“First stop is Gavin’s for some martinis, then we have tickets to a show,” Daphne says over her shoulder.
“What kind of show?” My stomach flips a little because Daphne’s looking at me in such a way that I know she isn’t telling me everything.
“It’s like the ballet.”
“Like the ballet?” I ask flatly.
She nods quickly and hooks her arm with mine, leading me toward the sleek black limo. “There’re men dancing.”
I stop walking. “I said no strippers.”
“You said no penis.” She giggles. “They’ll have on bottoms. Don’t worry so much.” She pulls on my arm, trying to get me to move, but I don’t.
“Daphne.” My voice is laced with agitation because she didn’t listen to me at all. I don’t know why I thought she would. Daphne always does what Daphne wants to do.
“We’ll take a vote over drinks, okay? Majority wins.”
I think about her words for a moment, wondering if I’m being overly sensitive. I don’t want to ruin the evening for everyone. They’ve come so far for my wedding, and the last thing I want to do is be the one to nix the entire evening. I am not Tilly the Party Pooper. I never wanted to be that girl.
“When did you become such a prude?” she asks, knowing full well I’m not.
“I’m not a prude,” I huff out, completely annoyed.
She tilts her head, smirking at me. “So totally are. It’s not like they’re going to be waving their dicks in your face. It’s just some naked chest, for shit’s sake.”
Part of me knows she’s right. The club is public, so it’s not like anything salacious will happen, but there’s still a part of me that’s completely uncomfortable with seeing another man half undressed and him throwing his junk in my face.
“Does your brother know?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Of course,” she says, but her eyes don’t meet mine.
I cross my arms over my chest as the girls inside the limo gawk at us. “He does?”
“Yes. He wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea, but I promised him nothing over the top would happen.”
“No lap dances,” I tell her, narrowing my eyes.
She practically breaks out into a happy dance at my words. “Deal,” she squeals before turning to the girls and raising her arms in triumph. “Drinks and dicks, bitches.”
An hour later and two martinis down, my head’s already buzzing from the alcohol. The last thing I want to do tonight is get drunk. I don’t want to walk down the aisle with a hangover, barely able to focus on the man waiting at the altar for me.
“Another?” Max asks, tipping her head toward my empty glass.
I shake my head, trying to pace myself. These girls, the cousins and my soon-to-be sisters-in-law, sure can toss the drinks back without seeming to be affected by them. “I better slow down a little,” I say, slurring the last word a bit before breaking out into a fit of giggles.
“She’s cut off,” Izzy, whom I’ve realized is bossier than Daphne, says and shakes her fingers. “We can’t get her drunk.”
“Thank fuck you have a late wedding.” Delilah lifts her glass to her lips and stares at me from across the table. “I’d hate to be up at the ass-crack of dawn to get my hair done.”
I laugh at the word ass-crack, and I know I’m half in the bag. Liquor doesn’t usually have this much of an effect on me, but I hadn’t eaten much today, trying to fit into my already tight wedding gown tomorrow.
“What’s so funny?” Delilah stares at me, moving her glass around the tabletop in small little circles.
“You said ass-crack,” I blurt out before laughing louder, even snorting a little.
“I agree. She’s cut off,” Mia says quickly. “Let her sober up a little before you order her another one.”
I roll my eyes. “Is there a Gallo who isn’t bossy?”
