Ron gave me his usual rough brother-in-law-style hug and we started talking about when we would next go to the pool, and I was kept busy enough by various conversations not to think about my non-existent love life and how badly I wanted it to start up again until a brief silence fell and I found myself watching Kent and MC.
Their connection, though I didn’t understand it, was obvious, and a wave of total sadness swept me. I had had that, something close to it anyhow, with Kent, and now it was gone. I couldn’t really imagine, though I wanted to, bonding like that with Aaron. Would I ever find that feeling again?
“Any idea yet where the wedding’s going to be?” I said to distract myself, knowing it couldn’t be at the church we’d used because Kent hadn’t had more than thirty people to invite and MC couldn’t have many more so there’d be easily a hundred seats left empty. Even if it wouldn’t have been weird to marry MC where he married me.
“There’s a little church north of Toronto,” MC said, “that I drive by to see my grandmother. It’s super cute, and we’re lucky that someone else cancelled and so we can have it for the thirteenth. February 13th.”
We all nodded and agreed, but I wondered whether taking someone’s cancelled wedding space was really the best way to start a marriage. Kent and I had had to scramble to find somewhere too, but at least the time hadn’t first been someone else’s.
MC grabbed her laptop and pulled up the church website and soon I was oohing and ahhing over it with her and Kent’s other ex Lily. We were expecting a third ex, Ashley, to show up eventually, but the other four who’d been with us on the island weren’t coming and that suited me fine. They’d been jerks to me on the island, telling everyone on MC’s side that I wore a tiny bathing suit and was obnoxious, and I hadn’t wanted to see them again. Lily was fun, though. Ashley? I had no idea whether she was fun or not. She’d been so furious the whole time I hadn’t been able to tell. A hard worker, which I’d appreciated, but grouchy.
“And the honeymoon?” Lily said once we’d finished examining all the church pictures.
MC laughed, and so did Kent. “Somewhere tropical would be great in February,” he said, “but we can’t face an island or anything like that. So we’re taking a Caribbean cruise and we’ll never get off the boat.”
We all laughed at that, then hung out chatting casually until Ashley finally showed up. She had been a total outsider on the island, because she’d been so angry and cold even I hadn’t been able to befriend her, but when she came hesitantly into the living room like she was afraid we’d kick her out and couldn’t find a chair because Michael had unexpectedly brought his wife I saw how uncomfortable and awkward she felt and felt bad for her.
I started to get up to give her my chair but MC’s ex Sam beat me to it despite his crutches and the ankle he’d broken in a fall on the show, and as I watched him trying to make her feel better I knew he was interested in her. On the surface he was only being friendly, but somehow I knew it went far deeper than that for him. Aam? Sashley? Whatever their couple name would be, I knew he wanted it.
Once Ashley was settled on the chair MC quickly brought her, Kent and MC made an announcement: they had divided what they’d received after taxes of the million bucks she’d won on the show and were giving it away. Most was going to their relatives, but they passed out envelopes which turned out to contain a twenty-three-grand check for each of us exes.
Touched and surprised, I couldn’t help saying, “You didn’t keep anything?” Aaron shushed me so they wouldn’t change their minds, but when MC explained that they kept six grand to help pay for their wedding I burst out in shock again at how little they’d held onto for themselves. I’d never have given away so much.
As Kent said jokingly that we could give most of it back as a wedding present, though, I remembered that Simon had paid me five grand for my Courtney scoop so no doubt Kent and MC would make a good chunk of cash on the TV rights to their wedding. The old MC, the one who’d been so shy on the island that she’d been embarrassed to ask where the latrine was, probably wouldn’t have sold those rights, but by the reunion show where she’d told Kent she loved him in front of everyone she’d clearly changed enough that she would now. Still, it was sweet of them to share their prize with us and I joined the others in thanking them.
