The Wrong Pick

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Grace turned to find her boyfriend grinning at her from the driver’s seat. The way the sunlight illuminated his dazzling brown eyes, she wasn’t entirely sure that she had woken up; perhaps she was still in a dream. Miles was a charismatic pediatrician that she happened to meet two years previously at a coffee shop in Seattle where they now shared an apartment and a dog. With the exception of their parents occasionally butting heads, the relationship had been particularly predictable and secure. She had grown accustomed to his epicurean lifestyle, his blase view of the world while never ceasing to be charmed by his ease with children and spontaneous day trips like the one they were on now. Apple picking at an orchard in the neighboring city was the perfect way to rusticate for the weekend, the fall weather had settled in and the leaves were changing which made the drive absolutely breathtaking, at least the parts she had stayed awake for. 

    “You owe me five bucks!” Miles laughed. “ You couldn’t even make it ten minutes without falling asleep!”

    “Maybe if you had picked better music, staying awake wouldn’t have been that difficult!” she quipped, elbowing him in the ribs. Taking his hand in hers, they strolled up to the front gates to check in. The venue was absolutely gorgeous, vast expanses of apple trees stretched as far as the eye could see, the dew on the grass glistening and winking from afar. The scent of warm cider and syrup seemed ever present, instantly making the place comfy and familiar.

    “Good morning! We’re here to check in!” Miles said, addressing the frail elderly woman at the front desk. 

    “Name?”

    “Miles Conway.”

    “Oh, a young lady was here who said she was waiting for you.” the woman mentioned, peering over her glasses at her roster. 

    “Young lady? There must be some mistake, possibly someone else with my last name?” Miles replied easily. 

    “She said there would be a tall handsome man with glasses named Miles Conway on the list! No matter, dear! Your room is the second door on the left.” she said, handing over a small brown envelope. Before Grace could blink, Miles swept her away toward the elevator, flashing the woman a brilliant smile. Immediately, the niggling feeling she’d had for the past few weeks resurfaced and she did the best she could not to confront him, priding herself for not falling victim to playing  the viragos girlfriend. She’d seen enough cliche nagging partners in real life and on television that she was determined not to fit the mold. Ever since he had returned from a work trip to France, however, something had definitely been “off” even though she didn’t have a concrete reason to think anything was different or could be. She hated feeling insecure, especially when they had lived together for some time and had even talked about marriage, the last thing she would do is worry needlessly. She had since made a pact with herself to wait for an obvious incident before she brought up her feelings. The room was luxurious, complete with a King sized bed with embroidered throw pillows and a massive fireplace directly across from it, an elegant couch with a coffee table completed the layout. Miles flopped down on the bed and grinned roguishly at her.

    “I have outdone myself with the reservation, as per usual”

    “Good to see you’ve remained humble too!” she laughed, ruffling his hair. “I have got to pee! Be right back!” As soon as she closed the door, Miles’s phone rang. Her heart raced as the blood rushed to her face. It’s probably just his mother checking in not the Parisian lover of her worst nightmares, she thought straining to hear the conversation. His voice was hushed and frantic, it surely was not the tone he would use to talk to his mother or anyone he wouldn’t want her to hear. Her stomach dropped and she felt like vomit was rising up in her throat, she knew he was too good to be true. How was she expected to spend a weekend with him after all of this?

    “Hey! Are you ready to head out?” he asked.  

    “Yeah sure! Just let me grab my jacket. Oh….who was that on the phone?” she replied, doing her best to sound relaxed, unbothered. 

    “Oh it was a work call! Apparently there was a mix up about scheduling, I swear no one can read emails anymore!” he said breezily as he held the door open for her. They made their way down to the orchard in silence. She couldn’t be sure but she swore his palms were sweatier than normal, but his face betrayed no emotion or distress. How could she have missed the signs? What could she have done differently? Thinking back on a conversation with one of her closest friends, Samantha, she cringed at the thought of how hard she had defended Miles over brunch.

    “Female intuition is a powerful thing my friend” Samantha had mused after her second mimosa at their favorite brunch spot. They were sitting on the patio that lovely spring day shortly after Miles had returned from his trip, in their favorite sundresses and hats. 

    “Okay, just because you were right about that frat bro in college does not mean your intuition is always right!” Grace retorted.

    “I knew it the day I first met him that it would come to this!”

    “Come to what? I just said I have an ‘off’ feeling every once in a while and it’s only been going on for a few weeks! It’s not like I’ve had this feeling the entire two years that we have been together!” 

    “Listen to your gut it’s usually always right, Grace”

    Miles was handing her a woven basket with a concerned look on his handsome face. Flashing him a smile, she took her basket in one hand and his arm in another, snuggling close to him as they strolled into the orchard, shaking off the feeling that she found herself coming back to more than she’d care to admit. 

    “Hey! Wanna have an apple picking race?” Miles asked, shrugging her arm off.

    “If you’re cool with losing, absolutely!”

    “I’ll start timing! Meet me at the south gate! In five, four, three, two, one, go!”

    They both scurried off in separate directions, truthfully she was glad to have some space to think. What would she tell her family, her friends, her facebook page if everything went south? She was in the midst of composing the perfect ‘just kidding, I won’t actually be getting married anytime soon and I’m very single’ post when she collided with someone. 

