Page 53 of One Night Only
“Annie and I met on our first day of college, which means, besides her parents, I’ve known her longer than anyone in this room. She sits here now as the elegant, levelheaded woman who we know and love, but I think it’s important that as her new family and friends, you all understand that for most of her twenties, she had terrible taste in men.” I switch notecards as they laugh exactly where I hoped they would.
“I didn’t think Paul would be any different,” I continue. “The first time I was supposedto meet him was at our friend Claudia’s dinner party. Annie planned to use the occasion to introduce him to everyone. That was on a Friday. I ended up meeting him on the Tuesday before, which just so happened to be Annie’s birthday. Because their relationship was so new, she hadn’t told him. She didn’t want him to feel any pressure and as many of you know, despite our grand surroundings, she doesn’t like being the center of attention. But somehow Paul found out and convinced Annie to give him her key so he could drop something over while she was at work. Which is why I arrive home that evening not to only see a stranger in my apartment but to find the place covered in flowers. And not just any flowers,” I add, glancing at the couple. “Daisies. Daisies, which, of course, Annie is allergic to.”
Annie grins as Paul drops his face into his hands.
“My introduction to Paul was not him charming me over the dinner table as Annie had hoped but the two of us scrambling around the apartment, trying to get rid of several hundred dollars’ worth of flowers before she got home. We do not succeed, and she arrives back only to have an immediate sneezing fit. The leftover pollen was so bad that she had to move out for two days while our building manager vacuumed the place out. That was actually the first night she spent at Paul’s place, which, now that I think about it, was probably his plan all along.” I pause, smiling as I remember.
“It was a disaster. But it also told me everything everyone in this room already knows about Paul. That he is an idiot but that he loves her. He loves her and he’s crazy about her and he will do whatever he can to make her smile. And despite the fact that she had a rash for several days afterward, I don’t think she’s stopped smiling since.” I falter, the last few words catching unexpectedly in my throat.
Turn to A+P.I do just that.
“What you two have is something so many people dream of,” I say. “And though the journey is really just beginning for the two of you, you make me believe in happily-ever-afters. I love you both so much and I’m so happy for you.”
Applause. Tuck your skirt when you sit.
I sweep a hand under me, gathering my dress as everyone claps. Paul’s godfather gets to his feet and Annie leans over, mouthing athank youas I gulp back my champagne.
For the first time since the ceremony, Declan’s eyes meet mine and he inclines his head in a subtlewell donethat means more to me than I’d like it to. And as the next speech begins, I reach for a fresh glass and do my best to pay attention.
After the speeches and the dinner are done, we move on to the real party. A local Irish dancing school is brought in and Connor finds great amusement in cajoling one of them to try and teach me a few steps. I barely make it one leap before I’m out of breath and plead American ignorance as they skip easily before me.
You’d think after the first few songs, people would get tired. We’re only human after all. There would be time for a rest.
Apparently not.
The night wears on but the dancing never stops. The food never stops. Despite an impressive stereo system waiting to go in the corner, a traditional band is still on the small stage, playing their hearts out. They swing wildly between soulful Irish ballads before suddenly launching into “Sweet Caroline.” I can’t keep up.
Eventually, knowing I’ll faint if I don’t, I break away from the dance floor, fanning myself. “I need a break,” I say to a chorus of boos. “I have to sit down. I have to.”
Annie catches me halfway across the floor. We’ve both exchanged our heels for sneakers, and if anything, she should be the one lagging, but she seems to have caught a little of the Irish spirit.
“You’re very popular,” Annie shouts as one of the cousins tries to woo me back.
“He’s fourteen!”
She only laughs as she’s whisked away and I escape gratefully to the snack bar that arrived magically at midnight, wheeled in by an indulgent staff member. The spread seems to be made up exclusively of white bread, creamy yellow butter and a various assortment of chips.
“Crisp sandwiches,” someone had told me earlier. “You can’t beat them.”
I thought after dinner I couldn’t eat another bite, but all the dancing has made me hungry, so I grab a handful of chips from a bowl at the side and make my way to the safety of the wall.
I collapse in a chair and check my watch. It’s after two in the morning. We’ve been dancing for hours.
“Drink this.”
A glass of clear liquid is thrust in my direction. I look up at the person holding it, momentarily hopeful.
But it’s the wrong brother.
“It’s only water,” Paul laughs, mistaking my expression. I take it gratefully as he sits next to me.
“How are you holding up?”
“I’m exhausted,” I say truthfully. “How do you do this?”
“Years of practice. You’re doing great. But no one will mind if you want to slip out.”
“An Irish goodbye, huh? Now I know why you guys do that.”
