Page 37 of Unexpectingly Happily Ever After

Brit’s third wedding was smaller, with only Morgan and I as attendants.

″I haven’t heard much of your wedding plans,” Morgan says as we’re served our first courses. “What more do you have to do?”

Brit picks up one of her oysters and slurps it down before answering. “Not a lot. I’ve been focused on this weekend.”

″What’s Justin doing for his bachelor party?” I ask, taking a fork to my shrimp but eyeing Brit’s plate. I forgot how much I love Rockefeller oysters.

″We’re not talking about Justin because if we talk about him, you’ll start talking about J.B., and that will lead back to the kids,” Brit says with an edge to her voice. ”Just us.″

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. “I’ll make sure I don’t mention him if you give me one of your oysters.”

″Get your own oysters.” Brit slurps down a second one.

″Trade you for two of my shrimp,” I offer.

″Deal.”

Chapter Thirteen

All relationships formed after the child is born should somehow benefit the baby.

A Young Woman’s Guide to Raising Obedient Children

Dr. Francine Pascal Reid, (1943)

Istick to my promise to give Brit a weekend to remember and keep the conversation off of men or kids with difficulty.

After dinner, we stop for dry martinis atVesper.

″J.B would love this place,” I muse as we’re shown to our seats. But that’s all I say about him.

We move on to the funkyBond, where a creepy guy does his best to pick us up. Offensive, but it’s been a long time since anyone tried to pick me up so I’m a little flattered.

I mentally make note of the cocktails in theCliQuebar to pass on to J.B. The drinks are delicious and potent and give me the courage tosuggest we try the nightclub to dance. But the liquid courage doesn’t last long when it’s apparent that we are the oldest ones in the place. Brit’s inability to get served at the bar sends us running to the Chandelier nightclub.

And at two-thirty in the morning, we’re still here, watching Brit do shots with another bride-to-be, who must be about half her age.

″Why are we the only ones here?” I try my best to hide the yawn that splits my face, but Morgan sees it and smiles.

″Is Casey tired?” she mocks in a singsong voice.

″Casey is sleeping with her eyes open. Can’t you tell?” I glance over my shoulder at Brit, talking and laughing and still going strong despite steadily drinking all night. I switched to water hours ago. “I want to bail but I can’t leave her here.”

Gone are the days when I could party all night. These days, staying up past ten-thirty is an accomplishment.

Morgan gives me a sympathetic smile. “Why don’t you head back to the room? I’ll drag her back when she starts to run out of steam.” We both glance at Brit again, who is laughing uproariously at something the bartender has said. “She has to run out of steam soon, doesn’t she?”

I make no effort to hide my sigh of frustration. “When she divorced Brick, we closed down that bar, remember?”

″But she was sad then. She’s happy that she’s getting married, isn’t she?”

″I think so. But you’d think after the last time…Serves her right for marrying a guy named Brick.” Brick had been Brit’s second husband, close after Tom divorced her after only a few months. Brit had an affair with Tom’s boss, who refused to leave his wife and left Brit in the lurch. Brick helped console her; that marriage lasted two years before Brick moved on to console someone else.

″Was that really his name?” Morgan wonders. “Or a nickname?”

″Brit and Brick.” I shake my head. “That should have been a red flag right there.

I swear, sometimes her life is worse than a soap opera.”

---