Page 111 of September

“Halloween cards?”

“They’re funny, so they sell well in the tourist shops,” Bridgette said and took Monica’s hand.

“How’s the wedding planning going? I was at Candace’s last night, and she’s planning hers now, I guess. She’s going a little crazy, I think.”

“We’re pretty chill about it,” Bridgette said.

Monica laughed and added, “I’mchill. She’s not.” She shook her head.

“I’m chill,” Bridgette defended.

“Now, maybe. But not in the beginning.”

“You can’t blame me for that. Your family is all rich and fancy, and I don’t want them to think we’re having some kind of swamp wedding.”

“They don’t think that, babe. They love you.”

“They blame me for you moving down here.”

“No, they don’t,” Monica replied. “They like that I live down here. You know how much my dad loves Louisiana. And Aaron is here already,” she added of her stepson. “So, you’re just a mild bridezilla and need to admit it.”

“I’m not having beige napkins at my wedding. That’s my one thing.”

“Sure. We’ll pretend you only hadonething,” Monica replied and leaned into her fiancée’s side.

“You should come,” Bridgette said to Gwen.

“To the wedding?”

“Yeah. We invited Myra, and she’s bringing Elisa now. You should come, too.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. We only just met. I don’t expect–”

“No, you should. Contrary to Bridgette’s crazy planning, it really will be a relaxed day. I want to be married to her. The wedding is great, but it’s about more than that for us.”

“She’s right,” Bridgette added. “You should come.”

“Okay. Well, I guess I can. I don’t want to ask too much of you, but any chance I could get a plus-one? If not, totally okay.”

Bridgette lifted an eyebrow and said, “A plus-one to a wedding that’s months away?”

Gwen rolled her eyes at herself and said, “Yes, I have a new girlfriend. And if I don’t screw it up, she might just want to go with me.”

“We’ve been out of the gossip loop,” Bridgette replied. “What’s her name for the invitation?”

“Juliet Francis.”

“I’ll be sure to make that look pretty with my calligraphy pen.”

“You have a calligraphy pen?”

“She does. She handmade our save-the-dates, but she thinks she’s been chill this whole time,” Monica teased.

“Well, if it’s not too much trouble, that would be great.”

“I’ll text you later to get your address,” Bridgette said. “But we’ve got to run. More cards to stock.”

“We’ve got to make money to afford those calligraphy classes she took,” Monica added.