The minister cleared his throat again. “Friends of the groom, I’m sorry to have to inform you that Adam and Erin won’t be getting married today. After a heartfelt discussion, they have decided it would be a mistake. We must applaud this kind of maturity. We do hope this hasn’t been too great an inconvenience for any of you. Adam and Erin would like me to assure any of you who have already sent wedding presents that they will be returning them soon. Any of you who would like to stay and enjoy the grounds are welcome to,” he added.
The soft murmurs rose to a dull roar and the minister had to raise his voice to be heard over the din. “Those of you who are friends of the bride, we ask your indulgence for just a few moments. If you wouldn’t mind, please remain seated.”
“Well,” Gregory said to his wife. “I’m going to straighten out that carpet.”
A small crowd stood gathered in the ladies’ dressing room. “This is insane,” Uncle Jake informed them. “Erin, I don’t understand what is going on in your head.”
“I know it looks crazy,” she admitted. “And believe me, there’s been plenty going on in my head, and all of it messed up. What I need to listen to is my heart.”
Her uncle cocked a skeptical eyebrow. “And just like that your heart now knows exactly who you should marry?”
Erin smiled at Dan. “As a matter of fact, it does.”
Her uncle looked sternly at the pair in front of him. “This is not a game, you know. This is serious business. How can you possibly justify dumping one man and marrying another in the same day?”
“Because one wasn’t right for me and the other is.” And it was that simple. Embarrassing, but simple.
“He’s a good guy, Uncle Jake,” put in Brett. “You know that.” He turned and pointed a finger in Dan’s face. “If you ever make my sister unhappy.”
“Not gonna happen,” Dan said cheerfully, “and you know it.” He smiled down at Erin. “I knew she was the woman for me the first time I kissed her. Even if she was just a kid,” he added with a grin.
“How can I marry you two? You don’t have a wedding license,” said Uncle Jake.
“We’ll go down to the courthouse and make it legal as soon as we get one,” Dan said. “Meanwhile, can’t you do a provisional wedding ceremony?”
“Like a mock trial,” added Megan.
Uncle Jake looked horrified.
“I knew a guy who married a South American chick, and they had a church wedding and a courthouse wedding,” Dan pressed.
“Please, Uncle Jake,” begged Erin.
“Erin, people came here to see you marry Adam Hawthorne and now you expect them to stay and watch you marry Dan without a wedding license?”
“Why not?” put in Aunt Mellie. “That’s what they did in Philadelphia Story.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, Mellie,” said Uncle Jake in disgust.
She put a hand on his arm. “Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with bending the rules a little. Like we did,” she added, raising an eyebrow.
Uncle Jake’s cheeks reddened.
“Please, Uncle Jake,” added Erin.
He heaved a long-suffering sigh. “All right. We’ll do … something.”
And so, with the white carpet barely set to rights, the bride finally walked down the aisle.
Her groom stood waiting for her resplendent in jeans and a Hawaiian shirt, beaming like a man who had just won a million-dollar lottery.
“Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, as soon as you get a marriage license?” asked Uncle Jake.
Dan smiled down at Erin. “I do.”
“And do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? And don’t think I’m not going to march you two down to city hall first thing Monday to get that license, young lady.”
Erin grinned. “I do.”
Next to her, Angela started crying.
Uncle Jake took a deep breath. “Then by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. Almost. Go ahead and kiss her.”
The remaining guests cheered and clapped as Dan pulled Erin to him and went at it.
“Go for it,” called Lionel, and everyone laughed all the louder.
The kiss ended, and Erin opened her eyes and looked up at her new husband. She saw the boy who had teased her, the youth who had wanted her, and the man who had loved her enough to let someone else have her if it would make her happy. He spent money like he was Donald Trump and they’d probably never have a cent to their name, but she knew he’d always make her feel safe. And she hoped she’d be able to make him happy. She was sure going to try.
“This was quite the wedding,” Erin’s boss told her later as he and his wife went through the reception line.
She smiled up at Dan. “It was perfect.”
Twenty-six
It was the Fourth of July, and the Bikinis stood cheering as Kizzy, now lighter by forty-five pounds, swam up to them from the opposite side of the lake. She was breathing hard by the time she climbed up onto the dock, but she was smiling from ear to ear. “I did it!” she gasped. “I thought I was going to die, but I did it.”
Lionel, who had been swimming right behind her, came up the ladder next. “Way to go, Kizzy girl,” he said, and kissed her.
“We need a picture,” Angela said, grabbing her digital. Lionel kept his arm around Kizzy and they stood, smiling for the camera, a couple happily on their way to getting fit.
“Okay, now we need one of all of us together,” said Angela. “Lionel, will you take one?”
“Sure,” he said. He took the camera and backed up.
“Don’t forget the trophy,” Angela said, and handed it to Megan, who had lost the most—an amazing sixty pounds.
