Chapter 31
Charlotte
“It’s a bachelorette party, Charlotte,” Holly tells me as she holds a glass of sangria out to me.
God, I want to take it. I so want to take it.
The fruit punch-colored liquid, the crushed ice, the cherries and blackberries floating at the top in a beautiful color contrast. I can smell it from here, and I’ve never felt so deprived in my life. I swear Holly can sense it.
“Come on, Charlotte,” one of the bridesmaids says. “It’s so good.”
“No shit, you’re on your third glass,” Madison says and giggles.
Holly is staring me down. “Seriously, sweetie, no one is going to judge you if you drink on the job. This is the bachelorette party—”
“Which I am the overseer of,” Madison says.
“And that means that you are not on the clock,” Holly concludes.
“I’m fine with seltzer, I promise,” I insist but they aren’t buying it.
“Well, I’m the bride and I’m not fine with it at all.
One sangria. That’s an order,” she says.
I bite my lip and take the glass from her.
I’ve read that an occasional glass of wine is okay when you’re pregnant or nursing.
I’ve never loved the idea of it; I’m a rule follower.
To appease the bride, I take a sip, and everyone cheers.
Then they go back to dancing around to Olivia Rodrigo, drinking and laughing.
I’m not much of a party girl, so when Holly comes over to where I am sitting and pulls me to my feet, insisting I dance with her, I’m not sure what to do.
But when the song switches to Raise Your Glass by P!
nk, it’s hard not to join in. Everyone is letting loose like they don’t have a care in the world. It is the carefree thing to do.
It’s also hard not to like Holly. In fact, I really like her. She’s easily one of the coolest girls I’ve ever met. I know why Ben likes her. She’s what he needs.
The song ends, and we all collapse on the chairs and couches together. Everyone is buzzed enough that no one really cares that I never went past that first sip of sangria.
“This is fun,” Holly says with a smile and a sigh as we all catch our breaths. She’s right.
“You know what’s going to be even more fun?” A bridesmaid asks. “When you walk down the aisle tomorrow!” she shouts. Everyone squeals. “You’re getting married!”
“I’m getting married!” Holly shrieks, and everyone follows suit. I smile and reach for an almond off the coffee table. I’ve indulged in more sweets at this wedding than at any other. This one has come with its own special brand of stress, though.
“Are you nervous?” Madison asks.
Holly smiles. “Honestly? No.”
“No cold feet?” I ask, almost surprising myself.
“Not at all,” she says with a headshake.
“Cheers to you,” Madisons says, raising her glass. “I’ve always been a bit terrified of the institution that is holy matrimony.”
“Oh, hush,” one of the girls says. “It’s not an institution. It’s love. It’s romantic. And Holly and Ben are perfect for each other.”
“They really are,” another girl says with a sigh. “Are you nervous about tomorrow night?” she asks with a smirk.
Holly smirks, too. “What’s to be nervous about? There’s nothing Benny and I haven’t done…” she says, and everyone squeals.
Oh god…
I force a smile and reach for another chocolate.
I’m not jealous. The breakup came as a surprise, but when I was standing on the outside of it, I could see everything from a third-person point of view. What I saw was that we weren’t right for each other.
“So how is he?” one of the girls asks.
“I think this is my cue to go mix up some more Sangria,” Madison says, walking over to the mini-kitchen. I’m tempted to follow her, but I’m also curious what she has to say. Because, like his father, Ben was a bit wild. Although Gavin is much more dominating. And learned. And…other things.
“He’s gentle,” Holly says, and it throws me.
“Gentle good or gentle bad?” one of them asks.
“Like all he cares about is me and kind of lets me take the reins.”
Hmm.
That is not what I was expecting her to say.
“I don’t mind it at all,” she goes on. “I like being in charge. And he’s so freewheeling about everything else, it’s a nice change of pace,” she smiles, taking a sip.
“Does it ever bother you?” I find myself blurting out. “That he doesn’t have an off button?”
“Not really,” she shakes her head.
“But it’s like…he never stops,” I say.
“Well, I don’t want a boring man, that’s for sure,” she giggles into her glass.
I sit up straight. I only had one sip of my drink, but it seems to be going straight to my head and out my mouth. “Having a chill button doesn’t make them boring though,” I say.
“No, you’re right,” Holly agrees. “But I still have no complaints.”
“I think someone like Ben, but a little rougher around the edges, is the kind of man I need to find,” one of the girls says, and I reach for another chocolate.
“You mean like Ben’s snack of a dad?” another girl asks, and I actually choke on the truffle. Everyone freaks out for a moment, but I swallow, insisting I’m fine.
I am glad for the turn of the conversational wheel. Though this particular conversation seems to be on a round-a-bout.
“I’m sorry, did you just say Ben’s dad?” Holly asks, scrunching her nose. I keep in mind that she is about seven years younger than me.
“Yes, I did,” she says. “Gavin is gorgeous.”
Thank you… but also, calm down.
“He’s like fifty!” another girl lets out and before I think about it, I correct her.
“Forty-five.”
Everyone stops and looks at me, and I say nothing. I just try to sink far enough into the couch that maybe it will eat me whole.
“Tell me we didn’t shift from talking about my brother to my dad…” Madison calls from the kitchen.
“All I’m saying,” the repeat offender chimes back in. “Is that Gavin is the more…”
Mature? Masculine? Ripped? Gruff? Well endowed…
“What do you think the guys are doing right now?” Holly asks.
Thank God.
“Probably drinking and horsing around and talking about us,” Madison says.
“I think we should go find out,” Holly says with a smirk.
“I don’t know–” I start to say, but everyone is already grabbing their coats.
Well…I guess crashing a bachelor party is better than comparing the two men I’ve slept with.