Chapter 1 #3
“Soon, Eddie!” I call back, laughing. “I know you’ve been stalking that wedding cake like a predator since you arrived, but you have to wait your turn!”
The crowd laughs. I see Maren pointing at Eddie and shaking her head fondly. Eddie just grins and gives an unapologetic shrug.
Jack leans in again. “But first, it’s time for the first dance of our beautiful bride and groom.”
“Or as I like to call them,” I can’t help adding with a huge grin at Maren, “my favorite couple with my favorite couple name: Caren.”
Maren’s eyes go comically wide and she mouths “NO” at me while simultaneously trying not to laugh.
We’ve had this ongoing joke since they moved in together, and she pretends to hate it but secretly loves it.
Calvin’s shoulders are shaking with laughter beside her, and he pulls her closer, whispering something in her ear.
Jack gives me a look that clearly says Really? And you warned ME not to embarrass them?
He smiles with an okay-it’s-on look and leans into the mic. “Caren?” He draws the word out slowly. “Are we doing couple names now? Did I miss a memo? Was there a meeting?”
“Calvin and Maren. Caren with a C,” I explain to the crowd, who are all laughing now. “It’s perfect and Maren secretly loves it despite what she tells literally everyone.”
“I do NOT!” Maren shouts across the lawn, but she’s laughing so hard she’s clutching Calvin for support.
“Look at that face,” Jack says into the mic, his voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. “That’s a woman who loves her couple name.”
Calvin raises his hand like he’s in a classroom. “For the record, I love it!” he shouts, earning himself a playful shove from Maren.
“See?” I say triumphantly. “Calvin’s on board. The groom has spoken. Democracy in action.”
“We should make this official,” Jack suggests, warming to his role. “All in favor of officially adopting ‘Caren’ as their couple name, raise your hands and say aye!”
The entire crowd erupts, hands shooting up everywhere. Even Calvin’s brothers are enthusiastically voting, clearly living for the chaos. Laila starts barking excitedly at all the noise and commotion.
“Traitors!” Maren yells, laughing and trying to shush Laila while giving everyone death glares. “Every single one of you is fired from being my friend!”
“Hey, no interfering with the democratic process, Mrs. Midnight!” I call back. “Now, all opposed?”
Maren raises both hands and one foot, jumping up and down, which just makes everyone laugh harder. She’s always been such a good sport. It’s one of the million reasons I love her.
“The ayes have it!” Jack declares with the authority of someone announcing race results. “Caren is officially recognized! Let the record show!”
“I’m getting new friends!” Maren shouts, her face flushed with laughter. “All new friends! You’re all fired!”
“You love us!” I call back, blowing her an exaggerated kiss.
“Highly debatable right now!” she shouts back, but she blows a kiss back, her smile so bright it could light up the entire property.
“Okay, okay,” I say, trying to get us back on track while everyone’s still chuckling. “Before the bride fires me as maid of honor, let’s get these two on the dance floor.”
“Caren forever,” Jack adds into the mic, which gets another wave of laughter.
We step back from the mic as Calvin leads a still-giggling Maren to the center of the dance floor.
The DJ smoothly fades in the opening notes of their song, and the crowd naturally forms a circle around them.
The moment shifts from playful chaos to something tender as Calvin takes Maren in his arms, looking at her like she hung every star in the sky.
Maren catches my eye over Calvin’s shoulder and mouths “thank you” with so much happiness radiating from her face it makes my throat tight. This is what she deserves. This perfect night, this man who adores her, this entire community showing up to celebrate their love.
I blow her a kiss and she pretends to catch it before melting completely into Calvin’s embrace.
“They look good together,” Jack says quietly beside me.
“They really do,” I agree softly, watching my best friend glow. “They always have.”
Jack and I continue our MC duties throughout, announcing toasts, keeping the energy up, making sure everything runs smoothly.
Theo gives a speech about Calvin that has everyone laughing and crying in equal measure.
