Page 62 of The Wedding

“There are other places to get married.”

Jamie stepped back, one hand on her hip. “Hey, if there’s something you really want for this wedding, say so. Don’t be shy. Last I checked, you were getting married too.”

“I am definitely paying for it, too. Though I thought the bride’s family was responsible for some things… which reminds me…”

“No, I still haven’t talked to my parents about it yet.” Jamie sighed. “They know, obviously, but I haven’t given them any details, and they haven’t asked. Yet.” It was only a matter of time. Her parents lived in an isolated commune way out in the middle of nowhere. No cell phone service and everyone used the same rotary phone. Jamie had called to tell her parents she was getting married before the press hit them even out there, but she didn’t have any details at the time. Now that she had a date, she had to tell them so they could make arrangements. “What about your mother?”

Etta stiffened, hands retracting from Jamie’s body and clutching the edge of the counter. “I haven’t told her yet. I’m not even sure if she’ll come. I’m told she’s become a hermit in her retirement community.”

“I see.” Etta didn’t talk about her mother much, other than to say she was a standoffish, blunt woman who didn’t take shit but also didn’t give a lot of it. Jamie didn’t know if the original Ms. Coleman wasnaturally like that, or if the death of her husband brought it on.I’ve never met her mother. Never even talked to her on the phone. Etta didn’t call often, either.

“Don’t worry about that. You have what fun you can planning a last-minute wedding.”

“It’s not that last minute.”

Etta swept her up in her embrace, planting a heavy kiss on her cheek. “Every day I’m not married to you is torture. Let me believe it’s not too far away.”

Jamie tittered against her chest, fingers clasping her collar and fumbling with her buttons. “It’s not. I promise. We’ll be married before you know it.”

“I hope so.”

Her kiss came at Jamie both as a surprise and as something she totally expected. Yet she didn’t quite expect this level of passion so early in the day. On a Saturday. To Etta, Saturday spelled be as lazy as possible – if there were no work or social functions to attend – and save the girlfriend duties for the night.Maybe thinking about the wedding is getting her riled up…Jamie wouldn’t say no. She definitely didn’t protest when Etta pushed her against the counter and then pushed againsther, famished lips covering her skin and hands pushing up her skirt.

“Don’t give a girl time to get acclimated, do you?” Jamie had barely said that when her breath was knocked out of her chest. Etta was halfway to devouring her already.Hooooly! Jamie’s ass was on the counter, legs spreading and welcoming her fiancée between them.

“You saying no?” Etta stopped kissing her long enough to flick her chin. Dazed, Jamie shook her head. “Didn’t think so.”

She didn’t have time to say much of anything when Etta was going full-throttle at her, pulling away pesky clothes and unzipping this and that. By the time she was humping her, Jamie was already moaning, her eyes occasionally fluttering open to see the bright early afternoon sunlightstreaming through the window.

Not much time to think about that. Her fiancée was busy making sure they both had a very enjoyable Saturday afternoon, as extramaritally as possible.

Chapter 20

Jamie was staring down a large pile of possible wedding guests at the dining room table when her phone lit up with an unknown number. Somehow, it flashed a very familiar name before she answered.

LUNA JOY.

Jamie stared. The phone continued to ring. Something hit the pit of her stomach. It was probably her will to deal with reality. Because God knew that the person calling her often did not engage with reality… or the real world… or normal people for that matter.

“Hello?” she tentatively asked after answering. “Is this who I think it is?” She was gonna regret this.

“Jamie!”

That voice was two parts pleasantly reassuring, three parts oh fuck no. More squealing commenced in the background. Jamie gazed at a bunch of names she didn’t recognize in Etta’s address book, wishing she could go back to that.

“Hi… Mom.”

“How many times have I told you to callme Luna? I don’t know who ‘Mom’ is.”

“I’m still calling you Mom.”

“Whatever… hey, guess what! Your dad and I finally got our own phones! We get reception here now!”

“That’s… great…”

“Honestly, we’ve had it for a long while now, but it wasn’t until you told us that you were getting married that we finally broke down and joined the 21st Century. Oh, I still can’t believe it! My little girl is getting married!”

Jamie tapped her pen against the table. Beatrice emerged from the kitchen, carrying enough cleaning supplies to sterilize the whole house.I still haven’t told my mom what kind of woman I’m marrying. How would they take her future wife having servants? Seemed to go against everything they believed in.