Don't Bite the Bridesmaid

by Allee, Tiffany

  “It doesn’t look badly burned,” Noah observed.

  “It’s not too bad, I guess. Just a little around the edges. But it’s definitely not going to have any texture now. All mushy. Which is okay for lasagna, I just hope it didn’t get too much moisture.” She tossed the oven mitts onto the counter and sighed heavily. “And there’s no time to really do anything about it. So I guess it doesn’t matter anyway.”

  Quickly, they straightened up their clothes and hair as well as they could without a mirror, relying on each other for feedback. Then Alice had Noah help her scoop lasagna onto plates.

  “Only feeding eight people tonight?” he asked.

  “Yes.” She counted off on her fingers. “You and me. Mom and Jake. Cindy, Robert, his cousin…oh I can’t think of his name, and his wife.”

  “That’s only six.” He leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the nose. “Has amazing sex overrun your ability to count? Too many orgasms?”

  She giggled and slapped at him. “Brent and Kristen. They’re the last two.”

  A darkness fell over his face and the amusement there faltered. She punched him in the arm. “You can’t honestly be worried about Brent after—”

  “No, of course not,” he said, too quickly. “Just makes things a little more tense is all.”

  She debated telling him about Brent’s apology, if only to clarify why she wasn’t feeling as annoyed as he was about the man joining them for dinner. But that was a long conversation, one that would no doubt require delving into her past and dredging up details she didn’t feel like thinking about, let alone discussing with Noah. Not right this second anyway, when everything felt so perfect. Besides, they didn’t have that much time to talk much before dinner.

  A loud knock pulled her from her thoughts.

  “Oh no, the salad,” she exclaimed, holding a plate of lasagna in each hand.

  “I’ll take care of the salad. You get out there with the lasagna before it cools and let them in before they break the door down,” Noah said.

  She gave him a wary glance, but he approached the romaine with confidence and actually started washing it in front of her, so she headed out into the dining room. She dropped off the first couple of plates, then went to get the door. And for the first time, she was thankful her family was nearly always late to everything, or just barely on time. If they’d come early…. Her cheeks burned at the thought.

  The dinner guests were all waiting on the porch, standing around a mat that proclaimed they were welcome, with the waves crashing onto the beach behind them. They chattered happily as they piled in and headed for the table. Alice swallowed hard at the thought of them all waiting out here while she and Noah had…well thank goodness no one had knocked. Unless—no, they would have heard a knock, right? Thank God the door locked.

  Her mom got up as soon as she approached. “Let me help you.”

  “If you want to go to the kitchen and grab some plates, that would be great.”

  Her mom nodded and headed for the kitchen. Alice dropped off the first two plates and declined further help from her sister and Brent. “Not much else is coming, just lasagna and a salad,” she said.

  “Don’t need anything else with your lasagna,” Cindy replied, her eyes fixed on the plate in front of her.

  She gave her sister a smile and then spun around and headed for the kitchen. Her mom appeared with a couple of plates, and Noah was right on her heels with a salad that looked oddly professional. He carried a stack of bowls in his other hand.

  “Thanks,” she murmured as she passed him. His eyebrows moved up in acknowledgment.

  With the lasagna delivered and the salad on the large oak table, they sat to eat. Alice felt surprisingly good, considering the near disaster she and Noah had averted. And everyone murmured over how delicious the lasagna was. Thank goodness her family was okay with casual dinners, no one even seemed to notice she didn’t serve anything in courses, and she’d completely forgotten appetizers.

  The house felt homey, with its light tile floors and bright, festively painted walls. And other than a few pieces of furniture that had been swapped out for more modern choices, it looked largely unchanged from the old pictures her mom still kept on her mantle. The table looked like it had been around a while, as did the matching chairs. The oak was nicked and a bit outdated, and the chairs had small pads tied to them to make them more comfortable, but the idea that her father might have actually eaten there was comforting.

  “Is this a new thing you’re doing?” Cindy asked, halfway into her lasagna serving.

