Page 173 of The Reason I Married Him
“Tell me this,” she says. “Do you think you can go a whole year sleeping next to this woman in a small guest house and keep your hands to yourself?”
I snort. “Fuck no.”
“Exactly, which means you’ll have to take a chance on something. You have two chances as far as I see it. You can take a chance on your willpower and keep your hands to yourself for a year, or you can take a chance on your heart, and see if the person you’re going to marry in a few days very well might be the person you’re supposed to spend the rest of your life with. Now you just have to figure out what you’re going to do.”
“Thank you for being here today,”Maggie says as we sit in front of her on Hayes’s couch, ready for whatever presentation she’s put together. To say she’s in her element would be an understatement.
I met up with Aubree in town, where we picked up some cheese, crackers, meats, dried fruit, and nuts for a charcuterie board to take to Hayes and Hattie’s house. We didn’t say muchto each other as we shopped around, but we did look like a couple, which was what was important. Dee Dee checked us out at the register, and as we were leaving, she said she planned to put together a newlywed special at the front of the store of everything people would need to help celebrate our wedding.
Just what we need, more attention, especially when I have this burning itch to put my hands all over Aubree. My brain tells me not to go there.
On the drive over to Hayes and Hattie’s house, Aubree quickly put everything on a tray, not even bothering to make it look nice. She grumbled the entire time, saying something along the lines of, this is why you don’t ask people if you can bring anything. She also grabbed two jars of a special kind of pickle. They were the last two in stock.
And now that we’re here, with our poorly constructed charcuterie board on the island and pickles in the fridge, Maggie has sat us down and is about to present her wedding ideas to us.
Hands together in front of her, she says, “Now, this might seem a bit overwhelming, and if at any time you want me to stop, I can, but I had a long chat with Ethel this morning, and I really think we’ve put something together that will be quaint like you want, but also a beautiful celebration of love.” She claps her hands together three times. “Brody, you may enter with the first board.”
From the hallway, Brody walks in, holding a large board against his chest.
“Excuse my lack of professionalism in this presentation. I can only be as professional as what is handed to me.”
“I told you it would be fine,” Hattie says from the side where she and Hayes sit together, his arm draped over her shoulders. Hmm, I should be touching Aubree too.
I take that moment to press my hand to her thigh while saying, “No need to impress us. We’re just excited to get married.”
“Well, I want you to know, this is not how I normally work, but like I said, I was given magazines, a printer with minimal ink, glue sticks, and markers.”
“She’s being dramatic,” Hattie says.
“Shush, we don’t need your commentary.” Maggie clears her throat. “Hayes, the mood music, please.”
“Alexa, turn on wedding music,” he says before kissing Hattie on the cheek.
“Playing wedding music, instrumentals on Amazon Music,” his Alexa says.
Maggie stomps her foot. “Hayes, I gave you a list of songs you could play on your guitar.”
“I know.”
“Why aren’t you playing them?”
“Because I wanted to play with Hattie this afternoon instead.”
Hattie chuckles and pushes at his chest. In return, he grips her chin and turns her head toward him, only to kiss her very passionately in front of everyone. Lucky son of a bitch. I wonder what Aubree would do if I turned her head and kissed her passionately like that in front of everyone.
Probably accept it, but then tell me how we shouldn’t be doing that kind of stuff later when we’re alone. The rhetoric that’s been a real wet blanket on my needs.
At least I would have been able to kiss her, though.
Brody turns to Maggie and says, “They got to play while I was attempting not to glue my fingers to your poster board?”
“Listen,” Maggie says, quieting everybody with her stern voice. “The side chatter is very unprofessional, and I’m trying to be professional.” She gestures toward us. “We have a newlyengaged couple getting married on Saturday. This is DEFCON 1 status. Okay? We will need the entire town to help us pull this off, and I’d like to start making decisions without having to listen to you two make out.” She motions to Hattie and Hayes. “And you complaining about not making out.” She gestures to Brody.
“I just really like you,” Brody says, almost with a pout.
Wow, does he really think that’s going to work?—
Maggie’s expression softens as she walks up to him. “I really like you too.” She lightly kisses him on the lips and then whispers something in his ear that makes him smile.
