The Bridesmaid

by Hailey Abbott

  “Can you let go of me now?” Abby asked.

  Tucker relented and stepped back. “Sorry. Guess I got a little carried away.”

  A little? Abby thought, her face burning.

  “We should have warned you, Tucker. Abby isn’t the touchy-feely type,” Abby’s mother said, an amused smile playing about her lips.

  “Oh, right,” Tucker said with a laugh. “You did say that, Carol, huh? Sorry.”

  “You’ll have to get used to Tucker hugs,” Carol said, looping her arm through his. “He is part of the family now.”

  Abby swallowed hard. Now they were all looking at her with amused, patronizing smiles. She couldn’t believe this. The four of them, standing there together, looking at her like she was the outsider and they were the family.

  “So, I hear you’re a talented little soccer player,” Tucker said brightly, as if oblivious to her cold-as-ice body language. “We can kick the ball around later if you want. I could show you a few pointers. . . .”

  Who said I need pointers? Abby fumed. And was it just her, or was he treating her like a five-year-old? Who did this guy think he was?

  The guy who’s marrying your sister, a little voice in her head warned her. Chill before you say something stupid.

  “Tucker played for the Colorado soccer team,” Carol said, casually resting her free hand on his chest.

  Suddenly Abby felt even smaller and more childish than she did before. She’d never touched a guy like that. She couldn’t even imagine feeling that comfortable around a guy. Well, except for Christopher and that was a just-a-friend kind of comfortable.

  “Actually, I have to work this afternoon, so—”

  “Really? What’s the job?”

  “She’s working at a sporting goods store in town,” her father said.

  “Dad, I can talk, you know.” Abby’s face was burning.

  A tense silence filled the room. Clearly she was bringing the happy-go-lucky, touchy-feely, hug-loving family down.

  “So, Tucker, why don’t you come inside? Have some coffee?” Abby’s mother said, reaching for his arm. “I want to get to know the man who’s swept my daughter off her feet.”

  “Sounds great,” Tucker said, following her toward the kitchen. Abby’s dad went with them. Carol turned around and shot Abby a wide-eyed look.

  “What?” Abby mouthed.

  “I knew you were going to do this,” Carol said. “You decided not to like him before he ever even got here, didn’t you?”

  “I didn’t have to!” Abby replied, even though it was true. “He was totally talking down to me. You were all treating me like I was a baby!”

  “Well, if you’re going to act like one . . . ,” Carol said.

  Abby narrowed her eyes, stung. “Thanks a lot.”

  Carol groaned and took off after the others. Abby hesitated a second, then stomped back upstairs. Luckily she had to get ready for work. Thank goodness Noah had given her the idea to come up with an escape plan. These days she needed an out more than ever.

  “Abby, would you please help this customer with the cleats?” Barb called out. It was later that day. Abby climbed down from the step stool behind the counter. When she reached the ground she turned to find Christopher smiling down at her.

  “Hey!” Abby tucked a stray curl behind her ear. Barb moved off to deal with a mom-and-daughter combo. “What are you doing here?” Abby whispered.

  “Like she said, I need some cleats.” Christopher headed for the wall of shoes. “Thought I’d throw my best friend some business. You gotta keep this job if you’re gonna save up for Italy, yo.”

  “Well, thanks for your support,” Abby replied. “What do you need?”

  Christopher picked out a few pairs and Abby retrieved the shoes from the storage room. She dropped the boxes at his feet and sat down next to him on the vinyl-topped bench, happy to have the chance to take a load off.

  “Aren’t you gonna lace them up for me?” Christopher joked.

  “Don’t push it,” Abby said.

  Christopher extracted the first pair of cleats from the box and went about removing the inserts.

  “So, how’s everything with your sister, yo?”

  “I met her man this morning,” Abby said, pulling her knees up under her chin. “Can’t stand him.”

  “What? Why?” Christopher asked.

  “He totally talked down to me. He heard I was a ‘good little soccer player,’” she said, putting on a doofy voice. “And he was acting like—I don’t know— like he was already part of my family—looking at me like he knew so much about me.” She glanced down at Christopher’s feet and grimaced. “P.S., those are not attractive.”

