Love Me Back (8 page)

“I guess you don’t want to impress that Basso brother.”  Ian smirks at me from the kitchen doorway as I walk by him.

I flip him off while snatching the granola bar from his hand.

“Hey Madgirl.”  Gabe looks me up and down.  I can’t tell if he is disgusted or pleased. “Hi Ian.”  He waves walking into the house.

“Gabe.”  I state.  He is wearing a pair of khaki shorts with a tight fitting blue tee and a pair of sneakers.  The shorts show off his muscular, long tanned legs.   When he walks by me the tee shows off his tapered waist. I shake my head knowing I should not be thinking of Gabe nonetheless checking him out.

“You heading over with us, Ian?”  Gabe asks him, making himself comfortable at the kitchen table.  Not even paying attention to the remodeled house.  I figure either he doesn’t care or has already been over since it was done.

Ian looks down at himself dressed in his pajama pants and shirt shaking his head.  “No, since I agreed to take this as my vacation to help out my girl in crisis, I am taking at least one day to lie around.” 

“Sounds nice.”  I sneer at him.  “I get to go try on some hideous bridesmaid dress hearing people tell me I can wear it again sometime.”

“Don’t sound so bitter.  It’s your brother’s wedding.  Now go put on your happy face and be that cheerful bridesmaid I know you can be.”  Ian smacks me on my ass walking out of the room.

“Whatever Sleeping Beauty.  Please enjoy your day of leisure.”  I sneer back at him.

“Don’t hate Madeline Jennings.  It isn’t becoming of you.”  Ian remarks walking back upstairs.

“Let’s just go get it over with.”  Gabe says hopping off the stool putting his hand on the small of my back leading me to the door.

I turn my head over my shoulder but he never removes his hand until I am safely in the passenger seat of the blue machine.  Once in the car my heart starts beating faster and my breathing is erratic.  Does Gabe have this effect on me?  I don’t know what has happened in the last twenty four hours but he has weaseled into my thoughts and I can’t shake them.

“So, I want to talk to you about the dance.”  He glances over to me.  I probably look like I am coming down with something.  My face pale when he brings up last night.

“Oh Gabe, its fine.  Just a dance with your little sister right.”  I want to play this off.  One Basso brother had torn my heart to shreds on numerous occasions.  I wasn’t going to let another one get to me again.

“What?  Little Sister?”  He questions looking confused.

“I know you and Doug have always thought of me as Little Jennings.”  I confirm.

“Well…yeah…when we were younger.”  He confirms.  “But now…”  His phone interrupts him. 

“Hello?”  He answers, giving me an apologetic smile.

A pause while he listens.

“I will be back next Monday.  Can’t this wait until then?”

“Absolutely not.”  He seems angry at whoever is on the other end.

“Listen.  I am here for a good friend’s wedding.  There are events planned all week long and I don’t have time for this right now.  We can discuss this on Monday night when I get back.”

Monday night?  I assume it isn’t business must be personal.  Girlfriend?

“I don’t know how much clearer I can make this for you.”  He is curt.

We turn down the downtown area towards the dress shop.  He parks along the diagonal parking spots that line the street on either side.

“I have somewhere I have to be right now.  It is Monday night or never, you decide.”  He gives them an ultimatum.

“That’s what I thought.”  He hangs up the phone with no goodbye. 

I have never seen Gabe act like this to someone so I can’t imagine what or who it is that would make him have such a personality change.

“Sorry about that.”  He smiles over to me.  He gives me no explanation, not that he has to give me one. 

“It’s ok.”  I smile back.  “Let’s get this thing over with.”  I can’t get out of the car fast enough and away from Gabe.  I leap out of the car walking into the dress shop.

“Hey hold up.”  Gabe grabs my elbow bringing me back to him before I can open the door.  “Is something the matter?”  His face etched with concern for me.

“No, I just want to get this dress thing over with.”  I lie.

He looks at me hard and long eventually accepting defeat letting my elbow go.

The dress shop is small and quaint with the tuxedo shop through a little walkway to the right.  I notice all the guys already in the tuxedos since we are late.

“What the hell Basso?”  Jack is screaming to Gabe.  “Maddy, the girls are waiting for you in the dressing room.”  He points me in the right direction.

Gabe and I raise our eyebrows at each other walking away from each other like school girls that just got in trouble but don’t care. 

