Chapter 1:
Jason’s driver picks me up at 8:30. I try to make conversation as he opens the car door, but all I get is a small, cordial smile. I tuck my gown into the seat beside me as I ungracefully scooch into the back seat.
“Hey, where are we going, and is it far?” I fidget with the strap of my heel in the car, attempting to navigate around the dress.
“465 West 58th.” The driver pushes a button to slowly raise the back window, separating us into silence.
Perfect. Friendly AND talkative.
~
We sit in silence for a while, as I heavily overthink my outfit and shoe choice. Once the car pulls to a stop, I glance out the window to take in my surroundings.
“Are we at the MET?” I stare out the window in shock, thanking God that I decided on a pearlescent champagne gown that seemed fancy enough for this rich-people setting.
The driver, again, says nothing as he walks around to open the door for me. I hustle out of the car with the bottom half of my gown in one hand, and a half-empty can of Celsius in the other.
Giving a wave to the driver, I step onto the sidewalk and start glancing around for Jason.
“Hey Baby.” I hear him far before I see him, and struggle in the dark to locate where the noise is coming from.
Jason steps into view out front of the MET, dressed in a tuxedo with a satin-black tie. His hair is curly and long, but slicked back to fit the occasion. God, he looks good.
“Why didn’t you tell me this wedding was at the freaking MET, I would have gotten my hair and makeup done.”
“You look great, you can’t even tell you did it yourself. I should have warned you, Angelo pulls out alllll of the stops. He always has, even in college. That’s why he got his license to be an electrician, so he can always take care of his girl. Just the other day he told me he had picked up a bracelet for her to wear on the wedding day, and it is CARTIER. No expense was spared.”
Jason takes my arm as I shuffle over to the grandiose staircase. I try not to think about how excited I am to see that Cartier bracelet (the closest I will ever get to one), and try to look as polished as possible. I heave a sigh full of weighted anxiety as I pick up my dress and put a heel on the first step. Leaning heavily on Jason’s arm, I manage to make my way up the stairs.
~
Once inside, Jason leaves me almost immediately, as soon as he sees a hand wave in his direction. Typical 26-year-old man.He goes to find his friends before the wedding starts, while I try to disappear into the wall and observe the expensive decor. It looks to be the color of champagne, and I suddenly panic, hoping the bridesmaids dresses aren’t the exact color of mine.
“Kelsey! Over here!” A group of younger women in overpriced gowns call me over to a cocktail table. The front room of the MET must be the waiting area for guests as chairs are set up in the hall. I attempt to gracefully walk over to them, hoping my lip gloss is still sparkly.
“You look beautiful!!” One of the girls pats my arm and motions for me to take a seat. She is, of course, dressed in red and stunning. There is a woman next to her, slightly older, in a one-shoulder navy dress that sweeps the floor. She doesn’t acknowledge me, and is just scrolling through her phone.
“Thank you so much, how did you know my name?” I take a seat in one of the high chairs, one place among five others at the table.
“Jason has told us ALL about you. He said, “Just look for the pretty one walking in.”
I blush as I swipe my hand in a nonchalant gesture, heat rising to my face as I realize that these are Jason’s “friends”, aka a mixture of ex-girlfriends and their friends.
I continue to sit and have drinks with them around the table, each of us taking turns describing our favorite things about the wedding so far. In this moment, I remember just how much catty women love to talk, and start to regret throwing out the rest of my Celsius.
~
Once the announcement is made for guests to enter the ceremony space, everyone starts filing into a well-dressed line. I stand and get behind one of Jason’s “friends” who seems to be the least chatty, while also looking around to see where he went. As the line continues to move, I get more and more nervous that I won’t be sitting with Jason during the ceremony.
Jason’s red-dressed friend turns around to face me and gives me a coy grin.
“How are you two doing? He is SUCH an interesting guy right?” She doesn’t wait for an answer as she continues to rattle off question after question, words just filling the space. Luckily, I don’t have time to answer a single one before Jason pops up by my side at the last second. We file through the main doors and take our turn walking amongst the crowd.
“Where have you been? I get so anxious in these settings.” I whisper to Jason as he leads me down the aisle to our seats, which are surprisingly near the front of the large hall.
“You know, just catching up. Did you meet Serena and the girls? They have been so excited to meet you after all these months. I have been running into them alot lately.”
“Is Serena the one in the navy or the one in front of us in the red?” Jason points to the one in red, immediately solidifying my opinion of her in my mind. On our fourth date at his apartment, I had heard about Serena, his most recent ex. She still DM’s him on Insta, and we have had quite a few conversations about it.
I take a seat in the tulle-covered chair and remember to take a breath, letting my shoulders sink into the back of it. Jason puts his arm around me and for the first time all night, I feel a sense of normalcy.
Once I have time to take in the decorations of the hall, I realize that everything is indeed covered in champagne-colored flowers. I look towards the back of the room, and see where the bridesmaid’s are waiting, all also dressed in the color champagne.
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