The Wedding Party

by Tracey Richardson

  Several minutes later they were standing outside the neo-gothic Fisher Building, now a twenty-story luxury apartment building. Amanda was pointing to the various terra-cotta carvings of aquatic life on the façade when she did a double take at the figure hovering on the sidewalk a few yards away. It was Claire, trying to be unobtrusive, yet clearly she was following Amanda’s group from a distance. Amanda’s heart beat in double time, somewhere in her throat. Claire, realizing she’d been caught, smiled shyly and gave a hasty half wave.

  “I’ll be right back,” she told her group before striding boldly up to Claire. “Well. It’s you.”

  “Yes, it’s me. Can we talk?”

  Alternately pleased Claire was back in her life and annoyed it took her two weeks, Amanda hedged. “It would seem I’m a little busy right now.”

  “I know, I’m sorry. Shannon told me you would be conducting this tour here this morning and I didn’t know what time you’d be back at your apartment.”

  “I’ll be home in a couple of hours.”

  “Good. I’ll meet you there with some take-out hot and sour soup. Would that be all right?”

  “Okay.” Tingling with anticipation, not all of it in a good way, she watched Claire leave. She hoped Claire was going to tell her what she wanted to hear. Hoped they would spend the afternoon in bed together. If that wasn’t to be the case, well, she’d have to figure out how to deal with it and how to say good-bye.

  Her heart heavy with that thought, she walked slowly back to her tour group.

  The hot and sour soup was good, but Amanda barely ate it, she was so nervous. When she could stand the suspense no longer, she looked directly at Claire and asked her to break it to her, one way or another.

  “You think I’m going to break your heart, don’t you?” Claire asked.

  “It’s my worst fear. Jennifer could never truly break my heart, but you could.”

  Claire reached across the small kitchen table and squeezed her hand reassuringly. “I would never hurt you.”

  “Then make me the happiest woman in Chicago.”

  Claire’s smile deepened, making her easily look ten years younger. “I would like nothing better. I love you, Amanda Malden. I want us to be together, no matter what the obstacles. But I need to be sure that I’m enough for you.”

  Relief flowed from her body in one giant exhale. Oh, thank God! Hearing that Claire loved her and wanted to be with her was the very pinnacle of her life so far, as though all her other pinnacles had simply been foothills and not mountains. Tears brimmed in her eyes. “Oh, God, yes, you’re more than enough for me. I was so afraid I’d lost you.”

  “You haven’t. And you won’t.”

  A shred of doubt lingered. “What about Shannon? I know she’s trying to accept us as a couple, but what if she can’t?”

  “She will. Besides, I’m in love with you, not her. You’re my priority.”

  Amanda swallowed hard. She’d not let herself imagine the words Claire was now saying, but she had one more question. “Your past. Ann. Are you sure you’re ready to be with me?”

  A shadow of pain fell across Claire’s face, but only for a moment. “Yes, I’m ready. I’ll always keep Ann in my heart, but I don’t want to be alone anymore. I don’t want to live my life in the past. I want a future, and I want that future to be with you. I need you.”

  “You’re really sure?”

  “Yes. You know, I used to think the lesson in Ann’s death was the appreciation for how lucky I’d been to have her. And I was. But now I realize the real lesson is how fleeting time is. I don’t want to lose any more of it.”

  In seconds Amanda was in Claire’s lap and in her arms, kissing her and insanely happy.

  “Wait,” Claire blurted out. “I’m not too late, am I?”

  “What?”

  “You haven’t gone off and started dating some other Ms. Right while you were waiting for me, have you?”

  Amanda feigned shock. “How did you know I had three dates with three different women last week?”

  Claire’s face fell for a moment until she realized Amanda was kidding. “Crap, you almost had me there.”

  Amanda kissed her lips playfully and giggled. “There’s only one place I want you.”

  “Oh, yeah? Where’s that?”

  “My bedroom.”

  Claire moaned lightly. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Amanda giggled again and couldn’t resist lengthening the joke. “You’re much easier than those other women I was dating last week.”

