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“When I’m not with you, I run around with my hair in a bun and no makeup. I wear ratty cutoffs and a faded college T-shirt. I don’t wear a bra when I’m home alone. Do you really want me to walk into a surprise looking like that?”
He laughed out loud. “Emily, I think you’re beautiful no matter how you’re dressed.”
“Yeah, well, maybe it’s a good thing we don’t spend every waking minute together. Anyway, so you got your answer.”
“Okay, no surprises.”
He decided not to call his aunt after all, the idea of trying to do a reception without Emily’s input snowballing into a production bigger than he was capable of managing on his own.
While Paul anguished over the lack of a wedding reception, Emily was luxuriating in the attention of her colleagues learning she was engaged. During the break between her morning and afternoon kindergarten classes, the engagement ring reveal took place. Kathy swore not to tell Marilyn if she saw her first, so when they met for the first time after summer vacation, the first thing Emily did was hold her hand out under Marilyn’s nose.
“Ta-da!”
“What is this?” she cried, grabbing Emily’s hand. “Oh my God! Who is he?”
Emily told her the whole story, about Billy’s job idea and Kathy’s premonition and how they became serious about each other right away.
“It’s so romantic. How’s he look?”
Emily giggled when Kathy made a sizzle sound and touched her shoulder.
Conspiratorially, Marilyn leaned in and whispered, “How’s the sex?”
And when Emily waved her face with her hand and rolled her eyes back in her head, Marilyn laughed and said, “Say no more. So when’s the wedding?”
“We’re getting married the Saturday before Thanksgiving, but the wedding and reception have been called off because the venue burned to the ground last week.”
“Oh no! Not the firehouse? We heard about it at the beach!”
“Yeah, thanks for the invite, by the way,” Kathy said. “Real generous of you.”
“I can’t help it, you guys. It’s all about John’s family when we’re there. My own sister never even got a visit in.”
“Kathy, I promise you that if Paul and I get a beach house, you’ll be the first to get an invitation.”
“Is there a chance you might get one?”
“His family actually has a place.”
“Wow, so you have a hot firefighter who also has a beach house?”
“And he was on TV,” Kathy added.
“Not another game show host,” Marilyn sneered.
“Ha! No, nothing like that,” Emily said, figuring Marilyn would hear about it sooner than later. “His former girlfriend is Bethany Behnig.”
While Emily held her breath, Marilyn gasped. “You’reengaged to Bethany Behnig’s old boyfriend?”
“Marilyn, really?” Kathy asked, appalled.
“No, that’s okay,” Emily replied. “That’s exactly why I wanted to tell her. For the same reason she doesn’t invite us to her beach house. I’m not good enough for the beach.”
“Me either,” Kathy said.
“We’re good enough to have coffee together at a dive in Fallbrook, but a day at the beach that we’d kill for? No.”
“You guys, stop it. If I was dating Bethany Behnig’s boyfriend, you’d have the same response.”
