I had only just met Mr. and Mrs. Young on my trip to Montana, but we had talked on the phone many times before that. Sometimes we’d even get into deeper discussions about things like having a career and a family or lack thereof. Mrs. Young was on her way to getting her degree, but gave up school when she had the girls. By the time James was all grown up, she no longer had the courage or much desire to return to school. All of her children were incredible people, so I think her decision to raise them full time was a good one. She’d made three great contributions to society.

  When we returned from the walk, I conjured up a reason to get her on the phone.

  “Hi, Gloria, it’s Marin,” I said.

  “Hi, honey, how are you?” she replied. The two of us went on and on with small talk about the weather, the family—particularly Grandma. Everything was good.

  “So is something going on, or are you just callin’ to shoot the breeze?” she finally asked.

  “A little bit of both. James is doing a long shift at the hospital today, so I wanted to make him something special for dinner tonight. I thought I could make one of his favorite childhood recipes. You know, bring a little bit of home to the city.”

  “Well, aren’t you so sweet.”

  I blushed, hoping it would turn out sweet. Cooking was not my strong suit. I mostly used my kitchen to house the coffee. But Charlotte McQueen agreed with the old adage that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. I thought it best to start honing my culinary skills.

  “James loves my homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches,” she said. Soup and sandwich didn’t sound too difficult. I grabbed a pen and paper to jot down the recipe, which she gladly shared. “You know, that was my favorite food growing up too. My mom made it for us when we were kids. Who knows, maybe one day you and James will have a little one to make soup and sandwiches for.”

  I smiled at this notion and that James’ mom was suggesting it. “I hope so, Gloria.”

  “I told him to scoop you up before someone else does.”

  “You did?”

  “Yep.”

  “What did James say?” I asked.

  “Oh, he just told me to relax, said the two of you were happy.” That sounded like him. “But, I told him that a girl like you won’t wait around forever.”