“Yes?”
“The emcee will do the introductions so...you really just need to read the poem.”
“Oh...well...that’s fine, then,” Angie answered, a little awkwardly.
Sophie stepped in. “So, what is everyone going to wear?”
This proved the perfect distraction to Angie’s wounded pride. “Well, we don’t want to match. That would be too cutesy. But we should definitely colour coordinate. I think we should pick a colour, say black or navy, and build our outfits around that.”
“I have a black suit,” Martin said.
“Of course, you’ll wear something more casual to the rehearsal dinner,” Nicola instructed. “We’re having a cocktail reception in The Garden Room first, followed by the dinner. It will be much less formal than the actual wedding.”
“Uh . . .” I cleared my throat. “How many people will be at the rehearsal dinner?”
“It’ll be small,” Nicola answered. “Just the wedding party, close friends, and family, and we’ve included some of the out-of-town guests. At last count, I think we had no more than a hundred and twenty people.”
Small? That’s what she considered small? God, when I got married, I wanted no more than fifty or sixty people at the main event. Of course, that would have worked fine if I’d married Colin. He had virtually no relatives, save his grandma, one brother, and his parents, who refused to be in the same room together. I wondered about Jim’s extended family. I knew he had a sister, and he’d hopefully still have a mother by the time our nuptials rolled around. If our nuptials rolled around! I meant if ! I didn’t want to jinx anything by being overeager, but I had to smile to myself. Not so long ago, I’d had no hope of getting married and now... now, it seemed entirely possible.
“I—I was wondering...” Sophie began, sounding nervous and delighted at once, “I mean, I know it might be too late, but I was hoping to bring Rob to the wedding.”
We were all taken aback. Sophie had done nothing but complain about Rob’s physical and emotional unavailability since we met her four months ago! And that wasn’t to mention her constant pining for a relationship with Martin. And now she wanted to bring Rob to Nicola’s wedding?
Nicola was, of course, the most flustered. “I—I suppose he can accompany you. I’ll just need to check on the seating arrangements and the number of meals.”
“I don’t want to cause you any inconvenience,” Sophie said. “Really, it’s not a big deal. I just kinda wanted you all to meet him . . . and I wanted him to be with me.”
“Okay,” Angie blurted out, “what’s going on?”
Sophie said excitedly, “It was our fifth anniversary on Tuesday and he gave me something so incredibly special.”
“What?” Angie asked.
“I’ll show you.” She hurried out of the room. We all exchanged looks of surprise. It must have been some gift to make Sophie forgive the months of neglect she’d experienced.
Angie whispered knowingly, “Diamonds.”
I turned to Martin and gave him the thumbs-up signal. He wiped imaginary sweat from his brow in relief.
Sophie returned and presented a folded piece of paper. “He gave me this.”
“What is it?” I asked.
Angie jumped in eagerly. “They’re ownership papers, aren’t they? To a new car? A boat?”
“It’s much better than that,” Sophie said happily.
“A deed to a new house?” Angie guessed.
“It’s a schedule.”
“Oh . . . ?”
She unfolded the piece of paper and held it up for our perusal. Printed on it was a calendar for the month of May. For each week, one of the days held a gold star. I peered at it more closely. Beneath each star was a handwritten explanation. The first one read: date night. Then: Rob cooks dinner. The third said: Dinner out with Flynn, followed by: date night, again.
“Wow,” Angie murmured.
“I know!” Sophie cried joyously. “He’s promised to make time for me, for our family. He really broke down on our anniversary. He said he felt like he was losing me, and it terrified him. He said Flynn and I are more important than any job and if I wanted him to, he’d quit and we could move back to Spokane.”
“And what did you say?” I asked, fearfully.
“I don’t want to leave,” she said, smiling at us. “I’d miss my friends too much.”
“Awwww!” we chorused.
“I’m just so happy,” she said, tearfully. She looked at Martin, then. “This is what I’ve always wanted—Rob and Flynn, my family.”
“Group hug!” Angie cried, and swept us all into a rather awkward little circle.
When we released one another, Nicola said, “Of course Rob can come to the wedding. It’s not like I gave you formal invitations and expected you to RSVP. I’d love to meet him.”
