“Right.”
“And a wedding shower to plan?”
“I know. We can talk about it if you want. I know you have ideas.”
“Yeah, I do, but…”
Just then, her phone rings. Claire puts up a finger.
“One second.”
She grabs her phone from the kitchen counter and goes into the living room to take the call. As I wait for her, my phone beeps.
I take it out of my coat. The screen shows a message from Joel.
This time, I no longer feel a stab of guilt, only a tinge of fear, which passes. I open the message.
Are you free tomorrow lunch? Nat wants us to talk about something important.
My eyebrows crease. Something important?
“Hey,” Claire says as she comes back into the kitchen. “That was Natalie. She said we…”
She stops as she sees the phone in my hand.
“Is that Joel?”
I nod. “He wants to see me tomorrow noon. He said it was important.”
“Natalie said the same thing. She said she and Joel have an important announcement to make. I tried to make her tell me, but she wouldn’t.”
I put my phone down and shrug. “I guess we’ll find out tomorrow, then.”
“And I guess we’re meeting for lunch.” She walks towards me and touches my cheek. “Don’t worry. Joel won’t find out about us yet. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
I wasn’t worried about that, actually, not until Claire mentioned it.
I take her hand and kiss it. “Thank you.”Chapter FifteenClaire
So far, so good.
We’re in a cozy Italian restaurant and we’ve just placed our orders. Ryker and I are seated next to each other around the table. We’ve smiled at each other, done some small talk, and Joel doesn’t suspect a thing. Same with Natalie, but maybe that’s because I told her I was seeing someone else. I guess it’s a good thing I did.
“So…” I clasp my hands on the table. “What’s this important announcement? You’re not going to make us wait until we’re done with dessert, are you? Because frankly, I don’t think I can eat until I know.”
“And I have to go back to work after lunch,” Ryker says. “So I think now is the best time to spill the beans.”
Natalie looks at Joel and places her hand over his. “You tell them.”
He nods and turns to Ryker and me. He draws a deep breath.
“We… have decided to move our wedding.”
My eyebrows furrow. “What do you mean? You’re going to postpone it?”
“No.” Natalie shakes her head.
The excitement on her face gives me another idea.
“You’re not getting married tomorrow, are you?”
I haven’t even picked a dress yet.
“No,” Joel answers this time. “We’re moving our wedding somewhere else.”
“Somewhere else?” I’m still confused.
“The idea of this big, white church wedding here in Chicago is just too much,” Natalie explains. “Joel and I talked about what we really want our wedding to be and we realized we don’t want much. We just want our friends and loved ones to be there and we want all of us to have fun.”
“So no big, white church wedding?”
“We’re having a beach wedding,” Joel finally announces. “In Jamaica.”
My jaw drops. “No way.”
This is a major, major change in plans.
“Good choice,” Ryker says. “I’ve been to Jamaica a few times. The beaches are lovely.”
I suddenly get an image of Ryker and me sitting on the beach at midnight, listening to the waves, staring at the moon, burying our feet in the sand, kissing, having sex. It makes all my anxiety vanish.
“I think it’s a great idea,” I say.
Natalie beams and gives me a hug. “Oh, I knew you’d say that.”
I pat her back. “You know me. I always love a good change of plans. And some adventure.”
She whispers in my ear. “You can bring your hot date if you want.”
I blush.
“It’s your wedding,” Ryker says. “You should have it however you want it. We’ll still be there.”
“Thanks, bro.”
Joel extends his arm. Ryker takes his hand and the two bump their shoulders. Then Ryker pats Joel’s back.
“You know I’m always here for you.”
I frown. Ryker isn’t going to change his mind and dump me for Joel again, is he?
I clear my throat. “Yup, I’ll be there. I have to rethink my dress, though.”
I touch my chin.
“Maybe I’ll wear a red bikini underneath so I can jump into the water after the ceremony.”
Ryker says nothing. He just grabs his glass of wine and takes a long sip. Yup. He’s thinking of me in that red bikini, which means I win.
“Behave, Claire,” Joel tells me.
I make a face at him. “I’m always on my best behavior.”
I turn my head.
“Isn’t that right, Ryker?”
He sets down his glass and meets my gaze with narrowed eyes.
“I wouldn’t say always.”
Uh-oh. Did I go too far?
“Anyway, we’re still having the wedding shower here in Chicago,” Natalie says. “And the two of you are still planning it. You don’t have to change a thing, either, except maybe make things a bit more grand. After all, the wedding itself is going to be pretty simple, and some people aren’t going to make it to Jamaica so the shower will be their only chance to celebrate with us.”