“You can’t go. I baked a breakfast casserole!” Shannon turned to give her a stern look, ruining it with her smile.
Crystal sniffed the air. “Speaking of casseroles, do you smell something?”
Shannon’s smile faded, and her eyes got big. Then she jumped out of her chair and darted for the door. “Oh Crap.”
Crystal, Angel and Mary looked at each other, and then burst out laughing.
“Hey, every bride burns a meal or two,” Angel defended.
“Yeah, but eating the burnt remains is supposed to be the groom’s job,” Crystal replied.
Mary giggled and waggled her fingers in the air as she headed to the door. “Ta-ta, ladies. Enjoy your meal.”
“Chicken-shit!” Crystal called after her.
Mary stopped in the door way and turned back, flicking her waist length hair over her shoulder. “Mama Wu didn’t raise a stupid daughter, honey.”
“Mama Wu raised a chicken-shit,” Crystal called after her in good natured fun.
“I’ll tell her you said that.”
“Mama Wu loves me. She knows I’m right.”
The door closed on Mary’s laughter.
Angel turned to Crystal. “Well, come on. Let’s go see if it’s salvageable. But you’re not off the hook. I still want the full story on you and Wolf.”
“Okay, okay.”
They both got up and began collecting glasses to carry inside.
****
Crystal took a small bite, put it in her mouth, and then spoke sarcastically around the mouthful. “Umm. Yum.”
Angel almost snorted out her drink as she began to laugh.
Shannon took a bite and threw her fork on her plate. “Okay, okay. It’s terrible.”
They all giggled.
A moment later, Crystal was covering her mouth and jumping off her barstool to run for the bathroom as her stomach cramped. Reaching it just in time, she vomited into the toilet.
When she came back out, Angel asked, “Are you okay?”
“It wasn’t that bad, was it?” Shannon asked, frowning.
Crystal shook her head and moved back to her barstool. She reached for her Bloody Mary glass. “I don’t know. I just suddenly felt nauseous.”
“That’s just how I was when I was pregnant with Brayden. Every time I even smelled eggs, I’d…” Her voice faded off as a shocked look formed on her face.
Crystal watched her two best friends look at each other, then Angel looked back at her.
“Crystal…you’re not pregnant, are you?”
“What? No. Hell no. I can’t be. I’m on the pill.”
Shannon frowned. “Yeah, but you were sick with that bronchial infection last month, and you were on antibiotics.”