The Friends We Keep(41)
Evvie got out and thanked the driver, who lugged her suitcases into the lobby. She had three, all huge, matching Louis Vuitton trunks.
“No!” A tall flurry of red hair and freckled skin came dashing toward her. “You’re still traveling with the giant Vuittons!”
Evvie was embraced in Maggie’s arms as her eyes filled with tears. The one person she had tried not to think about when she thought about Ben was Maggie. It was so good to see her, to rock back and forth with her in the lobby.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” crooned Maggie, refusing to let her go. “I have to buy all the magazines to see you now. It’s been years. Oh, Evvie, I’m so, so happy you came.”
“I’m so happy I came too,” said Evvie, meaning it for the first time. “Is Topher here? I tried to get on the same flight but I had a booking and couldn’t make it earlier.”
“Do I hear my name being taken in vain?” Suddenly, Topher was there, wrapping his arms around both Maggie and Evvie in a group hug as Evvie forgot about Ben for the first time in hours, reveling in being back with her old friends.
“I hope you’re ready for champagne, because I just ordered us a bottle of Cristal in the bar,” Topher said.
“You’re so fancy.” Maggie giggled, looping an arm through each of theirs and marching them through to the bar. “I feel like we’re the three musketeers.”
“We are, and you’re the fancy one this weekend,” Topher said. “You look absolutely gorgeous.”
“Do you think?” Maggie asked. “I’ve been detoxing like crazy to try to get a glow, and I had my eyebrows dyed last week. You don’t think they’re too heavy?”
“You look the most beautiful I have ever seen you,” said Evvie, for it was true.
“I can’t believe you’re marrying Evil Ben.” Topher shook his head. “What an insanely small, crazy world it is. Do you make him smile more than he used to?”
Maggie snorted, the champagne coming out of her nose. “Do you remember how serious he was! Remember how much you hated him, Evvie?” Maggie laughed, missing Evvie’s flush. “He is so not who we thought he was. He’s really kind, and thoughtful. And . . .” She lowered her voice. “He is rather excellent in the sack.”
“Too much information,” said Evvie, desperately wanting to change the subject.
“Are you kidding?” Topher frowned at her. “I want all the grisly details.”
“I want the details on the dress,” lied Evvie as Maggie went off on a tangent describing finding the perfect dress.
“So where is the groom?” asked Topher, after a while. “Do we get to see him before the rehearsal dinner? Is he going to be nice to us or will he be grumpy?”
“You’ll see him tonight and of course he’ll be nice to you. He can’t wait to see you again. Evvie, every time I bring home a magazine that you’re in, he steals it from me. I know you never really knew each other, but I think he’s so proud by some kind of osmosis.”
Evvie swallowed hard. That was the first thing Maggie had said that hurt. What went through his mind when he looked at pictures of her? Did he feel sadness, or regret? Or worse, anger? Or would it be worse if it were relief? And why did he look at her pictures? She forced a smile.
“That’s so cute,” she said eventually.
“Isn’t it? I wish you guys lived here. I wish the three of us could see each other every day. Thank God I’ve found Ben or I’d definitely get you to agree to a pact to live together again.”
“I’d live together again,” said Topher. “I may be loving New York but I’ll always be a committed Anglophile. I’d be over here in a heartbeat if I didn’t have the soap opera. And I don’t mind agreeing to a pact. Frankly, I think it’s a great idea. Not that anything’s going to happen to you and Ben, but if, for whatever reason, we all find ourselves on our own at sixty, how about we live together again?”
“Sixty?” Maggie asked, askance. “Our lives will practically be over. How about fifty?” She turned to Evvie, who laughed.
“Sure. I’m in. But you definitely won’t be on your own. You’re marrying Ben. Topher and I will be the old maids living together.”
“I very much hope I won’t be on my own at fifty, but just in case, shake.” Maggie extended a hand, and they all shook, with large grins on their faces. Maggie looked at Topher. “I can’t believe I haven’t asked you anything about your job on that soap opera!” Maggie clapped her hands. “Tell us everything. Are you hugely famous? Do you love what you do?”
“I love what he does,” said Evvie. “I watch that show every damn day. Topher is amazing. You are so good, and I’m dying to know who killed Cassandra.”
“My lips are sealed.” Topher laughed. “Seriously. We sign contracts and we are not allowed to say anything. But between you and me, let’s just say you should be keeping an eye on Clay.”
“Do you have legions of women sending you fan mail?”
“I do,” he said. “And a few gay men. Larry’s more bothered by the gay men than the women, but he trusts me.”
“Tell us about Larry,” Maggie said. “I’m so sorry he couldn’t be here.”