“Up late last night, huh?” she giggled, pulling back to take a better look at me.
“Well,” I began slowly, “Damon and I—”
“Rocked each other’s socks off?”
“No,” I said, flushing red. “I—I mean, yes, but—”
“Bumped uglies one more time as boyfriend and girlfriend?” Miuria snorted in amusement.
“Something like that. But also—”
“Well at least he’s making an honest woman of you,” she smirked. “He deserves it I guess. But today’s your wedding day, Addison! You’re getting married in five and a half hours, for Chrissakes!”
I glanced desperately at the clock, though I already knew she was right.
“You’ve gotta be sharp, right? Poised? Beautiful?”
“Sure, but—”
“And how the hell did you get busy with Saxon sleeping in the next room?”
I paused awkwardly at that one. “Well… it’s not like he really—”
“Do you think he heard you?” she asked, her eyes going wide.
Oh yeah, I laughed to myself. I’m pretty sure he heard me.
“Wouldn’t that be something!” Miuria exclaimed in pretend shock. Though my friend outwardly pretended to be a bit of a prude, as her best friend I knew different.
“Yeah,” I said with a chuckle. “Scandalous.”
“Serves Saxon right, for not getting a hotel. Hey, is that why you were up so late? You guys were waiting on him to go to bed?”
“Miuria, listen—”
“I’ll keep him off you tonight if you want me to,” she went on eagerly. “He’s still single, right? Still without a girlfriend?”
“I— I think so, but—”
“Because quite honestly,” my friend said, blushing a little at her own thoughts. “I wouldn’t mind a run at him.”
My brow furrowed. I felt a sudden flash of heat.
“Think he’d go for me?”
“No.”
I’d said the word without thinking. It had just come out.
“What?” Miuria looked surprised. “Why?”
“Because Saxon’s really not…” I stumbled for the words. “Because he’s…”
Mine?
The thought came unbidden, totally out of left field. Up until twelve hours ago, I would’ve been cheering Miuria on. I might’ve even tipped Saxon off that my maid of honor could be interested in a little post-wedding hookup. But now…
You’re jealous!
Holy shit, I actually was. Somehow what we’d done last night had changed things. It had turned Saxon from an incredibly close friend to something… more.
“My God, Addison,” Miuria was saying. “Did you see his body? It looks like he works out three times a day! Last night at dinner I reached out and squeezed his arm. It felt like—”
“Actually I’m pretty sure he might be dating someone,” I blurted for no reason at all. “Now that I think about it.”
My maid of honor deflated a little. It made me feel like shit.
“You sure?”
“No,” I said, feeling conflicted. “Not totally. But I think maybe—”
KNOCK KNOCK.
Miuria opened the door this time, and three more of my bridesmaids rushed in. Farrah swept me up in a bear hug, planting a big kiss on my bedraggled forehead. Sara and Tabetha cheered, holding up two bottles of champagne as they danced their way into the kitchen.
“Wedding dayyyy!”
I watched as my happy bridesmaids pulled back the curtains, letting the golden sunlight stream in. It was gorgeous outside. The most perfect day.
“I’d better get cleaned up,” I told Miuria, getting excited again. In the back of my mind, I was thankful to be finished with our conversation.
“O—Okay.”
“And honey?”
“Yes?”
I hugged Miuria again, thinking about life. Thinking about Damon and the picture-perfect wedding we were about to have, and the paradise of our upcoming honeymoon. My heart swelled with thoughts of our friends, our family, our life…
I hugged her so hard that when I finished we were both streaming tears.
“Thanks for being the best friend in the world,” I sniffed.
Tears rolling down both cheeks, Miuria cleared her throat noisily and smacked me in the ass through my robe.
“Get in the shower, bitch,” she laughed, through her glassy-eyed grin. “You’re getting married today.”
Eight
ADDISON
The most decisive moments in your life go by without you really noticing them. You don’t ever recognize the more pivotal events as they’re happening, you only know them once they’re over.
The day I first laid eyes on Damon was like that, because we never should’ve met. I’d taken over some appointments for a colleague who had an emergency, and Damon had mistakenly come in a week early for his physical therapy. He was a division one football player who’d missed his window with a blown-out knee. I was a sports rehabilitation specialist who happened to be between boyfriends.
That simple, run of the mill Tuesday had forever changed our lives.
One whirlwind New York romance later and here we were, about to walk down the aisle. Ready to forge our lives together and go forward as one… all because of two random cards dealt haphazardly by the hand of fate.
I smiled, primping myself in the stand-up mirror. Thinking about how amazing my life had been since that day, and how much I looked forward to being Mrs. Damon Mercer, the loving, loyal wife.
“You ready?” Miuria asked for the third time.
“Ready as ever,” I smiled, smoothing my beautiful white dress. I’d gone for a simple wrap dress, silky and elegant. One that accented the curves I’d worked so hard to attain, and wouldn’t trail obnoxiously behind me as I walked down the aisle.
“We’ll be back in a few,” Miuria said, ushering the rest of my smiling maids from the gorgeous white tent doubling as my bridal suite. She poked her head back in for a moment. “Don’t go anywhere, and don’t let anyone see you!”
The whole morning was still a blur. My hot shower had been nothing short of baptismal, as I allowed myself a five-minute fantasy recollection of last night.
Damon. Saxon…
I’d closed my eyes in the steam, letting my soaped-up hands roam over my tender, tired body. I couldn’t help but dwell on the beauty of last night, spending the time marveling at the dichotomy of it all. Remembering how perfectly sweet the boys had been to me all throughout our fun, even while ravaging my body and totally rocking my world.
From there it was mimosas and makeup, bagels and coffee. A morning filled with friends and happiness, laughter and love. I kept staring down at the white rose on my table, though. A little symbol representing something so wild, so crazy, it would’ve freaked out even Zoe and Farrah, the two most adventurous bridesmaids in my party.
The limousine had picked us up right on time, whisking us through the summer streets of Manhattan and over the bridge to Queens. We’d rolled down through Corona, sipping the last of our champagne while the sun pierced the crystal blue sky. Everyone marveling in astonishment at what a gorgeous, picture-perfect day I somehow ended up with, considering all the rain we’d been having lately.