Always a Bridesmaid Pt. 03

I avoid making the segments too long but the usual length didn't cover the story moment enough on its own. Note that this section is VERY hot but there are more twists to come!

Despite having a slight hangover, I pulled myself out of bed when my alarm went off at 7:30 AM. I made it a point not to sleep in on the weekends, wanting to make the most use of my time and not spend large chunks of the time unconscious when there was so much of life to experience. I grabbed a robe and put some slippers on, remembering through the haze what had transpired the night before, hoping that perhaps my best friend might not remember or think it was a dream.

Within twenty minutes, I had perked up thanks to a big mug of strong black coffee and was cooking eggs on the stove for the two of us. I swirled the liquid around the pan as it began to congeal, reminding myself that my dear friend liked her eggs with some moisture left on them. I heard the toaster pop so I grabbed the four now-cooked slices of bread and tossed them on each plate. I took the pre-cooked bacon that I had heated in the microwave, silently cursing from the pain caused by overheating it. Gripping the edges for a brief second, I attempted to arrange the pieces as a sort of garnish to make them visually appealing.

"I am going to fucking kill you." a sleep-infested voice groaned behind me.

"Well good morning, sunshine!" I said in an overly cheery voice. Paula was not a morning person like me, so I rubbed her nose in it every chance that I could.

"I need some strong--" she started to mumble.

"Coffee is on the table, mixed just the way you like it," I said, my tone calmer now.

I could hear loud slurping sounds followed by a contented sigh immediately after. "Oh, you are an angel, Carli," Paula said, with a little more volume now.

I chucked as I carried the plates to the glass table on the other side of the kitchen bar. "Angel? Fallen angel? Or the good kind?" I knew not to push my luck, but she was just so damned cute at the moment.

"Objection, badgering the witness." she joked, sounding very 'lawyerly.'

"Very funny."

Paula sighed, tousling her hair before shoving a bite of eggs into her pretty mouth. "Hey, thanks for letting me come over and vent last night. I probably overreacted, but I was pretty pissed off," she said in a low tone.

"Nuh huh, hell no, girl! You have nothing to feel bad about. You are allowed to feel however you want."

Paula shrugged. "I suppose so, he just made an offhand comment, I don't think he intended to come across the way he did," she replied.

I hesitated for a moment, tempted to bolster Jackson as the stereotypical ex-athlete that he seemed to be at times. "Well everyone makes mistakes." I decided to say, after some thought.

"Uh-huh."

I reached over and touched her hand, not in a romantic way, but in a manner that a trusted friend would. "Look, I know I talk shit about him, but seriously, he definitely loves you to the moon and back. Like anyone else, he's not perfect, so you might as well just brush the whole thing off." I said, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Paula looked me in the eye and let out a huge sigh. "Yeah, I know he isn't your cup of tea but it means a lot to me that you are trying to keep an open mind. Jackson is probably the greatest guy I have ever been with, but there is always part of me that worries me that we don't connect well enough," she said, biting off a piece of dry toast with nothing on it.

I smiled at her. "Well, that's why God created girlfriends, babe!"

We finished our breakfast at a leisurely pace, and I kept waiting for Paula to say something about our somewhat intimate moment in the hot tub, but she never did. On the one hand, I was relieved, because it meant that she wasn't upset or weirded out about it, but also nervous that she wasn't entirely comfortable about it either. I also wondered if the tequila had obscured it in her memory, but experience told me that even if she didn't recall the facts that the feelings might still come up.

About three or four days later, Paula, her fiance, and I went out to dinner to talk through some points of discussion about wedding planning, as we did every other week or so. Jackson had a fondness for the Olive Garden in town, so we met there and got a booth towards the back that would be a bit quieter.

I arrived first, which was not surprising because Paula had a habit of being perpetually late for everything. I had chosen a navy blue business suit with a white blouse that day for work, so I was still in that outfit when I sat down at the table. As I was checking my phone, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and looked up to see Jackson Leach, Paula's fiance, sauntering over to the table, wearing an overpriced gray pinstriped suit and matching shirt, presumably also what he had worn to work that day.

"Well, don't you look sharp," I said, standing up and giving him a half-hug.

