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“Wow, you really felt that in your soul, huh? Does this take you back to heady high school days?” she joked.
Carmela feigned o ense. “I was no more than five years old when this came out in 85, thank you.” She couldn’t make it to the end without laughing.
Cackling, Rhiannon’s gray eyes were incandescent. “Well, I was negative eight, so this is new to me.”
Pulling her in closer as they danced, Carmela whispered,
“Looks like I have a lot to teach you.”
Rhiannon’s eyes dropped to Carmela’s lips. “Just about good music I might be missing out on,” she replied before moistening her lips.
The sight sent a strong pulse of heat rushing through Carmela’s body before robbing her of her smile. Rhiannon wasn’t laughing anymore either. Instead, she dipped her head and hovered over her lips until Vera’s booming voice shattered the moment.
“If I was a betting woman, I’d say we’ll be getting the invite to your wedding next!” Vera shouted as she stepped into their space with Jackie a few feet behind and talking to her mother.
Carmela was disoriented for a moment. The song had changed, though she didn’t know when and nearly every guest had packed the parquet square.
“What do you think, babe? Are you going to make an honest woman outta me?” Rhiannon’s eyes were glistening and luring her back into the weightless haze.
The idea alone should have terrified her. It should have made Carmela shrug and put an end to the game. But it didn’t. Instead, Carmela found herself smiling as heat rose from her chest to her cheeks like a sunrise. “What fun would it be if I told you ahead of time?”
Vera laughed as she loosened her black bowtie and pulled o her the white tuxedo jacket that appeared to be the reason for her sweaty hair. “Come on, my blushing bride,”
she said to Jackie as she tossed the discarded garments onto
an empty chair and twirled her like a practiced dancer. “Let’s celebrate!”
Jackie allowed herself to be spun around once but didn’t match Vera’s excitement. “Honey, would you mind getting me something to drink first? All this socializing has left my throat just parched.”
The velocity with which the light left Vera’s eyes filled Carmela with sympathy. After only the briefest hesitation, Vera nodded and turned her shiny, black shoes toward the bar.“I could use a little refreshment too,” Rhiannon shouted over the music before Vera got away. “You want something, babe?”
“My usual,” she replied, earning a chuckle from Rhiannon before she disappeared with Vera.
When Carmela walked o the dance floor to wait for Rhiannon’s return, she hadn’t expected Jackie to follow, though somewhere deep in her gut she knew she would.
“She really is beautiful,” Jackie said when they’d stepped to a quieter space away from the speakers.
“And smart, and kind, and incredibly giving and thoughtful,” she replied completing her list with more important attributes.
“She seems really taken with you . . . and you with her. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pair so smitten.” Jackie made no e ort to hide the sullen, dim quality of her tone. It was a stark contrast to her elegant white dress, gorgeous pinned back hair, and model-quality makeup.
Carmela raised her eyebrows. She used to be so much more subtle with her manipulation tactics. Maybe being out from under her spell is what made her games so much more obvious. “That’s a strange thing for a person to say on their wedding day, don’t you think?”
Jackie was undeterred. She looked down at her clenched hands before looking up. It was so unnatural, it reminded Carmela of a bad soap opera. “I’m sorry I’ve been weird. I guess I’m jealous. . . I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to realize it, but I miss you, Melly.”
Carmela winced at the nickname she hadn’t heard in years. No one ever called her that. It had made her feel so special once. “You know, there was a time, a long time ago, that all I wanted was to hear you say you loved me—”
“I do love you,” she implored, stepping closer. “I never stopped—”
“Stop,” she interrupted with her hand in Jackie’s face before taking a full step backward. The realization that Jackie was truly a terrible person hit her hard and fast. “Please don’t waste your breath and whatever dignity you might have left. The best thing you ever did was leave me in a way that burned any bridge connecting us. You didn’t love me because you can’t love anyone but yourself. And if I’m wrong, prove it by being good to Vera. She seems like a genuine and decent person. Don’t destroy her like you’ve done with everyone else in your life. See her as a person. Not an object. Not a means to an end.”
Before Jackie responded, Rhiannon slid up behind Carmela and slipped her hand into hers before handing her a club soda. “What are you two talking about?”
“I was just wishing Jackie a long and happy marriage,”
Carmela said as she smiled at Rhiannon. “Enjoy those silver candlesticks, Jackie. You still have hideous taste,” she added before turning away from the irate blonde.
When they returned to their table, Rhiannon picked up her purse instead of sitting down. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go before they bust out the electric slide.”