MC reminded us all about the wedding date, at which point MC’s ex Michael muttered something about not being available and then bailed out accompanied by his grumpy-looking wife. In watching the show I’d noticed that Michael had at first stayed far away from MC then had seemed to be far too close before again pulling away, and I had a feeling his wife had noticed too and hadn’t appreciated it.
Once they were gone, the pizza MC and Kent had ordered arrived and we spent a bit of time getting ourselves organized then settled in to eat as MC told us she’d like each of the rest of us to be involved in the wedding.
I listened with half an ear as she recruited Sam and Aaron as groomsmen while wondering what my role would be. I wouldn’t have thought I’d be involved at all, since not everyone would want an ex-wife cluttering up the next wedding, but it was nice of them to find a small job for me. Maybe I’d be assigned guest book supervisor or gift carrier, something like that.
Finished with the guys, MC turned to me and said, words tumbling from her faster than I’d ever heard them before, “Would you be my bridesmaid?”
I stared at her, doubting my own ears. “Really?” I glanced at Kent, who was smiling and nodding, then back at her. “You’re sure?” I didn’t want her to feel forced into it, although I couldn’t imagine Kent would have done that.
Her cheeks blazed an awkward pink and she nodded.
“Well, yes,” I said of course, feeling my throat tighten. How lovely and sweet of them, especially her. “Definitely. Thank you. I... thank you.”
Aaron wrapped his arm around me. “It’ll be me and you, gorgeous, walking up the aisle afterwards.”
“I have to walk with you?” I rolled my eyes. “Then maybe I won’t be a bridesmaid,” I said, making sure it was clear I was joking.
After getting some of the guys to be ushers, MC came up with the ridiculous suggestion of wearing disguises to their bachelor/bachelorette party at the end of January so we wouldn’t be recognized. Kent calmed her down, telling her that we’d all be old news by then, and before I knew I was going to I said, “But...”
Everyone looked at me, and I flipped my hair back and said in my best dramatic tone, “Maybe you will be but I want to be famous.”
Aaron leaned in and whispered to me, “A sex tape would do it. I’m free tonight if you are.”
I laughed and slapped his arm, knowing he was kidding and liking that he felt comfortable joking about sex with me, then sat cuddled against him while the others talked about being teased at work and wondered whether I should just sleep with him. I felt sure it’d be fun, and it wouldn’t be my first time, so why not?
Seeing Kent smiling at MC, though, I knew why not. He and I had had an amazing bond, and though we would never have it again I wanted something like it with someone else before I went all the way. The idea of casual sex, after what I’d shared with Kent, was unthinkable.
I pulled my mind away from the idea of sex at all and focused it on the upcoming wedding. MC turned to Ashley and Lily and asked them both to do a reading, and as they agreed ideas burst out of me. “I can do your makeup too, if you want. Oh, and you need a wedding dress. Let’s go shopping! I know all about them and since your mom can’t--”
Kent bumped an empty glass onto the floor, and I cut myself off because I knew he’d done it on purpose. When we’d been together he had arranged a ‘sudden clumsiness’ signal as a way to tell me I was saying more than other people could handle, and he’d gone back to it on the island when he thought I was bothering MC. I hadn’t been going to say anything mean, and I’d really thought she might like having company to get her dress since her mom had died when she was little, but I stopped talking anyhow because
Kent obviously thought I should and he knew MC better than I did. If anyone actually knew her.
MC bit her lip. “Makeup, sure. But I’m actually going to buy my dress with Liv, and we’re starting to look next week. She’s my maid of honor. And Holly’s the other bridesmaid. Thanks, though.”
I saw Kent give her shoulder a squeeze, and she looked more relaxed.
So the wedding party was Kent’s ex-wife, his sister, and MC’s best friend Liv who I’d barely spoken to on the island because she’d been with MC and I’d been running around showing off the place to my friend Kia. “Any other guys in the wedding,” I said, trying to change the topic because MC looked uncomfortable, “besides Sam and Aaron?”
“Who cares besides me?”