“If you’re sure it’s no trouble?” Sophie asked.
“It’ll be fine. Anyone else have a last-minute addition I should know about?”
“Jim’s not available but...” I felt compelled to share the news of the progress in our relationship, “he—he told me he loved me the other day.”
“Really?” Sophie said, happily. “That’s great!”
“Congrats,” Martin added.
“Wow. So this is the real thing,” Nicola said.
“I guess,” I shrugged, suddenly feeling a little shy. “I mean, we were on the phone and it was actually more of a ‘love ya,’ which is, of course, the short form of ‘I love you.’ ”
“Of course,” Sophie agreed.
Angie snorted. “I always thought ‘love ya’ was more along the lines of ‘see ya.’ ”
“What?” I gasped, incredulous. “How could ‘love ya’ mean the same as ‘see ya’? They’re completely different verbs. I mean, they’re practically opposites—the emotional act of loving versus the physical act of seeing.”
Nicola hurriedly turned to Angie. “What about Thad? Is he coming to the wedding?”
“No, he’s still shooting but...” she gave us a self-satisfied smile, “our relationship has taken a major step forward, as well.”
“Oh?” Martin prompted.
“Next week, we’re going to get tattoos,” she said, excitedly. “He’s going to get Angie on his shoulder, and I’m going to get Thad right here.” She indicated the exact spot where Kendra had been stabbed by the knitting needle.
“No!” I shrieked. “You can’t!”
“Why not?”
“Because! It’s the kiss of death!”
“It’s true,” Martin said. “As soon as you ink someone’s name on your body, you’re bound to break up.”
“Well, I’ve never heard that,” Angie said dismissively.
“I have,” Sophie reluctantly agreed. “It happened to a friend of mine in college.”
“Not to mention Johnny Depp and Wynona Ryder, Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee, Nick Carter and Paris Hilton... Should I keep going?” I asked.
“No thanks,” Angie snapped.
“I’ve heard it really hurts to have them done,” Sophie said.
“I’ve heard it really hurts to have them removed!” I cried.
Angie turned to me, eyes narrowed. “I won’t have to have it removed. Thad and I will be together forever. I’m sure of it.”
“Of course you will,” Nicola said, playing peacemaker. “The fact that you and Thad want to make such a permanent statement speaks volumes about your relationship.”
“Yes, it does,” Angie said, her eyes still on me.
I felt myself softening. Angie really did seem happy with her sweat lodge-visiting, Kabbalah bracelet-wearing new lifestyle. Who was I to judge? My new relationship wasn’t exactly orthodox, but I was still incredibly happy with Jim. “It’s really... great,” I said, smiling at my friend. “It says a lot about your feelings for each other.”
Angie smiled back. “Thanks.” She paused, and then added, “And obviously, ‘love ya’ means I love you, and not ‘catch ya later.’ ”
“Wow,” Sophie said, “it seems like we’ve all got our love lives on the right track...finally!” Then she seemed to remember Martin’s presence. “Oh, Martin . . . I, uh...”
He reached for her hand and gave it a friendly squeeze. “Don’t worry about me,” he said cheerfully. “There have to be more great women like you four out there.”
We all exchanged quick glances after Martin confirmed his sexuality, and then Angie said, “Okay . . . ‘Eternal Love,’ one more time, from the top.”
Twenty-eight
THE INTERCOM BUZZER rang loudly in the apartment, announcing that Angie and Sophie had arrived in the cab. “Coming!” I called into the receiver. I turned to Martin, who had driven to my place—the closest to his Capitol Hill home—and would be joining us in the taxi. He was standing uneasily by the door, looking handsome in a black suit and white shirt, open at the neck. (I would have invited him into the living room, but Kendra was lying on the sofa watching 13 Going on 30, and I thought it best not to interrupt her.) “Ready?” I asked him.
“Yeah. You?”
“I guess.” My stomach churned violently, contradicting my outward confidence. I had taken a large dose of Pepto-Bismol just prior to Martin’s arrival, which would hopefully eliminate the need for any urgent trips to the toilet.
