Page 50 of A Class of Her Own

“Meredith, you look amazing in that dress,” Ruby sidled up next to me and sat on a tall stool. “Did Willow dress you?”

I shifted my eyes from my drink to her face. “Yes, Willow loaned me the dress. I have to say, your makeup is leveled up tonight.” She’d drawn huge cat-eyed liner with bold green shadow, and her eyes looked far different than what I was used to seeing on her.

“Is it too much? I’m not trying to pull off a Halloween costume vibe.”

I straightened my head and patted her arm. “You look exotic and mysterious. It’s too bad this is a girls’ night thing, because if there were men around, they’d be all over you tonight.”

Her smile flashed. “Thanks. I do like to imagine a little macho drooling going on around me. Hailey and Aryn really know how to plan an event.”

I glanced around. “Who are all these women, and why do more keep coming?”

The small bar area had originally held just the five of us -- with Lizzie wearing a white cocktail dress and a little tiara. I’d been relieved and thought maybe my group of favorites was going to spend a night pampering ourselves and dressing up fancy. But more people had started arriving, and now there had to be at least fifteen people gathered around. I knew only two of them. Lizzie’s mom, Jan, and sister-in-law, Abby. The rest were total strangers, which only made me want to find the darkest corner possible and build a fort in it until everything was done.

Look—I’m not a total people hater. It’s more that people don’t really understand me and, over the years, I’ve learned it’s best to keep my distance for all our sakes. Social situations have always been awkward. As a child I didn’t relate to kids my age because, while they were playing dolls and riding bikes, I was a caretaker. As a young adult I didn’t relate to the whole ‘taking chances’ and ‘going boy crazy’ stuff because, yeah, I was paying bills and raising Ash. In my twenties I didn’t understand why people were still trying to act young. Things were getting better as my peers aged, and my rough edges were smoothing out, but things don’t magically adjust overnight.

“Lizzie grew up here,” Ruby said, answering my question. “She knows a lot of people. Plus her family is here.” She waved at Aryn, who looked like a supermodel in her sparkling dress with heels. “When Aryn wears heels it’s like her legs become extendo-legs, up to the sky. She looks great.”

I grinned at the image of the rubber-band mom from that kids’ movie. “She’s got legs for days.”

Aryn moved to where we were sitting and leaned up against the table, surveying the crowd. “I think everyone is here. Right on time. Hailey was right about timing.”

“She always is,” I replied.

“Can you believe Lizzie gets married in only two days?” Ruby sighed. “She’s so lucky.”

“She was lucky before she met Jackson, too,” I reminded Ruby. “Because Lizzie is a whole person who does not need a man to make her complete.”

Aryn smirked and walked away, uninterested in engaging with me. Plus, she probably had business to attend to.

Ruby, however, engaged. “You’re right, of course,” she said, looking at me with those glowing cat eyes. “But she’s happier now than I’ve ever seen her. Jackson makes her braver and lighter and she seems surer of herself with him in her corner. So, no more grumpy words about it. Just because you love being single and indestructible doesn’t mean the rest of us do.”

“You’re all indestructible too,” I muttered.

She nodded. “That’s true. But even strong things benefit from a support system. One piece of wood can lift a lot, but when you nail a second board alongside it, it can carry a lot more. Having a partner in life doesn’t take anything away from a person.”

“You’ve got the wrong idea,” I defended, feeling slightly uncomfortable suddenly. “I think it’s wonderful that Lizzie’s happy and Hailey has Ford. I’m really happy for them both. It’s a good thing.”

“It’s just not for you?”

I swallowed. “Exactly.”

A small smile tugged at her lips. “We’ll see, Meredith.”

Hailey called the room to order by clinking a knife against her glass. She too looked amazing in a turquoise dress with a short, flirty skirt, her light hair held back by gold clips. She was smiling at everyone, and I saw the same things in her that Ruby had mentioned about Lizzie. Hailey—at thirty years old—was coming out of her shell, and I had to admit that Ford had started that metamorphosis in her. She was growing into the potential the rest of us had always seen.

“Thank you all for coming to help us celebrate Lizzie and her upcoming marriage to Jackson,” Hailey called. There were some cheers, and Lizzie pumped her fists in the air, which made everyone laugh. “For our first stop we’ll be walking a few doors down to Bella’s where we’ll be taking a private cooking class.”

Lizzie cheered again and led the herd as they moved toward the doors, laughing and squealing and leaving their drink glasses anywhere they could find a place.

“We’re doing a cooking class in cocktail dresses?” I said to Ruby.

Her eyes fell to her own dress. “Oh boy. I have a spilling problem.”

“I have a sister problem—as in she loaned me this dress. I don’t want to have to pay for it if it gets stained.”

A warm hand landed between my shoulder blades. “Pep up, dear, and paste a smile on that mug,” Aryn said as she herded Ruby and I after the others.

“Cooking in fancy clothes?” I raised an eyebrow as I started walking.

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