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I reached the head table, where Aimee and Matt sat, heads bowed, talking. It was such a sweet, intimate moment, I didn’t want to break it up. Then I remembered Dale’s whispered words and they propelled me forward.
“Hey, Aims.” I leaned on the table in front of them. “Are you guys doing the bouquet toss soon?”
“In a hurry to get somewhere?” Aimee looked up, raising her eyebrows, but she was grinning. She knew exactly why I’d asked.
“Well… you know…” And I thought my cheeks couldn’t get any more red.
“I’ll go find the photographer.” Matt stood, looking down at his bride. She looked stunning in all that white satin, her cheeks rosy from dancing. Even with her veil slightly askew—the headband securing it had slipped—she was just gorgeous. “I think he’s out there mingling and taking candids.”
“You look gorgeous,” I said, voicing my thoughts as I came around the table, taking the seat Matt had vacated. The rest of the bridesmaids were out dancing to Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. As always, I scanned the room for Dale. He’d been waylaid by his father. John leaned his head in close to Dale so he could be heard over the music.
“You look like you’ve been making out in the hallway.” Aimee reached up and straightened her veil. “This damned thing.”
I gaped at her, the blush spreading down my cheeks to her throat.
“Wendy saw you leave.” Aimee laughed, seeing the shocked expression on my face. “She peeked.”
“Oh God.” I reached out to help Aimee secure her veil because no self-respecting maid of honor would let the bride walk around like that. I finally got the veil straight—there were little combs with teeth that grabbed onto her hair. “Did anyone else see?”
“I don’t think so.” Aimee shrugged. “Besides, who cares? Everyone’s drunk and having a good time. I can’t wait to get into the hot tub.”
I laughed. Aimee and Matt were staying at a hotel for one night. Their flight to St. Bart’s left in the morning and they would be gone for a full two week honeymoon. Matt knew the boss, so he’d been able to get the time off—he worked at his dad’s accounting firm.
“So what are you and Mr. Rockstar going to do tonight?” Aimee smirked like she knew exactly what we were going to do. And she’s probably right. Aimee and Matt were going to have wedding-night sex, but I thought nothing could beat homecoming sex. Every time Dale had to travel for an extended period, the sexual tension between them built up, like a pressure cooker, the temperature rising and rising until it finally burst the moment they touched again.
“He says he can’t wait to get me out of this dress.” I blushed at the memory of his words, meeting Aimee’s eyes.
“Funny, Matt said the same thing about mine!”
We both laughed, exchanging a knowing look. Aimee could practically read my mind and vice versa, we’d been friends so long. I sat back in my chair, looking around the room we’d planned to the last detail while we lolled around on Aimee’s living room floor, eating popcorn and watching MTV. We went through hundreds of Brides magazines, cutting out the perfect centerpiece, the perfect dress, creating the perfect wedding. I couldn’t believe it had actually all gone according to plan.
I couldn’t help but think of how far we’d come in the last two years. We didn’t talk about it much anymore, but that last dark year of high school had impacted them both enough that graduation had to be put off. But I wasn’t sorry about that, not anymore. If I hadn’t attended Iselin Academy, we would never have gotten close to Carrie and Wendy. Aimee never would have met Carrie’s brother, Matt.
And Sara never would have met Dale Diamond.
That was something she just couldn’t imagine.
Aimee was the one who believed in fate and superstition and magic. I didn’t quite believe, but I sometimes did them anyway, wishing on an eyelash or a shooting star, hoping Aimee was right and the world might really deliver things that were kind and good. I had hope because the universe or God or whatever force it was that moved the world had delivered Dale Diamond to me. For that alone, I would be forever grateful.
CHAPTER THREE
“Time to throw your bouquet!” Carrie rushed up to the table carrying a smaller version of Aimee’s bouquet. Aimee’s was so big and full, sitting on the table in front of her, it looked like a showpiece. “I’m gonna catch it!”
“Oh no you’re not!” I bolted around the table, reaching for it, but Carrie held it out of my reach. She was five inches taller than me on a day when she wasn’t wearing four inch heels. All of the Green kids were tall.
“Okay, okay.” Aimee laughed, swishing around the end of the table. Her train was all bustled up but she swished when she walked because there was so much fabric. “Give it to me, you vultures, and line up with the rest of the girls!”
Carrie reluctantly handed over the flowers. The DJ was doing his thing, calling out, “All the single ladies onto the dance floor. It’s your chance to catch the bouquet and see if you’ll be the next lucky lady to catch her man!”
All the girls squealed and jostled for position. I reached down and pulled off my heels, standing there in my nylons, the floor cold, but I didn’t care. I tossed my shoes aside and saw Dale standing there with his dad. Dale had his arms crossed over his chest, a bemused look on his face as he watched all the drama. John just winked at me.
“Watch my shoes!” I pointed to them and John reached over and picked them up.
A few girls saw my strategy and started taking off their shoes too. Carrie was next to me and the taller girl didn’t unstrap her four-inch heels. Hers was clearly a treetop strategy. She could see over all their heads and her arm’s reach was freakishly long, probably twice mine.
“Are you ready?” the DJ called.
Girls screeched and elbowed each other in front of me. I went up on my tiptoes, trying to see and then saw my chance. I moved a little to the left, behind one of the junior bridesmaids—Aimee’s cousin, Lauren. She was just ten, but the important thing was, she was short and I could see over her head.
