“The day after Thanksgiving. A second celebration.”
She didn’t look excited or disappointed by that information. “Thanksgiving has always just been us four.”
“And you’ll still have that.”
She turned back to her problem.
“It sounds like you aren’t too thrilled about it.” I spoke my mind candidly with her now, like she was Emerson or Ryan. I filtered out the cuss words and the inappropriate subjects, but it still felt like an adult conversation.
“It’s not that. I just…I don’t know. I don’t know these people.”
“You get nervous when you meet new people?”
“I guess.”
“Yeah, I know how that is.” I was an introvert by nature, even on my best day. I liked my friends and my family, but once I stepped out of that comfort zone, I wasn’t myself anymore. “My parents are really nice people, so you don’t have to worry about that. My dad is a lot like me.”
“He is?” she asked, hope in her voice.
“Yeah. So, you’ll definitely get along with him.”
“And your mom?”
“She’s a lot like your mother, actually.” I’d never really noticed it before.
“Will anyone else be there?”
“My brother and sister.”
“Oh, what are they like?”
“Dex is a few years younger than me. He’s a doctor in residency.”
“Whoa.”
“But he’s very friendly. He’s easier to talk to than I am,” I said. “And my sister is twenty-one, so she’s still pretty young. She’s warm and affectionate, but she’s got a big attitude. She’s a small person but takes up a lot of space…if that makes sense.”
“You think they’ll like me?”
“Definitely. My brother has already met your mother, and he really liked her.”
“Well, everyone likes my mom.” She looked down at her problem and continued to think. “My teachers always like her. Well, except Mr. Franklin.” She grinned at the memory.
I smiled too.
“I guess as long as you’re there, I should be okay. If you like me, they’ll like me.”
My eyes softened because she saw us as allies and friends. We had our own relationship, and she trusted me on her own, not because I was her mother’s boyfriend. “They’ll love you, Liz.”Ronnie pulled up to the curb in front of the store, and I got out. Some of the guys were already standing outside, the piles of snow around them, the sunshine melting the drifts before the next batch of precipitation hit the city.
Brett turned to me. “Hey, man.” He embraced me before he pulled away. “I liked the way you carried Ryan out of there. You must be able to bench like two hundred pounds.”
“Two-ten,” I said with a smirk. “Not that I’m bragging or anything.”
I chatted with the guys outside, and we talked about the bachelor party that made Ryan turn in at ten thirty like an old woman. We talked about the girls they took home, the hangovers, and the wedding.
We eventually moved inside and found Ryan talking to Camille’s brother while Kevin and Donovan stood with him.
I didn’t give any reaction to Kevin. As if he didn’t exist, I didn’t look at him or even acknowledge to myself that he was there.
Ryan greeted the rest of the guys then gave me a hug. “Thanks for coming out, guys. I’m sure you’d rather be doing something else other than trying on clothes.”
“Yes,” I said. “But there’s nothing I’d rather be doing than getting you ready for your big day.” I clapped him on the shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
Ryan pointed at me. “This guy, right? Best best man ever.” He clapped me on the back then turned to the lady who was helping us with the outfits. “Dress us up. Make us look beautiful. Because my wife is wearing this really low-cut dress with a slit up the side, and she’s gonna look off the hook, you know what I mean. I gotta show her up.”
“You can’t show her up,” Brett teased. “You look like a troll in comparison.”
“Shut up,” Ryan said. “My best man will beat you up.”
“No, I won’t,” I said quickly. “Because he’s right.”
“Ooh…” The guys all started to laugh.
“Whatever,” Ryan said as he walked off. “Let’s do this shit.”We took our turns in the dressing room, and the tailors took our measurements for the clothes. As the guys finished, they hung out on the couches in the waiting room. I was one of the first to go, so I took a seat and talked to the guys while we waited. I wasn’t sure what we were doing after, but I imagined we’d go out for a drink or something.
“So, you’re literally a rocket scientist?” Carl, Camille’s brother, asked.
I shrugged. “I guess you can say that.”
“That’s so cool,” Carl said. “I’ve never actually met anyone that does that in real life. So you’ve got to be like a genius.”
I shrugged again. “I think that’s subjective.”
“He’s just being humble.” Brett clapped me on the shoulder. “He’s fucking brilliant.”