Page 53 of One More Time
The whispers he’d been expecting started up soon after. As did the awkward gaping looks as he shook hands with a rugged, bearded guy named Sam, Lucy’s second husband, and his new spouse James. And then again when Devin, Lucy’s apparently much younger and third ex-husband, tried to smash Nicky’s heavily insured fingers in a bone-crushing handshake.
‘Chandler’s not joining us?’ Brandon asked as all assembled found seats.
‘No, he and his parents are on a thrilling tour of the Hoover Dam today,’ Chloe said, unfolding her napkin. ‘Just my side of the family for brunch.’
Nicky, who had spent the majority of his youth with his father as his only family, had a hard time wrapping his head around the whole scene. It was amazing that Chloe had so many people willing to truck to Las Vegas and show up for her. It was even more astonishing that all of Lucy’s ex-husbands could sit in the same room. Nicky tried to imagine his ex-wives doing the same, and could envision only a heap of smashed china and broken fingernails, with Andy Cohen doing the color commentary.
‘I tried to warn you,’ Lucy whispered to him from behind her water glass.
Nicky slid his hand under the tablecloth, and onto Lucy’s thigh. Gave it a good squeeze. ‘It’s all good, Lou.’
He watched her struggle to swallow. Then, stared at her stunning profile – probably a bit too long – when she turned back toward the table.
After a waiter had been in to take their orders and drinks had arrived, Chloe said, ‘So, Nick, let me give you the SparkNotes version of the family.’
It sounded great if only he knew what the fuck a SparkNote was.
Lucy leaned in before he could even exhale and whispered, ‘Like CliffsNotes, if you were born after the cell phone.’
Ah, got it.
Chloe continued, ‘Brandon is my bio dad. He lives in New York with Jenna where his business is making money reproduce like bunnies by exploiting the stock market in ways that are mostly legal.’
‘Excuse me,’ Brandon objected. ‘Don’t forget the bond market.’
‘Sorry,’ Chloe said to her dad, then added, ‘and the bond market. He and Jenna have been married for three years. She’s growing an online knitting business. And a baby.’
‘Got it,’ said Nicky, returning Jenna’s warm smile.
‘We won’t be offended if you need your Notes app to keep track of all this, by the way,’ joked Chloe. ‘Therewillbe a test after.’
A rumble of laughter circled the table, from all butDevin. He seemed to be trying to grind his perfect white teeth to dust.
‘Next,’ Chloe said dramatically, ‘is Sam. He was with us when I was in elementary school. Sam is the reason I can ride a bike and throw a punch.’
‘Because I taught her those things,’ Sam said to Nicky, running a hand over his beard. ‘Not because she had to ride away or punch me back.’
‘Yes,’ chimed Chloe. ‘He married James when I was fifteen. I remember because I was the only flower girl in history with braces.’
‘You were perfect,’ offered James, tipping his glasses further up his nose.
Chloe smiled. ‘I was very awkward and distributed the flowers poorly, but thank you, James. Oh, Sam is a professor, too, like Mom, and James does something in city government.’
James rolled his eyes as though this was an old family joke. ‘I’m the mayor,’ he told Nicky.
Chloe waved a hand to her left at the fit young guy who seemed uncomfortable in his khakis and polo shirt. ‘And last, but certainly not least, is Devin. He was with us when I was in high school and gave great advice on the twisted minds of teenage boys and never ever told Mom about that time he had to pick me up because I was sloshed.’
‘Two times,’ Devin corrected, with a smile. ‘There was that time at Grant’s when—’
Chloe waved her hands dramatically. ‘Oh, wow. Yeah. Okay, let’s not go into those details.’
‘What details?’ Lucy asked.
‘It was fine!’ Chloe said cheerily to Lucy. ‘See, I’m here and I’m fine.’ Chloe turned to Nicky. ‘Devin is the women’s soccer coach at the university where Mom and Sam work. Phew, so there. That’s everyone, yeah?’
Nicky said, ‘Thank you.’ Desperately trying to infuse it with the sincerity he felt. ‘I do hope you were joking about that quiz, though.’
Conversation turned to the wedding, with Chloe answering questions about flowers and cocktails and all sorts of things Nicky didn’t have a clue about. He simply nodded, and tried not to stare at Lucy as she smiled and laughed along with Chloe.
