The men, (Lee and Hank had been joined by Vance, Matt and Bobby), were upstairs watching a bal game and drinking beer. Duke had gone home to Dolores, Tex had gone home to the cats and Jane just went home (she didn’t do crowds).
“Aiyeee!” Tod screamed, “Is that Modern Bride? I love Modern Bride. Move over,” he said, not exactly moving me over but shoving me off an armchair so I landed on my ass on the floor and he confiscated the magazine I was flipping through by ripping it out of my hands.
“I’m thinking wedding colors green and yel ow,” Tod decided. “No, no, pale blush and burgundy,” he changed his mind. “No, sapphire and ice,” he changed his mind again.
I didn’t know “ice’ was a color.
Indy started giggling.
Stevie popped open a bottle of wine.
“Get the glasses!” he shouted, then looked around,
“What the hel , we’re celebrating and we have enough so that everyone can have their own.”
Then he took a swig straight out of the bottle.
*
We were al playing Yahtzee. I was wel into my personal bottle of wine, wedged between Hank and Vance at Indy’s dining room table.
She’d opened it up so that it was huge but stil , it was a crush with eleven people sitting around it. It was my turn in a few goes when the phone in my back pocket rang.
I pul ed it out and saw the display said, “Eddie cal ing”.
“Damn,” I whispered.
Then I took a hearty tug on my bottle with both Hank and Vance watching. I was pretty sure they’d seen the display on my phone, which meant I couldn’t ignore it like I wanted to.
I flipped it open.
“Hey,” I said.
“Where are you?” Eddie asked.
I looked at the table, everyone had their eyes on me.
Wonderful.
I hated that.
“I’m at Indy and Lee’s, drinking sparkling wine and playing Yahtzee. Indy and Lee got engaged today and we’re celebrating,” I answered.
Silence.
“Eddie? Did you hear me? Indy and Lee got engaged.” More silence.
Hmm.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“I’m standin’ in my bedroom lookin’ at the empty space where your bag used to be.”
Eek!
I gave a weak smile to the table, got up and started towards the kitchen.
“I meant to tel you,” I said as I was walking.
“When?”
I hadn’t actual y meant to tel him. I had meant to avoid him until I had a chance to figure out what I meant to tel him.
Which meant, figure out my life, sort out Fortnum’s and Smithie’s and then say good-bye. I got sidetracked by the Smithie’s and then say good-bye. I got sidetracked by the informal engagement party, the sparkling wine and the Yahtzee.
I cursed wedding magazines, champagne and dice games and hit the kitchen.
“Maybe we can talk about this later,” I suggested.
“When?”
I figured Eddie was pretty good in an interrogation room.
“Eddie…”
“I’l be there in ten.”
No.
No, no, no.
“I’m leaving in a few minutes,” I lied. I didn’t intend to leave, I had the bonus points al tied up in that game and I was cruising to a win (or, at least, one of the top three). I only had a ful house and a chance left and Tod said ful houses were easy to get.
“You’re not there when I get there, I’l find you and it won’t be good when I do.”
Dear Lord.
“Eddie…”
But he’d disconnected.
Eddie showed up and, luckily, he was forced into the celebration by the very fact that it was a celebration. He gave Indy a hug and Lee a man-hug (one-armed, hearty slap on the back that would probably leave a bruise, al the while shaking hands).
Then his eyes locked on me.
They were glittery.
Not good.
Not good.
I was back to being wedged between Vance and Hank.
Hank slid his seat away from me, Lee found a chair and Eddie flipped it into a super-wedge in the space Hank left.
He sat beside me, close beside me, his hand curled around my neck and he pul ed me to him. His lips hit my cheek and moved to my ear.
“Don’t even think about it,” he said.
My stomach clutched and I was pretty sure I was having heart palpitations.
“Yahtzee!” Stevie shouted and I jumped.
Eddie let me go and sat in the next game drinking from my bottle of wine.
I kind of wanted to ask for another one, I was thinking drunk was definitely the way to go.
Once the game was over, Daisy got up and declared,
“Marcus’l be wonderin’ where I am.”
She said her good-byes with hugs and air kisses and left.
Tod and Stevie fol owed her and Bobby and Matt went home to their girlfriends (this was a surprise, I didn’t know they had girlfriends).
Vance took a cal that changed the expression on his face, made him send a meaningful glance to Lee and he left.
“Let’s play strip poker,” Al y suggested when the door closed behind Vance.
“That’d be a good idea, Jet’s a shit poker player,” Hank said.
Dear Lord, save me.
“But I’m not playin’ strip poker with my sister,” Hank finished.
Thank you God for one smal favor.
“Time to go home,” Eddie said, pushing his chair back to get up.
I looked at him. He may have been playing at being in the celebratory mood but one look at him told me he simply was not.