by J. P. Comeau
“I won’t tell any of the customers,” Crystal said. “And have some for me!”
As I left my studio, a few regulars walked in with their yoga mats and waved at me. Many students chose to pay a flat fee to practice on their own. Thankfully, there was a window that looked out onto the room from the office, so Crystal could give them help if needed.
It was another beautiful day in River Valley, and I drove to the bridal shop with all of the windows down. California could get quite hot, but as long as it wasn’t too humid, then I preferred breathing in the fresh air over air conditioning.
My stomach growled as I drove by a Kentucky Fried Chicken. Still, I reminded myself that junk food was for special occasions only.
As I pulled into the bridal shop parking lot, I started getting excited about seeing my niece, Caley, and seven-month-old nephew, Jude. Caley and I had always been so close. It was me who’d been able to cheer her up whenever Julianna and Jake were spending alone time together. Her baby brother had my heart now, too.
Sure enough, as soon as I walked through the door, Caley came running over to me. I couldn’t believe how much she had grown. It seemed like only yesterday she was struggling to form full sentences, but at almost ten-years-old, she was starting to blossom into a beautiful pre-teen.
“Aunt Annie!”
Caley’s sweet, tender voice always pulled at my heartstrings.
I folded her into a hug, happy to have her back in my arms. Then, I walked over to baby Jude. And I picked him up and held him close to my chest, enjoying the fresh smell of baby lotion as I planted a few kisses on top of his hairless head.
Just then, Julianna came out in her wedding gown, and my mouth fell wide open. She looked stunning. Even the saleswomen had to take a moment to collect themselves, admiring the way her long, white satin gown curved in at the waist and then billowed out at the bottom. It allowed a little bit of cleavage, but nothing that would offend the more conservative guests at her wedding.
“Mommy, I love my dress,” Caley yelled, running over to Julianna.
Caley’s violet dress was a beautiful contrast against the white fabric of the wedding gown. As a saleswoman walked over and smoothed out the back of the gown, Julianna placed her hand on her stomach, looked into the mirror from over her shoulder, and smiled.
“Jake is going to cry,” I said, wiping tears away from my eyes. “If I didn’t know you, I’d mistake you for a model right about now!”
“I’m so happy that I’ve gotten rid of all of that baby weight.”
“Yeah, your hard work has really paid off,” I remarked, nodding.
In addition to changing up her diet, Julianna had committed to a strict exercise routine with only one rest day. She had often incorporated Caley into the workouts, too, giving her daughter the health nut bug early. Caley had told me on the second day that one day she would become an “exercise boss” just like me. Even though I knew she was a bit too young to commit to a career choice, hearing the words still brought a smile to my face. I’d even promised to hire my niece at my yoga studio if she did.
I looked over at Jude, who was too young to understand what was going on, but still seemed amazed at how his mother looked in her wedding gown.
“The baby weight and then some,” I said as the saleswomen came over to check all of the measurements.
“The ab workouts are the worst, but it’s worth it to be able to pull off this dress.” Julianna put her hands on her hips, and it was easy to see what she meant.
It was the perfect dress for a curvy woman like her.
“Turn around, Mommy!” Caley started to jump up and down, all the while clapping her hands.
At her daughter’s request, she smiled and turned around so we could see the backside. The train looked to be about nine feet long.
“Simply stunning,” I sighed, admiring the delicate lace stitched along the hem of the train. Caley got a little too close to the dress, so I put my hand up. “You don’t want Mommy’s dress to have footprints on it, do you, sweetie?”
Caley put her hands to her mouth. “Oh no, Aunt Annie! No way, because she needs to be beautiful for Jakey!”
The way she threw her hands in the air gave Julianna and I a big laugh.
“Why don’t you try walking in it, dear?” Julianna nodded to the saleswoman and stepped down from the pedestal. “It’ll be much harder in high heels.”
I looked around for her bag. “Do you have them with you now?”
Julianna shook her head.
“No,” she said with a sigh. “They’ll be arriving sometime this week, though. I’m nervous about walking in them down the aisle. You know me, Annie. I don’t do well in heels.”
Even when we were in high school, Julianna stuck with flat shoes. She had never been able to walk confidently in anything else.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” I said. “Plus, you’ll have Daddy to hold onto as you’re walking.”
“What about when I get up there, though? I can’t exactly lean on Jake while we’re saying our vows.”
I tapped my fingers on my lips, wondering how she could better stabilize herself during the ceremony. “There are a few yoga poses I could teach you that’ll help with balance.”
“Thank you, Annie! I need all of the help I can get” She stumbled forward and gave me a look. “See? Not even wearing them yet. But enough about me, let’s talk about you.”
I sat down in a chair right next to Jude, then hoisted Caley onto my lap.
“What about me?”
A few saleswomen continued to make slight alterations on her gown as we spoke.
“It’s not too late to bring a date,” Julianna said, her voice sounding a bit too much like our mother’s.
I held up my hand, but she waved it away, continuing before I could tell her no. “I can easily have another chair added, and lord knows we’ll have plenty of food. Which I’ll be shoving into my face, of course.”
