“By the power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you Mrs. and Mrs. Andrade-Jacobson. Please rise and celebrate with me as the new couple seal the deal with their first kiss as spouses and soulmates for life.”

We rose and cheered as Kaylie practically leapt on Mariana, bending her backwards in a sweeping kiss worthy of a black and white romantic movie.

I must have been allergic to the white hydrangeas in the room, because my eyes were stinging just a little bit. Yup, must have been allergies.

We all practically ran out of the ceremony area, and outside while there was still a bit of daylight left for photos. Kay had her heart set on some sunset pictures, the sky burning with gorgeous yellows, oranges and deep pinks. With the reflective nature of dress she chose for me, even I had to admit a sunset would be fun, the colors turning my dress from silver to dusk.

I knew we had given ourselves a bit of time to take the photos, during which the workers would be transforming the ceremony space into a reception space. Kay’s dad had spared no expense at the wedding, wanting to show his daughter how proud he was of her. She had thought it was because of his standing in the community, but surprisingly enough, there was no press release to try to grow his approval rating.

She finally admitted that maybe, just maybe it was done out of love.

When he took her arm in his to walk her down the aisle, there were tears pouring down his face.

I had high hopes for the two of them. Maybe Mariana was just what they needed to get over their past and move towards a future.

After what felt like a thousand photos, my stomach started protesting the many meals I’d skipped to not look about five months pregnant in this dress. Seriously. I mean, I was embarrassingly thin. That had already been established. I’d love to say I’m thin because I survived on acorns and twigs, and worked out a thousand hours a week. Nope. I eat like a lumberjack, the greasier the better. I lucked out when it came to genetics, and I knew it. I imagined that when I hit menopause it would catch up to me, but whatever, I’d deal with that when I had to.

But that dress was worse than a second skin. I was wearing Spanx. Fucking Spanx. Did you know that to go to the bathroom you either had to disrobe completely, or hold the little flaps of the crotch area open and pray that you didn’t get your hands covered in your own piss? I ended up scrubbing my hands so hard I nearly bled.

Kay smirked at me the tenth time she heard my stomach growl.

“Okay, I think we may actually have enough photos now. Besides, if Mari’s stomach got any louder, the guests might think there was a thunderstorm out here. Let’s go party.”

Praise God.

I knew I would have to be announced as I walked in, so I got prepared. I was the only person who stood up for them, so there wasn’t going to be any awkward choreographed number. I was just supposed to walk in, stand to the side, take both of the bouquets and let them dance for a moment before finding my table.

Kaylie had told me it was on the left towards the front of the room, right next to the sweetheart table that they would be sharing.

“Please welcome the maid of honor, Amara Johnson.”

A polite smattering of applause greeted me as I walked in. I gave a quick wave, then stepped aside.

“Now, it’s my honor to introduce to you for the first time, Kaylie and Mariana Andrade-Jacobson.”

The DJ finished off like he was announcing the next Red Sox batter to step up to the plate.

Everyone cheered as the newlyweds kissed once again, and they both handed me their bouquets. I couldn’t help but raise them to my nose to inhale the gorgeous scent.

I heard the start of ‘First Day of My Life’ by Bright Eyes fill the room as they came together, Kaylie’s arm snaking around Mariana’s waist as she sang the line ‘these things take forever, I especially am slow.’ I smiled, remembering how Kay fought her feelings hard, initially saying she shouldn’t get involved with Mariana because newly minted lesbians were a heartbreak waiting to happen. Finally, she admitted she was afraid because she cared too much.

This was the single most romantic and intimate moment I’d ever seen shared between two people.

The music stopped and yet they kept swaying together, lost in each other, oblivious to the rest of us.

That was what love was. That was what I wanted so badly it ached in my soul.

Dane.

The name came to me, unbidden. I felt bad for a second, knowing I was here with someone else, someone who would never own even the smallest corner of my heart.

I knew what I had to do.

I looked towards the table where I would be sitting and was surprised to see it empty. I knew I wasn’t going to be sitting by myself, Jennifer and her date would be there, too.

Jeez, I’d look like a pathetic dork sitting there all alone.

Oh well.

I shrugged my shoulders, pulled up my big-girl Spanx, and took a seat at the table where I could easily see my best friend and her Mrs., but also thoroughly enjoy people watching around the room.

“Mari.”

