Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23431 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23431 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
I really am getting girl advice from my gay assistant.
“Since you know everything, care to tell me where she went with Dave?”
“Marissa’s wedding.”
“Who the hell is Marissa?”
“Hello? She works here? In sales?”
I shrug. Still no idea who he’s talking about.
“You know, if you’d taken me up on my suggestion about briefing you on company gossip during Whisper Wednesdays you wouldn’t be so behind right now.”
I’m going to kill him before this conversation is over.
“So Marissa from sales is getting married this weekend. To a professional golfer, which is the only excuse for having a wedding in January, am I right?” Preston shakes his head in disbelief. “Philadelphia in January, ridiculous.”
“Preston, is this story going somewhere?”
“It’s not my fault you’re behind the eight-ball on company gossip. I’m setting a scene here, Gabe.”
“Can we skip to the part that explains why Sandra is on a date with Dave?”
“They’re not on a date, Gabe,” Preston says, not hiding his exasperation. “They’re both in Marissa’s wedding party. Marissa’s fiancé is Dave’s cousin. It’s a small world, yadda yadda. The church run-through is this afternoon. If you leave now you can catch her before she spends the evening sitting next to Dave at the rehearsal dinner. Because while Sandra doesn’t like Dave, Dave does like Sandra. So you best get a move on. I’ll text the address to your phone. You’re welcome.”
I head past him with keys in hand while shrugging into my coat.
“Glad we had this talk!” Preston calls out.
Ten
Sandra
I slip into an empty pew near the back of the church as the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom argue about the music choice for the bridesmaids’ processional while the wedding planner steps in to mediate.
“I was thinking we could have drinks later,” Dave hums into my ear while sliding his arm onto the wooden pew behind me. He’s been making subtle advances on me all afternoon.
“No, I don’t think so.” I give him my polite ‘no, thank you’ smile.
“Come on, Sandra, you’re single, I’m single, we’re at a wedding…” He trails off, as if the implication is self-explanatory.
It’s not. I mean it is, I know where he’s going with this, but seriously?
“Would it be crazy if I just cut to the chase and asked if there’s any possibility you’re going to have sex with me this weekend?”
I throw my head back and laugh. “Yes, Dave. Yes, it’s a little crazy to ask me that.” I pat his knee. “But thanks.”
“So that’s a no?” he asks, seeming unsure.
“Yup, that’s a no.”
“I really thought it was going to be easier picking up women after law school,” he says, slumping dejectedly. “But it’s not,” he says, shaking his head. “Women are still a mystery and I’m still a nerd.”
“We’re all nerds, Dave. You just have to find the right nerd for you. I promise you she’s out there.”
“You think?”
“I do. In fact… do you see that girl over there? In the grey sweater with the black skirt?”
He nods. “She’s cute.”
“Her name is Jennifer and she’s in her final year of law school—and I happen to know she’s single. You should introduce yourself, offer to give her tips on studying for the bar exam.”
“You think?” he asks, but he’s perked up.
“Yes. Go for it.”
“You know what? I think I will. Thanks, Sandra!”
“A word of advice though, don’t lead with asking her if she’s going to have sex with you.”
Dave gives me a rueful nod, then heads over to try his luck with Jennifer as the processional music snafu is resolved. The wedding planner regains control, giving everyone their instructions for tomorrow while my mind wanders. I think about the advice I just gave Dave and wonder if it doesn’t apply to me as well. I just laughed in Dave’s face for so boldly propositioning me, but didn’t I do the same thing to Gabe? With the sex quiz? Obviously I didn’t mean for him to see it, but he saw it all the same. And that stupid quiz was not much more than a blatant proposition.
We do another walk-through before she’s satisfied that we’ve mastered the correct way to enter and exit the ceremony and the rehearsal is officially over. The group moves to the church vestibule, everyone chatting about the weather and the best route to tonight’s dinner for the bridal party and family. Dave and Jennifer have definitely hit it off, I note with a smile as I’m buttoning my coat. They’ve been chatting non-stop for the past thirty minutes, smiling the entire time.
We’re exiting the church when I realize my scarf is missing, so I run back to see if I dropped it somewhere inside the church. I locate it under the pew where we casually dropped our coats during the run-through and loop it around my neck, then head back to the vestibule. Everyone is gone. What the heck? I was gone for two minutes. I refrain from rolling my eyes inside of a church and push open the door and step into the freezing January chill while scanning the parking lot for Dave’s car.