"Thank you, Carlotta, the feeling is mutual," Jackson said with a smile, seating himself across from me.

Now while I am not attracted to men sexually or romantically, I did have an eye for appreciating the good looks of someone apart from their gender. As guys go, he was strikingly handsome, with rugged features and blonde hair that he kept short, and piercing green eyes. He had kept up the discipline of rigorous exercise and his physique made most women give him not only second glances but third and fourth ones as well.

I raised the glass of red wine I had been sipping on, pointing it in his direction with a dramatic flair. "So once again it looks like our girl is late for her own party," I said with a smile.

Jackson's lips tensed at the exact moment that I used the word our, as if it indicated I was encroaching on his territory somehow. 'Oh come on, are you really that easily threatened? It was a joke!' I thought to myself. He cleared his throat before smoothly replying, "It's a good thing she is the guest of honor, right?"

At times I got the feeling that he thought that my sole goal in life was to seduce my best friend and turn her into my lesbian bride, despite my clear intentions otherwise. I reasoned that he would do that with anyone, man or woman, but it made me uneasy. Unless he cheated on Paula or raised a hand to her, I would do whatever I could to protect their relationship, as any good friend would do. What I would not tolerate, however, was whatever misguided attempts he might try to cut me out of her life. Not content to let things lie, I had nearly brought up the subject a half-dozen times, but always stopped myself knowing that it could set off a conflict that would only have one casualty, and I was unwilling to subject Paula to that.

He grunted and took a sip of water out of the clear frosted glass in front of him, one of several that the server had left minutes before. "Yeah," he responded flatly, spitting a chunk of ice back into the cup.

While I found the action positively juvenile, something about his mannerisms made me giggle a bit. I had to admit, he was not a bad guy, and certainly way better than most, and he did genuinely seem to love Paula. I had to remind myself at times that my best friend was incurably straight and that no matter how much I adored her, that friendship was all I could ever expect. Years before I had made my peace with it, only to have the feelings try to bubble up when I least expected it. I was about to speak again when my partner in crime suddenly appeared, a bit disheveled, arms full of notebooks that threatened to succumb to gravity at any moment.

Jackson swiveled around to see the sight, and asked, "Whoa, babe, you need a hand there?"

Before the words had even escaped his lips, I had leaped to my feet instantly, bolting towards her, and managing to catch two of the objects that had already dislodged. Reaching up, I snatched two more, easing her burden enough that she was able to regain her composure. "Oh my hero!" she exclaimed, dropping the rest of the items in a vacant chair before collapsing on her own.

Her husband-to-be leaned over and gave Paula a quick kiss before straightening up. "Looks like a pretty hectic day," he said, holding her hand as she got settled.

"Oh, you have no idea! Court was completely insane!" Paula said, out of breath. She took a big gulp, but unlike her fiancé, she started chewing on the ice, crunching so loudly that the older couple at the next table turned to look. Noticing their annoyed stares, her cheeks blushed pink and she turned away pretending nothing had happened.

"Okay, lovebirds, I know there were a couple of items that we really need to get nailed down for the wedding," I said firmly, taking change as I tended to do most of the time. Both of them nodded, letting me take the lead. I was not the wedding planner, but as the bride's best friend, I felt compelled to make her day perfect!

I hated to wade into the issue of the dress, but if Paula needed to return it, time was of the essence. I cleared my throat. "Well, first there is the issue of attire, in this case, the bride's..."

"Just hold on a minute!" Jackson said loudly, interrupting and waving his hand.

Paula grabbed his arm and pulled it down. "Keep your voice down, we can discuss this calmly like grownups," she said, shooting him a deadly serious look. At that point, I could feel her answer too, making me fidget.

"Look, this stuff is between the two of you, I'm just trying to help avoid a train wreck, okay?" I said, managing to grab their attention at the same time.

They both started talking at the same time and after doing that twice, burst into laughter, breaking the tension in a way I could not have foreseen. "Go ahead, you first," he told her.

Paula let out a giggle, holding her hand over her mouth for a second before speaking. "Well yes, he was pretty put off at first, so we talked about it. Then I put it on and he swooned," she said in a playful tone of voice.