Her stomach growled, causing everyone in the fitting room to burst out laughing.
“Who would I even bring, Julianna? I can’t think of a single guy that I’d want to even have coffee with right now, let alone invite to your wedding. I’m perfectly fine going by myself.”
Caley leaned back against my chest, and I kissed her forehead. She looked up at me and giggled.
“I know a man who happens to be coming without a date,” Julianna said, eyeing me mischievously. I knew his name before she even said it. “Richard Truman.”
Richard was Jake’s brother and not the kind of guy I was used to dating.
“You need to stop trying to set us up,” I said, helping Caley carefully out of her dress. “He’s not someone I would ever date. Besides, he’s so much older.”
Julianna glanced up at me. “But you guys talk a lot, don’t you?”
I shrugged. Ever since Julianna and Jake started dating, Richard and I had formed a friendship of sorts.
“We’re friendly if that’s what you mean. And why wouldn’t we be? His brother is marrying my sister.”
“Didn’t he ask you out once?”
I nodded at Julianna. “And remember, I turned him down… for a reason. Guys like him don’t date, Julianna. They fool around, and I’m not looking to be a notch on some guy’s headboard.”
She let out a big sigh. “Jake used to be one of those guys and look at us now, Annie. Some men can change. You should at least consider asking him to be your date, even if you guys don’t take it any further. Don’t you want someone to enjoy the wedding with? I mean, I know you don’t have to have someone… but it would be nice, wouldn’t it?”
I thought about what Julianna was saying. Being single had never bothered me. Actually, I quite enjoyed it. Men had proven to me that it was nearly impossible to find one who would commit to a relationship, and I’d rather enjoy my time than waste it.
“What you have with Jake,” I said, “is very rare, Julianna. And I don’t mean that to be condescending toward Richard. You know how muc
h I love both of you, but you know Richard’s type. It’d take one hell of a woman to get that man to change.”
“Why couldn’t you be that woman?” She stood still as the lady pinned and poked at her dress. “Plus, the guy is stacked. If I weren’t with Jake, you bet I’d be flirting with Richard. His sophisticated grey hair screams sugar daddy, but not in a creepy way.”
I burst out laughing. “Is that even possible?”
“Mommy,” Caley interrupted, “what’s a sugar daddy?”
Julianna and I stared at each other, our eyes bugged out. We both suddenly remembered that Caley was in the room, and definitely liked to feel included in the conversation.
“That’s an adult word, sweetie. But would you like to play a game on my phone while you wait for us?” Julianna was starting to freak out, hoping that Caley wouldn’t repeat that phrase to either Jake or Richard.
Even though Caley had heard it, Julianna and I both suspected that she’d keep it quiet. She had an incredibly strong intuition.
“Yay, let me play Candy Crush!”
“Can you hand me my purse, please?” Julianna asked me.
She pulled her phone from her purse, as Caley looked on excitedly.
Finally, Julianna breathed a sigh of relief, seeing her daughter sink to the floor with phone in hand, thankful her daughter hadn’t pressed about the meaning of ‘sugar daddy’.
“Can you watch the kids as I get out of this thing? It’s beautiful, but I’m starting to get a little too hot.”
“Of course!”
Julianna made her way back into the dressing room. And I picked up Jude, cradling him in my arms. I was amused at Caley as she swayed this way and that staring at the screen, trying to beat the game.
If I was going to be honest with myself, then I had to admit that I was at least somewhat attracted to Richard. Julianna was right. He had everything that a woman like me would want in a man, and not just because he had money. There was something about the way he carried himself that always caught my attention.
I knew better, though.
He lived alone in a mansion big enough for a family of eight or more. I’d seen him with his arm around the occasional woman, who almost always had fake breasts and an I.Q. in the double digits. Yet whenever the two of us spoke, there was an obvious connection.
I shook my head, bringing myself back to reality. I was a strong, independent woman who knew better than to mess around with men like Richard Truman.
Even if he was hot as hell.
2
_____
RICHARD
I pulled my 1969 Aston Martin up to the tuxedo rental studio and parked. I was having a hard time believing that two days from now, my baby brother would be getting married. I could remember when Jake and Julianna first started dating. He kept brushing it off as just a fling, but my intuition had kicked in early.
My brother had found his soul mate.
As I waited for Jake to show up, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my social media newsfeeds. There were no news headlines that caught my attention, though. All I could think about was Jake's bachelor party tomorrow night.
"You're always running ahead of schedule.”
I looked up to see Jake smiling down on me.
"My man," I said, getting out of my car.
He pulled me in for a hug before we made our way into the shop.
"We're here to pick up our tuxedoes,” he said to the saleswoman behind the desk.
She did her best to flirt with him as he gave our names, but Jake couldn't have been less interested.
"Speaking of other women," I said when she walked away. "I have a bone to pick with you."
Jake rolled his eyes at me. "I told you, man. I don't want any strippers."
I leaned against the desk and looked him dead in the face, trying my best to convince him otherwise. "Look, I know it's going to be a combined bachelor-bachelorette party. But Julianna never has to know they are coming. When they show up, you can act surprised and blame it all on me.”
