Girl Crush(83)

I stood and walked around my desk and took my best friend’s hands that had been flying in the air to animate her statements. “I’m thinking that I love him. And this is what he wanted to do. You know I don’t care about this kind of thing.” I desperately needed her approval. More than anyone, I had to know she was by my side in this. “I want my child to have the same last name as its father…and I want to share that with them. I don’t want to keep running around like a tornado waiting to land. Collier is it for me, and I don’t care if that means meeting him at the courthouse.”

Still holding my hands, she plopped down into the chair she’d almost toppled over, and her boobs pounced on her impact. “I never thought you’d do it again.” When she looked up at me, her eyes were pooled with tears. And the corners of her mouth slowly tipped up into a grin. “Does he know I’ll kill him if he fucks up?” My best friend winked at me and nothing else mattered.

Ronnie had been with me through adolescence, puberty, boys, marriage, adultery, divorce, girls, and now Collier. I couldn’t wait to see her with my son or daughter. And for the first time since she started hounding me about the size of my melons, I was excited about where my life was going. Not that I wasn’t before, but there was something keeping me from letting go and free falling, and that hang-up was now gone.

I leaned against the desk and waited for her to say something more. Her eyes met mine, and she smiled. “What color nail polish are you wearing for the big event?”

My head dropped back in laughter. “Never a Dulles Moment.”

“Wait, isn’t that an ugly-ass curry color?”

“I prefer matte gold.”

“You are not wearing that on your fingers to your wedding. I don’t care if you get married in a cardboard box. Not going to happen.” She pulled her phone out and started Googling something, likely nail polish choices. This was mission critical. “I’m going to run down to the nail shop.”

“Ronnie, I can go after work. Just tell me what color you’re thinking.”

She turned the phone around so I could see the screen. The hibiscus pink was perfect for a wedding, but the writing was too small for me to see.

“What’s it called?”

“Getting Nadi on my Honeymoon.” We both burst out laughing, and I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather have shared this moment with…even if Collier would be mad that Ronnie knew ahead of time.

“I’ll pick it up tonight on my way home.” I paused before addressing my friend. “V, you know you still have to come in a swimsuit, right? Whatever he has planned, he expects you to think it’s a pool party.”

“I got it. I got it. But, I am going to encourage all the girls to go shopping tonight. If they don’t heed the warning, that’s on them. I, however, will be camera ready with new digs and perfect hair and makeup.”

She slung her enormous purse over her shoulder and stood on her outrageously expensive heels. Her eyes had turned bloodshot, and I knew she was fighting tears, again. “I love him for you.” That was the biggest compliment my bitch of a best friend could pay—no one had ever been good enough for me.

No one.





20





Collier had been all kinds of secretive Friday night, and Saturday morning, he shipped me off to a spa for a couple of hours of pampering. I took my new bottle of OPI with me and enjoyed the royal treatment—manicure, pedicure, massage, hair, and makeup. As the girl finished setting my face with some mist to hold her work in place, my nerves set in. Or maybe it was morning sickness. Whichever it was sent me flying to the bathroom to empty my stomach. I wiped my mouth and dreaded looking in the mirror for fear of what my retching had done to the paint on my face. To my surprise, every bit of it held, including the mascara when my eyes watered. The only thing that needed a touch-up was my lips. This girl was good.

She fixed my lipstick and seemed as pleased as I was. I’d opted for a more casual up-do and added fresh flowers to make it special. But with the natural appearance of my makeup, the high ponytail with large curls fit perfectly. I hadn’t wanted to break the bank on a dress I’d wear once, especially not one only donned poolside. But the one I’d found caught my attention and hid my rounding belly with an empire waist while accentuating my ta-tas. The spaghetti straps were perfect for the location, and the material was light and flowy. Organza with a gauze-like overlay that gathered in the center just beneath the dropped V-neck. The skirt skimmed the tops of my toes, and I’d opted to go barefoot. And instead of lingerie underneath, I chose a white strapless bikini to be able to enjoy the sun with my friends. Although I probably should have cleared that part with Collier.

By the time I got home, cars had filled our driveway, most of which I recognized, and one or two I didn’t. I parked in the garage, but when I went inside, Ronnie stood waiting for me in the kitchen. She whisked me away to a bedroom facing the front yard and held me captive.

“What are we doing back here?”

She opened the closet to reveal the plastic my dress hung in. “You need to change clothes. Your friends are out back.”

I closed the door behind me to ensure no one walking by got a peek at the goods. “Did you get the swimsuit, too?”

“I grabbed everything that was with the dress. It’s in the bottom of the garment bag.”