Veronica and I laughed and moved to her side, turning to look at our trio in the wide-angled mirrors. But Ramona was looking down at us, smiling and crying.
“Thank you. Both of you. I couldn’t do this without you, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to share this with me the way you two have.”
Tears filled my eyes too, and Veronica and I stepped up onto the platform to hug. The three of us hung onto each other for a long moment.
When we turned back to the mirror, I looked us over. “Damn, we look good.”
We laughed. It was our final fitting, and everything was perfect. Our bridesmaid dresses were dove-gray chiffon, soft and flowing and long, each a little different. Mine tied around the waist with a deep V and flowing skirt that made me feel like a goddess. Veronica’s was strapless, the top corseted and the skirt the same as mine.
I reached for the small table next to the platform where Ramona’s champagne stood, bubbling and waiting for her, raising my glass as I placed hers in her hand.
“To your next beginning,” I said simply.
And we touched our champagne flutes together with the sweetest of tings before taking a sip.
I’d barely noticed the camera crew until they began to pack up. One of the cameramen nodded to me with a smile as they disappeared.
Another thing to thank Annika for — she’d made sure we were bothered as little as possible. In fact, I bet she’d cut the emotional stuff altogether. After having her own personal life thrown all over network television last season, she’d made it her mission to preserve the privacy of our lives as much as she could.
The shop girls materialized to inspect Ramona’s dress, and Veronica and I moved out of the way so they could work, still sipping our champagne. I felt a little bubbly in the head — I was on my third glass.
Ramona eyed me. “So, I hate to ask this.”
“Uh-oh.” My mood was instantly not so bubbly.
“Well, I put you down for a plus-one for the wedding, so I need to know if you’re bringing someone.”
I squirmed.
“I paid for an extra steak, Pen.”
Veronica rolled her eyes lovingly, if that’s a thing. “Just ask Bodie. You’re seeing him. And I bet he looks good in a suit. I mean, unless he’s a vegetarian because then what will Ramona do with his steak?”
I snorted. “Ugh, I don’t know, guys.”
Ramona and Veronica shared a look.
“She doesn’t think last night was a date,” Ramona said like I wasn’t in the room.
“Ah,” Veronica said back, equally traitorous.
“Listen, I realize it was a date.”
Ramona perked up and cupped her ear. “What’s that? You said I was right?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, you were right. He’s just … I don’t know. Easy. He’s like a heart ninja.” I made a karate chop with my hand.
“So why don’t you ask him to the wedding?” Veronica asked.
“Hey, you don’t have a date either.”
Veronica’s lips flattened. “We’re not talking about me.”
“You could always ask Jude,” I offered.
She balked at that. “I wouldn’t want to slit any throats at my best friend’s wedding. There will be steak knives there.”
I laughed. “Oh, come on. He’s not that bad.”
“He’s the douchiest douche to ever douche, Pen. He is so into himself, and his jokes are fucking terrible. It doesn’t even matter that he’s hot and muscly.”
“What? That’s basically all that matters,” I said. “Just tell him not to talk when he goes down on you, and you guys will be fine.”
Ramona cackled and took a sip of champagne.
“I don’t want to sleep with somebody I don’t like,” Veronica stated plainly as if I couldn’t get her drift.
I shrugged. “Beggars can’t be choosers, Ronnie.”
She wrinkled her nose at me. “Anyway, we’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you. Just ask Bodie.”
I wrinkled my nose back at her. “That’s so much pressure. I mean, I can barely admit that we went on one pseudodate and you want me to ask him to a wedding? I don’t even know if we could have dinner alone without me climbing out the bathroom window.”
Ramona considered that. “I mean, a wedding is almost safer. You don’t even have to be alone. He already knows Joel, Shep, and Annika. And us. It’ll be fun, just like last night.”
My face was still all pinched up.
Veronica smiled and cocked an eyebrow. “Just think of the after-wedding sex. You’ll both be all dressed up. So many clothes to take off.”
I bobbed my head in consideration. “Okay, now you’re speaking my language.”
“There will be dancing and drinking and eating,” she added. “Bodie in a suit — just think about that. Those broad shoulders, his thick neck in that tie. Maybe he’ll tie you up with it after.”
I bit my bottom lip, imagining it. “Mmm,” I hummed.
“It won’t be a big deal,” Veronica said.
And like the dumbass I was, I believed her.
“Okay, I’ll do it.”
They cheered, and we giggled and jumped up and down, careful of our champagne, which was what I blamed the giggle-bouncing on.
“Text him!” Ramona begged.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not texting him to ask him to a wedding. I’ll ask him tonight.”
“What’s tonight?” Veronica asked before taking a sip of her drink.
“Nothing, yet.” I turned to the velvet chair where we’d set our purses and dug through mine for my phone.
“Did you see that lingerie shop across the street?” Ramona dropped the question like she was sneaky or something.
“Of course I did. Why? Think I should get a little something?”
She shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt.”
I champagne-giggled some more and texted Bodie.
Busy tonight? I’ve got a little surprise for you.
He started typing before I even set my phone down, and I tried to pretend like that didn’t make my heart skydive in my chest.
I’m free, and I’ve got news about the video game. Want to celebrate?
I shot off an answer as quick as I could. Yes, please. My apartment okay? We’ll have the place to ourselves.
I’ll be there. Text me when you’re home.
I will. <3
I grinned. “He’s in. Or he’s not in yet, but he’s about to be so in. All the way in.”
Veronica laughed. “Yeah, yeah. We get it.”
And just like that, I’d talked myself into asking Bodie to a wedding.
Heart ninja. I was helpless to fight him. He was just too sneaky.
* * *
Bodie
I bolted out the door the second I got the text that Penny was home, barely waving goodbye to my brother and Phil. Her name cycled through my brain with every footfall.
I had news — big news — and there was only one person in the world I found myself wanting to tell.
Penny.
I should have been scared out of my mind at the fact that she’d already become the person I told everything, especially since we’d been dancing around what we meant to each other for two weeks. But I wasn’t. I was too happy to be afraid, which was so beyond stupid that I thought I might have made it back around to smart again.
My heart banged from taking her stairs two at a time. Seconds after knocking, the door swung open, and there she was.
Just when I thought my heart couldn’t beat any harder, it proved me wrong.