Page 4 of Just for Fun
I don’t say anything, just continue on my sandwich, taking a small bite every so often. I am so focused on chewing that I almost choke at what he says next.
“Bring a date.” It sounds like a dare.
“Are you out of your mind? I’m not even seeing anyone, Owen!”
He crosses his arms over his chest and assesses me quietly.
“You need to get out more. You need to live,” he declares. “I refuse the mere thought of my future children having an aunt who’s an old cat lady.”
I am deeply offended by his statement. “I don’t have a cat,” I tell him. “And even if I did, there is nothing wrong with that. Besides…” I twist a napkin in between my fingers. “If I wanted a date, I could get one in no time.”
I am bluffing and he knows it, so he calls me out on it.
“There’s a little over a month between now and the weekend of the Fourth. Plenty of time for you to find a date and bring him to my friends’ party.”
I cross my arms over my chest and lean back, mimicking his stance.
“That’s stupid,” I say.
He smirks at me. “You can’t do it, huh?”
My mouth drops in shock, and I gasp out loud at his audacity. “I can do anything I want, big brother.”
He lets out a low chuckle. “Then prove it, little sister.”
TWO
Kyle
I don’t knowhow it happened, but I am surrounded by couples. The only odd couple here is me and my buddy Alex.
“Hey,” I elbow him in the ribs. “How the fuck are we the only people here who are single?”
He frowns and looks around the table. I see the exact moment the realization hits him.
“Fuck, I don’t know.”
I start counting. We have our friend, Cal, who is here with his girlfriend, Evie. Then there’s our other buddy, Ray. He is here with his fiancée, Hayden. They are actually the main reason why we’re here, to celebrate their upcoming nuptials. We also have Ray’s father with his own fiancée, Evie’s parents, who are the oldest couple here, not necessarily in age but longevity. We also have our other friend, James, and his girl, Carrie.
And then, there’s me and Alex, sitting like two bumps on a log, doing our best to fit into the conversation going on around us.
“Your baby is just so adorable, Carrie,” Hayden, the bride-to-be, calls across the table. “When me and Ray have a baby, I want one just like yours.”
Ray is not prepared for that part of the conversation. He about chokes on the sip of his drink.
“What baby?” he asks, making everyone laugh. “We’re having a baby?”
Hayden shrugs him off. “Not now, goofball. In the future. If it happens.” Her face softens up a bit when she looks at Ray. “And only if we’re both on the same page about it.”
“Same page?” Ray is ready to burst out of his seat. “I’m ready to start on one right now!”
“Jesus…” All the guys at the table groan in unison while all the ladies clap with excitement.
“Hayden, if you have a girl, she could marry Carry and James’ son,” Ray’s future stepmother suggests.
That only starts a friendly argument with Evie, who is Carrie’s best friend, and who announces that she claimed Carrie’s son as her future son-in-law way before now. They go back and forth for the longest time.
Since I have nothing to participate with in the conversation, I signal for a refill on my drink. The waiter rushes over right way, grabbing my empty glass and dropping another full one in front of me.
