Love And Other Things I'm Bad At Part 48

"Well, you just look like a prince in that suit." Mom gave Grant a warm hug in the receiving line.

The ever-polite groom held out his hand to Grant. "Sterling Vickers. Nice to meet you."

And, I thought, they'll probably be seeing a lot more of each other. This is all good. I think.

Best Christmas Present Ever: back together with Best Boyfriend Ever.

"Sorry I messed up the seating chart again," I said to Mom.

"Oh, hon," she said, crying as she hugged me tight.

It's her special day, so I'll tell her I don't like being called "hon" another time.

Later, Mrs. Vickers stopped by our table, just as Grant and I were about to get up and dance. "So. I see you got yourself an escort."

"Well, I had to. Seating chart and all," I said.

She and Grandma Von Dragen kept eyeing him the whole time we danced.

"I think they're Googling you," I said.

"Ogling, you mean."

"Call it what you want. If I were you, I wouldn't go anywhere alone right now."

"Wasn't planning on it," he said.

I looked around the small ballroom while we danced. Despite all her protests, Mom had actually incorporated a lot of my ideas into her reception. It was the Green Party. No plastic cups were used-only gla.s.ses. There were cloth napkins (with no initials). The party favors were reusable coffee tumblers, and inside each tumbler was a pair of rolled-up cotton running socks with Mom and Sterling's initials and a little slip of paper that read WE'RE A PAIR NOW.

Except for endless running references, everything in the universe seemed slightly OK.

I was with Grant. Bryan was dancing with Shawna, as friends, they kept insisting, and at least that made a lot more sense than him pining for Dara and writing bad poetry. Alison would be home for a few weeks, and we were starting to be close friends again. Dad hadn't made any scenes and, in fact, I'd seen him and Mom's parents laughing and reconnecting.

When Mom threw her bouquet of fresh herbs, Alison caught it, which means she will have to find a state where same-s.e.x unions are allowed. Which is another family drama I hope doesn't happen for a while.

As they left the reception and walked down the steps to Sterling's waiting SUV, we all threw s...o...b..a.l.l.s at them. Little teensy ones, so n.o.body got hurt.

Then Mom and Sterling left for a two-week honeymoon trip to Maui.

SCENE THREE: THE AFTER-PARTY.

We all went back to the condo for an after-party.

Well, five of us anyway.

After-party consisted of changing out of stuffy clothes and into swimsuits, and going to condo's heated outdoor pool.

Love being in a pool, looking at snow and stars.

We made plans to see friends in Denver tomorrow: Beth, who's FINALLY coming home from Italy, and Jane, and some of Grant's friends, and Shawna might stay for a night or two-as a friend-and we're going skiing, and- "Uh, Courtney. Where are we going to do all this?" asked Grant as I listed all my ideas.

"Isn't it obvious? Since Mom and Sterling will be in Maui, we'll be using our house for party central for the next two weeks," Bryan said.

"OK," I said. "But do you think Oscar will be able to handle it?"

"Well, at least he won't feel abandoned. And that's another thing," said Grant. "What was with you that day we brought him to cla.s.s?"

"I'd rather not talk about it right now," I said. "Or ever. If that's OK."

"Fine. But if you're going to try to save the animals, like you used to, you can't be so rude about rats and ferrets."

"Does every animal need to be saved?" I asked.

1/1 MOST ROMANTIC NEW YEAR'S EVE EVER Grant picked me up from home and said we had to go up to Fort Collins to feed roommate Cody's cat. I never knew Cody had a cat, but he said he had adopted it right before Thanksgiving. I actually hadn't been to Grant's house in a long time; what did I know?

On the way, Grant drove up to the Smoothie Stop. "Check it out," he said, pointing at the door.

CLOSED, it read.

No surprise there. "It's New Year's Eve," I reminded him.

"Keep reading," he said.

"UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!" I read out loud. "Yes!"

Apparently, Grant had read about the store closing in the Coloradoan but had saved it as a surprise for me. He'd helped alert people to the fact that Guy was buying cheapo ice cream at Shop & Shop, like the day I saw him there, and apparently Guy was also several thousand dollars in debt. So maybe in the end, I had nothing to do with Smoothie Stop going under, but I still felt proud. Maybe I'd saved Truth or Dairy.

When we got to Grant's house, it was decorated all in white: white flowers, other snowy things. Grant had bought chocolate soy milk that he heated for hot chocolate. Then he got me this white square of chocolate and held it in front of me, offering it up as if it were a jewelry box.

"I have something to ask you," he said. "Would you-"

This whole setup. It could only be leading to one thing. I felt my heart tense up. I couldn't breathe. "We're too young-" I started to say.

"-like to go see the polar bears?" asked Grant.

I let all the air out of my lungs. Phew. "You mean, go to the zoo tomorrow? Sure."

He shook his head. "No. Go see the polar bears in Alaska. Next summer."

"Seriously?" I smiled. "Thought you'd never ask."

"Are you kidding?"

"Pretty much. Do you really mean it? You're inviting me to go to Alaska? For real?"

He nodded. "It's a cruise-"

That wasn't exactly how I'd pictured it, but OK.

"-with my grandmother and parents."

That was definitely not how I'd pictured it. "OK . . ."

"Well, seriously, do you think I could afford it on my own? They said I could bring a friend."

I looked up at him and crinkled my nose. "Are we friends?"

"Well. Kind of." He leaned toward me and kissed me on the cheek. "We're very close friends."

He pulled back and played with a strand of my hair, twisting it around his finger, then curling it back behind my ear. I thought I was going to die of antic.i.p.ation. If Oscar weren't lying on my feet, I would have tackled Grant on the sofa right then.

"But, Courtney. The thing is . . . there are these tiny cabins on the s.h.i.+p, and you sort of have to have two people to a cabin, so . . ."

I started to get this s.e.xy yet cheap feeling, but then I realized what he was talking about. "I have to room with your grandmother, don't I?"

"Yeah." He smiled, a little sheepishly. "She doesn't snore . . . much. I mean, it's not as romantic as maybe you'd want it to be-"

"No," I said, scooting closer to kiss him again. "It's perfect."

Well, that's it. The whole scoop.

Snow White I'm not. But I'm happy to be me, in my situation, and not keeled over after a poisoned apple waiting for a magical kiss from someone I barely know.

I wouldn't want to live in a castle, anyway. Drafty. Probably full of mice. No decent vegetarian meals.

No more boyfriend drama. Just me and Grant, back to normal for now, and maybe for a long time.

I won't say ever after. That would be a jinxing thing.

ALSO BY CATHERINE CLARK.

Picture Perfect.

Banana Splitsville.

Better Latte Than Never.

Wish You Were Here So Inn Love.

Icing on the Lake Maine Squeeze.

Frozen Rodeo The Alison Rules.

end.