All characters in this story are consenting adults over the age of 18 years.
This is a submission for "Summer Lovin Contest." Please enjoy this story and all of the other submissions. Please remember to vote!
I never thought that I'd be at a bachelorette party a week before my forty second birthday.
My college roommate, who I consider my sister, called me three months ago and told me she was getting married. Now, we were in a bar off Broadway in downtown Nashville tossing back shots while similar groups of women around us did the same. Emily tossed her head back and gave a hard belly laugh at the punchline of a joke. I tossed back another shot.
The wedding was in two days, so everything was compressed. To make things a little worse, we were in the hottest Nashville summer in years, and stepping out of an airconditioned building was a challenge to comfort. It made planning the weekend difficult. The bachelorette party Thursday, rehearsal dinner Friday, and wedding on Saturday. That's what happens when you're an adult, life intrudes into private moments. The women at the table, we were all about the same age, had jobs, some had families and kids, and could not afford a lot of time away from life.
I'm lucky. I teach third graders and was in the last weeks of summer break. The days were long and hot, but I was still off for a two more weeks before back to the classroom and trying to reign in two dozen eight-year-olds for seven hours a day.
Four hours later I stumbled into a king size bed with Emily. For the night all of us were at a suite hotel with two bedrooms, and Emily and I were sharing a bed. I had stopped drinking hours earlier, but still was certain I'd be hungover in the morning. We had talked all of the time, and with the wedding plans, we were on the phone almost nightly. Since I live in Nashville, I was the person in charge for most of the small arrangements. I had the summer off, and I had the time to do it.
We had not talked about me much lately in the run up to the wedding. In the dark, lying next to my best friend, I rattled off the demise of the last three relationships.
"I thought Kyle was going to work out."
"So, did I. And I know I shouldn't have done it, but one day when he was out for a run, he had left his phone at the apartment, and got a text. And I opened it. Some chick showing her boobs. And I looked at the stream of texts and there were pictures they had sent back and forth. His dick. Her boobs. Her legs spread."
"That prick. I am so sorry."
"Well, I found out early, that's all that matters." Even if I did violate his privacy.
We turned the conversation to good thoughts, of her wedding in two days, their planned, brief honeymoon, and living happily ever after until we fell asleep.
Friday the bridal party continued with a few more activities. We went to a winery tour and lunch. It was a sunny day, a great day for sun dresses and big floppy hats and we enjoyed being outside before it got hot. We spent some time in the afternoon at a lingerie shop. Emily chose a cute, sheer heart-print baby doll with a blue thong. At the wedding rehearsal I met the best man, the groom's father. Jake was tall, thin, with a narrow face and blue grey eyes just like his son.
"You're Emily's best friend, aren't you," he said. "She talks more about you than she does Will. Feels like I've known you for years."
"Well, I hope she only told the good parts."
"There were bad parts? Do tell." He laughed and threw his head back. "Emily's an incredible young woman and I'm certain you are too."
It had been a while since I had been called a young woman, but I took it in stride.
I tucked my arm in his, I grasped his muscular biceps, and we made our entrance toward Emily's uncle.
The good thing about weddings and rehearsals is that the performance is short, simple, and repetitive. Emily's Uncle had become an ordained officiant and the total party was limited to three bridesmaids and groom's men, the couple and Will's mother, in addition to his father as the best man. His parents were divorced, but they seemed to get along, and I saw them talking to each other during the time at the event center.
We ran through the entire ceremony twice in thirty minutes, and were ready to go dinner. We went to an Italian Bistro with a private room. The wait staff was attentive and kept the food and drinks coming. I sat next Jake for the evening. Emily and Will made the rounds a couple of times, making sure everyone was happy and fed.
"Look at you two, getting along," Emily said. "I've heard of weddings with fights within the wedding party so I'm glad things are working out."
We had a good time. Sort of like a date after a Bumble meet. But way more fun, because there were no pressures or expectations. Jake had taught economics at a community college and retired the year before; he taught an online class now for a couple of different schools. We discussed teaching third graders and college freshmen and sophomores and concluded there was not a lot of difference. During dinner, we made toasts, laughed at bad jokes and puns, and posed for a wedding party picture.
Before we were getting ready to leave, as everyone was finishing desert, Jake stood and made a toast to the couple. Wishing them endless happiness and surprises in their life together.
Everyone was headed off to their hotel, I was going to head home and sleep in my own bed. I gave Will a hug, hugged and kissed Emily on the lips. I whispered in her ear "You know as the maid of honor I have to remind you if you want to call the whole thing off, this is your last chance." I did an exaggerated look in both directions. "There's a cab waiting, we'll be out of here before they know we're missing." We both laughed and kissed again. I was saying good bye to the two other women in the wedding party, one of them Will's younger sister. Outside the restaurant and Jake gave me a platonic kiss on the cheek. I hugged him back.
"I enjoyed talking with you tonight," I said.
"Same here. I haven't enjoyed myself this much in quite a while. I was dreading the evening, and you are a delight."
I felt a blush. And a tingle.
He turned to leave and then returned.
"Do you want to go dancing?"
I wasn't expecting that question.
"I'm not a good dancer," he said. "But this is Nashville and I've got a list of a couple off the path bars with good dancing."
It was late. My hangover from the night before was finally starting to wane, although it would probably flare again with the drinking that night. A smarter person might have said see you tomorrow. But in that moment, I wasn't her.
A couple of minutes later we were in a Lyft and headed toward an out the way place. The cover was a couple of bucks and we found a seat close to the dance floor. The place was busy, but not crowded, it was for locals and not the tourists like the places on Broadway. The band, a cross between folk and country was lighting it up, and the dance floor was mostly empty.
Jake stood and held out his hand, took mine, and lead me to the dance floor. The lights danced on his beautiful eyes and highlighted the crinkles beneath them.
"I have a confession to make," he said. He leaned in and whispered in my ear. His breath was hot and the stubble from his beard brushed my cheek. I felt a shiver run down my back. "I'm not a great dancer."
