The Wedding Setup, page 26
“What?”
Maddie laughed. “You must have been exhausted. I’ve been up a couple hours, just puttering. I was quiet at first, but I was less and less subtle as the time passed. I played some music and dropped a pan like half an hour ago—sort of on purpose—but you didn’t even move when I checked on you.”
“I’m sorry. I guess I was wiped after all that last night.”
Maddie leaned down and kissed her. “I bet you were.”
“You perv!” She swatted at her with one of the other pillows.
Maddie laughed and jumped back. “What is it with you and pillow fights?”
She shrugged. “No one gets hurt?”
“Says you. Now get up and come to the kitchen for breakfast. You can use my robe if you want.”
“No breakfast in bed?”
Maddie gave her a level stare and, not replying, left the room. After a few more seconds of warm covers, she climbed out, grabbing Maddie’s enormous green flannel robe. It smelled vaguely of her—vanilla and warmth—and she inhaled deeply before tying it on. She glanced around the tidy, tiny room, wondering if there were any slippers she could use. Maddie’s cowboy hat had been set on top of her dresser, and a sliver of delight ran through her at the sight. Last night, briefly, Maddie had worn that hat and nothing else.
She walked out of the bedroom and into a long but narrow midcentury-style living room with a loveseat, a recliner, a very small TV, a fireplace, and walls packed with bookshelves. An orange cat lay curled up on the recliner. It lifted its head, blinked at her a few times, and then lay down again, as if dismissing her, apparently to sleep some more. Small models of sculptures sat on the side tables and between some of the books—Maddie’s working models, she realized.
She paused, taking in the room, a funny, squeezing pressure in her chest. She could picture herself here quite easily in some distant future, the morning sunlight filtering in just as it was doing now, a book in one hand, coffee in the other, that little cat in her lap, Maddie coming in with a refill so they could plan their Sunday afternoon together. The fantasy was so vivid, she could almost feel the texture of warm fur on her bare legs, the pages of the book in her hand.
“Do you want to eat out there?” Maddie called. “I usually do.”
“Sure!”
She followed Maddie’s voice, coming from the right, into a gorgeous, petite kitchen. This room clearly had its original, early twentieth-century layout, but the cabinets, countertops, and appliances had been replaced. The wood floor was a little worn, but everything else was pristine. To her right was a small countertop with two stools pushed under it—a kind of mini eating space. A set of copper pans hung near the oven.
Maddie had her back to her, standing in front of the stove, her broad shoulders flexing under a tight red T-shirt as she flipped pancakes. Stuart had given everyone specific shirts to wear today, and when Maddie turned, Ryann read “Maid of Honor” in bold text across the chest.
“Like what you see?” Maddie asked.
She nodded, unable to speak. Maddie grinned wider, turned to shut off the burner, and then walked across the room to kiss her gently several times before hugging her into the warmth of her chest.
“How do you like my place?” Maddie asked, moving back to the food.
“It’s lovely.”
“Not too small?”
“Not at all. I like smaller places. And it’s really gorgeous. You’ve clearly done a lot of work on it.”
“It’s getting there. I’m kind of learning how to renovate as I go. I’ve worked on some of my friends’ projects, and a little with my dad, but nothing like this. I kind of bit off more than I could chew, but it’s kind of fun, too. I still have to do the floors, which I should have done first, but that’s okay.”
Maddie walked back to the stove and started plating her food. Ryann crossed the room and grabbed her own plate. There were scrambled eggs and pancakes, a basket of raspberries, slices of kiwi, coffee, and fresh orange juice. Her plate was heaping by the time she joined Maddie in the living room, her stomach rumbling loud enough to hear. The cat watched them eat briefly before once again settling down to sleep. Maddie, seeing her watching it, laughed.
“That’s Jinx,” she said.
“Cute name.”
“Thanks. He’s an old man now—just turned sixteen. He’s basically there or in his little bed by the oven all day.”
She could deal with a cat like that more easily than the more forward and aggressive ones she’d met at Jai’s and his parents’ place. She opened her mouth to say just that but realized in time what that might imply. She smiled instead and turned back to her breakfast.