I pulled out my phone, but he interrupted me before I could even show him some pictures of strippers that I had in mind.
"It has nothing to do with Julianna," Jake said. "I'm not about that life anymore, Richard."
I smirked while putting my phone away. "That's right. You gave all of that up for Julianna." He shot me a dissatisfied look, but I held my hands up. "I'm just kidding. You know that I'm happy for you."
"How about you? Are you happy?"
I tilted my head at Jake, unsure as to what he meant. "Sure. I mean, I'll be happier once we get these tuxedoes and grab a bite to eat."
He laughed and shook his head. "You know that's not what I meant. Are you honestly looking forward to my wedding? Even though you don't have a date?"
Here we go.
The saleswoman walked back up with the tuxes. I knew damn well that I could have found an attractive, sophisticated woman to bring to his wedding. God knows I had plenty of numbers saved in my phone. I could probably dial any one of them, and whoever answered would adjust their schedule to attend. But it wasn't what I wanted.
"I don't need a date to enjoy your big day," I said.
"You should ask Annie," Jake replied matter-of-factly. "She's also going without a plus one."
I let out a sigh. "Annie isn't interested in me like that. I asked her out about a year ago, and she declined, which is cool, man. We're still good friends and…well, neighbors since River Valley is our home town, and she lives just a few miles from my house. I'm sure we'll talk to each other at your wedding."
"Define 'good friends,'" he said with a smirk.
I shrugged. "I don't know. We text, laugh, talk, just as good neighbors do.”
"Mhmm," Jake replied, looking over the tuxes before he turned to the sales consultant. "These are great, thanks."
I pulled out my black card and handed it over, putting my hand up before Jake could fight me on it. "Don't mhmm me. Focus on your own love life. Just because you found yourself a happy ending doesn't mean you can start becoming a matchmaker."
Jake gave me a sideways glance as I signed the receipt and nodded at the clerk. Turning toward the door, I followed Jake out to his car. He put the tuxedos in the vehicle. "Meet you at the diner?"
I nodded. "Gotcha."
We got into our cars and drove over to one of the local diners. Dozens of people were at the restaurant that afternoon, and the hostess quickly sat us down at a booth before having to start a waitlist.
"If Annie wasn't interested in you," he said as we read over the menus, "then she wouldn't be texting you in the first place. I know this for sure. She and Julianna are very much alike in many ways.”
With a deep sigh, I glanced over my menu at him. Still, I thought about what Jake was saying. On some level, I really could see myself dating someone like Annie. She was sweet, sophisticated, and had what seemed to be a successful business. Plus, she always looked so pretty in those flowery, floral tops that she loved to wear.
I couldn't admit that out loud, though, not yet. "You know me, Jake. I'm not a relationship type of guy."
"Neither was I until I met Julianna," he pointed out. "You're almost 45 years old, man. It's not too late to at least date and get to know a woman for more than a few days."
I swallowed my pride at his age remark. Deep down, I was concerned about getting older, not settling down.
"Even if I did decide to date instead of just sleep with a woman," I said, "Annie already turned me down. I'll consider what you're saying about my lifestyle, though. I won't be able to bed women as easily once I hit 50."
"Did you have to put that image in my mind before we eat?"
I playfully punched him in the shoulder.
He groaned, rubbing his arm. "Besides, things change. They have changed. I mean, look at me, for example. I'm getting married. And for all you know, Annie changed too."
"That doesn't mean we'd make a good couple," I pointed out.
"Are yo
u kidding me? I see the way you two interact with each other. You're like peanut butter and jelly. Look, I'll drop it if you promise me that you'll at least think about it."
I nodded just to appease Jake. "Moving on. You'll never guess who I got a voicemail from the other day." I watched Jake as he looked at me quizzically before finally telling him. "Heather."
"Heather? Jesus, man. Between the thought of her and the image of my brother hooking up with women at 50, I've entirely lost my appetite."
They say that playboys are the way they are for one of two reasons. They either never want to settle down for fear of vanilla sex for the rest of their life, or they had their heart crushed by a woman. In my case, it was the latter.
Once, Heather had been the woman I saw myself marrying, except eventually she didn't like that I was following in my father’s footsteps. She moved to River Valley after college and stayed here for five years and learned to hate small-town life. To everyone else, they saw her dramatic exit coming, but I didn't see it. It was sudden to me at the time. One day she decided that she didn't want to be with a man who lived in his father's shadow.
I was proud of myself for not only learning everything that I knew from my dad but that he trusted me enough to help him run the company. I couldn't think of anything else that I wanted to do with my life. So when she told me that, it was a done deal.
Jake had even offered to help her pack.
"I've never deleted a message so fast in my life," I replied.
"Are you going to call her back? What could she possibly want after all these years?”
I could hear the concern in his voice. Even though I had made it clear that family comes first, Jake knew that I was head over heels in love with her when we were together.
"Hell no! Are you crazy? I can't think of a single thing that I want to hear from that woman. She's nothing but a time-waster."
Jake breathed a sigh of relief. After the waitress took our orders, we sat back and started discussing the wedding.