  “They’re not supposed to be attractive. They’re supposed to be functional,” Christopher said, getting up to give them a test walk. He paused in front of the mirror and looked down at the neon yellow and puke green cleats. “Whoa. Those are ugly. So, what else? I mean, is the guy cool on any level?”

  “Well, he’s pretty good-looking, but maybe too good-looking, you know?” Abby said.

  “No. How can anyone be too good-looking?”

  “It’s not that, really,” Abby said, struggling to put her feelings into words. “It was like he was too on. His hair was just the right way and his teeth were totally white and he was beyond polite and attentive to my mom. He had my parents laughing, like, all morning. I could hear them from my room.”

  “So what, he’s a big suck-up or something?” Christopher asked. He dropped down next to her again and yanked off the cleats. “You think he’s a fake?”

  “It’s hard to explain,” Abby said. “I just get a bad vibe from him. Don’t you get a vibe from some people?”

  Just then, the door to the shop opened and Noah walked in. Abby’s heart did a little flip, and then a flop. Noah was smiling until his eyes fell on Christopher and Abby.

  “Whaddup, Johnny Rockets?” Noah said, lifting his chin in greeting.

  Christopher gave Noah the up and down as he worked his foot into another shoe. “You’re the cake boy, right?”

  Noah let out a short exhale through his nose and then turned toward Abby. “I was just at your house and met your sister’s fiancé?” He looked very confused.

  “Oh, yeah. Carol’s getting married,” Abby said flatly. “Whoo-hoo.”

  “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” Noah said. “I mean, I’ve seen you five times since she apparently told you guys.”

  “Sorry,” Abby said. “I guess I just assumed you’d already heard.”

  “Aren’t you psyched?”

  “Yeah,” Abby said flatly. “Totally.”

  Abby got up and started pacing. Somehow she’d expected Noah to be as shocked and appalled as she’d been. She was expecting antiwedding solidarity.

  “He seemed pretty cool,” Noah said, walking over to her.

  “I don’t know . . . he’s all right,” she said unconvincingly. “Like I was just telling Christopher, he just seemed a little too perfect. Didn’t you feel it when you met him?”

  “Feel what?” Noah asked.

  “A vibe. Like he’s trying too hard,” Abby said. “Like maybe he’s trying to cover something up with all this forced perfection.”

  She looked up at Noah and he nodded knowingly, then shook his head at her. “What?” she asked. “What’s that look?”

  “Sounds to me like you’re looking for reasons not to like the guy,” Noah said.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Abby asked, her face growing red.

  “That you don’t want to like him, so you’re coming up with reasons not to.”

  “Dude, what’s your problem?” Christopher asked, looking from Abby’s stricken face to Noah.

  “No problem,” Noah said. “I just . . . I suggest you jump on the bandwagon here, Ab. Your sister’s gonna get married no matter how much you mope and pout and slam doors.”

  Abby felt the color rise in her cheeks. “I am not moping and pouting and slamming do
ors,” she lied. How did he know that?

  “Hey, I know how you feel about Carol,” Noah said. “I’m surprised you’ve lasted through her entire college career. You can’t stand it when she’s away, so of course you’re gonna hate the guy who’s whisking her off to the Rockies.”

  “Oh, please.” Abby felt her face getting even hotter.

  “Come on, Abby, you know exactly what I’m talking about,” Noah said with an amused smile. “Remember when she went away to summer camp when you were twelve and left you behind? You spent the first two weeks of the summer whining and sulking. And making the lives of everyone around you miserable.”

  “That was, like, sixth grade, yo,” Christopher said.

  “Well, she did it again when Carol was a freshman and every September since then,” Noah said.

  Oh, God! Noah thinks I’m a baby? Abby was mortified. This day just keeps getting worse and worse.

  “So? So what if I love my sister?” Abby said. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing. It’s great!” Noah said. “But it’s also the point. This is your sister, Abby. It’s Carol. Can’t you just be happy for her?”