The food was delicious, and both simply sat there when they were finished, smiling at each other across the loveseat. Her heart began tripping around in her chest again, that rising, funny euphoria back once again. Maddie, as if sensing her feelings, put her mug down and scooted closer, kissing her deeply before standing up. She held out a hand and helped her up.
“We really better get going. You still need to change, and we’re supposed to meet the others in less than an hour.”
She pouted. “Do we have to?”
Maddie laughed and bussed her lips. “Stop that. You’re going to make me take you back to the bedroom, and then we’ll never get out of here.”
That wouldn’t be a bad thing, but she sighed and went to gather her clothes. She’d gone to sleep with them scattered all over the bedroom floor, but at some point, Maddie had folded them neatly for her and put them on top of her dresser next to her cowboy hat. As she struggled into Jos’s ridiculous dress again, she realized she would be doing a walk of shame this morning in front of Ethel. In this dress, it was obvious that she hadn’t come back last night. The idea made her giggle several times on the way to the hotel, and sure enough, Ethel turned pink when she and Maddie entered the lobby, excusing herself so quickly she almost ran away from them.
Thirty minutes later, Ryann was freshly showered. She wore her own red “Maid of Honor” T-shirt, Jos’s leather jacket, a warm black hat and scarf, black leggings, and knee-high boots. She and Maddie walked down the block from the hotel to the festival, the sun so bright and gorgeous, she was squinting even behind her sunglasses.
The entire downtown, it seemed, had been fenced off, and they had to wait in line to be carded for a wristband as they entered. It was warmer today, but still chilly, and the crowds inside the festival grounds were surprisingly dense for a Sunday afternoon. Already, nearly everyone in here seemed already on their first beer of the day. She and Maddie began searching for the others right away. She hadn’t thought this would be difficult, but it took them nearly half an hour and several phone calls to link up with Jai and Stuart next to one of the ice-cream carts. Both were wearing red “Groom to Be” T-shirts under their open white flannel shirts, and both seemed a little subdued after the wild shenanigans last night at the bachelors’ party. Stuart was pale and his eyes were a little red around the corners, and Jai was a bit green and pinched. Both were holding dark beers and sharing a corndog.
“Hey, ladies!” Stuart crowed, waving wildly when he spotted them.
“You just missed my sisters,” Jai said, pointing vaguely into the crowd, “but I’m sure we’ll bump into them again. My parents, Stuart’s parents, some of my cousins, and some of our other friends are supposedly here, too, but we keep missing each other.”
“I’m amazed how crowded it is,” Ryann said.
“It’s really the only thing happening this time of year like anywhere,” Stuart explained. “We get people from all over for it. We met a gay couple from Boston a few minutes ago.”
“Stuart invited them to the wedding,” Jai said, rolling his eyes. Everyone laughed.
“They were nice,” he said.
“And I thought my parents were bad,” Jai said, low but loud enough for all of them to hear.
Stuart briefly glared at him, and then his eyes went wide. “Oh! Maddie! We already saw it, and yours is definitely the best,” Stuart said. “You’re going to win for sure.”
“Totally,” Jai said.
“Win what?” Ryann asked.
“First prize. For her ice sculpture,” Stuart said.
“Really?”
Maddie nodded, a little sheepish.
Stuart rolled his eyes. “Hers is really the best one. There’s a competition. Sometimes it lasts the whole festival, but on a warm year like this, they put them out only for a single afternoon, and that’s today. You can vote and everything.”
“When did you have time to do it?” she asked.
“Last week. I had to carve it in a walk-in freezer.” Maddie shuddered.
“You’ve done one before?”
Maddie hesitated, appearing embarrassed. “No. This was the first one.”
“Oh, jeez,” Stuart said, rolling his eyes again. “It’s only the most beautiful thing in the world, so of course it’s your first one ever. You’re so talented, it makes me sick. Anyway—you two should go over now before it melts too much. Oh! And make sure you vote for Erin’s beer, too. The beer tent is that way.” He pointed.
