by Jane Matisse
Penelope nodded and finally had a chance to run away from her friends. She escaped to the bathroom, and took her clothes off piece by piece while remembering the night before. She’d had time to take some aspirin for the headache before the girls had decided to bombard her apartment. Now, standing in front of the full-length mirror behind the bathroom door, she took a good look at herself.
She hadn’t fully looked at herself naked in the longest time, but now she felt a little different. The level of self-consciousness had lowered, and she could look without thinking her large thighs and chubby stomach were disgusting. She looked at three bruises on each hip bone. Penelope traced them and realized they were left over from the way Jack had held on to her last night.
“Oh, Jack.” She let herself dwell on the memories of the night before. It all still felt like a dream, but the slight ache between her legs and the marks he had left all over her body proved it was all reality. With a last sigh, she turned to get under the shower, ready to let the warm water wash away the evidence of the night before.
CHAPTER FOUR
Friends are BAD influences. They take you to a bar, they leave you alone while they go off into a dark corner to dry hump the bejesus out of a muscleman, and they let you leave the bar with a complete stranger. A STRANGER. What happened to Stranger Danger? What happened to the Buddy System? These are the things they fail to reteach you in college.
DIARY OF A WALLFLOWER: Entry 110
“So, how are you liking California so far, Jack?” Dylan asked, checking the waitress’s ass out as she leaned over a customer to place the creamer on the table.
Jack wasn’t listening. He was too busy ogling his own potential conquest, sitting at the table diagonal from theirs. Blonde, tall, fit, and giving him a come-hither look. That was his kind of woman. None of this virginal appeal.
His mind instantly flashed back to rounded cheeks and a pair of soft brown eyes looking up from beneath him. Jack internally scoffed and slightly shook his head to clear it. The morning after his one-night stand with Penelope had been a bit of a disappointment. He had fallen asleep after having sex, hoping she wouldn’t wake up the next morning thinking they were an item. It was only sex, after all.
What he hadn’t planned on was that she would have slipped out completely without a good-bye or even some breakfast. There was only a single note on his nightstand:
Thanks for a great night. Took a twenty for a cab, and a change of clothes. I’ll send them back by mail. Maybe.
Her honesty made him laugh aloud when he’d first read the note. Then his good humor turned into disappointment. He’d be lying to himself if he refused to acknowledge that he’d had a great time that night. It had been a different experience; he still was unsure how he felt about it. Well, two weeks had gone by and now his life was getting back on track after his move to LA.
“Jack?” Dylan asked again, trying to get his attention.
“Hmm? Yeah, what’s up?” Jack snapped out of his thoughts and took a fry off his plate nonchalantly.
“Did you even hear what I said?”
Jack sighed. “It’s been a bit of a transition. The pace is a little slower, and the people here seem to be nicer than the people back East.”
“Like the apartment?”
“Sure. It’s a nice roomy bachelor pad. What’s not to like?” Jack briefly smiled at his friend.
Dylan chuckled. “You can’t fool me, dude. What’s up? Why have you been so off lately?”
“Off?” Jack asked, a little confused.
“Yeah, off. You haven’t been in your usual mood. You homesick?”
“You know what? That might be it.” Jack immediately accepted the suggestion thrown at him.
Dylan looked at him, an annoyed expression on his face. “Seriously. You haven’t been hanging out with me and Alex like before.” He pouted comically. “We used to be the three musketeers and now we’re the two creepers hitting on chicks.”
Jack chuckled and picked up his cup of hot coffee, tugging a little on his collar. The sun was shining a little brightly for lunchtime, but there was a nice breeze swiftly blowing through the picnic tables at the cafe. He wasn’t hot, just a little suffocated in the suit and tie he was forced to wear for work. He turned to look out to the sidewalk where people were walking.
“Hey, Jackie!”
Jack turned around to look at his old friend. “Hey, Celeste!” He stood up to give her a bear hug.
