Page 4 of The Wedding

Jamie didn’t want to think of that woman while hosting a bridal shower, but it was difficult to do when she still woke up some nights gasping for breath because she thought she was a prisoner in that house again.

Stop thinking about it. Her forced smile as she asked Natasha to prepare the upcoming gift list could have felled trees.

The gift-giving of the party brought an opulence Jamie was still not used to seeing in her own home. Monique opened one present after another, revealing gold, jewels, tickets to various destinations around the world, even – and this almost made Jamie gasp in absolute shock – thepassing of the employment of one maid to another person.Is that legal?Apparently, someone had heard that Monique was looking to replace a maid in her home and offered up an employee who wanted to relocate.Does this maid know about it?Jamie was aghast.

“I’m not drunk enough for this,” Natasha muttered, writing down the “gift” so Monique could send a thank you note later. It reeked of human trafficking until the woman who offered the “gift” said she was paying for a year’s wages as herrealbridal present. Oh, well then!

In comparison, Jamie’s gift was paltry. When Monique unwrapped a garden party dress from the city’s most upscale boutique, Jamie swore she felt everyone looking askance at her.“It’s for…” she began, wishing her mouth wasn’t so dry. “It’s for the first party you host as a married woman.” Yeah, that sounded good.

Monique sweetly smiled. That was the problem: Monique had the greatest poker face in the county. Jamie could never tell when she was honestly pleased or just trying to be nice. “It’s lovely,” she said. “I would’ve picked this dress out for myself.”

Monique may put on fake smiles when necessary, but she wasn’t a liar. So hearing that compliment made Jamie let out her pent-up breath.

The party could not end quickly enough. When people started excusing themselves to go to “other appointments” two hours into the festivities, Jamie was not disappointed. She was pleased to see the more stuck-up women from earlier leave first, probably desperate to get away from their social obligation of the week.

Soon, the only women left in the room were Jamie, Natasha, and of course Monique. Oh, and her sister-in-law and accompanying friend, both of whom said they needed to sober up enough to drive back into the city. Between the two of them, they almost downed the entire bottle of champagne.

“Holy shit, no offense to you,” Eve began,gesturing in Jamie’s direction. Natasha picked that moment to go to the bathroom for half an hour. “That was one of the stuffiest parties ever, and I’ve been to some stuffy parties.”

Jamie completely froze in her seat, the color draining from her face while waves of embarrassment crashed across her. “I… apologize.”

“Oh, it’s not your fault! The people you had to invite to play nice sucked.”

Monique put her glass down on the coffee table. “You’re so rude,” she said with a whisper of a grin. Eve grinned right back at her.I’m glad they know what’s going on because I have no idea.Should Jamie be ashamed that her party was terrible? Should she not have invited people who didn’t want to be there… but would have been offended if they weren’t invited?

“I don’t give a shit. They don’t like me, I don’t like them…”

“Nobody likes you,” Kathleen drolly said. She stared at the crown molding lining the salon as if she had any particular interest in it. “That’s your whole appeal.”

“Well,” Monique interrupted. “I agree that Jamie was put in a difficult position, but I think she did a fine job. I enjoyed myself.”

“Thanks.”

“At any rate, we won’t have those ‘stuffy’ people at my bachelorette party next week.”

“Hell no, we won’t!” Eve practically jumped off the couch and stepped on her friend’s toes. “Because I’m throwing it, and only fun people can come.”

“I can hardly wait to see what you have planned, dearest sister.”

“I think I might surprise you with the amount of pussy I can shove in one party. For the people I love, of course.”

“Of course. We wouldn’t want to get the wrong idea about you.”

“Are you sober enough to drive yet?” Kathleen asked Eve. “I’ve got a thing at five-thirty downtown.” She briefly looked at Jamie and forced a smile.I hate these forced smiles.Yet Jamie was a hypocrite because she hadmastered them too. “Not to say you throw a dull party, Jamie. It’s a business thing.”

“Naturally. It was good to have you here.”I think…

Kathleen and Eve excused themselves, stopping to pick up their coats in the front hall before hopping in Eve’s Jaguar and tearing out of the driveway as if they had a highway to hell to catch. Jamie could hear them laughing at her from miles away.

“It wasn’t that terrible… was it?”

“Oh, Jamie…” Monique said in a soothing voice. “It’s a hoity-toity bridal shower. There isn’t much you could have done to make it… interesting. You followed the script well. I thank you for taking on the responsibility.”

Jamie remained fixated on her lap. “It was the least I could do after you asked me to be your maid of honor.”

Monique poured herself some cider. “We’ve been through a lot together, yes?”

Jamie couldn’t help but stare at her, catching the way she casually draped herself across the couch now that she no longer had to look prim and proper for other people.Should I feel honored that she feels so comfortable around me?Monique was two leagues above Jamie in every way. She was a better hostess. A better conversationalist. A better chameleon in the world of the rich.