Always the Bridesmaid

by Whitney Lyles

  “I should go stand in front of a mud puddle, so I can put my other clothes back on again. How the hell did she get so lucky?”

  The door had been propped open with a tennis shoe. They all waited for Cate. Beth’s father saw her first. His eyes quickly darted over her new costume. “Well, what are you?” he asked.

  A moment of silence followed as they all waited for her to reply. She looked at Beth’s father. “White trash. I’m white trash.”

  Hysterical laughter filled the room. Beth and Anthony applauded. Her father slapped Cate on the back and laughed so hard that Cate thought blood vessels would break on his face. “Now that’s the way to make the best of it!” he said.

  Cate’s costume turned out to be a hit, probably even better than Marilyn. She was bombarded with a million varieties of “What are you supposed to be?” But once she told them, they loved it. Being covered in a gallon of muck was almost worth watching the different reactions and listening to the peals of laughter she had provoked. At least three people told her they were stealing the idea and going as white trash the following year.

  Overall, it turned out to be a fun wedding. It was like an extravagant Halloween party with a romantic twist. There were gigantic bags filled with candy for all the children who’d been invited, and there was an apple bobbing station. Live music. Food. Cocktails. Poor Mr. Fitzpatrick had knocked over at least five drinks and a small child with the back of his dinosaur costume.

  The wedding drunk was Ike’s seventeen-year-old nephew, who was dressed as a girl scout. His bowed, hairy legs looked like they belonged to an ape beneath the green skirt he wore. He stumbled around the room, hitting on all of Beth’s friends who had been going to the prom when he was still in diapers. It was hard to pinpoint the freaky relative, because so many people were dressed as freaks.

  There was a Marilyn Manson lookalike, a couple in their seventies who came as a pimp and a ho, and a Santa Claus with fangs and blood dripping down his beard. Instead of bearing gifts he held on to a fake headless chicken. His wife was dressed as an elf with an alien face. The statement they were trying to make was unclear.

  A whole crew of Ike’s friends came dressed as the monsterlike orc creatures from The Lord of the Rings. Their costumes were frighteningly real, and they went around grunting and moaning all night. Cate was kind of afraid of them.

  By eleven, Cate was ready to retire. She wanted to go home. She wanted to call Ethan. She didn’t care if he was dating Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She didn’t care if she looked like a fool by calling him after all she’d done. She just needed to hear his voice. And if he’d forgotten her and moved on, she didn’t care.

  It didn’t matter anymore, none of it. There were only a few things that came along in life that were worth holding on to. Ethan was one of them.

  Jill was dancing with an orc and having a blast. She tried to convince Cate to stay for another hour, but Cate just couldn’t. The thirty-dollar cab ride back to Pacific Beach was worth it. She managed to steal Beth and Ike.

  “I know it’s a little early, but I’m exhausted,” she said. “And I’m kind of ready to get out of this trash bag.”

  “No! You can’t leave!” Beth said. “Stay for another hour.”

  “Really, I’m exhausted.”

  “Let’s get you another drink,” Ike said. He had dressed as a handsome wizard.

  “I think if I have another drink, I’ll fall asleep on one of these tables.”

  “Please stay for at least—” Beth was interrupted by a distant relative dressed as a cowboy.

  “I haven’t had a chance to congratulate the bride and groom yet,” he said.

  Cate took this as her opportunity to slip away. She went back to her table for her camera and wallet. Then she made a stealthy exit. The bustling lobby of the hotel had quieted since her arrival. Near the exit, she stopped dead in her tracks. Warmth filled her stomach, and she suddenly felt charged with a mix of fear and joy. At first she wasn’t sure if her mind was being overly wishful. But then she was positive it was Ethan taking a ticket from the valet parker.

  He wasn’t in costume. Instead, he was dressed in a turtleneck sweater and jeans. She could see his round eyes, unassuming, unaware that she was watching. God, he was adorable. She was nervous and excited and thought she might have to run to the bathroom to puke.

  As he headed up the stairs, he still didn’t notice her.

  “Ethan,” she said, practically whispering.

  He turned. “Cate.” He looked at her costume. “What . . . what are you wearing?”

  “My whole costume was ruined. It’s a long story. I was forced to dress as white trash.”

  They took a step toward each other. “You were . . . what? Your Marilyn costume was ruined?”

  She quickly shared the shuttle puddle story with him. A smile lifted the corner of his lips. “Only you. Only Cate Padgett. You poor thing.”

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “Beth and Jill invited me—this evening, actually. I had to cater a company Halloween party, but I promised I’d stop in for a drink.”

  “I’m so glad you came.” She practically blurted it out.

  “You are?”

  God, she didn’t want to start crying. It had been such a rough day, and she thought that any words coming out of her mouth at this point would trigger tears. She nodded. “I’ve . . . really missed you.”

  He was quiet, as if he were unsure of what she meant.