I was at a loss trying to understand why he had gotten so pissed off if that was the case. "Then why were you getting so worked up?" I asked, treading lightly now.

Jackson ran his fingers through his hair and threw up his hands. "I just thought it was something between us. You can't have a marriage with more than two people in it," he answered.

"BUT?" Paula asked.

He sighed, saying "But I get that you two are literally lifetime friends, and I guess that's par for the course." It was a reluctant admission, but at least it made me feel less threatening to him. One thing I believed with all my heart is that women connect in a way with each other that has a power all its own, different from the affection that heterosexual couples experienced. I would not share such a thought with Jackson, for fear of reigniting his already present insecurities.

I smiled, feeling in some way I had won some sort of psychological boxing round because I had helped my dearest friend get and wear the dress she had fallen in love with. Never content to rest on my laurels, I straightened up and unconsciously chewed on the end of the pen I had gotten out of my purse. "Progress at last!" I joked, smiling, and eliciting laughs from both bride and groom.

"Smartass." Paula snickered.

"Happy to help. Now, the big stuff is all done and in place, venue, minister, blah, blah. Let's get to the fun stuff. Your best man is planning your bachelor party, right?"

Jackson grimaced. "Well, yeah, but...well you know how Reuben is, he can be over the top, so kinda concerned about it."

Paula's eyebrow furrowed to the point of looking painful. "Oh really now?" she asked, her tone suggesting that she was upset.

Jackson cleared his throat and fidgeted in his seat. I knew her well enough to read her body language, which implied she was just enjoying teasing him a little bit. I knew what real concern or worry looked like on her and had seen it play out several times throughout our friendship. "I--uh--well--" he stuttered, his face red.

"Oh for fuck's sake stop torturing him Pauls!" I said, laughing a little too loudly.

"Fiiine. Just kidding" she said breathlessly, seemingly exasperated that I had spoiled the fun.

"Now, as your maid of honor, I get to do your party. And there is this amazing lesbian club--" I started.

Jackson's face reddened again, this time from anger. "No fucking way!" he said, almost shouting, causing others to look in our direction.

"Oh for fuck's sake! She is joking! Get a damn sense of humor" Paula said sharply, clearly ready to defend me in the slim chance I was serious.

"Yeah totally, sorry, I should have used a sarcastic tone to warn you. No nothing like that, I have reservations at Etherium, it's a classy place. Nothing you need to worry about." I said, apologizing but not sorry.

"Ah ok, you both got me. Happy now?" he shot back, half-smiling, clearly embarrassed at how he overreacted.

"Paula has never even seen the inside of a lesbian bar, fear not," I said, trying to smooth things over a little bit.

I had to admit that he was a better sport than I would have first thought, and our conversations about the details of the upcoming celebrations felt very comfortable, almost jovial. My friend's future husband left about forty-five minutes or so later, and we left within minutes after that. Everything seemed to have fallen in place for the big event not far off.

On the night of Paula's bachelorette party, I invited all of the girls to my place to get ready for what we all hoped was an epic night, but each declined, preferring to arrive at the club separately. I had chosen a black, form-fitting dress with short sleeves, open in the back, and low cut enough to show a delicious amount of cleavage, enough to get noticed but not enough to come across as slutty. I had tried on at least a dozen outfits, wanting attention but not wanting to attract the wrong kind.

Truthfully, I wanted to catch the bride's attention, even if just a little bit, and hoped for appreciation of how sexy I looked. I had no illusions about her straying from her heterosexual path with me, though the fantasy of that had never once left my mind. More than anything else, I was determined to make sure she had a great time, but a safe one at that. I knew most of her bridesmaids, and most of them were great to be around. One or two had been known to act out when they had a few too many drinks, but never to the point of getting really out of hand.

I arrived at the club around seven, well in advance of anyone else, so that I could double-check that everything I had arranged was in place. Sure enough, there were a few glitches, such as the private party room on the second level not being ready, and allowing another reservation to override the sitting area off the main dance floor that I had secured. I straightened that out within fifteen minutes of my arrival, so I felt confident that things would go as planned.

