Page 68 of One More Chapter
“Never in Uno, Anthony.”
Her smile lights up the room, and I wonder if we’ll be okay without electricity after all.
twenty-six
penelope
“Okay,I knew Aaron had a big family, but I didn’t realize he was inviting everyone he knew to this thing,” Juliet gapes, stealing the words right out of my mouth.
Aaron and Lucy’s joint bachelor/bachelorette party snuck up on us—and thank God for it. I’ve been spending all of my free time helping Lucy with the odds and ends. Yes, I know I’m supposed to be writing. Yes, I know that avoiding it is only going to make my daily word counts higher. But that’s a Future Penelope problem.
The gang has been at Lucy and Aaron’s place all day setting up, and Claire and I just ran out to pick up the pizzas and change into our costumes. By the time we got back, the place was filled to the brim with people.
A lot of Italian people, to be exact, but also almost everyone Aaron has ever come into contact with.
“I know,” Lucy sighs. “I wanted something intimate—just you guys and the groomsmen—but the groom gets what the groom wants, apparently.”
She just shrugs and takes a sip of some blue beverage that’s supposed to be Stitch-themed.
“And you’re okay with that?” I ask. Lucy came to us from a ten-year emotionally abusive marriage, where she had absolutely no say in anything. She’s quick to wave me off.
“Oh my gosh, yes. He issohappy. If it means having our house stuffed with all of his family and friends for a night, I’m okay with that. They’ll all be at the wedding too. And besides, he gave me the power to veto anything and everything I didn’t agree with. Why do you think we aren’t playing ‘Pin the Abs on the Disney Hunks?’”
“Okay, butthatI could’ve gotten behind,” I say, lifting my drink into the air. Everyone laughs, and then we compare costumes.
The couple of honor is dressed as Flynn Rider and Rapunzel—the brunette version. Juliet and Sam are Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. Claire somehow conned Nathan into dressing as Ellie and Carl fromUp, on the basis that he really didn’t have to add anything different to his daily attire besides suspenders.
“Who are you?” Claire asks.
“Meg fromHercules. I won’t say I’m in love, am I right?”
I wink, then take another sip of my beverage.
Truth be told, I’ve sold my soul to too many men over the years just like her. And, also, by the time I made it to the Excel spreadsheet, most of the other good characters were gone, and I had the parts to the cosplay outfit in my closet already. A long, lavender skirt with a slit that goes all the way up my thigh, a purple tank crop top, and a brown leather belt, and I could probably head to the bars afterward.
“I thought you’d go as Merida. You’ve got the hair for it,” Sam chuckles.
“She could have been Kim Possible too,” Aaron says, joining the circle, hugging his fiancé from behind.
“Jessie the Cowgirl. Oooo, this is a fun game!” Juliet exclaims.
“Forgive my wife,” Sam laughs, encircling her waist and tugging her into his side. “She hasn’t had a ton of alcohol since Hope was born.”
Nathan says nothing, joining our circle that’s now entirely too cramped, and taking possession of his woman. Which sidles me right into bare skin. When I take in his costume, I want to run right the fuck home.
“So, you gonna call me ‘Wonder Boy’ for the rest of the night?” he asks, smirking with a suggestive pump of his eyebrows.
Anthony is dressed as Hercules. Or, at least, that’s what he’s going for, with a sweatband around his forehead, wristbands on both arms, and a brown pair of gym shorts. No shirt. Nada up top but tan gym muscles that are slightly sheened with sweat.
Yeah, I’m definitely going home.
“How?” I ask, crossing my arms and taking a step back. “How did this happen?”
“Fate,” he preens, tilting his head skyward like he’s thanking Zeus himself for our costume blunder. “Actually, I forgot that this was a costume shindig and asked Aaron last minute what was still available and easy.”
“And you told him to dress up as the male counterpart to what I picked?”
I cross my arms and scowl across the circle at Aaron, who hides behind the Pascal stuffed animal on Lucy’s shoulder.