They placed her at the center of the group with Kizzy next to her, helping Megan hold up the No-belly trophy like she was a newly proclaimed boxing champ. “Here’s to continued victory over fat,” Kizzy crowed.
Angela, slimmer by twenty-five pounds and still working her way to hot, hugged her from the right, giving Lionel a Marilyn Monroe pose in her yellow polka dot bikini.
She raised her glass of lemonade in salute. “Here’s to getting hot.”
“To learning to listen when our bodies speak,” said Erin, leaning over Angela and hoisting her martini glass. The weight she’d been so worried about had finally fallen away as she enjoyed life with Dan, working on fixing up the lake house where they had decided to live and raise a family. Today she was showing off her new figure in a hot-pink suit.
“And to hanging in there,” added Megan. She had showed up in a one-piece and a cover-up, promising that by next summer she’d be bikini ready. “If I keep up the good habits I started, the old Megan will be a thing of the past,” she’d predicted.
“She already is,” Angela had said, and hugged her.
“Okay, ready?” called Lionel. “Say cheesecake.”
“Cheesecake,” they chorused.
The moment recorded for posterity, Lionel disappeared into the house to dry off and change. Later in the afternoon he’d fire up the grill and Dan and Brad and the girls would join the party.
Kizzy wrapped her towel around herself like a cape and turned to smile at her friends. “Well, girlfriends, we did it. And I’ll have you know not only has my weight dropped but so has my blood pressure. My doctor says I’m not the same woman I was six months ago.”
“None of us are,” said Megan. “Thank God.”
“I’m so glad we didn’t break up the club,” said Angela. “I couldn’t have hung in there without you guys.”
“I still can’t,” said Megan. “We have to keep this going forever. I still have pounds to lose. And starting a new law firm, I’m really going to need moral support.”
“That’s what friends are for,” said Erin, “to hang in there with you.”
“Through thick and thin,” added Angela. She raised her glass. “Here’s to girlfriends.”
“I’ll drink to that,” said Erin, and they all did.
&nbs
p; ALSO BY SHEILA ROBERTS
On Strike for Christmas
Good EATING
Recipes from the Bikinis
Changing lifelong eating habits can be hard. Believe me, I know. So that’s why we wanted to share some of the recipes we made up. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy them as much as we have and maybe they’ll inspire you to start your own Bikini Club.
—Kizzy
Megan’s disclaimer: Food values were figured to the best of our abilities. If you have any doubts or concerns, double-check all values to make sure they are accurate. Check with your doctor before beginning any dietlexercise program. If you don’t lose weight, if you choke on a piece of asparagus, if your bikini doesn’t fit by next summer—don’t sue the Bikinis. They have a very good lawyer.
ANGELA’S ASPARAGUS ANTIPASTO
(COURTESY OF THERESIA BRANNAN)
1½ pounds asparagus (best when still in bud)
1 (8-ounce) bottle light Italian dressing
1 pound presliced Black Forest ham
1 bunch green onions
Wash asparagus. Cut off 1½ inches and peel off bottom outer skin (about 2 inches) to eliminate tough fibers. Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 1½ to 2 minutes. Place asparagus in Italian dressing and marinate for at least two hours. (You can leave overnight in refrigerator. If you do that just blanch for half the time.) Remove the onion bulbs and blanch the green leaves. Set aside for later use. Cut ham pieces in half. Remove asparagus from dressing. Wrap ½ piece of ham around each piece of asparagus and tie it with a piece of green onion. Serve on oval or rectangular platter. Serves: 8
Nutrient value per serving: 150 calories, 12 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 1 g fiber, 3 Weight Watcher points
MEGAN’S FETA CHEESE VEGGIE DIP
(COURTESY OF KATHLEEN HALE)
1 (6-ounce) (170 grams) container of crumbled feta cheese
2 ½ tablespoons light mayonnaise
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon dill weed
Mix all ingredients together well. Serve with raw veggies. Servings: Makes 1 cup of dip (serving size 2 tablespoons). For parties, double the recipe.