“Finally Maddy.”  Lindsey comes out from the dressing rooms urgently waving her hands at me to meet her.

“Are we really that late?”  I ask checking my watch realizing I was in such a hurry I forgot to put it on.

“We only have an hour before the next bridal party.” 

“Are you serious?”  I say in disbelief.  They couldn’t spread out the whole two weddings that happen in this town a year.

“Yes Maddy.  This is the best wedding shop in the county.  A lot of girls come here from all over.”  She challenges my why look.  “Now, go in there and try on the dress.”  She pushes me into the fitting room.

“Alright Lindsey.  When did you become so bossy?”  I stop myself short of running into the mirror from her push.

I cringe looking at the long emerald green satin gown hanging in front of me.   There are beads sewn on the top half falling into an A frame over the stomach and hips.  It’s a beautiful dress for someone else.   I look at my pale post winter New York skin wondering how fast I can get a spray tan before Saturday. 

“Let’s go Maddy.”  Lindsey knocks on the door impatiently.

“Just a minute Linds.”  I scream through the door.

Five minutes later after numerous knocks and yells from Lindsey I walk out of the room in the Irish bridesmaids dress to the main area.  All the other girls are sitting down bored and annoyed.  I am pretty sure they are annoyed by me, the groom’s little sister who is ruining the dress fitting by showing up late and taking forever.  I notice instantly I am the only one in a green dress.  The other girls are in red, yellow, blue, orange. 

“Oh you look beautiful like I knew you would.  Green is your color Maddy.”  Lindsey rushes over to me.

“How come we are all in different colors?”  I ask her. This is my first time being a bridesmaid except for Mackenna but they eloped in Jamaica and all I needed for that was a sundress.

“It’s a rainbow wedding.  Every bridesmaid wears a different color.”  Her smile showing how exciting she is.

“Oh, I’ve never heard of that.  Interesting.”  I didn’t really care what Lindsey wanted; it was her day and her wedding.  I just wish I could trade my Irish prom dress for the blue one.  Maybe then I could wear it again one day.

“Go up to the pedestal so Marge can do the last minute alterations since you haven’t been here yet.”  She pushes me forward again.  You would think she was my naturally born sister the way she treats me.  I love it though.  Lindsey didn’t have any sisters either so we were both equally excited when we found out we would be sister-in-laws.

“Jeez Linds, calm down.”  I say walking grudgingly up to the pedestal so Marge the shop seamstress can molest my body.

“Hey, don’t be talking to my fiancé like that.  She is technically going to be your older sister in a couple days.”  Jack’s deep voice carries over the store as he and his groomsman come into view behind me.

Now I am going to have the boys as an audience to my humiliation of being poked and pulled. 

“Wow Little Jennings” one of the Bigs says.  “What’s that phrase?  An ugly duckling turning into a swan.” 

“She was always a swan.”  Gabe whispers.  I pretend I don’t hear him but the smile that forms across my face might have given me away.  My eyes meet his from the mirror making him instantly look down.

“Whatever, now she’s a smokin’ hot swan.”  The guy bellows.

“That’s my sister Edwards.”  Jack hits Bryan’s older brother.

“It doesn’t change the fact.”  He says shaking his head.

“Enough boys, get out.”  Lindsey looks directly at Jack pointing towards the door.

“Sorry Linds, gotta stay it’s like she’s on display for all of us to observe and appreciate.”  Edwards sits down making himself comfortable.  It is hard to believe he is brothers with Bryan.

“Listen Shawn Edwards, I know your mom and dad.  They wouldn’t like you disrespecting a girl like this.  I suggest you go with your friends.”  Marge looks him square in the eye.

“Alright, alright Marge.  Calm down.”  He stands up pressing his hands down to the ground.  “Maddy, we can catch up later.  If I am lucky you will be the one I will be escorting to your brother’s funeral on Saturday.”  He winks at me through the mirror.

“Enough Shawn!”  All the girls scream as well as Jack.

“Ok, ok.  I’m leaving.”  He backs up still checking me out in the mirror.

I roll my eyes in disgust but once they meet the right side of the mirror my eyes lock with Gabe’s again. This time I notice him staring at me and when he sees me staring back he moves them across the room towards Jack.

