Chrissie mutters, “Finally,” beside me. I ignore her.
I turn to go but hesitate when my aunt speaks. “You will do no such thing, Matilda Vicky.” Great. She broke out my middle name. She means business.
Shaking my head, I face my favorite relative. “There’s no reason for me to be here. I’m not going to be doing the waltz with the wedding party.” Thank goodness. I mean, I like dancing, just not in front of other people. The fact that I won’t be doing the actual dancing is beside the point. Aunt Annabelle said I needed to be in attendance, so I’m here. Honestly, I’d prefer to be home, in my bedroom, the one I still have in my parents’ house.
I’m pretty sure Aunt Annabelle forced Vicky to give me a job in this whole shebang in the first place. Like I said, I’m the personal attendant—a role I’ve mastered due to the fact I’ve been a personal attendant in six of the last seven family weddings. That’s why I don’t actually need to learn this dance. I won’t be anywhere near the wedding party that night. I’ll be busy running errands for the bride and probably Chrissie.
It's fine with me. Believe me.
“You’reonlythe alternate.”
What my cousin means is that, in the unfortunate and unlikely case that one of the bridesmaids cannot fulfill their required spot on the dance floor, I’m supposed to step in. My brother, Bobby, who is on the opposite side of the big circle we’re standing in, is the alternate for the guys. If you thinkI’manxious to run home and hide in my bedroom, there’s nothing compared to how Bobby’s feeling. I believe he told me this event today was his “own personal hell.” He’s even more introverted than me, preferring to sit in the dark with his computer doing coding over interacting with real people.
“Now that that is settled, let’s get on with this.” My aunt looks past her daughter to the person who’s going to teach us how to dance, the owner of this dance studio, Madame DuBois.
I’m pretty sure that’s not her real name. Not only that, her French accent seems a bit intermittent, but what do I know? I’ve never been to France, or anywhere for that matter.
Finally, Madame DuBois steps into the middle of our circle and claps her hands. In her questionable French accent, she says, “Everyone, choose a partner.”
Oh, great.
It’s just like in gym class. I know no one is going to pick me. I’ll be left standing here like a bump on a log. My face will turn the shade of a ripe tomato, and Aunt Annabelle or the madame will point to me and say, “She needs a partner.”
Oh, God. It’s going to be a….
“Come on, short stuff. Let’s get this over with.”
I recognize the voice, sort of. It’s the man––the handsome yet jerky one. I blink rapidly at his extended hand. “Me?” I squeak. Have I entered some sort of alternate universe or a fairy tale where the good-looking guy suddenly notices the shy, mousy wallflower?
“Yeah. Come on.” His expression doesn’t give anything away. Blank is the best word to describe his face.
Still, I need to ask again, “Me?” This time it comes out more husky than squeaky.
“She’s obviously not equipped for this,” Chrissie says to the tall army guy as she nudges me aside. “I’llbe your partner.”
“No.” He looks down at me. “I’ve already asked…?” He leans in slightly. “Mattie, is it?”
“Matilda, actually.” Unlike my cousin, I take pride in my name, even if it is a bit old-fashioned.
“She’s the personal attendant,” grouses Chrissie. “I’m the maid of honor. She won’t even be dancing at the wedding. She’ll be busy running errands and doing whatever the bride commands.”
The big man still has his hand extended toward me as he asks again, “Are you going to be my partner or not?”
That’s when I do something crazy. I place my hand in his, ignoring the tingle that rushes up my arm, and shrug. “Why not?”
“No,” Vicky says loudly from across the room. “Chrissie is going to dance with Alec.”
Alec? I look up at his face. That name fits.
Vicky continues, “He’s the best man. He’ll be dancing with Chrissie, the maid of honor.”
Best man? Oh. That must mean he’s Anthony’s older brother. While I haven’t been privy to much of the wedding planning, I know Anthony has three brothers. Alec is the eldest. Then there’s Angelo and Adrian. Anthony is the baby of the family and the first of the brothers to get married.
Chrissie uses her bony shoulder to literally shove me out of the way.
Vicky then announces to the room, “Mattie, you’re going to practice with Bobby.”
Great.I’m dancing with my brother.