Maddie led the way, weaving expertly among the various groups of people. Everyone was laughing and talking very loud, and no one gave their linked hands a second glance. She and Maddie bumped into Julia and Jos a few minutes later. Jos recognized her leather jacket and tried to take it from Ryann’s shoulders.
“That’s mine!”
“Hey, hey,” Maddie said, playfully pushing her away. “Don’t undress my girlfriend.”
“But she’s so hot in it. Even wearing that stupid T-shirt. She’s going to ruin it for me forever.”
Both Julia and Jos were wearing red T-shirts with “Bridesmaid” on the chest under their jackets.
“You’ll get it back later,” Ryann said. “And I won’t ruin it. I promise. You’ll be just as hot the next time you wear it.”
“Fine, fine,” Jos said. “Oh, and Maddie—that ice sculpture is really something.”
“Holy crap,” Julia said. “It’s incredible.”
Maddie tried to look like she agreed, but Ryann could tell she was more uncertain than she let on, a slight nervousness pinching her lips.
A loud beep came from Jos’s pocket, and she checked her phone. “Shit! My mom is looking for us, and she’s pissed because she lost Dad. Now we have to find both of them.” She rolled her eyes. “Anyway—see you guys later.”
Maddie took her hand again, leading her toward a large canvas tent. They had to show their over-21 wristbands to enter, and it was even more crowded inside than out.
“Damn,” Maddie said, standing on her tiptoes and peering toward the front of the lines. “I don’t know how we’ll ever get a drink in here.”
“I might be able to help you with that,” someone said behind them. She and Maddie turned to see Erin’s wife Darcy standing behind them. Ryann realized now that she hadn’t actually stood near the woman before and was only now aware of how tall she was. She had several inches on Maddie, even. Her platinum hair brushed the shoulders of her stylish gray peacoat, and her cool, icy-blue eyes were twinkling. She had high, aristocratic cheekbones and lush lips, and that bright-white smile was like something out of a toothpaste commercial. She was breathtaking—a Nordic supermodel trolling a beer tent.
“Would you? That’d be great,” Maddie said, seeming unfazed.
“Follow me,” Darcy said.
She led them around the edge of the tent, behind every line, to a small alcove in the corner behind a rack stacked with beer kegs. The alcove was roped off with a sign that said “Employees Only.” Darcy unclipped the rope and led them to a little high-top table. They were completely hidden from the crowds.
“Wait here. I’ll be right back,” Darcy said.
Once out of sight, Ryann waved a hand in front of her face dramatically. “Jesus.”
“What?”
Ryann stared at Maddie. “Are you kidding me? That woman is ridiculously gorgeous. I mean, I knew she was before, but damn. Something about seeing her dressed down makes it more obvious.”
Maddie frowned in obvious confusion, her eyes trained in the direction Darcy had gone. She shrugged. “I mean, yeah, I guess.”
“Are you kidding me right now?”
Maddie pulled her into a long kiss. “I only have eyes for you, babe.”
She was still laughing when Erin and Darcy returned. Erin carried a flight board, and Darcy had two plastic pint cups full to the brim. Erin’s mousy short curls were ruffled and messy, as if she’d been running her hands through her hair all day, which, based on this crowd, was likely. She was struck once again by the fact that Erin and Darcy made a strikingly contrasting pair—Erin smaller altogether, almost elfin next to the tall blonde.
“These are the lineup for the competition,” Erin explained, indicating the flight of tasters. “And these are the voting cards.” She set down a golf pencil and two small pieces of cardstock. Each beer in the flight was numbered one through six, and the cardstock had boxes next to the same numbers. “Choose your favorite, and then drop this off on your way out in the box by the entryway.”
“It’s a blind test this year?” Maddie sounded surprised.
Erin sighed. “Yes, and no one’s happy about it. Still, I guess it’s fair. No one can say I bribed anyone when we win.”
Darcy set the two pints down on the table near the flight. “Two pints of Cupid’s Kiss. For after. It’s only sort of cheating.” She winked.
“Oh, and Maddie, your ice sculpture is amazing,” Erin said. “We voted just before we came here.”