  Christopher stood up next to Abby, squaring his shoulders like he was her personal security detail. “Look, man, Abby thinks the guy is fake,” Christopher said. “And besides, Carol’s freakin’ twenty-two years old. Who gets married when they’re twenty-two?”

  “Come on, Ab, be honest,” Noah said, looking Abby in the eye. “Did you even take the time to get to know the guy?”

  Abby looked down at her feet. What was it with Noah today? It was like he’d developed psychic powers or something.

  “Ever hear of gut instinct, yo?” Christopher asked.

  “I’m trying to have a conversation with Abby,” Noah said firmly.

  “Well, from where I’m standing you’re not even listening to her,” Christopher replied.

  “I don’t really care how it sounds from where you’re standing.”

  “Dude, you want to step off or what?” Christopher made a move toward Noah.

  Noah didn’t flinch and Abby suddenly realized things were about to get bad. What was wrong with boys anyway?

  “You guys, chill out,” Abby said, stepping up next to them. “God, you want me to lose my job?”

  Christopher stared right past her at Noah. Abby gave Noah a pleading look, hoping to appeal to his more mature, less testosteroney nature.

  “Fine, I’m going,” Noah said. He looked at Abby and sighed. “Just think about what I said and try being happy for her. Hopefully this only happens once in a lifetime, right? You don’t want to wake up one day and realize you screwed up your sister’s wedding.”

  And without even looking at Christopher, Noah turned and walked out, leaving Abby with a fresh ball of guilt in her chest. She hadn’t thought about it that way—that this was a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Maybe Noah was right. Maybe it was time for her to jump on the bandwagon. The problem was, her heart was much too heavy for her to feel like jumping.

  “That guy’s a jerk,” Christopher said. “He’s always had it in for me for some reason, yo.” He blinked and looked at Abby, tipping his head to the side. “Hey. Maybe he likes you.”

  “What?” Abby blurted out, blushing. “Please. I don’t think so.”

  “No no no. I’m serious. Think about it. I bet money he’s jealous of me,” Christopher said. “I speak for all guys when I say the whole best guy friend thing throws us off when it comes to girls. Seriously. Why else would he always be such a jerk to me?”

  “Um, maybe because you’re polar opposites?” Noah dated girls like Courtney Elefnate and Diana Waters—the two most beautiful girls at Watertown High. Girls with mystique and presence and two-hundred-dollar highlights. He would never like Abby—the girl whom he had called Ab normal for most of her formative years. The girl who, he’d said himself many times, was like the sister he’d never had.

  “I’m gonna go put these in the back,” Abby said, grabbing up the rejected cleats.

  “Fine, don’t believe me!” Christopher called after her. “But I’m right, yo! I have a sixth sense about this stuff!”

  Abby ducked into the stockroom and leaned back against the wall to catch her breath, clutching the cleats to her chest. But that wasn’t possible. Was it?

  That evening Abby came home to the familiar sights of a wedding in progress. There were dozens of cars parked around the house and twinkling lights in the ballroom windows. Mike and Stephano, the valet guys, were sneaking cigarettes near the bushes by the kitchen. She nodded hello to them and headed in the side door. All she wanted was to get upstairs, take a long shower and call Delila. She had to talk to her friend about Christopher’s theory. On something as crucial as this, Abby needed a second opinion.

  As soon as Abby opened the door, she paused. Her parents’ voices, tense and hushed, were coming from the residence kitchen. This was odd on two levels. First, her parents were never in the residence while there was a wedding going on. Second, her parents’ voices were never tense, especially not when talking to each other. Abby approached the kitchen with caution. Her parents stopped talking the moment they saw her in the doorway. They were both dressed up in their wedding-night digs, and they both looked harried.

  “Hey,” Abby said, putting her bag down on a chair. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” her father said quickly. “How was work?”

  “It was fine,” Abby said. “What’s the matter?”

  Her mother exhaled loudly and smiled, running her hand over her forehead. “It’s silly, really. Your father and I were just discussing themes for Carol’s wedding. I want to do an English garden theme—”

  “Which is overdone and completely passé,” her father said.

