Page 21 of June Bride
“Let’s clean you up a bit and get you back out there. You’re probably not gonna remember tonight because you’re sostupidlydrunk, but I’ll make sure you’re drunk and having fun at your bachelorette party, not drunk and crying in the damned bathroom. Let’s go.”
Sunny felt a little better after she splashed some water on her face and straightened out her clothing. Laughter and music filtered through the door, implying the bar patrons – and Sunny’s guests – had already moved on to other topics and games. Although she stumbled through the door, Sunny adopted the attitude that this would be the most fun she had without Brandelyn in a long while, but maybe she’d drink water or Coke for the rest of the night.
The bar fell into silence about five seconds after Sunny emerged from the restroom.
“Oh, that’s not good.” Anita, who still had her arm wrapped around her friend, said. “Someone’s stolen your thunder at your bachelorette party.”
“Is it that celebrity lady?” Sunny leaned against the nearest table, nausea overwhelming her again. “Because you have to make a reservation to stay at Waterlily House. She hasn’t… she hasn’t made a reser… reserva… ah…”
“Nope. It’s definitely not that actress,” Anita said, staring ahead.
“Did you know that Brandy’s sister got married at a New York City courthouse? City hall? Something like that? Her mom wassoooopissed.”
“Nope,” Anita said again. “It’s not the mayor.”
“Who is…”
The answer came with the parting of the crowd before them. Sunny had to rub her eyes before making out the familiar figure barging through the door and looking around. For her.
Chapter 13
BRANDELYN
While this was certainly unconventional, Brandelyn couldn’t help but leave her family behind at the house and drive down to Paradise Lost, the place where she first beheld the beauty she was destined to marry.
Sunny didn’t look quite as beautiful now, however.What the hell happened to her? She’s beyond drunk!Drunk and related to the town crypt keeper, apparently. Poor Sunny looked like she had been smacked with the ugly stick, that carried with it poor posture, sweaty brows, slovenly clothing, and an agape mouth that didn’t know how to close. Her usually put together fiancée had left her comb at home, and her eyes were so puffy that Brandelyn had flashbacks to her hay fever patients that usually descended around that time of year.
“What in the…” Brandy was aware that everyone was staring at her. Well, yes. This was her fiancée’s bachelorette party, and Brandy wasnotsupposed to impose. Yet when she decided to find Sunny and properly apologize for how things had been going in the lead up to their wedding, she knew she couldn’t wait. This fissure could no longer divide them. Not in such pivotal days. What if this week foretold the rest of their marriage? It had to be done now. Apologies laid out. A small heart to heart before Sunny got back to her partying. Surely, it wasn’t so late that Sunny was on her ass, yes?
Apparently, it was.
“Oh, my God. Is she okay?” Brandy asked Anita, the woman supposedly responsible for this mess.I’m not one to tell Sunny who to be friends with, but if it weren’t for Anita’s job as a teacher, I would seriously question her responsible nature.Like if she had one. Because although Anita dressed herself like a sensible woman, she was usually behind Sunny’s party days. Not to mention some of Sunny’s wilder ideas…
“She’s a little drunk. Someone’s been enjoying her bachelorette party, that’s all.” Anita platonically ran her fingers through Sunny’s tangled hair, like a mother attempting to gussy up her unruly child.I can smell the stench of beer from here. How many did she have?Sunny could drink more than most assumed from looking at her. Brandy always considered herself a “medium weight,” thanks to a healthy dose of wine every day at dinner. When Sunny got to drinking, though? She reminded Brandy that some people could knock back three beers in a row and barely be tipsy. It wasn’t until she met the Crokers that she understood.
Seeing Sunny like this? She must have drunk half the stock in Paradise Lost!
“Brandy?” Did Sunny only now realize that her fiancée was here? Why were people staring at them like this?I have no idea what’s going on, and I don’t like it.One thing for people to gossip about Brandy crashing the bachelorette party. Quite another for them to assume the worst. “What… what are you doing here?”
Brandelyn squared her shoulders. “Can we talk in private for a few minutes? There’s something I really want to say.”
Anita looked between her drunken friend and the woman coming to abscond her. “I mean, sure,” Anita said, “but she’s pretty sloshed. She also might have… um…”
A middle-aged woman with dyed orange hair and a blue sweater that screamedI bought this in the city,rushed up to them with a giant smile on her face. “Hi, Brandy! Remember me? It’s Jill, Sunny’s aunt!”
Brandy was only slightly taken aback at this woman’s sudden presence. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to intrude upon the festivities, but there’s something I really need to talk to my fiancée about.”
Both Jill and Anita looked to Sunny, who swayed in place and raised her eyebrows as if Brandy came to flirt.
“She’s a bit inebriated, don’t you think?” Jill popped a gummy candy into her mouth. Brandy couldn’t help but notice that it was shaped like a pair of breasts.God help me if this is what my bachelorette party is like.Sunny could have all the inappropriate fun she wanted, as long as she kept her hands to herself, but it reallywasn’tBrandelyn’s style. Instead of saying it was nature, however, she chalked it up to years of medical practice. After a while, it was hard to get excited about disembodied breasts.
“Obviously, I can talk to her later, but I didn’t think she would be quite like this yet.”
“I’m right here, you know.” Sunny stood up straight, pulled up her sagging jeans, and did her best impression ofSober Sunny.“You wanna talk? All right. Let’s go talk outside. I need some fresh air, anyway.” She turned to Anita before putting one foot forward. “Could you grab me something to drink?Notbeer.”
“You want a Coke? They got the new ones with orange in them.”
“Hell, yeah, that’s what I want. Have her put it on my tab.”
