Five
Afew weekspassed in a haze of stress and excitement. My new job was amazing and the people were incredibly nice, but it was a different type of demanding that nothing could have prepared me for. On top of all that, Mags’ wedding was only a couple short months away.
Almost everything was taken care of. Since Randy’s parents were so close to all of us, their home seemed like the perfect place for them to tie the knot. Randy had grown up a stone’s throw away from where we went to college, and Liz and Jim McManus had become second parents to any college kid looking for a hot meal, especially our group of friends.
I looked down at my phone as it buzzed across my desk right before I was about to leave the office for the day; Liz’s name and smiling face lit up my screen.
“Hey, Liz. How is the arch coming?”
Mags’ soon-to-be mother-in-law’s voice was light and bubbling with excitement. “It’s almost done and I have to say, it is stunning. Mags is going to be so surprised!”
I grabbed my laptop case and purse and started to trot down the stairs. “Where are y’all going to hide it?” Randy, Walker, and Jim had been secretly working on a wooden archway for the couple to get married under. I hated keeping secrets from Mags, but this one was going to be incredibly special.
“We have a neighbor down the block that is going to let us keep it in her garage until the wedding day.”
“Perfect.” I got into my car, heading straight for the nail salon to meet Mags.
Liz called over to her husband, “Jim, honey, smooth out that flower on the top right a little more.” Then she directed her attention back to the phone call. “When are the two of you ladies heading over to Clearwater for the bachelorette festivities?”
“Right after we get our nails done. I’m running a little behind for our appointment. My boss has been out of the country all week securing a new perfume line, so I have been swamped. They didn’t want me to take tomorrow off but they’re going to have to deal with it.”
“Well, you ladies have an amazing time sunbathing and partying! See you for Sunday family dinner around seven?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Liz. Talk to you later.”
I rushed into the nail salon and hopped into the pedicure chair next to where Mags was soaking her feet and reading a magazine. “Hey, lover!” I poked her shoulder to break her attention from the celebrity gossip she was engrossed in.
Her eyes snapped over to me. “Cali! Finally! I’ve been waiting for almost thirty minutes!”
Our nail ladies sat down on the stools in front of us. “I know. Work has been crazy! But for this weekend, I am all yours!”
We relaxed back into our seats and let the massage chairs work their magic.
I glanced over at Mags as her toenails got painted a rosy coral color. “Are you ready for an epic weekend?”
Her face lit up. “Heck yes I am!”
* * *
“Holy shit, Cali! This place is incredible!”
Mags and I stood by the water, checking out the private beach of our Clearwater resort while sipping on mojitos. The sweet salty air tingled across my skin as the gentle rumble of thunder faded off into the distance. Florida afternoon showers always brought cool breezes and gorgeous water that was simply breathtaking.
“I’m just so glad to be here with my best friend to celebrate one of the most amazing times in your life!” Our glasses clinked together and we slid onto the outdoor couches.
After munching on appetizers and enjoying some live music, Mags and I planned out our relaxing spa day.
“I still can’t believe you didn’t want to go party in Vegas with a bunch of our sisters or do a pub crawl in downtown Tampa this weekend.”
Mags grinned over at me from across the bar table after throwing her napkin onto the plate in front of her. “I just want to relax and spend quality time with you. With the move coming up, starting a new job, and planning a wedding right after graduation, I really just need some downtime.”
With our day of facials, mud baths, and stone massages all booked and ready to go, we decided to hit the dance floor in front of the live band. I ran over to the side of the stage and slipped a twenty to the lead singer along with a list of a few of Mags’ favorite songs.
“Well, folks, it looks like we have a bachelorette in the house tonight!” The tall, skinny lead singer winked at me before pointing Mags out to the crowd and telling them all to buy her drinks all night.
We danced the night away while slowly sipping on beers that random patrons were buying for us, making sure to pace ourselves with water; there was no way we were going to be late or hungover for our day full of pampering.
The next morning, after a room service breakfast in bed, we went about our day as planned and let all the built up stress and anxiety of our lives melt away into the stones and mud. It was the first time for both of us at a full day spa and the experience was mind blowing.
