Romance Novel - Chpt 2

Chapter 2

The wedding party had entered and been announced to “Don’t you want me baby” as a joke by Monique and Todd. If the guest thought it strange, they didn’t say anything, but merely clapped and cheered as the names were announced.

The wedding party all took their seats and the bride and groom cut the cake, then the toast were to be given. While the best man, who was also the groom’s brother, waxed on in a joking sort of way about his and the groom’s exploits as small children, Maya smiled and wracked her brain to remember what she’d written.

She hadn’t been listening and the applause jerked her out of her thoughts. Just have to wing it I guess, forgive me Monique.

Maya stood and grabbed her glass of champagne for a prop to hang on to, but had to set back down when the cordless microphone was passed her way. To cover her gaff, she made a show of setting down the glass, then picking it back up and taking a large swig, then with a flourish, setting it back down again.

The audience chuckled a bit and someone yelled “Drink it down Maya!”

“Thank you. Thank you. That’s some really good champagne!” a few claps and hollers. “Well, I think we all know why were here today and it’s not just how Todd and Ron gave their mother a heart condition.” More laughter. Ron’s speech must have been pretty good. “No, that’s right, were all here to get rip roaring drunk!” The audience laughed harder as Monique cried “Hey!” and swiped at Maya. “Just kidding. That’s only a bonus.” She grinned widely. “No, we are here to day, to wish Monique and Todd, every possible happiness, that we’d all wish for ourselves. Yeah like any of us ever find happiness. I want to end, not by embarrassing Monique.” A few chuckles. “If you want embarrassing stories, see me after the meal! No, I want to wish them an Irish blessing.” Here she paused. “If I can remember it! Ummm, okay, here it is:

May God be with you and bless you
May you see your children's children
May you be poor in misfortunes,
Rich in blessings
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

Salut! Everyone.” She raised her glass, and so did everyone else and they toasted the bride and groom who kissed and were applauded. As Maya sat down, Monique leaned over and gave her a quick squeeze. “Love you too Maya Bird. And you get to live another day for leaving out the embarrassing stories.”

“Oh yeah? Just for that…” Maya picked up her fork and started tapping the side of her glass. Soon everyone in the room had joined in and the Bride and Groom were forced to kiss, just to shut them all up.

Maya grinned and sat back to enjoy the reception doing her best not to think about her lying, cheating ex.

She was surveying the room, when she spotted a blonde head bounce up from a table at the back of the room, revealing the same lying, cheating Ex. she’d just been trying not to think about.

She was turning to Michelle at the same time Michelle must have spotted him because she gasped and her hands started to fly up to her mouth. Maya caught them half way there, and pushed them back to her lap.

“Don’t react.” Maya mumbled under her breath. “Everyone is watching us, and I don’t want to react to this.”

“I can’t believe he’d have the gall to show his two-timing face here after what he did upstairs!” She was whispering, but her voice was reaching a whispered screech as she spoke.

Not looking at either one of them, Monique leaned slightly toward them and whispered “What’s going on?”

At that moment, the photographer popped up in front of the table and raised his camera, attempting to get a candid shot, but the three girls were quicker and threw their arms around each other, grinning widely. The camera flashed and the photographer pulled back to look at the digital screen on the back.

“Oooh, you were faster than me, but not fast enough. It’s a little blurry. You mind if I take another.

Monique, ever the classy one of the group said “But of course! Please do.” And she offered him her sweetest smile.

Michelle and Maya smiled too, but there grins were a little goofier from trying not to laugh at Monique. Her “princess attitude” as they called it, always set them off in fits of laughter.

The photographer moved on to terrorize the other guests and Monique turned on them full. “What were you two so upset about?”

“It’s nothing.” Maya lied smoothly. “I promise.”

“You’re a liar” Monique called her on it “and your going to tell me everything later. Deal?”

“Deal” Maya and Michelle said in unison.

The rest of the meal, the two girls were careful not to discuss Jack’s presence because they didn’t want Monique to even be aware of the situation. This was her wedding day and neither girl would do anything to ruin it.

They did however keep a close eye on Jack and realized that the blonde next to Jack was the same Bambie, as Maya now thought of her, as Maya had seen back in the motel room.

After the couple dance, and the father daughter, mother son dance, there was the attendants dance.

Ron jokingly grabbed her hand and hauled him up to his chest, then did an elaborate dip with her, all before the music even began.

Laughing she informed him of what a dork he was, and then lowered her voice and asked “Do you know who the blonde is sitting next to Jack?”

Ron spun her around so he could get a good look at the table and let out a low whistle. “Oh yeah! That’s Jenna Sizowski. She is HOT!”

“They’re not real you know” Maya said, referring to Jenna/Bambie’s breast.”

“Oh yeah, I know. So do half the guys in this room. She is one hot piece of ass.”

“Are you telling me she’s slept with all those guys.” Them and the entire football team, soccer team, basketball-“

“I get the picture. Thanks. What the hell is she doing here? She’s not a friend of Todd’s is she? Oh my gosh, she and Todd haven’t …”

“NO! No, no, no. Todd and I DO NOT share woman. No, she’s here as a date for Brad” Ron said referring to one of the other groomsmen.

“Oh” was all Maya said, but her brain was connecting the dots. While all the bridesmaids and groomsmen were tied up with the photographer, Jack and Jenna/Barbie must have met somehow and decided to kill time cheating on both there dates.

Ron had let the silence ride for a minute before he asked “Why you askin’?”

“Does Brad know about her?”

“Of course.” Ron shrugged in that non-chalant way that guys have. That’s probably why he brought her.”

“Okay.” If that’s the way Brad was, then she wasn’t going to concern herself with telling him what his date had been doing.”

“Maya? Why are you asking?” Ron asked again, more serious this time.

“No special reason.” She forced a smile on her face. “I was just curious.”

He didn’t look like he believed her, but she was saved from answering by the ending of the song.

“Thanks for the info Ron, she said briskly and quickly walked away before he could ask anymore questions.

She made a beeline for the bar, the DJ saying in the background “All righty then, where going to open up the dancing with an oldie, but a goody. If you have any special request throughout the evening, just come on over and let us know. If we have it, we’ll play it.”

“That could be dangerous.” Maya muttered to herself.

“Excuse me? What did you say?” Asked a voice behind her.

Maya turned around see who owned the voice, only to find herself staring at the brick wall she’d run into earlier.

She looked up into emerald green eyes and said “You again?”

“Yes mam.” He replied crisply. “I saw you in line at the bar and came to pay my debt. I believe I owe you beer.”

“You don’t owe me anything.” She said incredulously. “It’s an open bar.” True. Maybe I could persuade you to have a beer with me some other time.”

She surveyed the man's face carefully for a minute. It was a nice face. Sort of cross between a young Robert Redford and a young Harrison Ford. There were some creases around his eyes, and deep laugh lines around his mouth. She shouldn’t say yes, she’d just broken up with her fiancé, but found herself doing so anyway.

“That’d be nice.”

“How about tomorrow night? 7 p.m. at the Star Bar?”

“Okay.”

They’d made their way to the front of the line and before she could say anything he said “The lady’ll have a Bud light, in the bottle. That’s right isn’t it?”

“Umm, yeah. Thanks.” She grabbed her bottle and dropped a dollar tip in the jar. “See ya around…”

“Scott.”

“Maya.”

“Maybe we can dance later?”

“Don’t push it.” And with that, she walked away.