“Shall we?” He held out his arm for me.
I took it, grateful for the support. As we made our way to the elevator, I was feeling a little shaky in my high heels and fitted black sheath dress. Of course, the two glasses of wine I’d surreptitiously guzzled in my bedroom, away from Kendra’s judgmental stares, had done nothing to help my stability.
Angie greeted us on the sidewalk. “You look great!” she cried.
“So do you,” I said, gripping her hand nervously. She did, of course, in a strapless black cocktail dress with a white satin band across the bodice. Tottering to the cab, I slid into the backseat next to a stunning Sophie. Angie sat beside me and Martin took a seat in the front.
“How are you?” Sophie asked me in a pitying tone, as the taxi sped off toward the downtown hotel.
“Okay,” I said, taking a deep, belaboured breath. Unfortunately, it felt like someone about Kendra’s size was sitting on my chest. Uh-oh. This was a common precursor to a panic attack.
Angie said, “This is just the rehearsal dinner, so there’s no need to get stressed out. No one is expecting perfection from us tonight.”
No, they were only expecting perfection from us the day after tomorrow. Somehow, I was not relieved.
“You’ll be great,” Martin said over his shoulder.
“You will,” Sophie agreed. “Not that anyone will really be paying that much attention. They’ll be too busy drinking and mingling.”
“True,” Angie said. “They’re all nervous about the big event, too. Probably half the people there will be hammered by the time we do our reading.”
Great. I’d probably get some drunk heckler making cracks about soft baby’s-breath touches. Despite my friends’ continued words of encouragement, I was feeling no more relaxed when we turned onto University Street and into the historic hotel’s U-shaped drive.
A liveried doorman opened the back door of the taxi and helped each of the ladies scoot out of the backseat in our dresses and heels. Assembled on the sidewalk, we stood for a moment in front of the fountain and manicured garden, filled with spring tulips and exotic-looking foliage. “This is so exciting!” Angie said gleefully. “We’re finally going to meet all of Nicola’s friends and family... And Neil!”
“Aching and yearning Neil,” Martin said.
“Patient Neil,” Sophie added.
“I just hate this so much,” I said breathlessly, the familiar panic feelings taking over.
Angie put a supportive arm around me. “Let’s get you inside and get you a glass of champagne.”
Sophie squeezed my upper arm. “You’ll be fine. It’s like, two minutes out of your life, and then it will be over.”
“Yeah, but then on Saturday we have to do it all over again!” I cried.
“Okay, it’s four minutes out of your life,” Martin granted.
Sophie said, “Do it for Nicola. It means so much to her.”
“Okay,” I managed weakly, trying to breathe through the St. Bernard that had settled on my chest. Martin took my arm and we made our way through the elegant and spacious lobby toward The Garden Room. Yes, I would do it for Nicola, I convinced myself as I leaned on my friend for support. It would all be fine. What was the worst that could happen? A fainting spell or an explosive attack of diarrhea, which, thanks to the Pepto-Bismol, was highly unlikely. So yes, there was potential for embarrassment, but it’s not like anyone’s life depended on my perfect delivery. And on the bright side, if I did happen to pass out or poop my pants tonight, it would probably get me out of having to do the reading at the wedding.
When we reached the entrance to The Garden Room the four of us paused on the threshold. Inside, a throng of well-dressed guests milled about, cocktails in hand, chatting amiably with one another. While I had continually found solace in the fact that we would be performing in front of a group of strangers, I suddenly felt like a complete imposter. While I had grown to love Nicola over the past four months, I suddenly realized how little I knew about her life outside of the stitch ’n bitch club. She had school friends and work friends, cousins, aunts, and uncles. She had a history with the one hundred and twenty people mingling inside, a history that we were not a part of.
Angie put an end to the hesitation. “Shall we?” she said brightly. Linking her arms with mine and Sophie’s, she led us into the party.
