Not Another Bachelor

3

The night seemed to drag longer than Bradley hoped it would. She found herself on the balcony while her mother explicitly tried to convince Jacob that Bradley was worth pursuing.

"You could be nicer to him." The voice caught Bradley off guard.

Turning to the girl, Bradley raised her forth glass of whiskey that night. "My bad. Tonight's hard for me," Bradley confessed.

"And why's that?"

Bradley redirected her attention to the view in front of her. Taylor walked beside her to do the same. "The sky's beautiful, isn't it?"

Taylor nodded. "Yeah, it is." She glanced at the side of Bradley's face, wondering why Bradley seemed to be arrogant and kind, all at the same time.

"Have you ever been set up like this?" Bradley's eyes found Taylor's, and she noticed that Taylor had been staring at her.

"I haven't reached the age to pursue eligible bachelors yet. Thank god. I'm just focusing on which college I'm going to run off to."

"Your mom doesn't seem as overbearing as mine," Bradley said.

"You haven't spent eighteen years with her, that's why."

Bradley studied the young girl's face. "You're young. Enjoy it. And I hope you don't marry the first guy your mom sets you up with."

Taylor laughed softly. "I'll be sure to go through a few of them before I decide."

"Good. Just let your brother know that it's not him, it's me. I'm not interested in being set up with anyone."

"You could tell him yourself," Taylor suggested.

"I wouldn't know how," Bradley mumbled. "I'd rather avoid him so my mother gets a clear idea that I will never do this again. And maybe, she won't want me to because of her shame."

"I can't imagine anyone being ashamed of you, Bradley."

"Success and intelligence means nothing if you're an unmarried, childless woman. My mother believes that if she helps, I'll finally settle down. Little does she know that no one she choses would be right for me."

Taylor observed the sadness lingering on Bradley's face. "My mother believes that only she can find a decent girl for Jacob."

"So she doesn't trust his choices?"

"I guess both of our mothers have trust issues." Taylor smiled at Bradley before pulling her eyes away. "I think we're leaving soon. Good luck with—" she hesitated. "I hope you can convince your mother to let you choose your own path."

"Thanks," Bradley mumbled. She watched Taylor walk back into the house, a smile gracing her lips.