Page 17 of One-Star Romance

“His friend Teddy is starting a new extreme sports business, and I guess last week he mentioned that it would be fun if Angus zip-lined in, and it would also help him get some content for his website. And you know how openhearted Angus is. He was like, ‘Sure thing, buddy!’ ”

“So, he’s going to steal all your thunder.”

“No, he’s not…I don’t love when people look at me anyway, so I don’t care about that. But it’s turned into this whole complicated thing about where his friend is going to run the zip line and how they need to arrange the chairs, and it’s just one more stressful variable, and also, is it ridiculous? Zip-lining into a wedding ceremony? Am I marrying a ridiculous human?”

Yes, Natalie thought. Instead, she took Gabby by the shoulders. “Look. If you think you’ve made a mistake and this is more than the normal cold feet, we can leave. I’ll drive the getaway car.”

Gabby let out a watery laugh. “No, I’ll drive the getaway car.”

“Fair. I’ll handle music and navigation. We can get new identities and move to a farming town in Iowa so you never have to face the embarrassment of people you know asking why you didn’t show up to the ceremony.”

Gabby sniffed. “What would our new identities be?”

“Half sisters who own a lot of cats.”

“Oh, owning cats with you would be so nice.” She had a faraway look on her face, and for a moment, Nat thought she was actually considering it. Then, in a quiet voice, she said, “I’m just scared that everything will change.”

“With you and Angus?”

“That. And with you and me.”

“Well,” Nat said, a lump in her throat, “it will change. That’s true. But I’ll still be here for you. That won’t change. We can still have movie nights and call each other up to talk for hours.” Gabby nodded, her eyes locked on Nat’s. “And, hey, if you decide you really hate this life…there’s always divorce.”

Gabby smacked her arm. “How dare you mention that word today!”

“I’m just saying! Nothing in life is a permanent commitment except having kids. And I don’t think you’ve taken that step yet, unless there’s something you need to tell me?”

“No,” Gabby said. Then she leaned forward, urgent. “Wait, how about this? When I get pregnant, I promise you’ll be the first to know.”

In this moment, with their hands clasped together, Natalie wished that friends could stand up in front of a crowd and make vows to each other too. Vows to love each other even when things got hard, vows to be there in sickness and in health, vows to not let the little complications of life tear them apart. She held Gabby’s hand tighter. This would have to do. “Really? But Angus…”

“I’ll tell him immediately afterward. But that way, you’ll be a big part of it too. I want you to be part of it.” Gabby shook her head. “Why am I talking about future babies? I should focus on my actual wedding.”

Natalie folded her into a hug. “You keep looking for that ‘screw it’ moment, okay? I’ll make sure everything else is under control.”

•••

After changing into her dress—a flattering pale blue silk sheath with a slit up the skirt, Gabby had been kind—Natalie power walked to the groomsmen’s suite. The door was open a crack, so she peered in, not wanting to disturb any rituals or add to Angus’s stress.

But the atmosphere in the groom’s room was worlds away from that of the bridal suite. A wedding photographer snapped pictures of Angus putting on his cuff links. He looked the nicest that Nat had ever seen him—handsome, for those who went for his whole vibe, with a neat suit and a small white blossom pinned in its buttonhole. Most of all, though, he wore the bright, anticipatory look of a boy on Christmas morning.

This was only the third wedding she’d attended as an adult, but already she’d gotten a good whiff of some patriarchal double standards bullshit. Brides were expected to show up at seven a.m. to begin their beautification. The groom combed his hair and shrugged on a jacket. Everyone asked the bride about napkins and the schedule as if the groom had no stake in the day at all. Let brides be lazy! she wanted to shout.

Despite the heat, Angus’s groomsmen sipped from beer bottles and cracked jokes, suit jackets slung on the couch behind them. All except Rob, who sat in a chair, spine straight, peering at a video of some sort on his phone, headphones in and brow furrowed in concentration like he was watching a documentary. Infuriating! Here she was, running around in three-inch heels, and he was futzing on YouTube? Maybe if he didn’t expend his energy giving one-star reviews to people he knew, he’d be able to make himself useful.

“Robert,” she spat from the doorway. He didn’t hear, too wrapped up in his screen. A nearby groomsman took pity on her and tapped Rob on the shoulder. He pulled his headphones out, an eyebrow cocked, then swiveled his head to where the groomsman pointed. For a moment, as he registered her appearance, he seemed startled. Thrown off-balance, his eyes traveling over her dress. She looked down—did she have a stain or something? No, everything seemed fine.

“What is it?” he asked.

“A word.”

Reluctantly, he put his phone down and followed her out into the hallway.

“I’m a little busy—” he began.

“What is with this ridiculous zip-line idea? Gabby is stressing out. Just get Angus to walk down the aisle like a normal human.”

“Oh,” he said, the tension in his shoulders releasing like he’d also been harboring doubts. “Gabby doesn’t want him to do it?”

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