I smiled wistfully. “We sure did.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“You just did.”
He snorted at my smart remark. “What happened to the phoenix necklace and earrings I gave you?”
I grinned. “I was told I could only take what I had on me when I left, so I made sure to wear them that day. I have them locked away in a safe at my house in California. What about your drawing? Do you still have it?”
He chuckled. “You haven’t noticed it?”
“Obviously not. Where is it?”
“It’s in the bedroom,” he said on a laugh. “Guess I’ve been doing something right.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Annabelle
I didn’t have a chance to go over and check in with Macy like I’d planned because I ended up spending the rest of the week helping Ember with wedding plans, which included helping her friend, Reese, plan her bachelorette party. Ember made the wise decision to have the bachelorette party the weekend before the wedding, but that didn’t leave Reese much time to get things arranged.
When Saturday rolled around, the party had turned into an all-day event. First, we met at Ember’s house for a catered breakfast. The next several hours were spent at the spa getting anything from manicures/pedicures and massages to mud baths and full body waxes. I opted for a pedicure, facial, and body scrub. I planned to get my nails done before the wedding, but there was no way I would keep them intact for an entire week.
We had a late lunch after the spa and then went back to Ember’s house to get ready for our night out. I thought it might make Ember uncomfortable to have her mother tag along, but she assured me, several times, that she wanted me to attend. With all the girls in the house, it took several hours for everyone to be ready to go. Unbelievably, we didn’t have to wait for anyone when our ride showed up.
Reese arranged for a stretch SUV limousine to drive us to and from the bachelorette party. Since Croftridge was such a small town, we had to drive to a larger city nearby to find some bars/clubs that would be suitable for this type of party.
Once in the limo, drinks were poured and passed around. Reese then informed everyone she had some special accessories for Ember to wear—a sash declaring her a bride-to-be, a tiara with a small veil attached, and a candy necklace. My drink nearly came out of my nose when I realized the necklace was made of little candy penises.
Once Ember had donned her new accessories, Reese presented her with a checklist of things to complete before the night ended. “Now, I know what a lot of you are thinking. Those brutes we claim as our men would totally flip their shit if they found out we were talking to or touching anyone of the opposite sex. So, to keep the peace, this list requires none of those things.” She smiled proudly and handed the list to Ember, who promptly groaned and slapped her hand over her face.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Reese exclaimed and reached into her purse. She held up what looked like two credit cards and squealed, “I got Byte to make us fake IDs!”
“You did what?” Ember asked. “I don’t want him to get into any trouble.”
Reese smirked. “He won’t. Your dad okayed it, but just for tonight. We have to give them back tomorrow.”
Ember turned her worried eyes to me. “I’m sure your dad only agreed because he knew I would be with you. Enjoy your night, baby girl.”
One of the other girls chimed in, “Tell us what’s on the list.”
Ember lifted the paper and began reading. “It’s your final fling before the ring. The party won’t stop until you’ve completed all of your tasks. To ensure your success, alternate shots and tasks as you move through the list. Tasks—Dance on a bar or table, Sing one karaoke song, Blow your candy pecker whistle when all of your candy penises have been devoured (by people other than yourself), Drop a penis straw in the drinks of five people you don’t know, Collect 10 condoms from people you don’t know. Shots—Blowjob, Cockteaser, Sex on the Beach, Screaming Orgasm, The Dash.”
“How am I supposed to complete this list without interacting with men? And what the hell is ‘The Dash’?” Ember shrieked.
“Relax. Women can eat the candy from the necklace. I mean, I don’t think men would do that anyway. As for the condoms, just ask a woman or have one ask a man for you,” Reese explained.
“And ‘The Dash’?”
Reese laughed. “Oh, that’s a shot I found online. It’s made from two liquors I’ve never heard of. Supposedly, it tastes like strawberry cream. Anyway, you’ll have to do it at the first bar because Duke knows one of the bartenders there and he agreed to make the shot if we supplied the ingredients.”
Ember grinned mischievously. “One day, Reese Walker, you will be getting married and I will get you back for this.”
By the time we arrived at the first stop, almost everyone in our group had downed at least two drinks. I was trying to go easy on the alcohol so at least one person in our group had a clear head. Being the bride’s mother, as well as the oldest in attendance, I silently volunteered myself for the position.
At the first club, we danced for a while and the girls had a few more drinks. Ember completed a few tasks on her list. The funniest one thus far was watching her try to take a shot that was piled high with whipped cream with no hands. It took her several tries, but she finally managed to get it all down without making too much of a mess. After an hour or so, we left and headed to our second destination.
It was at the second stop that I noticed him. A man I had seen at the first club was now at the second club. I tried not to make too much of it as it was likely just a coincidence, but something about it just didn’t sit right with me. I decided I would keep it to myself for the time being and keep an eye on him. I made sure to remind the girls not to leave their drinks unattended and to not accept any drinks from strangers.