“You started eating without me, I see,” Celeste scolded, giving him and Dylan a playful stink eye. “Hi, Dylan. Nice to see you again.”
Dylan winked at Celeste. “Hey, gorgeous.”
“Still a big flirt.” Celeste tsked. She slid into the seat right next to Jack as he held it out for her. “Thanks for meeting me here for lunch.”
“Of course. Anything for my girl,” Jack replied. He called the waiter over and asked for a menu.
“I’ll just have the eggs benedict and a coffee with cream, please,” Celeste ordered before the waiter could hand her a menu.
“Well, I’ll leave you guys to it then. I gotta go back to work anyway,” Dylan explained, standing and setting a few bills on the table for his food. “See you back at the office, Jack.”
Jack nodded, and with that Dylan walked off smoothly, keeping step with a beautiful, raven-haired woman in a pencil skirt and black stilettos. Jack silently chuckled.
That guy never takes a break.
He turned to Celeste to see her staring at Dylan’s form walking away, shaking her head in amusement. “That guy’s game never ceases to amaze me.”
“Tell me about it. He’s never lost a conquest.”
“Oh please,” Celeste replied, eyeing him accusingly. “You’ve been there right beside him getting your own whistle wet.” She laughed and moved to the seat right across from him.
Jack merely shrugged sheepishly. The waiter brought Celeste’s order and filled their glasses with water.
“So, you’re probably wondering why I called to see you,” Celeste began, cutting the silence.
Jack smiled. “You just couldn’t stay away from me. I knew you’d come around,” he teased. He loved Celeste. She was pretty, petite, had beautiful eyes, gorgeous hair, and a wonderful personality to go with it. But his love was purely brotherly. He had kissed her at one point at NYU, but it had just felt strange, incestuous. They had promised to keep their relationship as strictly friends.
Celeste laughed and shook her head. “Always with the same story. I can’t catch a break with you!” she joked. “Well, I have a big announcement to make.”
“Your breasts?” Jack teased, earning a kick to the shin. “Ouch!”
“Not quite,” Celeste replied, reaching out to grab Jack’s hand from across the table.
He reflexively met her hand with his and immediately felt something odd on one of her fingers. He looked down and noticed the glittering diamond ring.
“He asked me last night!” she announced excitedly, wiggling her fingers.
“Congratulations! Lucky bastard beat me to it,” he teased, clasping her hands and smiling. He’d known it was just a matter of time before Bryan asked Celeste for her hand in marriage. The two of them had been dating for close to a decade. Jack still couldn’t understand how two people could be so devoted to one another for so many years.
Celeste laughed heartily. There was an extra sparkle in her eye Jack hadn’t noticed there before. She looked genuinely happy. “So when is the wedding taking place? You got a date set?”
“See, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Celeste responded, a little serious.
“What? Talk to me about the wedding?”
Celeste nodded.
Jack laughed, incredulous. “About what? If you haven’t noticed, I’m the last person you should be talking about this with. Shouldn’t you ask your mom, or better yet your girlfriends?”
“I totally would, but I can’t talk about the details of the wedding with anyone other than my MOH.
”
“Who’s Mo?”
Celeste giggled. “Not Mo. M-O-H. Maid of honor,” she responded, gesturing toward him.
It took Jack a few seconds to realize who she was talking about.
“Me! You crazy? I’m a guy! Guys don’t do the wedding thing. Last time I checked maids of honor were female, Celeste,” Jack explained, flabbergasted.
“Oh come on, Jackie! It’s the twenty-first century. Last time I checked grooms didn’t have to be male and brides didn’t have to be female,” she announced. “Besides, there is no one else I would rather it be than you!”
“Don’t you have a sister?”
“She hates weddings! She is so against the whole idea of ‘making people suffer through an hour-long ceremony and an even worse reception with crap food,’” Celeste explained, obviously mimicking her sister.
“Sounds like someone’s a little bitter at seeing her younger sister getting married before she does.”
“No, it’s not that. She just has a different view on love than I do.”
