Chapter 8Annie
Chapter 8
Annie
JULY | Balance: $52,623
The wedding day was truly joyful. I was still heartbroken but relieved that Kitty knew about it. It's a pattern I've repeated countless times with her: I hesitate to share something because she can be a bit unpredictable, I agonize over it, and then when I finally do tell her, she's surprisingly understanding.
Granted, I was still withholding some facts about the nature of my relationship with Roger, but she at least knew I was freshly single while celebrating her marrying the love of her life.
One issue: I got knots in my stomach thinking about how to handle Nick at the wedding. He was so, so sweet, and his intentions were good, but did I really want to give him a second chance at a terrible hookup? His personality was pretty spectacular, but the execution, yikes.
But he was so dang cute. Tall, skinny but muscular, a clean shave, gorgeous skin, and a cherubic smile. Green eyes, like me, except that his were more cat-eye colored than forest. I didn’t think much of the age gap since I’d just been with a man fifteen years my senior. If I can go up, I can also go down. Though, there’s that whole thing about your brain not being fully developed until you’re twenty-five.
Whatever. It’s a hookup.
He was helping me have fun while being sensitive to my needs. I didn’t make a firm decision as to whether I’d end the night with him again. I’d feel it out.
Me hooking up wasn’t the point anyway. The point was to be there for Kitty and get her married to that boy she’d always loved.
In the bridal suite, we sipped mimosas in our robes while we got our hair and makeup done. I hate getting my makeup done by a professional. They always cover my freckles, even if I ask them not to. They’re a part of me and I always feel like some Kardashian version of myself when I have special event makeup done. But I wasn’t about to make a big stink on Kitty’s big day.
All us girls talked and laughed. Mel complained about being sore from how much she and Branson were going at it. “It’s a damn renaissance out here. I guess we’re going to have to come out here every summer or something. The mountain air’s got us all over each other.”
“It’s something,” Jessie added. “Mikey friggin’ tied me up this morning.”
“It seems some other people stayed busy last night, no?” Kitty crooned. “A couple of you bailed on me in favor of getting ass.”
“Not my fault your brother’s fine,” Tania said, the rest of us erupting in shrieks.
“Ew, oh my God, Tania, seriously?” Kitty said.
“What? Lust is in the air or whatever. I won’t give you details. That’s crossing some sort of line no one wants to cross.”
“Okay, that solves another mystery, then. Vi, I saw Colton chatting you up last night,” Kitty went on.
“Yeah, it was surprisingly good to see him,” Violet said, then lolled her head toward me. “But I noticed some little blondie running off with a certain goalie.”
I groaned, putting my head in my hands. “Do we have to?”
“Poor Annie had a less successful night,” Kitty said, stifling her laugh with a sip of mimosa.
Jessie’s eyes rounded. “Oh no, what happened?”
“He’s very sweet,” I said. “I’ll leave it at that.”
“He bit her cooch,” Kitty giggled.
A collective gasp issued as they all dissolved into laughter. “No, no, he’s really nice, y’all. I feel bad talking about him. He didn’t even get a chance to make it right because we got caught by a security guard.”
The makeup artist was laughing along with us and yelled at us to not smear our makeup as the giggle tears arrived.
“This does not leave this room,” I said, pointing to each person. “Fort Knox. Girl code.”
“Pinky promise,” Kitty said, holding up said finger.
“Oh, poor Obi,” Jessie said. “Little guy. Shoot.”
“Little? He’s a full foot taller than you,” Tania laughed.
“Yeah, but he’s just a baby,” Jessie whined. “He even calls me Mommy for all the mothering I do to him. I just wanna hold him and take care of him.”
“So does Annie,” Violet cracked.
I downed the rest of my mimosa in one gulp. Even though the conversation was ridiculous, it felt good to laugh with friends and not think about the mess that waited for me back in Nashville.
* * *
When we were all dressed and ready for the wedding, the photographer came in to get some “getting ready” pictures. Kitty’s mom and I buttoned her into her dress for a shot, and we got some shots in the Greenbrier’s iconic kitschy furniture. Then there was a knock at the door.
“Boys coming in! Cover anything interesting!”
The air in the room changed as all four groomsmen came in, all looking sharp and handsome and smelling delicious. Mel’s husband made a beeline for her. Jessie’s boyfriend Mikey fawned over Kitty, along with Frank, while Nick broke off to come talk to me.
“Hey stranger,” he said, then lowered his voice. “How you holdin’ up?”
“Oh, just fine,” I said. “How are things on your end?”
“Dandy,” he said. “Ready for the big show?”
Oh, right. The speech . I’d been so distracted by our 69 mishap that I had mostly forgotten. “Think so. Nervous, though.”
He landed a soft punch into my shoulder, right as the photographer turned the lens toward us. “You’ll do great. Go get ‘em, tiger.”
He blushed as he said that, realizing how cheesy he was being. Mikey watched us and snorted back a laugh, then was quickly distracted by Jessie.
“Almost didn’t recognize you without your freckles,” Nick said. “I mean, you’re still so pretty. Beautiful. I just, it’s not—”
I held up a hand to put him at ease. “Yeah, wedding makeup artists always cake me in foundation until you can’t see them anymore.”
Nick’s eyes traveled over my face and softened. “You’re still gorgeous, Annabelle.” A chill went down my arms at his compliment. I fumbled for something to say, taking his place as the awkward one.
“Obi, we gotta get back,” Mikey called.
“I’ll see you out there,” Nick said, and with a glance over his shoulder at the door, he was gone.