I heard my name and strained to see purple hair bouncing towards me.

“Jennifer, oh my God, you look gorgeous.”

And she did. I hadn’t seen her in much other than jeans and a t-shirt since we’d met. She was wearing a light, lavender colored dress that flared out at her waist and beautifully complimented her hair color. An odd thing to say, but it was true. Also, she had lost a little bit of that hard edge that she seemed to carry around like a trophy.

“You too, for a show girl.”

She winked at me, laughing because she’d heard me go on and on about the type of dresses that Kaylie had tortured me with.

“Thanks, the evening’s entertainment will involve me and a pole in the center of the room.”

“I might like that.”

She winked at me, and I just shook my head at her.

“I lost my date.”

She stood on her tippy toes, straining to see over the crowd. It was kind of funny, because she and I were about the same height and all I saw was a wall of people.

“Ohh, I see him, he’s over at the bar. C’mon, I want you to meet him.”

Damn, but that was kind of cute and touching, that she wanted me to meet the guy she was sort of seeing. I knew she wanted more, but she really wasn’t sure if she could trust him to not be sticking his dick where it didn’t belong.

Trust issues. Yeah, totally got it. Wrote the book, have the t-shirt.

As we approached, a tall guy in a suit turned around at the sound of his name on her lips, a slow sexy smirk growing on his bearded face.

A slow sexy smirk that I knew.

Intimately.

The last time I’d seen it, I believe his cock had been in my mouth in that bathroom.

“Hey, gorgeous.”

“Jamie, I’d like you to meet one my new best friends, Mari.”

At my name his head snapped like someone had punched him, and he looked at me in shock, going pale.

“Uh, hi, Jamison, how have you been?”

I reached out my hand to him, aiming for a friendly handshake. He eyed it suspiciously, as if it was a poisonous snake about to bit him.

“Fuck. It was you.”

“Wait, you two know each other?”

Jennifer glared at me, her eyes narrowed.

I held my hands up in a surrender type pose.

“Dude, you never said his name. Ever.”

I could see in her eyes that she was quickly going through every conversation she’d ever had with me, and as a look of resignation came over her face, I knew she realized I was telling the truth.

“Do I want to know how you know each other?”

We both avoided eye contact with her, and I could feel the blush grow from my neck to my hairline.

“No, Jennifer, you probably don’t. Look, Jamison, it was nice to see you again. Seeing as how you’re with my friend, I’ll probably see you again. Let’s aim for friends, okay? For Jennifer?”

I pleaded with my eyes, and his hard exterior cracked a little at Jennifer’s name. I had to admit, I was a little wounded that I hadn’t been the one to tame the beast. However, thinking about the two of them together, well, it kind of made sense.

“Okay, I’m down. Friends.”

Jennifer had moved to his side, to take his arm in hers during our exchange, proverbially lifting her leg on him to mark him as hers.

No worries, girlfriend. You enjoy his type of crazy, I’m off that ride.

“I’m going to grab my drink and head over to the table. See you guys in a few.”

I made my way over to the table, wondering where Sebastian was. I looked at my phone and saw a text. Oh, great, was he bailing on me?

Running late, be there soon. Sorry.

Huh.

Annoyance more than disappointment flooded my senses.

The clatter of dishes indicated that the first course, a salad, had started to be served. Thank God. Seriously starving over here. Starving enough to be excited about a fucking salad.

Damn.

Jennifer and Jamison came to the table once they saw food, and they parked themselves across from me. I’m sure she was aware that any past connection had been sexual, and she just wanted to make sure my grubby hands stayed to themselves.

“Where’s your date, Mari?”

I automatically looked down at my phone, but there was no update.

“I got a text that he was running late. Hopefully he makes it before dessert. But if he doesn’t I’ll just eat his, too. So, it would be a win-win.”

“Have you let him down yet?”

Ugh.

“No. I’m a horrible human being. He was at the dinner when Kay proposed, so I didn’t have the heart to tell him he wasn’t coming.”

“Has anything, um, improved?”

I knew she was talking about the sex. And no, it hadn’t. I just shook my head, really uncomfortable talking about sex with Jamison sitting right there. Jamison was sex, he gave off some sort of weird pheromone chemical that made clothing disappear and lady lips get drenched in an instant.

“Hey, Mari.”

Sebastian’s voice came from a table away, and I looked up to see him walking quickly towards me.

