27
Anders and I aren’t exactly a couple, so I’m trying not to get prematurely girlfriend-crazy at him for being unreachable all day.
He’s been gone for three days already. The first day, we talked several times.
The second, I was busy with Valerie and Taina for the whole psychic thing.
And today, he’s supposed to be flying back here to make it in time for the Jack and Jill party tonight.
Maybe I’m more sensitive now because Taina hasn’t answered a single one of my calls and texts, and it would be nice to speak to another human being rather than sit in silence.
He said he was heading for the airport at seven in the morning, which was three hours ago, and he still hasn’t called me like he said he would. I need to update him on my plans for Valerie.
Sora walks up to me and lays his face on my lap.
“You want to go outside, cutie?”
He wags his tail, so I take him out back to run around. As he lays out, displaying his stomach to the sun, I sit on the rocking chair. My screen lights up. I answer before the first ring finishes.
“Anders,” I say into the phone before I hear the chaos of the early morning airport in the background.
“Hey, Lucinda,” he says, warmth with a hint of aggravation clipped at the edge.
“TSA beat you down?”
He snorts. “It’s insane here. A thunderstorm delayed most flights, including mine.”
Extra nerves begin to pinch my insides. “Will you make it in time for the party?”
“I’m not sure,” he answers. “Even if they get us on the plane, it’s pretty bad out there.”
I pause. “They won’t fly unless it’s safe to do so.”
A longer, more interesting pause. “Right.”
I sit up. “Anders, are you afraid of flying?”
“I don’t like your tone.”
I can’t hold back my laugh. “Aw, Anders, I didn’t know.”
“Let the record state I have made no such confession.”
“There’s nothing to be scared of,” I assure him. “Turbulence is like you’re in Jell-O. Just a fun little ride.”
“I’ve seen that video, and it brought me no comfort.”
“So, you admit you’re scared.”
He sighs. “You know, my great-great-grandfather died in a plane crash. I look just like him. Could be him reincarnated. Wouldn’t want to tempt fate.”
“Really?”
“No,” Anders admits, and I laugh. “But I don’t want you to think I’m some coward.”
“Coward, no,” I tease. “Scaredy-cat, on the other hand . . .”
“Anyway,” he says, “how is my dog?”
My dog. Already attached enough to claim Sora as his own. I knew he’d be a good owner.
“Good. Currently sunbathing.”
“And how’s my girl?”
My heart stutters. “Good. Watching your dog sunbathing, waiting for you.”
“I guess I’d better get on the plane if I can.”
Though his words are laced with warmth and sincerity, there’s still a hint of edge to them.
If he’s stressed about even the thought of flying, I won’t add to it by telling him what I have planned.
If he doesn’t make it, he’ll be freaking out about missing it.
If he does, he’ll be trying to calm his ass down on the plane.
I’ll just check his flight info. We still have plenty of time for him to make it; the flight is just under three hours. Plenty of time before the party. Once he touches down, I’ll tell him in person—less stress for the anxious man.
“I hope so.” I inspect my nails. “I’m tan, my skin is glowing, and I’ve never been prettier. It would be a waste if you didn’t get to see me in all my glory.” Then, feeling a little cocky and wanting to ease some of Anders’s anxiety, I add, “In more ways than one.”
“Lucinda,” he calls my name softly.
“I don’t want to be a cliché ‘guess what I’m wearing tonight,’ so I’ll just tell you: With how tight my dress is, nothing at all underneath it.”
Anders sucks in a breath. “Need I remind you I’m in a very public place?”
“Just thought I’d remind you that I miss you,” I say. “Especially at night.”
“Lucinda.” This time, my name is a warning.
“But I’ve made do,” I add, “in your clothes, in your bed, thinking about you while I touch myself.”
There’s a rustle of movement, then, “Jesus Christ, Lucinda.”
“Talking about it is making me needy,” I go on. “Maybe I’ll head back to your room now.”
“I’m honest to God about to grab a plane and pilot it myself,” Anders says, and I cackle.
“Oh,” I say mid-laugh, “I’ll be late if I don’t leave soon. I should go now.”
“You are a menace,” he says, exasperated.
I end the call on a chuckle and a bundle of satisfaction in the pit of my stomach.
Time to focus—wedding ruining D-Day is here. The Hail Mary.
It’s time to put the nail in the coffin.
It’s weird being without Anders as I enter Bethany’s home. I’ve grown used to the comfort of his presence, his body, and the feel of his arm wrapped around my waist, the ease with which we slip our fingers through each other’s.
Still, I keep my chin up as I move through people, dressed in all white as Valerie requested to match with the white balloons, white centerpieces, white gift bags; all white for the bride, who is standing by Olive, speaking with her fingers pinching her nose.