“Let’s go Edwards.”  Jack grabs the back of his neck leading him out of the store.  “Linds, we will meet up after at Taps?”

“Yeah baby.  I still have to try on my dress and you cannot be here for that.”  She lovingly looks at Jack.

I wave good-bye to Gabe and my stomach drops when he winks back at me. 
Why does it keep doing that?
 

After Marge finishes pinning me making a zillion little holes in my skin I get my reward and take off the dress.  Changing back into my capris and flip-flops I feel back to normal. 

I hear loud oohhs and ahhs from the fitting room and I assume Lindsey has her wedding dress on.  I don’t really see what the big deal is. She is going to wear white even though if old rules still prevailed she should wear ivory or something other than white.  She probably spent more than her months salary on this dress that she will wear one day.  I truly don’t see the point in the whole big wedding thing.

I slowly walk down the hallway following the compliments ringing at the end.  Don’t get me wrong I am sure Lindsey looks beautiful.  She could look drop dead gorgeous in a burlap sack.  Maybe I am just cranky today.  Turning the corner I see Lindsey in a Cinderella style dress.  It’s form fitting through the top and flares out at the waist into layers of tulle and satin.    She was more than gorgeous; she should be a model in a Brides magazine.  It isn’t just her in the dress.  Her smile is pure and honest lighting up her face.  Lindsey is genuinely ecstatic to be marrying my brother.  Her eyes are sparkling not being able to turn herself away from the mirror.  I can’t imagine what is going on in her mind but she isn’t paying attention to all the flattering remarks from behind her.  Her mind is somewhere else.  I never wanted to experience something as much as Lindsey was at that moment.  I desire stirred through me to know what Lindsey was thinking to make her face appear as if her life ended tomorrow she would die happy.

It is a short walk over to Taps after we finished.  I assume we will have lunch and then I can go home and lounge. 

“So, are you with Gabe?”  A girl’s voice comes up alongside of me as we are walking. 

I think her name is Caroline.  She is Lindsey’s college roommate or something.

“Um…No.”  I look her way.  I think she was in the orange dress.  She has short strawberry blonde hair.  She is shorter than me by a couple inches and attractive in that make-up model kind of way.  I would like to see her cosmetic drawer or drawers in this instance.

“You guys drove together so I figured.”  She raises her shoulders as though it made sense.  “So, you don’t mind if I go after him?”  She asks.

“No I don’t mind.  Thanks for asking.”  I say even though I want to say different I can’t. 

“Great, thanks.”  She excitedly skips over to some other girl pointing her thumb my way and then pointing it up letting the girl know I gave her the green light.

Taps is a bar and restaurant that has been in town for decades.  It has been passed down for generations so their customer base is young to old.  The restaurant has limited windows except for the front entrance so it is dark with heavy oak tables and booths with black leather making it cozy and quaint. 

We notice the boys in the back at a table waiting for us. Making our way Caroline scoots her way to the front I assume to get a seat next to Gabe.  She glances at me one more time before taking a seat while Gabe narrows his eyes at me in confusion.  I shrug my shoulders.  I don’t know why he cares, we aren’t a couple and she is cute.  Not really Gabe’s type but cute nonetheless.

I sit a couple seats down from them.  I don’t really want to see their flirting.  Trying to divert my eyes from them, I fail to realize who sat next to me.

“Hey beautiful.  It’s been so long Maddy.”  Shawn Edwards leans in to me.

“You just saw me last year at your brother’s wedding.”  I remind him.  I know why he didn’t see me then, he was with some tall blond with huge breasts, his usual type.

“Oh yeah!  Sorry about that.  You still with Little Basso?”  He asks moving closer to me than I would like.

“I guess I would be hard to see past your dates breasts.”  I sneer only making him laugh.

“Funny and hot.  What a great combination.”  He leans closer to my ear.  “I can’t wait to find out your other attributes.”

“You will be waiting a long time Shawn.”

“So, you are still seeing Little Basso.”

“No”

“Then why don’t you give an Edwards a chance.  Your friend seems deliriously happy with my brother and I share the same genes with him.”  He puts his arm around my chair leaning so far over I can feel his breath on my neck.

“Shawn, my brother would kill you if you touched one hair on my head.”  I move forward eyeing my brother down at the end of the table.

“Who said he had to know?”  He puts his hand on my knee.