Alex tells a story about their childhood that involves a tree fort and a very angry raccoon.
Dominic’s toast is short and sweet, ending with “Welcome to the family, Maren. Sorry about the rest of us.”
Jack slides up beside me later by the dessert table where I’m trying to decide between a third slice of cake or maintaining some semblance of dignity.
“Nice work, partner,” he says. “We absolutely killed it up there.”
“Despite my initial reservations about co-hosting with Dark River’s resident troublemaker,” I say, finally committing to one of the mini cheesecakes because life is short, “we really did do a good job.”
“Resident troublemaker?” He raises an eyebrow, reaching past me for a chocolate-covered strawberry. “I think you have me confused with someone else. Trouble finds me. I’m just an innocent victim of circumstance, going about my day when disaster randomly strikes.”
“Oh really?” I pop a bite of cheesecake in my mouth. “So that time in high school when you ‘borrowed’ Principal Walker’s car for a test drive and ended up in the lake was just trouble finding you?”
“That car had faulty brakes,” he says completely seriously, biting into the strawberry. “It was a safety hazard. I was doing a public service, really. Just one of many cosmic injustices I’ve had to overcome. My life is quite tragic when you think about it.”
“You poor baby,” I say with exaggerated sympathy, patting his arm. “Such hardship. How do you even cope?”
“It’s been difficult,” he agrees solemnly. “But I persevere.”
“Lark!” Maren appears beside us, practically glowing with happiness. Calvin’s right behind her, his arm wrapped around her. “You two were amazing! Everyone keeps coming up to me saying how funny you were together! Although Calvin won’t stop calling us Caren.”
“Hey, what can I say?” Calvin grins, pulling her closer. “I love our couple name. Caren forever. It’s got a nice ring to it. Very modern.”
“It’s ridiculous,” Maren says, but she’s smiling.
“It’s perfect,” I correct. “Like I said. I have excellent instincts about these things.”
“Debatable,” Maren teases. “But I’ll allow it for tonight. Now—” She turns to me with a look I recognize. Mischief mixed with determination. “—it’s time for you and me to have a proper girl’s dance. I’ve been waiting all night.”
“Okay, but first I need to make a very important DJ request,” I say, already backing away with a grin. “Don’t move.”
“I’ll be here,” Maren says, leaning back into Calvin’s embrace. “Take your time.”
“Calvin, you better watch out,” I say, walking backward and shoving the rest of the mini cheesecake in my mouth, probably not gracefully. “I might steal your wife with my superior dancing skills.”
He laughs, his whole face lighting up. “I’d be worried if I hadn’t seen your moves at karaoke night last month. I know what I’m dealing with.”
“Rude!” I shout back, but I’m laughing.
I whisper my song request to the DJ, complete with dramatic hand gestures to convey the importance of this moment. He grins and gives me a thumbs up. When I get back to Maren, I hold out my hand like a gentleman caller from a regency romance.
The opening notes of Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” blast through the speakers.
Maren’s eyes light up. “Our song!”
We take over the dance floor immediately, both of us singing along at the top of our lungs like we’ve done countless times during girls’ nights in my apartment. Arms in the air, spinning around, not caring who’s watching or judging our moves.
When the song ends we’re both breathless and grinning. The DJ immediately flows into another upbeat song and more people flood the dance floor. The party is in full swing now, that perfect sweet spot where everyone’s loose and happy and the night feels like it could go on forever.
I grab a water bottle from the edge of the dance floor, pressing the cool plastic against my flushed cheek.
Across the crowd, I catch sight of Jack talking to Alex, Theo, and Dominic, all of them laughing at something he said.
He glances over and our eyes meet. Heat creeps up my neck before I turn back toward the dance floor where Maren is spinning with Calvin.
I shake my head slightly, smiling at the sight. My best friend is married to the love of her life, surrounded by people who adore them both. And I have my own things to focus on—my music, the label interest, finally figuring out how to get on a stage without my brain short-circuiting.
Everything else is just a distraction.