Chapter 7 Rachel
Currently playing: You”ve Got A Friend by James Taylor
***
My fingers gripped the hotel doorknob as I slowly let the door shut behind me. I looked back and forth down the wallpapered hallway before taking a step out and checking one more time. The Pink Panther theme song would have been perfect at that moment if I had been smart enough to grab my headphones from my room the night before.
Although I supposed I had been a bit distracted, and my head wasn’t in the mindset for next-day activities. Thankfully Adam had thought a few steps ahead of me, and apparently, before he had taken a shower this morning, he’d slipped into my room and grabbed a pair of denim shorts and my ratty ELO T-shirt. It was the comfiest article of clothing I owned, so the holes could be forgiven.
Things would have been incredibly more difficult to explain if I were wearing a white dress and heels to a family and friend brunch with my husband’s family.
My stomach sank at the thought. Oh gosh, I had in-laws now. Though if I were to do a whole fantasy football–style draft for a mother-in-law, Mama B would be my first pick. None of that mattered, though. She was never going to find out, and this would all be over within a week. We would sign those annulment papers, celebrate without alcohol, and laugh about it later on down the road.
Despite my reassurance, I was still dreading this whole brunch. Layla and Calla could both read me like a book by now. I was awful at hiding my feelings in the first place—these eyebrows can’t lie—but it was even harder between the two of my three closest friends. Thank the good lord Marigold was off on her honeymoon and not joining us, or she would call it out instantly. She had this freaky mom instinct that allowed her to see into your brain. I hoped I got that one day too. It really psyched people out.
I hummed along to the soundtrack in my head as I made my way to the elevator. It would be fine. I would be fine. This was a little speed bump in life. No one knew, and Adam was an excellent secret keeper—mostly because he never talked. And I would go in fake-it-till-I-make-it style. It would all be fi—
A door slammed behind me. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Uh-oh. I knew that hiss and the demanding voice behind it.
Breathe in, Rachel. She has no idea.
I turned on my heel, forcing a smile. “Calla! My dear friend. I am…walking down the hall.” I looked at her shoulder, focusing my attention on the strap of her tank top to avoid her gaze.
“Yeah, like you work for the FBI,” she whisper-yelled and looked behind her. “Come on,” she hissed. Then she pulled me into the elevator as she feverishly pressed the close door button.
The moment the doors shut, I found myself being pulled by the hand. My left hand. Calla held my new ring to her face, and her eyes widened in shock. “Why do you still have that ring on?”
I gasped, pulling my hand back lightning fast and hiding it under my crossed arms. “What ring?”
She pointed to it. “The gigantic boulder sitting on your left ring finger after you and my idiot brother got married last night.”
Wincing, I uncrossed my arms and lifted the ring to my own eyes. It really was beautiful; simple but elegant. A princess-cut diamond with a thin gold band holding it up. Timeless, classic, and heavy. It sucked that I’d have to eventually give it up.
My shoulders slumped. “You knew?”
Calla rolled her eyes. “Of course I knew. You texted the group chat with all the girls saying wifey for lifey. Then you sent a picture of you flashing us your ring finger. And then another picture of your hand grabbing Adam’s bicep.”
Mouth falling open, I considered it for a moment and then shrugged. Because, well, yeah, that sounded about right.
She sighed. “So what are you two going to do about it?”
Adam was casual about this, so I could be too. We were adults. Grown people who could hire lawyers and handle things professionally. Or at least he was. I could just follow him.
“Get an annulment when we get back to Philly. No biggie. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas and whatnot, right?”
She nodded along, and her face seemed to settle at that. “How did this even happen? You guys don’t ever talk.”
I wasn’t sure why Adam and I had kept our friendship under wraps so much. It was our little secret. The late-night texts and hangouts when no one else was around. I liked that he allowed me to be myself unapologetically. He liked that I never forced him to talk more than he wanted. Freedom, that’s what it felt like. We enjoyed keeping it to ourselves, though. It would have felt…wrong, I guess, to tell others. Like if everyone else knew we were this close, it would ruin the rhythm we’d built.
Clearing my throat, I answered. “Too much alcohol, and his tattoos under those rolled-up sleeves.”
She winced and faked a gag. I hadn’t ever mentioned to her how hot her brother was, even if he was my closest friend. But there was no way she didn’t know. Didn’t she have girlfriends in high school who wanted to hang out just to stare at him?
I could see the moment a lightbulb flashed in her eyes. “This is exactly like that romance book I read where they stayed married so they could get extra money from the government each month and she could get really good health insurance.”
“Wait.” I straightened my back. “People do that?”
Calla nodded. “All the time. Celebrities do too.”
I fell silent for a moment. That was crazy. Seriously insane. Right? I mean, to get married and just stay married for money and health benefits? Absurd.
It was quiet for another minute.
“And it works?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Probably not, but anything can happen in a romance book.”
Yes. In a romance book. Not in a real-life scenario. Because no one would do that.
The elevator slowed to a stop, and a ding chimed over us. I was preparing myself to walk out into the lobby when I saw we were only on floor three. The doors opened, and on the other side stood Crew, Calla’s youngest sibling, in a baby-blue Hawaiian shirt with koi fish printed on it.
Calla stared at him, confused. “You’re not even staying on this floor. What are you doing here?”
He solemnly shrugged. “I made friends with a group of old ladies at the six-thirty yoga class. They convinced me to play mahjong up here. Just lost thirty bucks and my favorite hat.”
Crew stepped in, and I instinctively hid my left hand behind my back.
“What’s new with you guys?”
Calla and I exchanged looks. I gave her a silent plea, and she gave a subtle nod back.
“Nothing,” we said in sync, and I was incredibly grateful when he didn’t question it.
We all rode the elevator down to the lobby, and I couldn’t help but consider what Calla had said before. My thoughts trailed to the stress waiting for me back home: Dad’s assisted living bills stacking up and his lack of healthcare.
I bit my lip and looked back to my ring behind my back, considering.