Page 137 of Along Came Amor
Ava felt her cheeks heat, but she accepted the compliment with a smile. “Thanks.”
Shefeltbeautiful. Her “New Ava” edict to feel more confident in her own skin had taken hold, and she’d chosen a sleeveless emerald green sequined dress that came up to her neck but left her back bare. The skirt was tight and ended mid-thigh. She usually wore flared skirts to camouflage her hips, but tonight, she was embracing her curves.
Her makeup was light, save for a velvety plum lipstick, and she’d twisted her hair into an updo that left a riot of spirals cascading over the top of her head, with a few meticulouslychosen tendrils trailing down around her face. Since a party bus would be transporting the guests, she wore black stilettos that put her at six feet tall.
It had been a long time since she’d felt this pretty. And it feltgood.
While Patricia retrieved her purse, Ava snapped a selfie in the long mirror by the suite’s door and texted it to Roman.
Ava:Maybe I’ll see you tonight after the parties?
He replied thirty seconds later. First the heart-eyes emoji, then one word:
Roman:Maybe.
Followed by a winky-face.
Slipping her phone back into her slim black clutch, Ava indulged in a dreamy smile before her mother returned. The guys were going to a bar in Old San Juan for Ashton’s bachelor party, and she hoped they’d be back early enough for her to sneak away to see Roman. Otherwise, it was going to be hell not being able to touch him for the next two days because her family was around.
Patricia joined her, and they left the room and headed for the buses parked out front.
Michelle had organized the bachelorette party. All Ava knew was that they’d rented out a small venue at one of the neighboring resorts, and that a group called “The Adonis Experience” would be performing.
Not wanting to leave anything to chance, Ava had lookedthem up. The Adonis Experience was a highly-rated male stripper revue with a female emcee. For her own bachelorette party, Ava had chosen to do a wine tour of the Hudson Valley, which Jasmine had organized. It had poured for part of the day, she remembered. But by the time they reached the third vineyard, the sun had come out and everyone had danced drunkenly the whole bus ride home. It was probably the only thing that Hector or Olympia hadn’t ruined.
For some reason, finding a nice memory related to her own wedding experience eased an ache she hadn’t known she carried.
Huh. Something to examine more closely later.
“You sure about this?” Michelle asked Jasmine as the Primas of Power stood in front of the resort’s main entrance, supervising the loading of the buses. Jasmine had decided at the last minute to invite not just her friends and cousins, but her aunts, mother, and grandmothers. They’d had to order a second bus.
“Why not?” Jasmine said. “It’ll be fun.”
She wore a white strapless jumpsuit with loose pants that laced up the back. Her dark hair fell in perfectly styled waves around her bare shoulders, and a twinkly little tiara with a short veil sat on top of her head.
Michelle shrugged. “If you say so.”
Michelle was wearing black high-waisted short shorts with a black bralette covered only by a sparkly mesh crop top. Her black hair was pulled into a high ponytail. A tattoo featuring a stylized black cat sitting in a crescent moon made of flowers was visible on her forearm.
“We look like we’re going to three different parties,” Ava observed.
“Maybe, but we also look extremely hot,” Michelle replied.
Jasmine turned to Ava. “I wanted to ask you—”
Before she could finish, Titi Lisa came running over with her phone. “Smile, girls!”
Ava and Michelle posed on either side of Jasmine, mugging for the camera until Jasmine’s mom was satisfied. Then Michelle grabbed Jasmine’s arm and hustled her onto the first bus. “Time to go!”
Jasmine looked over her shoulder but Ava waved her off.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure the latecomers get on the other bus.”
Ava was in charge of the second party bus, which contained most of their older relatives. Two long padded benches lined both sides of the bus, with coolers tucked under the windows, a bathroom at the back, and, interestingly enough, a pole.
It was a short ride, but the women had found the chilled champagne bottles before Ava had gotten on, and they were all drinking expensive bubbly through penis-shaped straws in neon colors, courtesy of Ronnie. Abuela and Titi Nereida were giggling about “plátanos,” an obvious euphemism. Titi Val and Ava’s mom were reminiscing about the last time they had gone to a strip club, and Ava decided that there were some things she didn’t need to know. She carefully made her way toward the back of the bus to chat with Jasmine’s Filipina cousins from California, and counted her blessings that Olympia wasn’t arriving until tomorrow.
The venue was located in the lower level of the other resort. The air conditioner pumped out cool air, and the room smelled like liquor and citrus. A low, square stage jutted out from one end of the room, and a long bar lined the other end. Rows of chairs faced three sides of the stage, with the one front and center decorated with white and gold balloons and a banner that read, “Bride’s Last Ride.”