Cathy Perkins showed up first, which didn't surprise me in the least, because she was the creator and enforcer of rules, especially those that dampened any possible fun. I had nicknamed her "the Nun" because she reminded me of some of the teachers I had in catholic school growing up. Her dress was deep red and conservative, even though it hugged tightly to her body, which I found very attractive. Her red hair was perfectly arranged up an up-do and held together with some gold clasps that looked like the real thing.

"Hello Carlotta, nice to see you," she said in an exaggerated southern drawl. I knew she disapproved of my inclinations but had always treated me with politeness and respect, at least to my face. Cathy leaned in for a very loose hug, probably wanting to avoid physical contact of any kind as if she might catch liking girls from me.

"You look incredible," I said, meaning it, but avoiding words like gorgeous or sexy that might make her uncomfortable.

"Thank you, so do you," Cathy replied, reaching back to check on her hair adornments, as if they were some sort of crown.

Music was already playing in the background but very few patrons were in the club, which drew her attention for a moment. "It's still pretty early for this club, it gets livelier as the night goes on," I said, as if feeling the need to explain what looked like disapproval from her.

Cathy waved her hand dismissively, which struck me as condescending. "I own a restaurant, remember? I know how this works," she said in a sharp tone.

"Well if you want, you can head to the reserved area, they are serving drinks now if you want anything. We have our own server" I said, ignoring her attitude, and pointing over my head in the general direction of our spot. Unsurprisingly, she just nodded and made her way to the spot I had identified. At that moment, I secretly hoped that she drank enough to relax and let her real self out a bit so that I could see something other than her cold exterior.

About ten minutes later, Reena, Paula's college roommate from Mumbai, showed up wearing a lovely white dress that was conservative enough but did show her breasts a little bit. As she stepped inside, the glass door at the entrance swung shut faster than she expected it to. I heard her gentle voice let out an "oof" as the door hit her rear end, propelling her forward and nearly making her fall.

"Damn it!" Reena scowled, not able to see me yet because of her eyes adjusting to the lower light level. I looked away so she would not realize that I had seen her misadventures, wanting to preserve her dignity.

Regaining her composure, she made her way to where I was standing, her heels making a loud clicking sound against the floor. Turning in her direction, I returned her bright smile when she recognized me. "Wow, hi Reena, it's been a long time, hasn't it?" I said.

Unlike Cathy, she threw her arms around me and drew me into a big hug, enough that felt her breasts and hips push against my own. I had never gotten any sense that Reena was anything but a straight arrow, so I reasoned that it was just enthusiasm that triggered her behavior. After a moment, she pulled away and stepped back. "Sorry, just excited about tonight, plus it's been forever since I saw you last," she explained, her accent making her words sound almost musical.

"Nah, it's all good. I'm excited too" I said, patting her on the arm.

Before either of us had a chance to say anything, the front door swung open and hit a trash can outside, knocking it over and spilling a mountain of trash on the concrete surface at the entrance. Reena rolled her eyes as a slender blonde burst in like a performer taking a Broadway stage.

Reena rolled her eyes. "Oh shit, it's her!" she groaned painfully.

"Ok bitches, now the party can start!" the blonde shouted like she was a queen's herald. I could have recognized Jenna Patterson, from my high school days, just by her loud signature voice and boisterous personality. She was one of the few of us who lived out of town, but calling her the life of the party would be a criminal understatement.

"Well, they will let anyone in!" I said, laughing.

Jenna had chosen a sparkling green dress that looked stunning on her, and like her, it was rather daring, showing skin and riding up her legs to the point of being barely legal. Her hair was down past her shoulders, and instead of heels, she had chosen flats, probably to make dancing easier. She practically skipped up to the two of us and grabbed us both into a tight hug, only letting go after three or four seconds.

"Wow, Reena, you look great. And damn Carlotta, if I was a lesbian, I would jump you right now!" she said, flashing a smile and giving me a wink.

"Thanks for the compliment, I think," I said with a smile, knowing she was just goofing around. Jenna had a reputation for being over the top, and she had embarrassed her husband in front of us more than once around Paula and me. Her home life was remarkably tame, as she had been a stay-at-home mother while her daughter was younger.