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The cousins, Barb and Jill and their respective husbands, Pete and Adam, nodded at Sarah but ignored Luke. Sarah was about to say something to draw Luke into the conversation when the table’s last occupant arrived. It was the woman who had sat next to her during the ceremony. It turned out she was none other than Victoria’s Aunt Sally and she looked at Luke as if he were a cockroach. “I have to say, it’s mighty strange to see you here, Luke.”
“I agree,” Pete muttered, reaching out for his drink.
Luke didn’t say anything. Sarah tried to rein in her temper. What were these people thinking? That Luke had crashed his ex-girlfriend’s wedding? He’s only here because he was invited and the bride insisted, you dumbasses!
“Oh, I don’t know,” Sarah said in the voice she used on the occasional complaining customer that was acting unreasonably, “A lot of couples remain friends after a breakup and, let’s face it, doesn’t Victoria look absolutely in love?”
Everyone mumbled in agreement because, really, what could they say to that? The soup and salad courses went quickly, with the main topic of conversation among the women being the flowers and who was wearing which designer gown, while Pete and Adam discussed an upcoming golf tournament.
The wait staff was clearing the main course when Adam turned to Luke. “You play golf, Powers?” Other than Aunt Sally’s opening remark, it was the first time any of the relatives at the table had spoken to him.
“Occasionally.”
“What’s your handicap?” Pete asked.
“Five.”
Sarah wasn’t sure whether that number was good or bad, but it shut up the husbands.
“Sarah, tell us all about yourself and how you and Luke met,” Barb asked. She was in her mid-thirties and a graduate of The University of Chicago, currently a stay-at-home mom, as well as the president of her daughter’s private school parent association.
Her sister Jill, a couple of years older and the owner of one of Atlanta’s most successful advertising agencies (those were Jill’s own words), leaned forward to hear Sarah’s answer.
“Well, there’s not much to tell,” Sarah began, “I’m currently managing a coffee house in Whispering Bay, Florida, that’s Luke’s hometown.” There. Let them infer from that what they wanted.
“Managing a coffee house? That sounds…interesting.”
“It’s temporary,” she said. “Just until I have enough money to buy my own food truck.”
Jill blinked. “A food truck? You mean, like the kind they have at carnivals?”
“Sure. You can take them anywhere.”
“Are you planning to buy a fleet of them? Like a business venture?” Barb asked.
“No. Just the one. I plan to drive it around Florida and hit up local festivals, that kind of thing.”
“You mean, you’d be driving it and cooking the food yourself?” Jill asked, giving Barb a sly look worthy of one of Cinderella’s evil step-sisters.
It wasn’t hard to figure out what these two were up to. Sarah had met her fair share of mean girls before. Complete and total honesty was usually the best weapon to ward off their kind of snobbery.
“That’s the plan,” she said.
“Sarah is a wonderful cook,” Luke said. “Her food is to die for
.”
“Oh?” Barb trilled. “Which culinary school did you graduate from? I have a personal chef who comes to my home four days a week. He’s a Johnson and Wales graduate. Blaine Moore. Maybe you’ve heard of him? He was featured in last month’s issue of Atlanta Cuisine.”
“I didn’t go to culinary school. I’m self-taught.”
Jill snickered.
“You sound like a real go-getter,” Barb said. “Did you study business in college?”
“I didn’t go to college. Well, I did go to community college for a couple of semesters, but then I dropped out to go work on a cruise ship.”
The sisters looked at one another as if they’d hit the jackpot. Sarah could only imagine the fun they’d have later gossiping about Luke’s new “loser” girlfriend.