The Garden Room, befitting its name, was filled with lush ferns, exotic palms, and tall fig trees. Festive lights decorated the trees, and floor-to-ceiling Palladian windows let the dusky night sky into the vast space. It was spectacular, everything Nicola had wished for. But for me, the opulence increased my intimidation. I didn’t belong here, in this sumptuous room with Nicola’s fancy friends and hoity-toity relatives. They would undoubtedly snicker cruelly at my nervous delivery. And if, god forbid, I did pass out or had to run to the toilet, I was sure they would all laugh uproariously.
A waiter approached with a tray full of champagne flutes, a dark red liqueur floating up from the bottom of each glass. “Mmm . . . kir royale,” Angie said. I grabbed one, rather greedily, and took a long sip. Okay... maybe I could do it? As the champagne bubbles fizzed in my head, I had a surge of confidence. Yes, I definitely could! I could do it for Nicola. A quick scan of the crowd revealed no familiar faces. Really, there was nothing to worry about. I had a drink in hand and a belly full of stomach-coating pink liquid. It would be fine.
“There she is!” Sophie cried excitedly, having spotted Nicola.
“She looks gorgeous,” Angie added in a hushed tone.
As though she heard us from where she stood several yards away, Nicola turned her head in our direction. Her eyes alighted on our group and a delighted smile split her features.
“She’s coming over!” gushed Sophie.
Nicola was indeed making her way through the crowd toward us. She looked breathtakingly pretty in a navy taffeta knee-length dress with a deep V neckline.
“Wow,” Martin said, almost to himself.
“I know,” I agreed, feeling a swell of emotion as our friend, literally glowing with happiness, descended upon us. I downed the remains of my drink.
Nicola held her arms out in welcome, embracing first Sophie, Angie, Martin, and then me.
“You look so beautiful,” I said, as we held each other for a moment.
“So do you. I’m so happy you’re here.”
“Me, too,” I croaked, through the lump in my throat. And I was—despite the physical manifestation of my public-speaking phobia, I was happy to be there, and to be a part of Nicola’s special night.
Nicola released me and addressed our group. “I’m just dying to introduce you to everyone! Let’s see...” She look
ed around her to check who was in the vicinity. “Susan! Anita! Jenn! Come over here.” Three attractive blondes who looked remarkably alike approached. “These are three of my bridesmaids,” Nicola explained, doing the introductions. We all shook hands and murmured nice to meet yous. “And there are two more around here somewhere.” Nicola scanned the room.
I took the opportunity to grab another glass of kir royale from the passing server. It wouldn’t be wise to drink too much, but holding a glass was kind of like a security blanket.
“We’re looking forward to meeting Neil,” Angie said.
“Of course!” Nicola cried. “He’s simply dying to meet all of you. Where is he?” She stood on her tiptoes as she searched for her fiancé. We all peered around the room as well, although it was obviously pointless. Other than the posed photo in Nicola’s apartment, none of us had ever seen Neil before. Suddenly, Nicola began to wave her hand vigorously. “Neil! Neil!”
The crowd seemed to part to let Nicola’s intended through. I first caught sight of his suit, a dark charcoal grey, and then my eyes travelled up to his face. Neil was at least six foot two, with a classically handsome, but rather pale, face and neat strawberry blond hair. “Neil,” Nicola gushed, taking his arm and cuddling in to him, “this is the stitch ’n bitch club! They’re going to read ‘Eternal Love’ for us.”
“Ah, we finally meet,” Neil said, extending his hand to me. “You must be . . . Beth.”
“Right,” I said, already charmed by his attentiveness.
“And . . . Sophie?” He turned to her.
“It’s such a pleasure to meet you,” Sophie said delightedly.
“Martin, of course . . .” Neil shook Martin’s hand heartily and then... “This has to be Angie.”
“Yes . . . well, you may have seen me on TV,” Angie said modestly, extending her hand. Neil smiled but gave no indication that he had. Angie continued, “We are just so thrilled to be a part of this special occasion.”
“It means so much to us that you’re going to read ‘Eternal Love.’ ” Neil stepped back and put his arm around Nicola. “Every verse in that poem really epitomizes an aspect of our relationship.” He turned to his fiancée and they shared an intimate gaze. I could almost read their thoughts: Only twenty-eight more hours before we can get down to business. I drained the rest of my beverage.
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