Ignoring that, as she so often and so understandably ignored Aaron, MC said, “Ron’s our best man.”
“Better than this one,” Ron said, nudging his brother.
“Hardly.” Kent nudged him back, harder. “You’re the barely adequate man.”
Shaking her head, with a faint smile, MC went on. “Do you remember my friend Craig? His little son Colin is our ringbearer and so Craig is the ringbearer bearer.”
I took a breath to ask why that was needed then remembered that Colin was blind. “Cute. Will they wear matching tuxes?”
MC giggled. “I doubt it, but I’ll ask just to hear what Craig says.”
“Make sure I’m there for that,” Kent said, smiling at her.
As she agreed, I saw again how happy they were together and made myself a promise: I would do everything I could to ensure that they had the wedding and honeymoon of their dreams. They were so sweet to keep me in their lives when so many others wouldn’t have, and I would repay that in any way I could.
Chapter Seven
When I met Kia the following Monday at Starbucks before our thrift-store trip, I knew she was upset as soon as I saw her. As I took a breath to ask why, she said, “Look, I’m done. I can’t do this suit thing any more.”
Horror filled me and I dropped into my chair across from her before my legs gave out. “I can’t do it without you. I need you for the business stuff. What’s wrong?”
She sighed and rubbed her forehead, and with guilt I noticed the dark circles under her eyes. “This weekend... it was rough. I sent out thirty suits all by myself, and it took absolutely forever.”
I had intended to spend all my time making suits and helping Kia with the shipping as I’d promised, but Simon had called me as I left Kent’s condo Friday night after the party and commanded me to go to Hollywood on Saturday for Angel Dove’s album release party. I had agreed, of course, and had spent the entire weekend following celebrities around and trying to get them to talk to me instead of one of the zillion other reporter types. I had very little success, since basically nobody knew who I was and the few who did weren’t impressed with my reality TV background and treated me with even more disdain than they gave most of the other reporters.
It had been a long hard two days, and Simon was pretty annoyed with my lack of success. Fortunately, my previous connection with Courtney had given me a great picture of her with the huge Hollywood sign in the background and the scoop that she was doing a duet with Evan Mansfield, and being able to post all that to the website calmed him down. Still, I knew I needed to do better if I wanted this to work.
And I did, more than ever. Though it had been a frustrating weekend, I’d loved being in the presence of all the stars and celebrities who’d attended Angel’s party and I craved the respect that those famous people gave to the most well-known reporters. I could get that too, and I wanted it.
But I wanted the suits to work out too. They’d long been a hobby but I did enjoy the extra money they brought in, and--
“Excuse me. Summer?”
“Yes?” I said as I looked toward the speaker, then felt all the air leave my lungs. I’d never seen such a hot man, and I’d spent the weekend staring at celebs.
He smiled, and I managed to smile back though I was still overwhelmed.
“I hope this isn’t too forward--”
“Not at all,” I said quickly.
His smile widened. “You don’t know what I want yet.”
No, but it didn’t matter. Guy this hot? About the only thing I’d say no to would be sex, and I’d have to think pretty damn hard about that.
“I saw you on your show,” he said, looking sheepish, “and I thought you were fantastic. Could I get your autograph and maybe a picture?”
“Only if I can get yours.” I didn’t want to forget him. Lots of guys had hit on me, or at least chatted me up, since the show, but none of them had been like this.
He chuckled and pulled out his phone, and Kia took pictures for us on his phone and mine. I then signed a paper napkin for him and he did the same at my insistence, and since he was left-handed I sadly got a very clear look at the heavy gold wedding band he wore. If he’d been my husband I’d have tattooed ‘taken’ across his forehead. I couldn’t imagine how many women hit on him daily.
Folding the napkin I’d signed carefully over itself, he smiled at me. “Thanks. Have a great day, ladies.”
“You too,” I said, and Kia and I watched in silent admiration as he walked away.
