Page 4 of Not Home Alone

We stare at each other, mouths open.

For so long, it seems, I think it might be Easter now.

This can’t be happening.

This?

This is not fine.

TWO

GRANT

TEN MINUTES AGO…

Alone at last.

I made my family disappear.

I made all the terrible Christmas decorations that were all over this house disappear.

I made all the tension in my neck and shoulders disappear in the long, hot shower with surprisingly good water pressure.

And now I’m going to make a quarter of a bottle of Jameson disappear while getting the Led out and not thinking about one damn thing.

The master bedroom has warmed up in the past half hour, so I don’t feel like getting dressed again. I didn’t think to bring anything besides my toiletry bag and a few suits when I left my dad’s house, so I’ll have to order something online.

But that’s a Tomorrow Me problem.

Tonight Me is gloriously alone and will remain fiendishly undressed.

Grabbing my phone from the old chest of drawers that came with the house, I unlock it to open my music app—and what a surprise—there are a billion new texts from Quinn.

QUINN: I’m at the winery.

QUINN: Your family’s winery, not mine.

QUINN: At the bar in the restaurant.

QUINN: I’m still here.

QUINN: Still here…

QUINN: Did you go to the Chamber of Commerce dinner?

QUINN: Call me!

I’m not doing that.

I have no idea why she’s so relentlessly in pursuit of a husband all of a sudden, or why everyone we know seems to think I should be the lucky guy, but I have no intention of finding out.

Surprising no one, a text from my sister comes through in the sibling group chat.

AVA: Grant. Will you please propose to Quinn already? She’s driving me insane.

AVA: Grant. Seriously. She keeps texting me that she’s at the winery. Why do I need to know this? I’m not there tonight.

AVA: Todd, where is Grant?