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“I know this sounds weird to everyone,” I said. “But I just wanted to let you know, Ian, that you’re my best friend and I do love you. And because of that, I love Scarlet. And the three of us can have love now.” (Awkward? Yes!)
Uncle Cat started clapping and chuckling a little to suggest that his understanding of my statement was a little more intimate than I could’ve intended.
“And . . . we can choose . . . this . . .” I kept speaking, but all of my words after that were low and off-mic. Krista had found the receiver and unplugged the microphone adapter.
When it had become obvious that no one in the room knew what to do next and no one was going to clap for my speech on their own, Krista stood up at the receiver and started one of those slow “you made your first and only home run” claps that brings everyone to tears at the end of baseball movies.
First only Scarlet’s parents joined in—and I think it was because they wanted to go upstairs. Next was Mrs. Dupree and her flashing camera. Then everyone else slowly caught on.
“Some speech, Rach,” Xavier said, after having walked over to me when people started getting up to head upstairs to get dressed for the evening’s festivities.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Great speech, Rachel,” Jennifer said, coming over to get the scoop and be beside Xavier.
He kissed me on the cheek and walked away without hardly looking at her.
“Very—personal,” Jennifer went on. “It reminded me of this one time at—”
Ian’s father had pulled Ian and Scarlet into the corner with Pastor Thomas. Ian kept looking over at me and I wanted to wave for him to come and talk to me, but Jennifer was all in my face talking about love and how it can make people feel confused sometimes.
“Jennifer,” I called to stop her from chattering. “I am not confused.”
“You’re not? But your speech—”
“You read into it what you wanted to hear,” I said.
“Well, I heard that you are a little infatuated with my friend’s future husband—as in tomorrow,” Jennifer snarled in a whisper.
“That’s what you heard?”
“Isn’t that what you meant?”
“I meant what I meant to say,” I answered.
“So, Rachel,” the
matron of honor jumped in, stopping what could’ve turned ugly—unlike Jennifer, she was clearly already drunk, “you coming out with us later? Bachelorette party! Whoooaaa!”
More people were beginning to leave the room.
Pastor Thomas had taken Ian and Scarlet out into the hallway.
Krista was helping the staff get things in order in the room. In the morning, it would serve as a holding room for VIP guests before the wedding.
“It’s going to be a blast. We have six strippers riding with us on the party bus. It’s about to be dicks and tricks all night!” She gave icy Jennifer a high five.
“Wow—‘dicks and tricks’?” I said. “You guys sure Scarlet is going to like that? Doesn’t exactly sound like her speed.”
“Speed?” she said, laughing. “Oh, you obviously have a lot more to learn. Scar—she’s the one who requested the busload of strippers. So, are you down, Rachel?”
“You know, I wish I could, but I have so much work to do tonight.”
“Owwww,” she sighed in fake sadness. Jennifer just rolled her eyes. There was no way they wanted me to come along for the party.
“Yeah, sorry. Krista and I have so many things to get squared away by sunup. I can’t leave her on her own.”
When my interrogators left to go up to their rooms to get ready to party, I ran outside to see if I could find Ian, but he was gone.