Nutrient value per serving: 57 calories, 3.7 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 0 fiber, 1 Weight Watcher point
KIZZY’S CABBAGE SALAD
½ of a large cabbage (or 1 small cabbage)
½ medium-sized onion
2 large stalks of celery
1 green bell pepper
½ pound of small frozen cooked shrimp
½ cup light mayonnaise
Parsley, for garnish
Chop the cabbage, onion, celery, and green pepper and mix together in a large bowl. Drain shrimp and add. Stir in mayonnaise. Put in salad bowl and serve with a parsley garnish. Serves: 6 to 8
Nutrient value per serving: 80 calories, 6 g protein, 6.2 g carbohydrate, 2 g fat, 1.8 g fiber, 1 Weight Watcher point
MEGAN’S PRACTICALLY PERFECT CARROT SALAD
6 carrots
1 green bell pepper
½ medium-sized onion
½ cup light mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup crunchy Chinese chow mein noodles
Peel carrots and coarsely grate. Finely chop pepper and onion, and mix with carrots in large bowl. Mix in mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste. Right before serving, add Chinese noodles and transfer to salad bowl. Serves: 6 to 8
Nutrient value per serving: 60 calories, 0.8 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat, 0 fiber, 1 Weight Watcher point
ANGELA’S TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA SALAD
8 Roma tomatoes
1 green bell pepper
1 pound mozzarella cheese
1 medium onion
1 package (2/3 ounce) fresh basil
1 (6-ounce) can of black olives
1 to 2 tablespoons light Italian dressing
Cut tomatoes, green pepper, and cheese into bite-sized chunks and put in a large mixing bowl. Chop onion, basil, and olives and add to bowl. Mix in just enough Italian dressing to coat everything. Serves: 8
Nutrient value per serving: 220 calories, 15 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 15.5 g fat, 0.5 g fiber, 6 Weight Watcher points
AUNT MELLIE’S SEAFOOD SENSATION
½ pound frozen precooked small shrimp, thawed
½ pound crab meat (can use imitation)
1 red bell pepper
½ medium onion
½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
½ teaspoon dill weed
1 avocado
Dash of lime
¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Drain shrimp and crab and put together in a bowl. Dice red pepper and onion and add to seafood, along with cilantro. Remove avocado skin and pit and cut into small pieces. Add dill and dash of lime then fold in mayonnaise. Put in serving bowl and garnish with lemon wedges. Serves: 6
Nutrient value per serving: 132 calories, 10 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 6.2 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 3 Weight Watcher points
ANGELA’S ITALIAN STIR-FRY
1 zucchini squash, well washed and sliced diagonally
1 yellow summer squash, well washed and sliced diagonally
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
1 onion, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 to 2 tablespoons oil for frying
½ of a pesto-dried-tomato cheese torta (you can find this in the
specialty cheese section of your grocery store)
Cut up all the veggies, then fry in the oil in a large frying pan for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. (Note: if you want the carrots to be less al dente, fry them for a minute first, before adding the softer, quicker-cooking veggies.) Add cheese torta and stir until melted, about 1 minute. Serves: 4
Nutrient value per serving: 165 calories, 1 g protein, 3.3 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat, 21 g fiber, 4 Weight Watcher points
ERIN’S EASY MEXICAN SOUP
2 (14.5-ounce) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can Mexican-style whole kernel corn
4 cups water
1 package prepared taco seasoning
Combine all ingredients in a large soup pot and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Serves: 8
Nutrient value per serving: 212 calories, 10 g protein, 35 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat, 1 g fiber, 4 Weight Watcher points
KIZZY’S PULLED PORK
(COURTESY OF NORMA SMITH)
1 pork butt or large lean pork roast (6-7 pounds)
1 tablespoon zesty steak seasoning (Kizzy uses McCormick Grill
Mates Montreal Steak)
3 to 4 peeled and crushed garlic cloves
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup chicken broth
6 ounces calorie-free or reduced-carb barbecue sauce
Lay meat on heavy-duty foil (or double-layer regular) in a roasting pan. Cover with seasoning, garlic, green pepper, onion, and broth, then fold foil over meat, sealing tightly. Roast at 300 degrees for 4 to 5 hours till very tender (internal temperature of at least 190 degrees). When done, you’ll have lots of liquid in the pan. You can chill that, then skim off the fat and freeze for soup stock or to use in making baked beans (see next recipe). Remove meat to platter and cool. When able to handle the meat, shred with a fork, discarding any fat. Mix in 6 ounces calorie-free or reduced-carb barbecue sauce and serve with baked beans. You may eat this meat plain or served on a bun or low-calorie bread. Serves: 12 half-cup servings
Nutrient value per serving: 185 calories, 21 g protein, 0.5 g carbohydrate, 10 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 1 Weight Watcher point
KIZZY’S BAKED BEANS
(COURTESY OF NORMA SMITH)
1 (12-ounce) bag white Northe
rn beans
Juice from pork
1 quart chicken broth (or enough to cover the beans when cooking
with an inch to spare)
¼ to ½ cup ketchup, chili sauce, or barbecue sauce
¼ cup zero-calorie brown sugar, such as Sugar Twin
Salt and pepper to taste
Put beans in medium pot, cover with boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes. Let beans sit covered for 2 hours. Drain and rinse. Add juice from pulled pork recipe, leaving in onion, pepper, etc. Don’t strain out. Add chicken broth and other ingredients and simmer until beans are tender and juice is mostly gone. Salt and pepper to taste and serve with pulled pork. Serves: 12 half-cup servings
Nutrient value per serving: 82 calories, 5.5 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 0.6 g fat, 7 g fiber, I Weight Watcher point
KIZZY’S CHOCOLATE RUM HEAVEN
1 small package (1.4-ounce) sugar-free instant chocolate pudding
Bikini Season Page 26