  Abby blinked. Okay, had he just interrupted her?

  “And your father wants to do a candy store theme, which I think is far too cutesy and unsophisticated for Carol,” her mother finished.

  They both looked at Abby expectantly and Abby stared back until she realized they were expecting her to break the stalemate. This was too weird. “Why don’t you just throw some flowers on the table and be done with it?” she suggested. “There’s no reason to get all stressed about it. I mean, I’m sure Carol doesn’t care.”

  From the looks on her parents’ faces she may as well have just told them Carol was dead.

  “What?” Abby said.

  “How can you say that?” her mother asked. “Abigail Lynn, this is your sister’s wedding.”

  “Abby, your mother and I have been doing this for years, just looking forward to the days when we could use our expertise to plan your and your sister’s weddings,” her father said. “We are not going to just throw some flowers on the table and be done with it.”

  “I’d think you’d want better for your only sister,” her mother put in.

  Well, at least they’re agreeing now, Abby thought. Agreeing that I’m the party pooper.

  Abby heard Carol’s quick and light steps on the stairs. She practically skipped into the room and over to the refrigerator.

  “Hey, everyone!” she said, smiling as she popped open a Snapple. She whirled and looked at her family. “Whoa. Who died?”

  Just then the door to the residence opened and closed and Tucker shuffled into the kitchen, looking down at a piece of lined paper. He stopped at the threshold, his brow furrowed, having yet to notice he had company.

  “Good evening, Tucker,” Abby’s father said.

  Tucker visibly started, folded the paper up and shoved it in his back pocket. The color rose in his cheeks and he smiled nervously. Abby felt her internal radar go off. Something was up.

  “Baby!” Carol exclaimed, rushing over and planting a quick kiss on his lips. “How was the mall?”

  “Uh . . . fine,” Tucker said, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

  “You let him brave the Plaza alone?” Abby’s mother joked. “I’m surprised he found his way back.” The Plaza
mall was sprawling and crowded and notoriously void of parking.

  “I know. I should’ve gone,” Carol said, wrapping her arm around Tucker’s waist. “But I wanted to get a jump on the Colorado job hunt. I spent half the day on the Internet.”

  Abby swallowed hard.

  “What were you shopping for?” Abby’s dad asked.

  “I needed some . . . socks.” Abby glanced at his hands. No sign of any bags. “They didn’t have any,” he added quickly.

  “They didn’t have any socks? At the mall?” Abby asked.

  Tucker let out a laugh and backed out of the doorway. “Not the kind I wanted. Guess they only have them back home.”

  “Tucker’s all OCD about certain things,” Carol explained, grinning. “Socks being one of them.” She reached out and grabbed his hand. “Are we still going to the wharf?”

  “Yeah! Yes!” Tucker said quickly. “I’m gonna just go . . . change.” He turned and jogged up the stairs.

  Abby looked at Carol and her parents. They hadn’t seemed to notice a thing.

  “What’s with him?” Abby asked.

  “I think he’s adjusting to the idea of being here,” Carol said. “It can’t be easy living with the future in-laws. Especially if they’re giving you the third degree about socks,” she added pointedly to Abby.

  “What’d I do?” Abby asked.

  “Nothing. Forget it,” Carol said. “Do you have any plans tonight?”

  “Well, I—”

  “Because I thought you might want to come with us,” Carol interjected. “You know, get to know him a little?”

  Oh jeez. How am I gonna get out of this one? Abby thought. But one look at her sister’s hopeful face, and she knew she wasn’t going to say no. Clearly this meant a lot to Carol. Maybe Noah was right. Maybe it was about time Abby tried jumping on the bandwagon. And she could start by being nice to her future brother-in-law. Or trying to, anyway.

  The thought of Noah made Abby remember how desperately she needed to call Delila to go over everything. But apparently that was going to have to wait.

  “Okay,” she heard herself say. “I’m in.”

  “Wow,” Tucker said. “This is really beautiful.” He, Abby and Carol were drinking lattes from Starbucks and walking the boardwalk down by the water. Though she didn’t want to admit it, Abby had to agree with Tucker.