Page 102 of Cinderella Screwed Me Over
“No, but I’ve been busy talking to Erin,” Karl said, a love-struck smile curving his lips.
I followed his gaze to the blonde, the same girl he’d met at Shots. “It seems like that’s going well.”
His smile widened. “She’s never told me that my profession was a farce or gotten me into a bar brawl, so yeah, it’s going pretty well.”
“Man, you’re so picky about that stuff.”
He laughed, and I smiled, enjoying that we could joke like this. Then I spotted Jake. Talking to Mrs. Hildabrand.
Oh no. Anyone but her.
“Good luck with Erin. I’ll catch you later,” I said, already moving toward Jake and Mrs. Hildabrand.
Mrs. Hildabrand smiled at me as I approached. “Darby, I just met your beau. He’s very nice andveryhandsome.” She grabbed my hand and patted it. “And you wanted to give up. I told you he was out there.” She twisted to face Jake. “Can you believe she tried to tell everyone she was happy on her own?”
Jake shook his head in mock disbelief. “I can’t. I guess it’s lucky I got to her.”
“Oh, such a gentleman. You don’t let her get away.” She smiled at me again, and I knew whatever she was about to say was going to be bad. “You know, after you two get married, you’re going to have to start your family right away. After a certain age, it gets a lot harder.”
I grabbed Jake’s hand. “Excuse us, Mrs. Hildabrand. I’ve got to go introduce Jake to some other people.” I led him away from the woman as fast as I could.
Before I could say a word to Jake about what had just happened, Mrs. Taylor came up to me. “We’re going to do the toasts after people have had some time to eat. Just go on up after Karl.”
She eyed Jake.
“Mrs. Taylor, this is my boyfriend, Jake. Jake, this is Stephanie’s mom.”
Jake extended his hand to her. “Nice to meet you.”
Mrs. Taylor shook his hand. “You two aren’t going to get in a fight, are you?”
“Not planning on it,” I said.
Mrs. Taylor shot me a look. I’d been at her house enough she didn’t mind putting me in my place.
“Sorry, Mrs. Taylor. No fighting. I promise.”
Jeez. You make a scene at one wedding and you’re marked for life.
I led Jake over to the table where my family was seated. It really was nice to not have to worry they didn’t like each other or have to take control of the conversation, but simply sit back and enjoy being around so many people I loved.
As dinner was wrapping up, I noticed Mrs. Taylor walk over to Karl and tap him on the shoulder. His toast was first, which meant I’d be going next. My stomach churned as I thought of standing up in front of everyone and giving my toast. When I first started putting my speech together, I’d searched online for help. Total waste of time. How was I supposed to read something aloud that made me gag?
There was one quote that said, “Love is when you look into someone’s eyes, and see everything you need.” Seems like a lot of pressure to put on someone. And everything? Really? Like, do you have a cheeseburger in there, because at some point, someone’s going to get hungry.
The best one I’d read, the one I’d been thinking about, said, “A great marriage is not when the ‘perfect couple’ comes together. It’s when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences.” I’d use it, but Steph might interpret it as me saying she and Anthony weren’t the perfect couple.
Karl took the microphone out of its stand and cleared his throat. “Hello, everyone. I’m Karl, the best man, and it’s my privilege to toast this happy couple. Earlier today, I witnessed one of my best friends marry the woman he loves. I’ve known Anthony for several years now, and he’s always been a kind, generous person. In Stephanie, he’s found someone who has those traits and complements him perfectly.
“As a marriage counselor, I’ve seen lots of couples in every stage of their relationships, and I can tell you that Stephanie and Anthony are a great couple. They communicate well, which everyone knows is a key to having a good relationship.” Karl glanced at me and smiled. “Someone recently informed me, though, that communication isn’t the key to a good relationship. It’s realizing that we all communicate differently. She might’ve been onto something. I guess it’s about figuring out how to communicate with someone different from you. So, may you learn to understand each other, even when you don’t.”
He raised his glass. “To the happy couple. I wish you a lifetime of happiness together.”
Drew nudged me. “Go knock ’em dead.” He leaned closer and whispered, “And if you see anyone who needs put in his place, you know what to do.” He made a slapping motion.
I shot him a dirty look before making my way up front to give my toast.
“Hope I didn’t steal your speech,” Karl whispered as he handed me the mic.