    “Oh! I’m so sorry!” a young red head exclaimed, dropping a rather large canvas bag and expensive looking camera.

    “It’s okay! No, I'm so sorry, I have been so distracted today!” Grace replied, stooping to help the young woman gather her belongings. “That's such a nice camera!”

    “Thank you! I don’t know if you would know this but could you point me in the direction of the south gate? I’m supposed to meet someone there! He’s a tall guy, glasses?” Grace’s stomach plummeted, it was a pretty commonplace description but somehow she knew exactly who the stranger was in pursuit of. 

    “My boyfriend is a tall guy with glasses, maybe he’s the one you’re looking for?” she said tersely, concealing her emotions as best she could hoping that her tendency to blush when she became angry wasn’t betraying her. 

    “Boyfriend? Oh yes that has to be the one! Do you know where he went?” the girl asked, in a grating tone that made Grace wince, peering over her shoulder. Unconsciously, Grace’s eyes swept the girl’s hand to find a ring on her left finger. My God, what if he’s already married and the divorce just wasn’t finalized? Could he be pulling a Mr. Rochester on me? We had to bring a Bronte into this didn’t we? Her thoughts swirled around creating a maelstrom of insecurity and panic. She vaguely nodded towards the direction Miles had gone barely registering that the girl had bounded off to find him before going on her way. She needed a glass of wine, a nap, anything but a  dumb woven basket and a lying boyfriend. Is it getting hotter out here or is it just me? Holy crap, I can see a light! I thought this only happened in the movies!

    “Grace!! Jesus, I thought we lost you!” Miles’s voice seemed to echo faintly in the distance some time later or so it seemed, as she opened her eyes. He pressed her close to him and she could smell the fall air on his jacket, mixed with his familiar cologne. As her eyes came into focus, the red head with the glasses came into view and the events that happened before she had passed out came flooding back. Clocking the awkwardness, Miles turned her face to his and kissed her.

    “This is not how I wanted to do this at all” he began, not ameliorating her suspicions in the slightest. He tenderly sat her down and looked directly into her eyes. “Grace Danielle Evans, I am in love with you. You have made these few years the happiest and craziest years of my life. You are my best friend and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” he finished breathlessly, producing a ring from his coat pocket. The redheaded girl started snapping pictures in the background and Grace suddenly felt overwhelmed with embarrassment and relief all at once

    “YES! Oh thank God, I thought you were cheating on me!” she cried as tears streamed down her face ceaselessly. 

    “You what?!” 

    “Nevermind, just kiss me!” she said, flinging her arms around him as the photographer snapped picture after picture. Onlookers began cheering and Grace was positive that this was the best day of her life. 

 “Well, isn’t this just the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen” a voice thick with sarcasm said haughtily. The audible gasps from the crowd reminded Grace of the studio audience of a Soap Opera, and she suddenly felt like the one in front of the screen with a camera closing up on her utterly shocked face. Miles’s own face, desiccated from shock revealed to Grace everything she needed to know as she took in the woman’s slender physique and picturesque face, with her sweeping locks of chestnut hair dressed all in black. Without saying a word, the woman merely picked an apple and plopped it into the basket she was holding, deliciously aware of the silence that had arrested the crowd, every eye focussed on the mysterious monochromatically clad woman.  

“Kendra. I didn’t expect to see you here.” Miles said after what seemed like the world’s longest and most awkward pause to date. Kendra’s scintillating smile revealed pearly white teeth that contorted her beautiful face into a powerful force to be reckoned with. It was, in fact, so intimidating that a couple onlookers began to disperse while the apparent tension attracted more eyes. Grace had disentangled herself from Mile’s arms and fixated on a leaf pile several feet ahead of her, cursing Bronte wordlessly. 

“Well are you going to tell her or shall I?” Kendra asked simply.

“This isn’t your business, you need to leave.” 

“I guess that means I’m telling her then. In front of an audience too, how lovely. I just find it so interesting that you’re here proposing to some random girl weeks after you left my sister pregnant in a foreign country without any contacts, heartbroken and scared out of her wits. Look, I don’t know you” she said forcing Grace’s eyes up from the ground with her commanding tone. “But I am warning you to leave this man, right this very instant. Don’t ask for an explanation, don’t have that cliche moment of questioning your intelligence, don’t give any of that to him. Leave with me, and never look back, I promise that you won’t regret it.” she finished, turning on her fabulous stilettoed heel without a backwards glance. Grace could feel dozens of eyes on her, but all that seemed to matter was following this enigmatic woman. 

“Grace, please let me explain! What she said is true, but it’s not what you think” Miles gasped. She began to walk hesitantly after Kendra, feeling her heart crumble with pain and burn with rage all at once like a piece of paper that has passed through a candle’s flame. “You can’t possibly be serious! You don’t even know her!” 

“I don’t know you either, apparently. For the past few months, I knew something was off and I was right! It took every impulse I had to not ask you about what had changed between us and for what? Because I was so scared of being something that you wouldn’t like? I thought maybe we’d just grown apart ever since you got back from France, maybe you’d had a fling and were scared to tell me. But never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that you did anything close to this, Miles. I don’t want to ever see your face again,or hear from you in any possible form. You are dead to me.” she finished, running after the woman who had saved her from making the worst mistake of her life, relishing the sense of freedom that eradicated any other feeling that she thought she should be feeling.