“That’s so cool, who’s the artist?” As I wait for my takeout, she shares the Instagram with me and I follow the artist. To my surprise, the conversation isn’t all that difficult to sustain because there isn’t any pressure. It’s just a passing chat, with nothing riding on it. We keep talking about crafts until my food is ready, and she waves me goodbye, a warm smile on her face.
The passing conversation energizes me so much that, as I slurp my pho back at my kitchen table, I successfully make it through rereading my entire, twenty-page first chapter.
That felt good. Which is unfortunate because that means Eitan was right.
Willyou come with me to the next meeting with Louise on Thursday?Pen asks one Tuesday, a few weeks later.We should totally get manicures after. Maybe even a latte?
Of course!I write. No matter that I don’t do manicures (chemicals) and try to avoid big hits of added sugar, but these are minor details. It will be nice to do something together that doesn’t revolve around the wedding.Eitan and Calliope are coming too. Aunt Lou offered to pay for Camp Goldberg, so they’re running through the plan with her before they make reservations.
Eitan.My primate brain traces his name over and over again, an echo of his voice reverberating between my ears.Beach Girl.
Camp Goldberg?I text back.
OMG! I totally forgot to mention—that’s what we’re calling the joint bachelor/bachelorette weekend. It’s September 22nd–25th.
I check my calendar, knowing it will be empty. Except?—
That has to be a mistake.Yom Kippur is the 24th, I tell Pen.
Oh, if you need to pray or anything you don’t have to come. It was the only weekend that worked for my publishing tour schedule.
No, it’s no biggie,I reassure her. I’ll just explain to my mom that I’m missing the holiest day of the year because we have to party in the woods. No biggie.
Okay, great! I’ll see you on Thursday, at four o’clock.
On Thursday,at two o’clock, Pen calls me.
I make a hasty retreat from my meeting to answer the phone. “Hello?”
“Hi! I’m so glad you picked up.” Behind Pen’s voice, a P.A. announcement says that Gate C13 is boarding to New York City. “There’s been a change of plan.”
I don’t like where this is going.
“I have to fly to New York to meet Alice and visit my publisher. Would you be able to cover for me? I’mobviouslygoing to gab about you to Alice—we’ll be together the whole week. And you’re so good with Louise, you don’t even need me! We just need to agree on the smaller vendors and finalize the floral installations.”
I don’t know what to say. Literally. A vague noise of confusion and concern hums out of me.
“We had to add a DJ.” Pen groans, like this development is still causing her pain. “It’s a friend of a friend of a nephew or something, but it’s important to Josh that this guy is a part of the wedding. Apparently he plays cello. We need to verify that. I’m not having some middle school band cellist play my processional.” Pen sighs. “Josh wants him to play during the ceremony and be MC for the cocktail hour.”
“Okay, um?—”
“Can you give Louise the download on the DJ, pick a photobooth vendor, hair and makeup vendor, andfinallyconvince her to do my monofloral hydrangea dance-floor ceiling?” The way Pen says this last item, it sounds like something I’m delinquent on.
“Are there options for the photobooth and hair and makeup?”
“Not yet. I trust you, though. Just pick a couple, and then you and Louise can decide.”
I’m silent, my lips squeezing together. How, exactly, is this bridesmaid territory?
“Oh!” Pen squeaks. “The photobooth needs to have a champagne sequin background. That’s the one thing I feel strongly about.”
“Got it,” I say slowly, my frustration dipping into my voice.
“You’re the best, Rubes. Thank you!” Something rustles on Pen’s side of the phone. “I gotta go. Flight’s boarding. Let me know how it goes!” Pen hangs up.
I pull the phone away from my ear and stare at it. I feel angry, but I know in some ways, this is what I agreed to. Regardless, the meeting with Louise is in two hours, and I apparently need to find at least two options each for photobooth and hair and makeup.
I begin with a furious Reddit scrub, looking for any highly upvoted vendor recommendations. For hair and makeup, it’s easier, since I see a couple companies being recommended often. Blushing Bride is known for subtle, lightweight but camera-ready makeup, and Beautysquad is known for showgirl makeup. One might go so far as to say, clown makeup. But they’re both highly recommended, so I copy and paste reference images, plus a summary of their specialties from their websites, into the original planning document Pen shared with me.
