The Wedding Setup, page 4
Ethel excused herself, and Ryann watched her go, shaking her head. As if she’d ever allow herself to be dressed in something like that.
The room was as tacky as she’d predicted, which meant Stuart was messing with her. Like the ridiculous flowers he’d sent her in New York, he was purposefully annoying her. It was a relief, really, to realize this ploy, as it meant her friend hadn’t changed as much as she’d thought. The fact that he had found this awful place for her was a testament to how well he knew her. He must know how completely and utterly she would hate everything here. It was the only explanation.
The bed was heart-shaped, and after she examined it, she saw that it was also motorized. It could spin in a slow circle, like a merry-go-round, or gyrate, or both. It had a grandiose, flamboyant lacy canopy overhead. White doilies covered every surface of the room—over the back of the red loveseat, under the old TV, over the back of the armchair, and in the middle of the desk. Cloth rose petals had been strewn all over the room, and several bundles of balloons floated in different parts of the room—Mylar hearts, and standard red, white, and pink. She counted three vases of actual roses—perhaps the only classy thing in here, but their heady aroma was almost sickening in this close, hot space. Heart-shaped streamers were draped from corner to corner, and cutout cupids and hearts had been pasted to the walls. In the little fridge, she found a bowl of berries, several different types of cheeses, water crackers, a local yogurt, of all things, some chocolates, and a chilled bottle of champagne.
The bathroom had been decorated as well, with cutout hearts, streamers, and another vase of roses. The bath had several bath-bombs near it, all in rose scent.
She walked back into the bedroom, looked around again, and laughed—real laughter this time. Finally, she grabbed the champagne from the fridge and took it into the bathroom with her.
She’d get Stuart back for this. That was for sure.
Chapter Three
Despite the cold weather, or perhaps because of it, the brewery was packed. Ryann paused on the small patio outside to collect herself before going in. She’d managed to delay this moment all afternoon, but this was finally it. Stuart and Jai were waiting for her, and if she tried to put off seeing them again, Stuart, at least, would come looking for her. She wasn’t entirely sure why she was so hesitant, but she was.
This morning in the hotel—was it only this morning?—she’d taken a long bath, called the airline, spent the extra money to have her found luggage expedited to her here, and then napped until it showed up in the late afternoon. Of course, only one of her suitcases had made it to Denver, but at least she had some more clothes, her chargers, her makeup, and her heavier coat. She’d slept some more, and then she’d finally called Stuart, arranging to meet him in the early evening rather than in her room right then and there. She tried to sleep a little longer, gave up, watched the market on TV for a while, and then got ready, putting herself into meticulous order before walking down the street to the brewery, some twenty minutes late now.
And still, she hesitated.
It was so packed inside, Stuart wasn’t likely to spot her lollygagging out here, so she backed away from the door and sat down on an empty bench. A straight couple sat nearby under a heat lamp, snuggled together and completely oblivious of her presence. She watched them, amused at how wrapped up they were in each other. The man’s expression was dopey, almost drunk, and it had nothing to do with his beer. The woman was clearly enjoying his attention—her cheeks rosy, smile wide. Ryann rubbed her leather gloves over her tired face, trying to whip up some courage, enthusiasm, or both, before going in.
“Hey, stranger,” Stuart said, making her jump.
She peered up at him and then froze, stunned. He’d grown a beard. It was nicely trimmed but full. He’d been entirely clean-shaven the whole time she’d known him, even in the goatee heyday of the late nineties. The beard had a slight reddish tinge, unlike his naturally near-black, curly hair. He was wearing dark, thick-framed glasses, which was also unusual—he’d worn contacts their entire friendship. Unlike his former hipster-wear, his clothes, too, were very different. He was wearing a Sherpa-lined green flannel coat, blue jeans, heavy tan snow boots, and a gray wool-knit cap. He couldn’t have looked less like himself if he’d been wearing a costume.
“Hey, yourself,” she finally managed.
He held out a hand and helped her to her feet, pulling her into a long, fierce hug.