“Did you even ask her about this MIA position?”
“It’s MOH. And no, I didn’t even bother with it. I know exactly what she is gonna say: ‘What? Me? Spend so much time on a ceremony that will cost an arm and a leg just to give each other a few vows of love? Might as well get married at a drive-thru in Vegas!’”
Jack laughed loudly. “I’m liking your sister. She got a boyfriend yet?”
“Hey, you don’t go near her, player,” she shot back playfully, poking him on the shoulder. “She’s a good girl. Plus, she’s not really your type.”
“Oh yeah? And whose type is she?” Jack asked, a little curious. He had been friends with Celeste ever since she transferred to NYU his junior year five years before. They had been through her many breakups with Bryan and the lady troubles Jack seemed to get himself into. Yet, despite their long-lasting friendship, he hadn’t ever really heard about the other Luciano sister. She was a mystery all on her own.
“Oh, you know. The bookworm, let’s-stay-in-on-a-Saturday-night, quiet, intelligent woman,” Celeste explained, taking a drink of water.
“Ahh, I see. As opposed to a person like me who is a—”
“Party animal, skirt-chaser, one-night-stand kind of guy,” Celeste filled in. “Let’s be honest, Jackie. You’re incapable of long-lasting romantic relationships.” She smiled at him affectionately.
Jack sulked. He knew serious relationships weren’t his favorite thing, but he didn’t know he had turned into such a heartless loser. He guessed it couldn’t be such a bad thing to accept the position. It wasn’t too hard, was it?
“I’ll do it.”
“What?” Celeste asked, confused.
“I’ll be your MIA,” Jack responded confidently.
“It’s MOH, Jackie.”
“MIA, MOH. Whatever it is, I accept the position,” he replied. He’d prove that he wasn’t heartless after all.
Celeste gave him the biggest grin he’d ever seen. “Jackie! You mean it? Thank you!” She jumped up from the seat and moved around the table to throw her arms around him in a tight embrace.
Jack didn’t know what the hell he was getting himself into, but whatever it was, he would succeed even if it killed his masculinity.
* * *
Penelope leaned back in her desk chair, stretching her arms. It felt good writing on her blog. It was her online journal, a place where she could share her experiences with the rest of the world without being judged.
Her thoughts wandered back to the night she’d spent in Jack’s bed. She wouldn’t have traded that night for the world. She had lucked out with a handsome man who was nice to her, gentle, and had given her a night of pure pleasure. It was a plus that he didn’t kill her in her sleep. No matter how nice he had been that night, she wasn’t courageous enough to find out what kind of man he would be the morning after. So, she took matters into her own hands. It was for the best. At least she had a memory for those future lonely nights.
Her computer screen changed to a picture of her with Celeste.
Oh, Celeste. How she loved her sister. She had called Penelope the night before, announcing her engagement to Bryan. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, but Penelope was shocked all the same. Still, Bryan and Celeste had been together forever and a day; it was about time he’d popped the question. They were perfect for each other. Penelope was happy for her sister, but there was still a nagging, berating voice in the back of her head yelling at her, cursing the many ways she’d failed in love. She sighed and replayed the phone conversation in her head:
“Penny, I have to tell you something.”
“That’s sort of what I figured, since you did call me.”
“He asked me.”
“Who asked you what?” Penelope asked, confused.
“Bryan asked me to marry him.”
Silence. Penelope felt her breath catch in her throat. “I’m so happy for you, mija!” She tried to sound as excited as she felt, even if she did dread the moment her mother would berate her for being the eldest, non-married daughter.
“Thank you, Penny! I’m so excited and overwhelmed all at the same time. I just keep thinking about the wedding reception and the ceremony, all the people I’m planning to invite. The bridesmaids and MOH!”
“MOH? What’s that?”
“The maid of honor, Penny. Honestly, even you who dislikes weddings so much should know that,” Celeste replied matter-of-factly.
“Have you chosen your MOH then?”
