When Shane and Amanda had decided to have their reception at Lincoln Financial Field, I knew that it would be perfect for them. The Eagles stadium provided a flawless combination of their tastes. Casual with a bit of class, the long rectangular industrial-style room showcased floor to ceiling windows along one wall, looking out onto another stadium and the parking lot. The venue had a loft feel with exposed ductwork and a modern color scheme of gray and deep reds. The main floor held the dinner tables, which were elegantly decorated with black tablecloths, cream napkins and small green and white bouquets.
The DJ was stationed in front of the windows, and a long bar lined the opposite wall below the second story balcony. At either end of the expansive space were various buffet stations: salmon, lobster risotto, and shrimp cocktail at one; cheeseburger sliders, buffalo chicken eggrolls, and a taco bar at another, along with a few assorted soups and a salad bar. There was no formal sit-down dinner, no strict schedule to adhere to. People could eat, dance, snap pictures, and relax at their leisure. I laughed at how appropriate the whole setup was for Shane and Amanda. Neither one of them was ever any good at being told what to do or when to do it.
Upstairs, on the balcony overlooking the main dining room, were several flat screen TVs tuned to local games, high top tables near the railing with a view of the main seating area, and tall red velvet semi-circle booths along the outside wall.
Adam and I took our time strolling through the facility, reading about various athletes on the plaques and photographs that hung on the walls, and munching on a few of the appetizers. “I can’t believe Shane agreed to have bar food here,” Adam said, taking a bite of his eggroll. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“No kidding. And I can’t believe Amanda let anything healthy in here. I mean, arugula salad and tilapia? I’m not even sure she knows what those are.”
“I’m sure she knows what they are,” Adam added. “She just knows she hates them. And I can’t really blame her. Arugula belongs in a field somewhere, not on people’s plates.”
We made our way past the cozy booths upstairs and through the outside exit, which led to the stands in the football field. A few of the other guests had also decided to enjoy the fresh air or take pictures with the field as a backdrop.
Adam and I stayed outside for a while, until most of the guests had gone back in and the sun had almost set completely. Even though it was May, and Adam’s arm draped over my shoulder to keep me warm, I couldn’t help but feel a little cold.
“There the two of you are.” Kyle’s voice startled me. And I turned to see Kate smiling sweetly beside him. I was happy to see the Atlantic City drama was behind them. “We’ve been looking for you everywhere. Your best friend’s celebrating her marriage and you’re sitting outside being all antisocial and shit?”
“Be nice,” Kate scolded Kyle in jest. “You really should come in though. They’re getting ready to do the first dance I think.”
Adam and I rose to follow Kate and Kyle inside, making our way downstairs. Shane wasn’t much for dancing, so it didn’t surprise me to see him sitting to the side of the dance floor at one of the tables. He was probably working up the nerve to dance in front of over a hundred people.
I looked around, searching for Amanda, and expecting to see her threatening Shane onto the dance floor with her glare. Instead, I found her stationed near the DJ holding the microphone. God, please tell me she’s not gonna sing. Amanda leaned in to say something to the DJ, and as she backed away and moved slowly toward Shane, the DJ cut off the song that he’d been playing abruptly and replaced it with a low, soft song that I’d recognize anywhere: “(I've Had) The Time of My Life.”
Amanda walked casually over to Shane, a devious spark in her eyes. But it wasn’t until she spoke that I knew for certain Shane would undoubtedly kill her. “Nobody puts Shaney in the corner,” she said, as she extended her hand down to take his. The look on Shane’s face told me he was wondering if there were any Philadelphia judges who might be able to perform an annulment at a moment’s notice.
With a look of horror plastered across his face, Shane surprisingly rose to follow Amanda to the center of the dance floor, watching her nervously. Amanda faced the audience and began to speak quietly. “Sorry about the disruption, folks. But I always do the last dance of the season." She can't be fuckin' serious. "Or in this case the first," she said smirking at Shane, who didn’t seem at all amused. “But this year somebody told me not to. So I’m gonna do my kind of dancin’ with a great partner.” Yup, she's definitely serious. With that last comment, Shane made his first real attempt at utilizing one of the possible escape routes he’d probably been scoping out since Amanda had first grabbed his hand and ushered him onto the dance floor.