  Noah’s hand stilled over his lasagna

  “What’s that?” Alice asked, keeping her voice nonchalant. Her mother watched her with interest, and Robert seemed to be having trouble keeping his expression serious.

  “It’s not as…I’m not sure what.” Cindy looked like she was searching her thoughts, but Alice knew what her sister looked like when she was making mischief. And something was definitely up. “Not as much texture on the top, I guess. Like you forgot to take off the foil.”

  Look innocent. No one will be able to say anything if you don’t give them the bait. “Must not have taken the foil off fast enough, I guess.” She turned her gaze to the chandelier above them. The pieces of cut glass forming the light fixture were plain, but pretty. “Is that the same chandelier, Mom?” she asked, desperate to change the subject.

  “So unlike you to miss a detail. Strange,” Cindy said, then shoved a mouthful of the lasagna between her lips.

  Alice glared daggers at her sister. “Doesn’t seem to be bothering you much.” She mentally dared her to say something else, but Cindy just grinned as she chewed. Robert coughed into a napkin, his sudden fit sounded suspiciously like muffled laughter.

  The attack came from a new direction.

  “Is that ricotta in your hair, dear?” her mother asked.

  Alice’s eyes widened and she resisted the urge to swipe madly at her hair while Cindy half-laughed, half-choked into her cloth napkin. Her mother’s face remained a picture of virtue and concern. But then, she had more practice at feigning innocence than her daughters.

  Kristen smiled widely while Robert gave up on hiding hid laughter. Brent stabbed at his lasagna like it had done something to piss him off.

  She started when she felt something touching her hair, and then gave Noah a grateful glance as he plucked a chunk of cheese out of one of her curls. Their eyes met, and his darkened. She drew in a quick breath, and a slow grin overtook his face while she watched.

  “Must have been flinging the cheese around back there.” He turned to their very interested audience. “She was in a rush to make sure the lasagna was done in time and perfect.”

  “Of course,” her mom agreed, but mischief danced in her eyes.

  “I’m quite the chef, you know,” Alice said, playing along with Noah’s story.

  Cindy laughed outright then, almost choking on the bite of lasagna she’d been chewing. Robert, his expression a mix of amusement and concern, patted her back as she struggled.

  “More tea?” Alice asked sweetly once Cindy had her coughing fit under control. She held out the pitcher. Cindy shook her head, but an evil look still danced in her eyes.

  “Are you all right, dear?” Her mom asked.

  Cindy nodded and shoved another bite of lasagna in her mouth.

  “Of course, Noah made the salad.” Alice picked out a grape tomato and bit into it, relishing the flavor as it exploded in her mouth. “It’s great.”

  “It’s wonderful, dear,” her mother assured him. Noah nodded in thanks.

  “You are a very good chef, Alice,” her mother continued. She leaned in and whispered so only Alice could hear her. “And that cheese flinging explains the mess in the kitchen, too. Would you believe it looked like a half-full container of ricotta got away from you? I found it on the floor.”

  Heat rose to overtake her face, but she couldn’t find a reply, so she forced a bite of lasagna between her lips and p
retended her mother hadn’t said a thing.

  Through it all, Brent was quiet, his attention fixed on the food in front of him. But Kristen had observed the jokes with a smile. “Well, I know one thing Alice isn’t the best at. And luckily for those of us who aren’t such fantastic cooks, that’s what we’re doing tonight. Have to keep things even.”

  Alice searched her mind for what Kristen was talking about, and dread filled her. She shook her head. “No.”

  “Yes,” Kristen said, a big smile on her face.

  “No—no. Let’s do something else. Anything else,” Alice begged. She turned to Cindy. “Aren’t you and Robert staying in the bungalow tonight?”

  “Oh, no. We just wanted to use it for dinner. We’ll head back to the ship tonight,” Cindy said.