  “A lot,” she said. “I’ve missed you a lot.”

  He reached for one of her hands. “I’ve missed you, too.” Then he pulled her against his chest. “Come here.”

  She put her arms around his waist and inhaled the scent of his soap as they hugged.

  “Ethan, I’m so sorry for everything. I really messed up.” She didn’t care if she sounded stupid, if her words were too late. She had to explain herself. “When I told you that I didn’t want to be more than friends, I didn’t mean it.”

  She felt his body stiffen. He moved his hands up to her shoulders, and his arms made a space between the two of them. He looked at her for a moment. She’d never seen his blue eyes look so expressionless. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and it nearly drove her crazy. It felt like eternity had passed before he spoke. “Cate, what took you . . .?” For a moment he seemed puzzled. “I mean why . . .?”

  He couldn’t finish his question, but Cate knew what he meant. Why, after all this time, had she only now decided she wanted him? His crush had spanned a good portion of a decade, and Cate had finally decided it was time to take their relationship a step further. She was afraid that whatever words she offered wouldn’t satisfy him. There wasn’t a good explanation for what had taken her so long. She’d been stupid, then afraid, and worst of all, she hadn’t appreciated him. She was just going to have to tell him the truth and hope that it would be enough for him. “Ethan, I don’t blame you for asking—”

  Then he shook his head. He took each of her palms into his own and squeezed them. “No. Please stop. Never mind. You don’t have to explain. It doesn’t matter.”

  Then he pulled her back to his chest. His lips brushed over her forehead, kissed her nose, then settled on her lips. He tasted subtly sweet and mild, like warm tea that had steeped for only a few seconds.

  For a moment she was tempted to pull away and fill the air with her explanations. He deserved more. He needed to know that she’d been foolish and afraid. But then she realized what she loved best about Ethan. He knew when to recognize a good thing. He had appreciated that the moment was right. Instead of dragging out an awkward conversation, he had saved their special time. Explanations and excuses didn’t matter. They were together, warm and close.

  She never wanted to leave his arms. She felt as if she had known him forever, but she also felt as if she had just met him. They still had so much to explore with each other. She couldn’t wait to learn new things about him, to wake up to his blue eyes in the morning, to feel h
is feet next to hers at night.

  “I want to get out of here,” he said. “I want to be with only you tonight—nobody else. But I told Beth I was coming. I have to go congratulate her.”

  Cate nodded. She imagined her friends’ faces, the way they would react when she walked in with Ethan. They would be happy for her. “All right,” she said. “But then you’re mine,” she said playfully.

  They held hands as they entered the reception.

  At first no one noticed them. Beth was talking to a group of guests. She’d removed her shoes and the flowered crown that she had worn on her head. She looked comfortable. Jill was still dancing with her new friend and probably wouldn’t have noticed if Brad Pitt had walked past her. But then Beth’s eyes caught them. At first she nodded toward them in recognition, but then she noticed their fingers curled around each other’s palms, and her mouth dropped.

  “Excuse me,” she said to her guests and hustled toward them. Apparently, Jill had noticed them, too. She sprinted across the dance floor, directly toward Cate and Ethan, leaving the orc in a state of confusion.

  Beth kissed Ethan on each cheek, then turned to Cate and did the same thing.

  “You’re holding hands!” Jill said, out of breath.

  Cate’s face turned red, and Ethan smiled. For a moment Cate wished she had waited outside. It seemed as if everyone was grinning like fools, searching for words. She could tell that her friends wanted a formal update on the new developments with Ethan.

  Beth was considerate but still curious. “I’m so glad you came, Ethan, and I’m glad to see that everything is going well.” She glanced at their hands.

  “I just noticed something,” Jill said. “Well, no. Never mind. I won’t embarrass you guys any further. It’s just that . . . well.” She shook her head and chuckled to herself. “No. I can’t. It’s really interesting though. But never mind. I can tell I’m embarrassing the hell out of Cate.”

  “Tell us,” Beth said.

  “Yeah. Go ahead,” Ethan added.

  Cate knew she didn’t need to encourage her friend to speak whatever was on her mind. Jill would spill it eventually.

  “Well, all right. I’ll tell you.” She grinned. “I just noticed that Cate looks pretty damn good wearing white.”

  Cate and Ethan exchanged a startled glance. Then their faces burst into smiles, and they laughed the kind of laughter that made them feel high from adrenaline. She felt Ethan’s hand leave her own. Then his arm slipped around her shoulders. He pulled her tight and planted a warm kiss on her forehead. She could hear the white trash bag crinkling beneath his arms as they pulled each other closer.

  Whitney Lyles knows whereof she speaks. Her inspiration for Always the Bridesmaid was her own experiences as a bridesmaid. She has stood up as a bridesmaid five times. She is twenty-six years old and this is her first novel.

  Please visit the author’s website at www.whitneylyles.com.