  “Well, you know what they say about us gynecologists.”

  “No, what do they say?” she growled playfully against Claire’s throat.

  “That we can’t get enough pussy.”

  Amanda laughed so hard, she nearly fell out of Claire’s lap. She knew Claire was teasing, and she loved her surprising sense of ribald humor. “Well, then, I sure wouldn’t want to keep you waiting. And I plan to give you more than you can handle.”

  Moments later they were in the rumpled bed, Amanda planted between Claire’s legs, her tongue stroking Claire’s erect clitoris, Claire’s urgent moans and insistent hands quickening her tempo. She loved how vulnerable Claire was when she came, how exposed and open her need was, and how utterly satisfied she was when she cried out and shook in orgasm. Amanda held her quaking body, stroked her face and told her how much she loved her. Claire began crying softly, crying tears of joy, she assured Amanda.

  “You make me so incredibly happy, Amanda. Happier than I ever thought I’d be. Happier than I ever thought I deserved. God, I love you so much.”

  “Funny. You just took the identical words out of my mouth.”

  “We seem to do that a lot, don’t we?”

  “Yes. Is that what happens when two people are meant for one another?”

  “Yes, I suppose it does.” Claire’s fluttering fingers parted Amanda’s thighs. “There’s something else two people do when they’re meant for one another.”

  Amanda grinned, unable to contain her delight. “I see, and what would that be?”

  “This for starters.” Claire’s fingers began dancing in light circles on her engorged flesh. “And then this.” A finger slipped inside, then another.

  “Oh, God.” Amanda’s breathing quickened, her clit suddenly stiff and begging for attention. “If you keep doing that . . . Oh, God.”

  Claire’s mouth found a nipple and latched on. If sex was this good between them now, Amanda thought, imagine how good it would be in a few more months. It was her last thought before she completely melted into a shattering orgasm.

  Epilogue

  Six months later~Dani

  It was uncharacteristically warm for late September, but with the sun angled low and the leaves on the trees beginning to turn, there was no ignoring the fact that summer was over. That was fine with Dani because she liked winter, but today she was pleased the weather was cooperating for their picnic at Grant Park to celebrate their six-month anniversary.

  There’d been no criticism when they’d announced they wanted to celebrate quietly and cheaply with a picnic instead of at some expensive restaurant. Their friends understood. Their cutbacks had been fairly severe, though they’d managed to hold onto the condo. Shannon was back working full time at the same hospital Claire worked at, while Dani had secured a part-time teaching job at the Kellogg School of Management. They could both walk to work, even meet for lunch sometimes at the nearby Corner Bakery café.

  Dani had to admit that life was pretty good. Different, but good. A year ago, she’d have thought they’d be pregnant by now and still living high on Dani’s inflated salary. Truth was, she was okay with the changes. She felt better about herself and their relationship now. The baby part of it . . . well, that was still upsetting, but she’d not given up hope that they might one day adopt or look into a surrogate.

  Shannon smiled at her as she flattened the blanket on the grass. Grant Park was busy but they’d managed to find a spot big enough
for the six of them. “Penny for your thoughts?”

  “Nothing really. Just thinking how happy I am with the way things turned out.”

  “Even though some of it wasn’t what you were expecting?”

  “No, but that’s okay. The six months being married to you has been even better than I expected.” Her gold wedding band flashed in the sunshine. They’d flown to Toronto, Canada, three months ago and made it official.

  Shannon kissed her on the lips. “You’re right about that, my love. It’s been the best six months ever!”

  “You’re a lot happier now that you’re back to work, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. I hate to say it, but I’m really not cut out to be the stay-at-home type.”

  Dani laughed. “So if we ever have a kid, guess I’ll be the stay-at-home mom, right?”

  “Would that be so bad?”

  “Actually no, it wouldn’t.” It surprised Dani how well she’d adjusted to working part time and fixing dinner most nights, as well as doing all the grocery shopping and bill paying. She’d never dreamed she might be the domestic type, but she was adjusting quite well to it.

  “Ah, there you guys are!” Amanda, holding Claire’s hand, sauntered up to them.