  “That seems wasteful,” Alice muttered, but she couldn’t really argue. That Cindy and Robert didn’t want to stay the night here wasn’t really odd. And her mother surely wouldn’t want to stay, especially not with her date.

  “What’s going on?” Noah asked.

  “We’re all doing karaoke tonight,” Kristen announced.

  Alice glanced at Noah, expecting him to tease her about it as well. But the vampire’s face was serious, and his skin pale.

  “Better make it a double,” Noah told the bartender. The man nodded and turned to make their drinks. Noah looked back at Alice, and hoped he didn’t appear as sick as he felt.

  The flashy karaoke bar glowed with brightly colored lights that did little to actually reveal the space. Instead, the room was both dark and glaring, and full of small groups of people who crowded around bar-height tables strewn around the room, or who clung to the bar itself, which lined one of the walls. And central to it all was a stage set only a couple of feet higher than the main floor.

  The hum of the revelers was low enough for the karaoke singers to be heard clearly when they sang—unfortunately. He’d have had a much easier time getting on stage if no one would actually hear him when he got there.

  “Are you all right?” she asked. So much for not looking sick.

  “I’m fine,” he said curtly. “I’m just not big on…singing.” He crinkled his nose against the smell of bodies and alcohol.

  “You don’t like to sing?”

  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. What could he say to that? Who really hated singing? Sure, a lot of people didn’t like to sing in public, but Alice was so free, so confident. With her bright attitude at life, he was surprised she didn’t constantly sing a happy tune to herself. The woman did nothing halfway, and she lived life to the fullest extent. How did you explain a fear of singing in public to someone like that?

  And he’d be damned if he admitted being scared of anything. He was turning two hundred years old, for fuck’s sake. He wasn’t afraid to get up in front of her whole family—not to mention her ex—and sing so awfully and horribly that she’d probably never talk to him again for fear of associating herself with such an embarrassment.

  She watched his expression, her eyes wide with fascination.

  “I’m not much of a singer,” he finally said.

  She grimaced. “Me either.”

  He stared at her, shocked. But she watched her prettily manicured toes. The bartender interrupted with their drinks, and Noah downed his scotch and waved for another.

  “Get me another, too,” Alice called after the bartender. Then, she drank the appletini in two long drinks.

  Noah blinked at her. “Are you all right?”

  “I fucking hate singing in public. And they’re totally going to make us do it.” She waved her empty martini glass toward her family. Edna and Jake had accompanied them, sitting across from Cindy and Robert. Brent and Kristen took up the end of the table opposite of the chairs they’d saved for Noah and Alice. “Wow.” She shook her head. “Strong drink.”

  “Maybe you should slow down.”

  “I will. After I’m a little more certain I won’t remember this tomorrow.”

  Noah watched her sip at the second appletini, her desire to avoid getting sick apparently slightly stronger than her need to forget their night of karaoke.

  “I’m surprised,” he said, finally.

  “About what?” she asked, glaring at her sister. Cindy was making some sort of motions barely within his peripheral vision, but he didn’t turn around to see what she was doing.

  “I would have thought you’d like singing. You’re so…I don’t know. Bright. Happy. Singing seems like it would be something you’d enjoy.”

  Her gaze shifted to him. “I love to sing. Just not where people can hear me.”

  He laughed. “I understand. I totally understand.”

  She gave him a suspicious glance, but then straightened her spine. “You ready to go face them?”

  “Maybe after a few more of these.” He waved his scotch at her.

  “Well, we can go sit with them. Mom and Cindy will be all over this for a while, anyway. Brent and Kristen, too. It’ll be a good hour or so before they force us onto the stage.”

  “We could just leave, you know. Go lock ourselves in the room.”

  Hope lit up her face for a few seconds before she shook her head. “Leaving would be rude. I’m sorry Noah, but some things are unavoidable.” She threw her free hand over her heart dramatically. “’Tis our fate.”

  He laughed at her dramatics, but his stomach flip-flopped when her words hit him. Nothing was unavoidable. Nothing. And he’d be damned if he just rolled over for that bonding. He needed a plan.