The line was silent for a few moments. “Yeah, about that.” Celeste hesitated. “Penny, I love you and you’re my sister, so I obviously thought of you first.”
“But?” Penelope asked, sensing the shift in Celeste’s speech.
“But being the maid of honor requires a lot of time and work. You’d have to be right there planning the big day with me, organizing the pre-wedding events, picking out dresses for the bridesmaids, yada yada. It’s just so much work for you, and you don’t like weddings to begin with!”
Penelope felt a little disappointed Celeste hadn’t asked her. “Oh, I see. Yeah, I get it,” she replied, trying to make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal. “So you chose someone else then?”
“Yeah, I had a backup. My friend Jackie. I’m asking tomorrow.”
“Well, congrats. I hope Jackie accepts and does a great job on your wedding.” Penelope sounded a little bitter even to herself.
“Penny, you’re not mad are you? Because if you want to be the MOH I will gladly give you the position.” Celeste tried consoling her.
Penelope didn’t want to look like a whiny crybaby. “No! I’m perfectly fine. You’re right about weddings and me. I just can’t deal with planning one all by myself.”
“But you will be one of my bridesmaids, won’t you?” Celeste asked softly.
“Of course I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Penelope sighed out loud. Where had she gone wrong? She was a good person, had graduated from university and started her own online editing business from scratch. She made pretty good money, and to top it off, she was her own boss. She didn’t understand how it was that no one had ever taken an interest in her. Well, there was that one incident, but it was most likely a fluke. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She had seized her chance, but nothing came from it.
When she had saved up enough money to move out of her parents’ house, she’d made sure to get herself a nice apartment about five minutes from the beach, with an extra room for her to turn into an office. It was her sanctuary, the place where she was able to be herself and not worry about anything disturbing her peace. If she ever had to meet up with her clients, she called the shots, and they always seemed willing to comply.
Her parents were great people. They’d always wanted the best for her and Celeste since their own childhoods had been limited, being first-generation American. Penelope and Celeste’s grandparents were all immigrants from Latin American coun
tries. Their paternal grandparents were from Costa Rica while their maternal grandparents were from Nicaragua. It was because of their parents that they were expected to be the best they could be. It wasn’t that she disapproved of her sister’s happiness. She loved her sister and all her successes.
Her phone began to vibrate on her desk, interrupting her thoughts. It was a text message from Celeste.
Celeste: Can you come with me to Wedding Invites tomorrow?
“And so the wedding plans begin,” Penelope stated, looking at her phone screen. Her sister had just gotten engaged the night before and she was already getting to work on the invitations for the wedding.
“I mean, I guess that would be the first thing you’d do,” she murmured, typing up an answer.
Penelope: Depends. What time?
C: I have work, so 3:30 okay with you?
P: I’ll meet up with you. I might be a little late, so just wait for me.
C: Great! Thank you! Means so much to me! Plus you’ll get to meet Jackie!
Penelope winced. The last person she wanted to meet was Celeste’s good-looking, perfect friend Jackie. She’d never personally met the girl, but Celeste had spoken about her before. She knew it wasn’t Jackie’s fault Celeste had chosen her over Penelope, but it didn’t hurt any less.
P: Can’t wait! I’ll meet you there. XO
Well, there was some mental preparing to do before meeting this Jackie. Penelope was almost certain she was another cute, bubbly friend with a high-pitched voice, just like all the women her sister was usually surrounded by. Ugh. Cheerleaders. Meeting Jackie would give Penelope an idea of what her competition was. She had to somehow prove to Celeste that she wasn’t a boring older sister doomed to a life of solitude and silence.
Although that didn’t sound like such a bad life after all.
CHAPTER FIVE
I hate weddings. I hate the fact that people spend so much money on weddings. The whole elaborate ceremony and reception package are just an excuse to show off. It’s fifteen minutes of fame. What happened to just loving one another? What happened to the importance of the vows and promises given to one another? I was under the impression they were supposed to mean something. I guess I was wrong!
