Page 75 of Man Cuffed
“SMILE, DAMMIT!” the photographer yells. “PRETEND YOU LOVE EACH OTHER.”
“I’m sure that’s a funny little joke in most families,” Julie says from somewhere nearby. Then she heaves a sigh.
“Oh dear,” Rosie whispers.
I smile like my life depends on it. Because I can’t wait to get the fuck away from here. The shutter clicks eagerly, and the photographer dismisses us.
“BUT STAY CLOSE,” she yells. “WE’RE NOT DONE.”
Fuck.
My brother stomps a few feet away. He’s actually shooting me angry looks.
My blood pressure doubles immediately.
That’s when Meg’s pinky finger hooks into mine. “Somebody needs a hug and a shot of whiskey.”
“Since I can’t have the second thing, I’ll take a double of the first,” I grumble.
“Why Macklin! You sweet talker.” Meg steps into my personal space and wraps her luscious arms around me. “You’re doing great,” she whispers.
“No, you are,” I whisper back, squeezing her a little tighter.
“I wasn’t kidding about the whiskey,” she returns. “I have a flask.”
“Shut the front door!” I hiss.
“It’s true.”
“You are a total babe.”
She releases me and then opens her purse. “Tell me something I don’t know.” She pulls out a flask that’s studded with pink rhinestones. It looks like something that Miss Piggy might have designed.
“I think if you put whiskey in a flask like that, it changes into schnapps.”
She slaps my hand. “Don’t harsh on my flask. It amuses me.”
I catch myself smiling even before I take a swig. “You amuse me.” I tip the flask and take a swallow of single malt. “You’re a genius as well as a total babe.”
“NOW THE FAMILY AGAIN,” bellows the photographer.
I trudge back into the fray and allow the loudmouthed photographer to arrange me next to my mother and Aunt Lucille.
“Show me some leg, Mac!” Meg cheers from the sidelines. “Work it, hot stuff!”
“I really like her,” Aunt Lucille says with a sigh. “The next wedding will be yours. I predict it.”
My laughter is explosive. “No fucking way. Because then we’d have to take more of these pictures.”
“Good point, honey.”
I steal another glance at Meg, and I’m surprised to see that Julie is speaking to her. She seems to be asking for something.
Meg removes the flask from her purse and passes it to Julie, who takes a gulp. And then another one.
Jesus Christ, Julie broke my life in half, and now she’s drinking the whiskey that Meg brought as a gift for me. Will the girl stop at nothing?
“NOW WE’LL TRY A HUMAN PYRAMID.”