Darcy nodded. “It’s lovely.”
She watched Maddie receive this praise, noted her awkwardness at accepting it, and squeezed her hand. Oh, artists! she thought.
“Sorry we can’t stay,” Erin said. “I’d love to catch up with you both, but I’m swamped, and Darcy’s going to help the rest of the afternoon. But we’ll see you at the wedding Tuesday.”
“See you there,” Maddie said.
There were two light beers and four dark in the flight, and she and Maddie decided that they would judge only the dark beers before voting. Even if, by chance, the lighter beers were better, both of them knew Erin’s was one of the darker ones. She was tempted to taste her pint so she could pick the right one, but she and Maddie decided to play it fair. They both ended up choosing number five, hoping it was Erin’s.
They were happy to get outside despite their semi-private hiding spot and waited until they were there, the voting cards submitted, to taste their pints.
“Oh, that’s definitely number five,” she said.
“For sure. I’m so glad you like it.”
She was confused. “Why?”
Maddie’s cheeks colored a little, and she laughed, awkwardly. “No reason. I mean, I guess I’m glad you like my friend’s beer.”
Maddie refused to meet her eyes, but she didn’t say anything, letting Maddie lead her through the crowds again without further comment. Still, she guessed it was, perhaps, in line with everything else they hadn’t talked about. Sometime soon they would have to talk, really talk, about all of this between them. But now wasn’t the time.
She saw the line of ice sculptures appear in front of them, her heart leaping crazily with excitement. She’d seen these things off and on over the years at various functions—usually as a centerpiece at a party—but all the sculptures out here were much, much larger than those—some far taller than her. Maddie stopped walking, looking suddenly embarrassed again, and Ryann laughed, dragging her forward. The sculptures were set up in a long line about five feet apart, behind low ropes. She took one of the voting cards, but Maddie refused, and she became even quieter as they walked down the line of ice sculptures, pausing at each one. On the whole, none of them moved her. A few were cute, some were actually quite bad, and others had little depth or detail. There were several hearts, several vague cupids, some dog-type creatures, and a swan, but nothing really stood out.
She had seen the crowd standing in front of the sculpture near the end of the row long before they got there, and even before she saw it, she understood that it must be Maddie’s. Everyone they’d run into today had mentioned it, and she could tell from their expressions and admiration that they hadn’t been flattering her. Maddie stopped and waved her forward, seeming to want to stand back away from the crowd, but she was just being bashful. Ryann didn’t argue, however, elbowing through everyone in the best New York fashion to get to the front and see this thing finally.
At first, she couldn’t accept what she was seeing. Venus de Milo stood before her. Ryann had seen the original at the Louvre, and if she had to guess, she imagined this was precisely the same size as the marble version—a little smaller than you expect having seen so many pictures of it. Even beyond that, however, the similarity was more than striking. It was almost impossible to believe that what she was seeing wasn’t stone of some kind. The ice was creamy white with light-blue veins, like actual marble, not the clear ice of many of the other sculptures here. It was, in a word, an incredible piece of artwork, made all the more breathtaking by its medium.
She craned her neck around, trying to spot Maddie, and she saw her, hunched up on herself, arms crossed tightly, biting her lip, and once again, she fought her way back through the crowd to her. Maddie still seemed nervous as she approached, and she had to force down a gale of wild laughter.
“It’s incredible!” she said.
“Yeah?” Maddie said, smiling a little.
“Maddie, are you kidding me right now? It looks like an actual Greek statue, for God’s sake.”
“It’s only a re-creation. It’s Valentine’s, so I thought the goddess of love made sense. No one said it had to be ice water, so I used—”
She didn’t let her continue, leaping forward and kissing her, trying to put every ounce of her feelings into it. Maddie reacted with surprise at first, freezing, before she returned the kiss fully. For perhaps the first time in her adult life, Ryann didn’t care who saw the two of them like this. She let the kiss go on and on, the noise of the crowd dying away as she lost herself in Maddie’s lips. Finally, they drew apart for air, their arms still linked around each other.
