Page 85 of Unexpecting

At the reception, my seat was at the head table, trapped between Tom and an already-intoxicated Lacey, who was determined to flirt with every male in the place, including the sixteen-year-old waiter who cleared her plate. Plus, she kept making inappropriate comments about my breasts, which was embarrassing to me; but Anil, on Lacey’s other side, found the comments hilarious. The reception took place downtown at the Royal York Hotel, in the historical Imperial Ballroom, where prime ministers and royalty have dined and danced. Or so Brit says. It is a beautiful room and the dinner was lovely; I managed to eat a few mouthfuls. The speeches, usually a bore at wedding receptions, were tolerable, and even the one Brit’s father made welcoming Tom into the family was amusing, in part because Mr. Spears was well on his way to being three sheets to the wind, just like his daughter Lacey.

As maid of honour, I had to say something, and I didn’t have the luxury of a drink or two to soothe my nerves. Speaking in public isn’t a favourite pastime of mine, but I thought I did okay, producing a couple oflaughs and a collective aah from the guests as I finished with a poem by Christopher Marlow. After Brit and Tom had their first dance, and after Brit danced with her father and the wedding party all joined in, I finally escaped my duties and headed over to the table where Coop and Emma were sitting. J.B. had been seated with them, and I wondered where he was.

″Ah, freedom,” I sighed with relief as I sank into a chair beside Emma, propping my sore feet up on the next chair.

″You did great,” she praised. “I liked your speech. Your feet okay?” she asked in a worried voice when she noticed me inspecting my ankles.

″I think they’re swollen,” I told her incredulously. “I’m only three months. Does that mean I’m going to swell up like a balloon by the time this is over?”

″I’m sure you won’t,” Emma soothed. “You’ve been on your feet all day and in those shoes. Even my feet hurt.”

″No more shoes for me tonight,” I decided, slipping them off my feet. “I should have brought my Uggs to wear.”

″Oh, I’m sure Brit would love having you galumphing around in that dress and your boots,” Coop said sarcastically.

I tilted my head back on the chair. “I’ll be sooo glad when this wedding is over,” I said to the ceiling. “I need my life to go back to normal. Not that I know what normal is going to be like,” I said suddenly, with my hands over my belly.

″At least it will be interesting,” Emma smiled at me.

″I can’t even imagine what those babies are going to do to my kitchen,” Cooper muttered. “Don’t they, like, go through drawers and everything? And no way am I getting childproof locks on the cupboards!”

Emma and I laughed. “I think you might have a little time before we have to start worrying about that,” I giggled. “Who knows where I’ll be when they’re running around being little holy terrors?”

″You’re not moving out, are you?” Emma asked worriedly.

″Eventually,” I told her. “But no plans right now.”

″Good. I’m kind of excited about having a baby around all the time,” she said shyly. “Or three of them.”

″I can see that wearing off after the hundred or so diapers I get you to change,” I teased. But I also gave her hand a squeeze as I heaved myself to my feet with difficulty. The tightness of the dress inhibited ease of movement.

″Where are you off to?” Coop asked.

″I think I’ll go throw up now, so have fun.”

″You can just decide like that?” Coop asked in surprise.

″Pretty much. I feel the need to vomit most of the time, but I’ve found out it’s fairly easy to control. If I have the time and a decent bathroom, I throw up. Or if I want to feel better for a bit. Brit gave me the key to the bridal room just in case, so I have the decent bathroom and I think now’s a good time.”

″That’s… odd.”

″But very helpful. I’m thinking of making it into some sort of a party trick, what do you say?” I gave a smile and a little wave as I headed off across the dance floor.

I think most of the two hundred guests were on the floor, including Brit’s father, who was doing an odd version of the Chicken Dance despite the song playing not being the Chicken Dance song.

″Casey!” Will Spears bellowed across the floor at me. “Come on and dance with me!” Because the reception was in full swing and Brit’s father had been full swinging into drinking, it sounded like, ‘C’mon dans w’me!’

″Not on your life,” I said under my breath and cheerfully waved. Mr. Spears waved back and accosted someone else. I could see Lacey doing her best bump and grind with J.B. She saw me and gave me a coy wave, but J.B. rolled his eyes and gave me a pleading look.

″Save me,” he mouthed. There was no way I was going over there because I was sure Lacey would try and pull me into whatever action she was trying with J.B. I wiggled my fingers at him and kept moving across the dance floor.

I began to weave my way around another group of dancers until someone stepped directly in my path.

″Why do you keep showing up like this?” asked a male voice. It took me a moment to recognize him. It was the cute guy from the subway, the one I threw up in front of at the wine store the day the nausea began. I didn’t recognize him because he looked smart in a black suit.

″Hey! What are you doing here?” I blurted out. “Sorry, that’s really rude. But really, what are you doing here?”

He smiled, which made him look less like Matt Damon but still cute. “My girlfriend is Tom’s assistant. There’s no need to ask what you’re doing here.”

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