“Do I need to convince you?”
Her eyes shifted to something behind me. “Hold that thought. The food just came out. I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
Being a member of the wedding party
“Who wants more wine?” Mark suggested.
“I’ll join you,” I said.
We used our boutonnières as a sort of pass to skip the line at the closest bar. Mark ordered two glasses of champagne.
The bartender glanced at me.
“Nothing, thanks.”
Mark looked at me in surprise.
“Long story. Is Leah okay?”
“Yeah. It isn’t you. It’s Gina.”
“Sibling rivalry?”
“I guess. It bugs her that Gina always gets what she wants.”
“Anything I can do?”
“Not unless you find another date.”
“Little late for that.”
“That’s what I told her.” He raised the glasses of bubbly. “Don’t worry.
This’ll help.”
“Not if we’re standing here and they’re over there.”
“No kidding!”
We returned to the girls, who were politely ignoring each other and talking to the people on either side.
I caught Leah’s eye when Gina was deep in conversation and Mark went for more food.
She nodded, but looked resigned more than anything.
She shook her head.
“Paul can probably tell you more about it,” Gina said from my right.
Leah automatically glared at her.
Fortunately, Mark slid into place between us, both literally and figuratively.
“Sorry, wasn’t paying attention,” I said to Gina. I turned and rested my arm on the back of her chair. “More about what?”
“The Swan House,” she said. “Carl and Clara are curious about it.”
“Ah, cool. What do you want to know?”
Gina and I enjoyed the rest of the reception together. It continued well into the evening. People made the usual toasts and speeches. The newlyweds cut the cake and dabbed each other with icing. The photographer immortalized all of it.
And people drank. Oh. My. God. They drank.
The bartenders had cases and cases of empty bottles by the time Kara and Victor changed into regular clothes and made their ceremonial rice-showered exit. The crowd thinned noticeably after that. My parents and Susan came looking for us.
“Keep an eye on Erin,” Mom said to me. “She’s been flirting with every boy here.”
“Most of them are young
“If she’s anything like I was, sh—”
“She’s probably blown half of them already.”
“Shush,” Mom told her. “You’re drunk.”
“And you aren’t?”
Gina covered a smile with her hand.
Mom ignored Susan and said to me, “We’re going home.”
“To fool around,” Susan added.
My father swayed.
“You okay?” I said. “I can drive you home if you like.”
He shook his head. “’M fine. C’n drive with m’ eyes closed.”
“C’mon, Dad. You’re slurring your speech.” I took his car keys.
He swiped them back. “’M
Susan snickered.
Dad realized what he’d said. He heaved an eighty-proof sigh and extended the keys.
“Thanks.” I pocketed them.
I went looking for a pay phone, but found that the Coulters had already contracted a local taxi company to have cars on call.
“The ca’erers’ suggestion,” Chris told me. He took another drink of Scotch and raised his glass in a boozy toast. “Good t’ see you an’ Gina t’gether again. Jus’ gimme a couple’a years t’ pay off
“Don’t worry,” I told him, “your checkbook’s safe for a while.”
“Is it? Liz’beth had it las’ I saw.”
“You’re a good guy, Chris.” I patted him on the shoulder and returned to Gina.
She and I escorted Susan and my parents across the lawn and decanted them into the back of a taxi. I gave the driver the address.
Mark, Leah, and Erin appeared almost immediately. They weren’t as drunk as my parents, but they weren’t feeling any pain either.
“Hey,” Mark said. “We’re going with a bunch of people to the Limelight.
An after-
Erin had a guy in tow. She silently dared me to say something. She looked like she could handle herself, so I simply nodded.
“Y’all wanna come?” Mark asked.
“Please, Paul,” Leah said. “You too, Gina. You’d love it.”
I looked at Gina.
She gave a slight shrug and left it up to me.
“Maybe some other time,” I told them. “Thanks, though.”
“Okay. I un’erstand,” Leah said. She flung her arms around me and gave Gina a hug too. “Love you so much. Can’t believe I was such a bitch earlier.”
“It’s okay,” Gina said. “I love you too.”
They said goodbye and climbed into the next taxi.
“A lot of people will be coming back for their cars tomorrow,” I said to no one in particular.
Gina and I returned to the reception and found a group of diehards around the bar. The bartenders had announced last call and were packing away the remaining wine and liquor. The waiters and waitresses were cleaning up too, and the house staff had half of the chairs already folded and stacked.