When he was gone, I said, “Wow.” I peeked at the napkin he’d signed. “No phone number, though,” I said, pretending to be upset. “Guess he really was married.”
Kia didn’t speak.
I glanced at her and realized she hadn’t been admiring the guy. She was even more angry and upset than she’d been when I arrived, and I quickly said, “I’m sorry about that interruption, and look... I will do better with the suits. I promise. I really do. I’ll package up all the ones I have at home. Okay? You won’t have to do a thing. And then... get your phone out and check your calendar for when we can work together on more. I’ll be there. I swear.”
She didn’t move, and my heart raced. I really couldn’t do this on my own. All the business stuff confused and overwhelmed me. I could make suits, and I could wrap them in tissue paper and put them into bubble envelopes and take them to the post office, but I couldn’t handle the website updating and the sales tracking and getting cash back from the credit card companies and all the other stuff I didn’t even know about that Kia had taken on for me.
“And I’ll buy your coffee every time we get together,” I said, hoping that would amuse her.
It did; she rolled her eyes but got out her phone. “Tomorrow night?”
“I’m having dinner with Aaron,” I said. “Wednesday?”
She shook her head, looking annoyed again, and fear filled me again. “Tuesday’s fine. I’ll move Aaron. No problem. None. This is more important.”
“It is?”
I blinked. “Of course it is. It’s my business.”
She pursed her lips, then seemed to relax. “Good. Tuesday works.”
*****
“I think that’s the quietest you’ve ever been during a swim,” Ron said outside the pool later that day. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Just the swimsuit business. Emphasis on the business part. I’m not pulling my weight, and Kia’s not happy.”
Ron grimaced. “That’s tough. Guess I should let you go now and--”
My cell rang, cutting him off.
“It’s MC,” I said with surprise as I looked at the screen. “Didn’t even know she had my number.”
When I answered, her voice shook as she said, “I got your phone number from Kent. I hope that’s okay?”
I tried to sound as comforting as I could. “Of course. What’s up?”
What was up proved to be that she and Liv had spent the weekend hunting for her wedding dress and hadn’t managed to find anything to her liking. “The stores keep talking about how we could do this or that or the other thing to the dresses to make them perfect,” she said, sounding exhausted, “and Liv and I don’t know what the things mean and if I see one more white dress I think my head’s going to explode
. We were hoping you could come with us to look?”
“Of course,” I said, ecstatic that she wanted me to. Nothing better than shopping, especially with someone else’s money, and being trusted to help with something as important as a wedding dress? “I’d love to. When?”
“Well, we were going to go now but that wouldn’t work for you, I’m sure. So maybe--”
“Actually, now works great,” I interrupted. “I’m just finishing up at the pool with Ron and then I was going to go home and do some celebrity research but I can do that later. I’ll grab a quick bite to eat and meet you. Where?”
I could almost hear MC blinking in confusion, and I shook my head. “Sorry. Am I freaking you out? Too excited? I get like that sometimes.”
Ron chuckled and I swatted him on the arm as MC said, “No, actually, it’s great. I was just surprised you would drop everything for me like that. It’s nice of you.”
I felt my cheeks growing warm, something that rarely happened to me, because her awkward sincerity was so sweet. “Well, I like to be nice once a year,” I said, trying to brush things off. “Congrats on being here for it. So? Meeting place?”
She gave me the address of a store she hadn’t yet tried and hung up, and I said to Ron, “Did you know she was going to ask me to dress shop?”
He shook his head. “Good plan, though.” Then he winked at me. “Just don’t get a dress as tiny as your red bikini on the show.”
I scowled at him as I knew he wanted me to, and he laughed. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. For the record, I thought it was a normal size. When I saw that show air I couldn’t figure out what they were on about.”
“Didn’t like me,” I said, shrugging as if I didn’t care. “I guess they figured they couldn’t call me a slut on TV but they could get away with that.”
Fifteen Minutes of Summer Page 5
