For the Love of Friends(56)
Two heart attacks though—that didn’t bode well. And I couldn’t lie and say it did.
“I’m sorry,” I said finally. “I wish I had some awesome answer or a magic wand I could wave to fix that, but I don’t.”
“I know. And it happens to us all eventually.”
“Unless we become vampires and make our parents vampires too.”
He shook his head and chuckled. “What is wrong with you?”
I hopped up onto the kitchen counter next to him. “So much.”
“Clearly. Your butt is where I prepare food right now.”
“Hey, you said to make myself at home.”
“Remind me not to eat anything you’ve cooked if this is how you are at home.”
“That is so cute.”
“What is?”
“You thinking I can cook.”
Alex shook his head. “You’re a mess.”
I jumped down from the counter and cocked a finger at him. “Yes. But I am a mess who knows how to make you feel better. You wanna go watch a documentary about a murderer?”
He looked at me askance. “That’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“Totally. You’re always talking about how to properly dispose of bodies whenever I say I’m going to kill someone.” He laughed. “You in?”
The corners of his eyes crinkled warmly, and I couldn’t help but smile back. “Yeah. I’m in.”
“Good.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
From: Caroline Morgan [[email protected]]
To: [bridesmaids]
Subject: Bridal shower and bachelorette updates
Date: March 1
We’re just over three months away from Caryn’s big day, which means it’s time to make sure everything is perfect for our celebrations of the bride.
The shower is set for May 5 at Kenwood. I’m having everything done in-house, so all you need to bring is your lovely selves.
For the bachelorette weekend, I understand that Olivia and Dana said they would prefer to stay at a different hotel instead of the Ritz because the other hotel has a rooftop pool and bar. However, the fitness room there is basically a treadmill in a dungeon (I’m attaching pictures for comparison) and to do that to Caryn just weeks before her wedding would be cruel. You two can plan your own separate trip if you want, but this weekend is about Caryn. Not to mention, we don’t want a repeat of the sunburn you got before Mia’s wedding, do we, Dana?
As for the itinerary itself, I’ve only booked a loose outline of activities, so we have plenty of flexibility. We have reservations for dinner for all three nights, a spa day, an “aphrodisiac tour,” reservations at a few boutiques, three fitness classes, and a party bus each night. But the rest is wide open! I also hired a photographer to document the whole experience for us, of course, so plan to look your best!
Finally (and I HATE to bring this up), I’d like to remind you that not everyone has paid yet. The total cost for the bachelorette weekend has increased to $3,000 each for those of us who are going, unless, like Lily, you’ve chosen to make other arrangements.
Ta ta for now!
—Caroline
I rubbed the base of my neck where it met my shoulders. Who was this crazy person? Admittedly, I felt mildly better now that she was roasting Olivia, but I felt for Dana after our conversation in the parking garage. Did Caroline actually have friends? Or just people who were too terrified of her to speak up?
But unfortunately, she had left a detail out, and it was one that I needed to know. I waited a half hour, hoping someone else would ask the question, but when no one did I finally wrote to her, being sure to reply all.
Sounds like you’ve got everything under control! But what time is the shower?
Thanks!
—Lily
She shot back an immediate answer saying only 3:00 PM. I entered it in my calendar, noting that the rest of that weekend was blissfully wide open, although I was sure that would change. And with the wedding in Mexico the following weekend, I wouldn’t have much of a reprieve before the next round of chaos.
Not that I’d had anything that felt even mildly like a break since the engagements began, anyway. Trying to juggle the details of all five weddings was exhausting and would have destroyed any social life I had—if I still had the money or friends to have one. And the blog, while therapeutic, also took more time and energy than I expected, especially as I got better at it. Building an audience meant responding to comments and pingbacks, finding other bloggers to network with, and posting links to it anonymously in places where I felt confident my brides wouldn’t be looking. The writing part was great. The rest was tedious, especially between work and weddings. But every time I got a new follower or comment, it felt a little more worth it.
And at least Megan’s was the only shower at which I was expected to do a significant amount of the planning, and the only other bridesmaid with strong opinions was Claire, Tim’s sister. Early in the process, she volunteered to host the shower at her house, which, while far away from Megan’s new home in Columbia, looked nice, if bland, from the pictures Claire sent. And certainly cheaper than renting a venue, so I agreed.
Unfortunately, that meant she thought she was in charge. The day after Caroline’s missive, I found myself driving out to Potomac to meet with Claire and the rest of the bridesmaids for a “planning sesh.”