As I get closer, I spot the orange stain on the side of Valerie’s dress, matching the color of the half-empty glass Olive holds. I hold in a laugh as I approach, just as Bethany appears and starts blotting the stain.
“I told you to stay in your room and read your book,” Bethany says while rubbing the stain furiously. “Nothing at this party is interesting enough for a kid to join.”
“I finished my book already.” Olive crosses her arms against her Iron Man T-shirt. “I’m bored, and you’re the one who doesn’t allow TVs in bedrooms.”
Valerie gestures to the living room occupied by friends and family, drinking, chatting, and laughing. “Did you really think you could watch a show right now?”
I join them, hand in my tote bag. “I have stain remover,” I say, holding it out to Bethany. “I knew an all-white party was a risk.”
“Thank you.” Bethany snatches it.
Olive grips the side of my dress. “The new Marvel show is out, and I need to watch before I see any spoilers.”
I smile and suggest, “Try watching it on your iPad?”
Valerie groans. “The little brat dropped it down the stairs today. The entire screen is cracked.”
I scan the room. “Where’s John?” Clearly Valerie is stressed and the groom-to-be is nowhere to be found.
“Late,” she answers, anger coating the word, “and I’m already agitated enough about that as it is. And half my bridal party still hasn’t arrived. The caterers sent the wrong order. The florist sent lilies instead of daisies, and I’m about to lose my goddamn mind.”
I keep my face as unbiased as possible, ignoring the guilt flooding me since Taina and I spent hours meddling, calling vendors, giving wrong times, and changing orders. The bridesmaids, though—they suck all on their own.
This on-edge Valerie is only going to get worse, so I pull out my phone. “Use mine.” I hand it to Olive. “Why don’t you head to your room?”
She snatches it from me. “You’re the best,” she says as she runs off.
“Stain’s out,” Bethany says. “Let’s get you under a blow dryer.”
“I’ll be nicer later,” Valerie promises as Bethany, who probably has dealt with her wrath all day as things went wrong, pushes her along. I wave and smile, help myself to a glass of wine, then remember I drove here and replace it with a bottle of water.
My gaze keeps lingering on the front door. Nick said he would come. He lives just a few hours away, but what if he got cold feet? It was easy to guess Valerie still had lingering feelings for him.
But what if Nick isn’t as stuck on Valerie as she him? What’s my next step? Do I just crash the wedding? That’ll implicate me, taint me for the family forever, and won’t stop anything permanently. It’s not even a plan.
I could do an intervention—straight-up sit down with Valerie and tell her I know from experience how to tell when something isn’t going to work out. Try to save her heart in an honest, plain way—but every time I try to pry too deep, she runs away.
It’s like the more Valerie’s family tells her something isn’t good for her, the more she wants it.
Maybe when John arrives, I can snatch his phone, have Taina hack into it, and find something incriminating. But I don’t think he’s cheating, unless we find messages that say he’s using her for money.
That’s more of a possibility.
Now I’m scanning the room for Nick and John.
My bag nearly falls off my shoulder, and I jerk back. Jennifer, her hair tied in a ponytail, is inches from my face. I grab my compact mirror from her hand, put it back in my bag.
“Jennifer, good to see you, I think.”
She grins at me. “Hey, fellow bridesmaid.” She crosses her arms. “I’m glad you’re in. Some of the other girls are just nasty. I mean, they’re not even here yet. Would it kill them to be on time?”
I step an arm’s length away and rezip my bag. “It’s good she has you,” I say hesitantly. “How did you two become friends?”
Her eyes widen with excitement, and she starts telling me the story of how they met in high school, when they both were dating someone on the football team, learned it was the same guy, and hatched a plan of revenge rather than hating each other.
I listen to her tell me the rest of the story animatedly, backing away whenever she closes the distance between us. I don’t have any valuables in my bag, but I still prefer my items to remain mine, thank you very much.
“Excuse me?” A deep voice joins us. “Have either of you seen Valerie?”
Jennifer’s eyes widen in recognition first. Then, since I’ve never met him in person, only saw photos from his Instagram that haven’t been updated in a decade, I recognize him, sort of. His blond hair has gray streaks throughout it, and a gathering of wrinkles pulls at the sides of his thin lips.
“Nick?” I can’t help but ask. Taina found his home address and info, but he’s supposed to be twenty-eight, and he doesn’t look old but he looks older.
He blinks. “You know me?”
“What the hell are you doing here?” Bethany shouts, storming over. She grabs the bouquet of flowers in his hands, slaps his face with them, then tosses them to the side.