Amy Baker The Junior Bridesma

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.Drink all the coffee you want it’s not that kind of stimulant.” Always the drama queen, she threw her body back and slouched in her bright pink chair.Apparently she found my theorizing exhausting.“No, no, no.That’s not what I am talking about.And just so you know.That could still be true.That has not been disproven.Anyway, this is much bigger news,” I confirmed.I saw Julia straighten her posture and lean forward toward the computer.I nodded affirming that the news was big enough that it warranted her full attention.“And?” she began.“Do you swear to…” Julia cut me off.“Yeah, yeah, yeah…all that is sacred,” she raised her eyebrows prompting me to go on.I knew deep down I shouldn’t be sharing the news but Julia knew how deep my love for Hugh Rowen ran.And, for goodness sake, I had to tell someone.“Darcy Strong is pregnant and the baby isn’t Hugh’s,” I whispered.“Holy crap,” she barked.“Shhhhhh,” I scolded.“How do you know this?” Julia was looking for some sort of proof.It was understandable.I tended to come up with some pretty crazy scenarios from time to time.“Okay.So.I was at the bridal place today getting fitted for my Junior Bridesmaid dress,” Julia rolled her big blue eyes at the mention of my status, “and I saw Darcy having a verbal argument with a guy.He was waiving his hands at her.I even saw him pointing at her belly.She of course was sporting an attitude to end all attitudes – not that that says anything because she is always sporting an attitude,” Julia’s mouth twisted in agreement.“Then just a little while ago I heard my mother on the phone with her mother saying that maybe she should push up the wedding,” I nodded as if that said it all.Well didn’t it? I waited and waited for Julia’s response.Then I could tell that she caught up by the look on her face and gave me what I wanted.“EEEEEE!” She spun out of her chair and started jumping up and down on her bed.I told you Darcy was a bitch.Even Julia knew this rumor would put a kibosh on the Strong/Rowen wedding.I stared at the computer screen and made a face.I swallowed hard as I was beginning to get motion sickness.“Can you stop jumping? You’re making me sick,” I shared.“Holy crap, Dee, this is huge!” she squealed her response and dropped to her ass on the bed.“I know but, Jules, you can not tell a soul.You promised,” I reiterated even though I was happy that she shared my enthusiasm.“I know.I won’t tell a soul.Double cross my heart with my friendship-ring-finger.” Then she double-crossed her heart with her finger that sported her friendship ring.Whew!“Now what do we do?” I asked naively.“We watch her get served,” she educated.I nodded enthusiastically agreeing that Darcy deserved to be served.But served what, I wasn’t quite sure.As expected a few days later the news hit that the Strong/Rowen wedding was going to be moved up.Needless to say this was not the outcome I was hoping for.Lots of speculation circulated but I knew the true story.That specific morsel of information and a bus transfer would get me cross-town.But I kept my mouth shut because I figured the news would come out on its own.Another tidbit Mama selflessly shared was that ‘all the dirty laundry came out in the wash.’ I had no idea how this advice applied to social life lessons but I understood enough that she was trying to tell me that it was always best to keep quiet.So, naturally, I followed my wise mother’s sage advice.Since the wedding was approaching faster than we had initially anticipated, Mama informed me that I had to go back to Angela’s so she could do some final alterations on my dress.I just nodded at her when she shared my after school plans.Her eyebrows pinched together as she questioned why I didn’t give her any lip.I knew that look so I answered her with my own easily translated physical response of shrugging my shoulders, which communicated to her that I had accepted my fate.The ride to town was mostly silent.Like most of our car rides, I stared out the window and she asked me pertinent questions like ‘did you remember your shoes’ and ‘do you need any fresh make-up from the drug store.’ I answered accordingly but didn’t share much more.My mother pulled up in front of the boutique and I swung my door open.“Pick you up in an hour,” she alerted me.“Okay, Mama.See you in a bit,” I answered.I slammed the car door and took a single step back on the curb.I watched as she drove away and I gave a little wave.That’s when I felt the tap on my shoulder.Slightly startled, I spun my head to see who was standing there.Much to my horror, my quick head snap inadvertently whipped the love of my life in the eyes with the long strands of my brown hair, which was held high in a ponytail.Then, unable to believe the magnitude of my bad luck, I gasped in horror.For some strange reason, after my sudden sharp inhale, the air in my lungs refused to leave my body.My heart began to beat faster and thumped a bizarre rhythm.“You alright, Junior?” Hugh asked rubbing both of his eyes with the thumb and pointer finger of one hand.I nodded frantically hoping my paralyzed lungs would kick in and fast.He raised his eyebrows and blinked uncontrollably while one side of his mouth shared the most beautiful grin I had ever seen.“I’m okay,” I managed.My voice was a cross between a squeak and a whisper.“Good.Can’t lose my only Junior Bridesmaid,” he added.I shook my head agreeing.“That would be a shame,” I struggled.“For certain.” Then I think he winked at me but it could have been the residual effects of the corneal damage that I had just inflicted.Luckily, even deprived of the much-needed oxygen to exercise my brain, I was able to form a coherent question in return.“Are you alright?” I finally found the ability to ask.“I think I’ll live.” Then his smirk became a smile.And, damn, wouldn’t you know that it made him that much more gorgeous.Why did he have to get better and better looking each time I saw him? It just wasn’t fair.“I, um, have to, um, go,” I shared on a shiver.“Mmm,” he agreed.“Go on, Junior.Go get prettier,” he teased.I stared at him in shock.I would have sworn he said prettier, which would mean that he thought I was already pretty.Which of course was impossible.But at least I was smart enough not to argue.However, I wasn’t smart enough to keep my mouth shut entirely.“It’s, um, Delilah.You know.My name.It’s not Junior.It’s Delilah.” I don’t know what the heck I was saying.I was rambling.But I just couldn’t leave with him under the mistaken impression that my name could possibly be Junior.I stared at him waiting to see if his reaction to learning my name was as bad as I thought it was going to be.“I know exactly who you are, Delilah,” Hugh said this in a way that somehow gave the statement greater significance.He wasn’t just saying he knew my name.I wasn’t sure if it was the inflection or the tone of his voice but somehow that one sentence struck a cord in a very nice way [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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