  Shannon leaped up to hug them both. Dani did the same.

  “Have a seat,” Shannon said. “Jordan and Dez should be here any minute.”

  Amanda and Claire certainly looked happy these days. Tanned, constantly grinning, their eyes almost never leaving one another, they seemed deeply in love. Claire looked younger and more energetic than Dani ever remembered her looking, and Amanda was so relaxed these days, so happy. They touched all the time, did the little things for one another. They were good for each other.

  “No Tucker today?” Dani asked.

  “No,” Claire said. “Unless you wanted all the food eaten before we get to it. Labradors and picnics aren’t a very good match.”

  “You’re right, what was I thinking. Are we still on for the big move next weekend?” She was scheduled to help Amanda move in with Claire, and frankly, it was about time they made their living arrangement official.

  “You bet.” Amanda grinned. “So long as Claire doesn’t change her mind before then.”

  Claire pretended to ponder, her fingers rubbing her chin contemplatively. “Hmm. I’m still not sure if I can live with her standards. Things like insisting the toothpaste tube be squeezed from the bottom, picking up my dirty clothes from the floor. It’s going to be tough.”

  “Somehow I think you’ll be able to handle it, honey. Along with all those massages you’re going to get, and the other . . . pleasing things your body will enjoy.”

  Shannon cleared her throat. “All right you two. Enough of the sex talk.” She was smiling when she said it.

  Amanda giggled. “Who said anything about sex? Maybe I was talking about tickles and kisses and warm snuggles.”

  “Oh, I see. No premarital sex, is that it?” Shannon said.

  Dani cringed inside, hoping the word marital wasn’t presumptuous. It wouldn’t surprise her if Claire popped the question one of these days, especially now that it looked like Amanda’s divorce would be going through soon. The thought of the two of them getting married thrilled her. It would officially bond them all as family.

  “That’s right,” Claire said. “We’re having about the same kind of premarital sex as you two had!”

  Shannon began to blush. “Oh my God. In that case, it’s a wonder you even got out of bed to come over here.”

  Claire and Amanda shared a private look and a smile, making it obvious that Shannon had hit a bull’s-eye. It was true, if they were having as much sex as Dani and Shannon, well, that was a hell of a lot!

  “Did someone say the word sex?” It was Jordan calling out, approaching with Dez in tow. “Cuz if that’s the case, please, don’t stop.”

  Claire threw her head back and laughed. “Figures your finely tuned ears would pick up on that word from a distance.”

  “I’m just pleased everyone’s getting some,” Jordan added. “The more the better.”

  Everyone exchanged hugs. It was the first time they had all been together in one place since the wedding.

  “It’s so good to see you,” Dani said to her oldest and best friend. “More to the point, it’s so good to see you happy.”

  Jordan clasped her arm around Dez’s waist. “I have this woman to thank for that.”

  Shannon surveyed the group, a smile splitting her face. “It’s so great to see everyone so happy. It’s like some kind of a dream come true.”

  “We all have your wedding to thank for bringing us to this point,” Amanda said. She shook her head in wonder. “Imagine if you’d never had your wedding in Vegas and invited us all along.”

  “Let’s not even think about that,” Dani said.

  What Amanda said was exactly right. Their friends’ happiness was evidence of the good things they had inadvertently brought to others’ lives. You couldn’t often see how you affected other peoples’ lives in your day-to-day living. It was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, knowing her and Shannon’s happiness with each other had brought that same kind of happiness to the people who mattered most to them. It was the best wedding present they could ever have hoped for.

  Shannon reached into a cooler and pulled out a frosted bottle of nonalcoholic bubbly. “What we need, ladies, is a toast.”

  “Here, here,” Jordan echoed.

  Plastic cups filled, each woman took a turn offering a toast to Shannon and Dani, then to one another.

  Dani winked before sipping from her cup. “Let’s hope there are more weddings in the future for our little group.”

  Claire laughed, her eyes twinkling. “To the best wedding party ever! And may our work as bridesmaids and, er, brides, never be done!”

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