  Everything about Alice demanded that he make sure that they at least get a shot. And he was in no danger of offing himself or retreating into a dark depression. His father’s insistence he be bonded was ridiculous.

  “Ready to face the table?” she asked, a third appletini in hand. Her cheeks were flushed a bit from the drinks.

  He reached out and stroked her cheek softly with his thumb. “Ready when you are.”

  They made their way to the table, and by the sounds of it, everyone seemed to be enjoying the bar’s offerings. The noise level grew when Cindy got up to sing.

  Her rendition of Don’t Stop Believing by Journey was actually quite good. Could Alice really be that terrible if her sister was so good? Maybe she just feared getting up in front of everyone. He glanced at her while she cheered her sister on. No. That didn’t fit either. Alice didn’t fear being the center of attention, even if she didn’t seek it.

  As the night progressed, Noah fell into the cheerful mood that surrounded him, and Alice seemed to as well. Edna got up and sang a country song he didn’t recognize, but did it with such gusto that he couldn’t help enjoying it. Robert and Jake’s take on an AC/DC song was laughable, but they were so far gone by the time they walked onto the stage, they didn’t seem to care.

  Brent downed the rest of his drink and then grabbed Kristen.

  “We’ll go next,” Brent said. “Show you all how it’s done.” Kristen nodded, obviously excited.

  When they launched into Summer Nights from Grease, Noah was struck by how good they were, almost theatrical in their performance. Great. Of course Brent would be a good singer. He shook himself mentally. Alice wasn’t going to go running back to Brent for his voice.

  But she was obviously uncomfortable. She crossed her arms and seemed to sink into her chair, a fake smile plastered on her face as she watched the couple on the stage.

  “Okay Alice, Noah. You guys are up,” Cindy insisted after everyone else at the table had taken their shot. Noah’s stomach swirled at the thought, and Alice’s eyes widened.

  “I don’t think—” Alice began.

  “I do!” Cindy insisted. “Go up together, that way you’ll both get it out of the way. You might even have fun.”

  Fat chance of that. Alice shrugged at him, and he pushed up from the table. He’d fought battles before anyone in this room was even born. He’d taken out vampires who attacked him with swords, seeking his head. He’d faced down groups that should have kille
d him and his brothers, going by the numbers. He could do this. He could sing in front of these people.

  Alice seemed to be warring a battle in her own mind as they approached the stage.

  “You ready?” he asked. She nodded, and picked up the mics. Handing him one, she turned to face the audience. Cindy was down with the man who controlled the music, saying something in his ear, loudly, to be heard over the ever-increasing crowd. Noah made out the words, and almost ran off the stage.

  “What is it?” Alice asked.

  He shook his head. And then the music started.

  When the first notes for Leather and Lace hit, he knew he was screwed.

  But when Alice started singing, he smiled. He might be screwed, but at least they’d go down together. He and Alice limped through the song, and by the end, they were laughing and leaning against each other. And they sang the final notes with enthusiasm. Much to the chagrin of the listeners.

  They left the stage still laughing, and most of their table cheered them on. All but Brent, whose expression had gone from hard to angry at some point during their duet.

  “You suck!” Alice told Cindy. Her sister giggled and dodged Alice’s half-hearted punches.

  Later, Cindy and Alice sang a song together. Noah had a tough time making out the lyrics, but he was pretty sure girl power was the theme.

  After a couple more drinks, he and Alice got up for another duet. And to his amazement, he realized that he was actually having fun.

  After her second song with Noah, she started having a hard time reading the monitor. Her last couple of appletinis pushed everything from a happy haze to a difficult-to-make-out fuzz.

  Noah helped her back to their room, and she clung to his arm. He’d drunk as much as she had, and she almost asked him if his vampire metabolism was better than a human’s. But she caught herself, just barely.

  He wrangled the door open while she leaned against a wall.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yup. Mostly, I just like hanging on to you,” she said truthfully.