He stopped short when he saw Jennifer, his eyes widening with shock. Oh, shit, I hoped he wasn’t going to have a coronary about her hair and tattoos. I mean, he could be a little weird like that.

“Bastian, holy shit, what are you doing here?”

“Jeez, I could ask you the same, sis.”

Sis?

“Wait, you know each other?”

Fucking deja vu.

“This is my big brother, Bastian.”

She grinned from ear to ear, happy to see him, before the smile faded and a look of horrific understanding came over her face.

“Wait, Bastian, why are you here?”

He smiled at me and my stomach fell out from under me. Suddenly, I was not hungry at all. As a matter of fact, the salad placed in front of me made my stomach turn.

“Jenny, this is the girl I’ve been telling you about. The one I’ve been dating for a little bit.”

Jennifer just looked at me, her face devoid of any color. I knew that in her mind she was playing back everything that Kay and I had ever said about Sebastian and his lack of ability between the sheets.

She looked like she was going to throw up.

I was sure the look mirrored on my face.

“Sweetie, you don’t look so good. Everything okay?”

“Um, actually, I am going to run to the ladies’ room. I’ll be back. Feel free to start without me.”

I walked as fast as a person could without breaking into a dead-on sprint. This was the worst day every. I mean, seriously. What were the odds?

Nothing could possibly make this day worse.

Tears started to form in my eyes, blurring my vision so that I couldn’t begin to see what was in front of me. Which was how I ended up running smack dab into someone tall and hard.

“Whoa, there, gorgeous.”

That voice.

My body vibrated at the sound of that voice.

Dane.

I opened my eyes, only to see Dane smiling at me with love, and that ice queen bitch, Alicia looking at me somewhat uncomfortably.

Fuck.

Me.

I did what I do best.

I ran.

How many broken hearts have found themselves in a bathroom stall, I wondered?

I sat here, sobbing into a scrap of one-ply toilet tissue, fully willing to wait until after the party before ever leaving. Actually, I might even spend the night, just to be on the safe side. Leave in the morning when they open up.

Jennifer was dating Jamison.

Sebastian was Jennifer’s brother.

Dane was dating that bitch.

And I was in a bathroom stall, missing my best friend’s party.

“Um, Mari?”

Shit.

I wanted to remain quiet, but my body had a mind of its own and I let out a sniffle.

“Okay, so obviously, I heard that. Please come out.”

Sigh.

I walked out of the stall, trying not to look Alicia in the face.

“You’re better than this.”

My head whipped up to look at her.

“Excuse me? You don’t know me?”

“I know enough. Listen, I have so much to say, and I really don’t want to be in here when I could be out there getting good and buzzed. First, I’m sorry. I was an evil cunt of a woman to you and your team. Your plans were perfect. Truth was, I knew who you were. You had what I wanted, so I had to take you down. It was petty, it was awful, and it was wrong.”

“Wait, how’d you know? I mean, it wasn’t like we spent any time together.”

She let out a small laugh.

“You have a picture of the two of you out at a restaurant in your cubicle. Actually, I think the brides are in the photo, too. Then there was Dane. He left his phone unattended, and when I grabbed it to poke around a little, I saw a picture of you as his background, smiling and your tongue was stuck out with a red candy on it.”

She shook her head a little at the two of us, as if we were a puzzle to figure out.

I thought of that day, I had been trying to throw the Swedish Fish he kept buying me in the air and catch them with my open mouth. That was the first time I’d been successful in over thirty attempts. I remember begging him to take the picture to prove I’d succeeded, but I had the fish on my tongue and he couldn’t understand me. Which lead to a severe case of the giggles.

“Mari, he’s one of the good guys. And I’ve got to tell you, he’s got it so bad for you that it hurts to look at him. The past months, he’s barely existed. He knows that he screwed up. He knows that he failed you. He knew what he was doing as he did it, and he withheld the truth from you because he was afraid it would scare you off. But he is broken, and you are the only one who can help him out. Please, I mean, you don’t owe me any favors or anything, because I was horrific to you, but please, give him another chance.”

Dane’s words to me from months ago flooded my heart.

“I never want to break you, Mari. I want to be the one to help hold you together when you are broken.”

I wanted to hold him together, too.

Alicia must have sensed the shift in me, because she just nodded.

“Go get him.”