1
It’s not that Charlotte wouldn’t rather spend her Saturday evening on her sofa; legs sprawled out in front of her, a glass of red in her right hand, TV remote in her left, watching some rerun of a show she’s already seen a hundred times. She'd occasionally look out the window to judge the neighbors for their meticulously kept lawn—because how dare they—and make a mental note to really, actually, no excuses this time, mow her own lawn. Next week. Maybe.
No, that’s not it. It’s also not that she has a profound passion for commercialized, unnecessary festivities like this engagement party.
When her best friend Gabi had shown her the ring, Charlotte had really tried to understand. She'd thoroughly searched every corner of her brain to find a reason to celebrate the fact that someone was about to do something in the future, that would ultimatelyalsorequire a celebration… But had found nothing.
And while she does believe that Gabi and her fiancée Lou are deeply in love, she also believes that using every little step in their relationship as an excuse to throw aparty is just too much. It’s the first of many to come, she knows: two bachelorettes, multiple dinners, a rehearsal, and the actual wedding are in her near future. She prays to whichever deity will listen that Gabi and Lou aren’t planning on having a baby soon: she can only imagine how many heinous parties will be a part of that particular process.
So, what is it then? Why is she here?
Must be friendship or something,she supposes, a disgusted look on her face as she plucks a pinkshe said yes!-skewer from a donut and tosses it aside.Or the open bar.
“Please keep reminding me to never, never, ever, get married.” Right as Charlotte is about to take a bite, Gabi snatches the donut away from her. Her murderous expression doesn’t match the fairy-like rose colored dress she is wearing.
"Leave it! The party doesn’t start for another hour,” Gabi hisses. Before she can put the donut back on the tray, Charlotte grabs her by the wrist and takes a bite anyway, which earns her a—well deserved, sure—eye roll.
“Who else is coming? Anyone I know?” Charlotte inquires, mouth full of donut.
Gabi sighs, admits defeat, and surrenders the baked good. “Hannah is going to bring her twins,” she says, knowing it will piss Charlotte off. Indeed it does, which she emphasizes with a very vocalugh.
“Then there’s Tilly, Barb, Mr. and Mrs. Langdon, the Proctors…” Gabi counts them on her fingers. Charlotte lets out an even biggerugh.
“And you remember Riley?”
“Doubleugh, is that the one who can’t stop flirting with me?” Charlotte asks, raking a hand through her unruly copper locks as she takes another bite. She remembers, of course sherememberswho Riley is. She's Lou’s friend; an athletic, yet elegant lady with dark hair and tanned skin—some latina in there, maybe—big brown puppy eyes, and a very frustrating sense of confidence that she uses to try and woo Charlotte at every chance she gets.
The last time they all went out together, Charlotte had been too drunk to realize Riley was just playing with her when she repeatedly gestured at her lips as if to say Charlotte had something in the corner of her mouth. Charlotte had rubbed her cheek a few times, her fingers coming back clean every time, and had silently gestured for Riley to do it for her. It wasn’t until Riley had shuffled closer and closer into her personal space with a self-satisfied glint in her eye, that Charlotte had noticed Gabi and Lou in her peripherals on the other side of the booth, hands covering their mouths to stifle their laughter. It had earned Riley some physical contact alright, but not the kind she’d hoped for. A smack upside the head, “oh for fuck’s sake!”, a shove, “stay out of my aura!”, and a series of swats against her arm every time she so much asthought about looking in Charlotte’s general direction. Oh, she remembers Riley.
“You’re making that up,” Gabi deadpans. Charlotte lets her jaw drop, giving Gabi an unpleasant view of whatever is left of the donut in her mouth. “Ha-ha, now please close your mouth and keep folding the napkins.”
Gabi gets up and turns around, completely oblivious to the bird Charlotte flips her. “Sure thing, hon!” Charlotte says in a saccharine voice, but as soon as Gabi is far away enough, her smile drops and she tosses the napkins aside carelessly.
As the evening progresses and guests start showing up—music is playing, people are chatting, children are dancing—Charlotte does absolutely nothing to hide the fact that she’s bored out of her skull. No one can blame her, really, when she’s ultimately forced to resort to her favorite pastime: the cheap merlot across the room will have to do.
With that decision made, the rest of the night has the potential to be uneventful, if not for Charlotte tripping over a bunch of pink and silver balloons on her way to the bar.
Swearing loudly, she tries to break free from the strings, only causing her to get even more tangled up. She swears some more, and catches Hannah helplessly trying to turn her identical toddler daughters away from the scene with an annoyed scowl on her face. Inhaling deeply to come up with even more creative profanities,Charlotte is interrupted by Gabi who jumps in and covers her mouth with her hand.
“Oh for the love of—Charlotte, there are children here,” she says, her voice as stern as her gaze.
“Yeah, well, they have to learn at some point, don’t they?” Charlotte huffs when Gabi lowers her hand. Still fighting the balloon strings that are wrapped around her ankle, she casts another glance at Hannah, who is still desperately trying to distract the twins by bribing them with donuts.
“I’d say there’s no one better to learn that kind of language from than you,” Lou pipes up, joining the group. As the more androgynous half of the couple, Lou is usually a few inches taller than her fiancée, but the flats under her tan suit have nothing on Gabi’s glittery pumps. She chuckles, sliding her arm around Gabi’s waist. “Hi, Charlotte.”
Charlotte presses her heel into one of the balloons and it explodes with a loudBANG, accidentally drawing more attention to herself. She squints at Lou, who looks like she’s about to brace for impact. “You,” she says, pointing at her, “I always knew I liked you. You’re approved. One of Gabi’s best characteristics seems to be her taste in other people.”
She turns her pointed finger toward herself and gestures down her own body, clad in a white silk shirt and green slacks. “Meaning myself, mostly.”
“Oh, and I bet one of your best traits is being humble?” Gabi sneers, which causes a fourth person to snicker.Charlotte’s eyes whip up from her own legs to the person now standing next to Lou: she recognizes Riley, whose hands are pocketed in the pants of a tailored black suit.
“What are you laughing at?” Charlotte barks, sounding slightly more hostile than she wants to.
”Oh, you remember Riley, right?” Lou steps up, nodding at her friend who is taking Charlotte in with an amused smile.
“I’m not sure, have we met?” Riley takes a step forward, holding out her hand for Charlotte to shake. Charlotte can see in Riley's eyes that she knows damn well they've met. She is being an asshole and Charlotte is not going to give her the satisfaction.
“Meh.” Charlotte shows off her best unimpressed shrug. “I’m not surprised I don’t remember someone who’d show up to an engagement party dressed in all black. My god, who died, dear?”