“Oh my God, is it good to see you,” he said, drawing back. He kept his hands on her shoulders.
“You, too.”
“You’ve lost some weight, honey. Taking care of yourself?”
He’d always been the one to bring or send her lunch when he’d lived in the city, and sometimes even after he’d moved. She forgot to eat most of the time at work, which could be a major problem when she had long days. Gloria had taken on that task as part of her daily rota, but she wasn’t as persuasive as Stuart, who knew her tastes and how to guilt her into taking breaks.
“I’m fine,” she said. “And anyway, it’s not like I’m the one who’s changed around here.”
He laughed and gestured at his beard. “Like it?”
She considered him closely for a minute, long enough for him to shift from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable.
“You know what?” he said. “Forget I asked.”
She laughed. “No, no, I’m sorry. I do like it. It’s just…really different.”
He laughed. “I’ve gone native, Ryann. Jai and I even have the same jacket.”
She pretended to gag, and he play-punched her arm.
“Anyway,” he said, “what are you doing out here? It’s freezing! I told you to come inside when you got here. We have a table. Come on in and meet everyone.”
“Everyone?” she asked.
Stuart ignored her, pulling her after him and inside the crowded room. Everyone there was in high spirits, jolly and loud, and she had to fight the urge to turn around and go back to her quiet hotel room, ugly as it was.
She saw Jai before he spotted them. Like Stuart, he was bearded, with thick-framed glasses, and as Stuart mentioned, he was wearing exactly the same outfit as her friend. The resemblance ended there, however, as Jai was much taller, much broader than Stuart—she could tell this even with him seated. Stuart was relatively tall, slightly over six feet, but quite slim. Jai was also fairer—blond hair and pale skin and eyes in contrast to Stuart’s darker coloring.
Jai seemed to sense her watching him, and as he turned their way, he broke into a wide smile. He stood, his height greater even than she’d expected, and lumbered their way, arms wide open. She let herself be engulfed in his enormity, the light suddenly disappearing as he pulled her into his broad chest. Moments later, he was pumping her hand up and down in his enormous paws.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Ryann,” he said, his voice surprisingly soft and high.
“Same here. And thanks so much for letting me be part of this. I’m really excited to be here.”
She realized as she spoke that she meant it. Most of her reluctance and hesitation had been an outcome of her exhaustion, but part of it had been her own cowardice. She hated meeting new people. While she could command a board meeting or a business proposal with complete strangers, she’d almost always struggled with personal situations like this. And Stuart meant a lot to her, and Jai meant a lot to him, which meant he was going to be a part of her life now, too. It was a lot of pressure. But seconds with him had erased all of that. This was a kind, warm man.
“Come! Sit! Stuart told me all about your awful ordeal getting here. Let me buy you a beer to make up for it.”
She followed him back to a little table in the corner of the room. Two women were sitting there—one a cute, androgynous elf of a person, the other a formidable, stunning, icy blonde. Ryann, Stuart, and Jai sat across from them, and she shook the women’s hands as Stuart made introductions.
“This cool drink of water is Darcy,” the blonde, “and Erin is the owner and master brewer here and Darcy’s wife. We hired Erin to help us arrange the alcohol for the wedding, including, of course, the beer brewed here. This is the best beer around.”
“Oh, I see,” Erin said, sneering dramatically. “That’s all I am to you, then? A beer monger?”
Stuart laughed. “They’re also our friends,” he told Ryann. “We just started talking details before you got here.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ryann said.
“You, too,” Erin said. “I have to say, Stuart didn’t do you justice.”
Darcy’s lips twisted in a smirk. “Agreed. Not at all.”
“He said you were beautiful, but I never expected—” Erin gestured at her vaguely.
Ryann looked down at herself, wondering what they meant, and everyone laughed.
“Hey!” Stuart said, slapping the table. “You’re embarrassing my maid of honor, Erin. Can you wait five seconds before you flirt with her? You’re a married woman now, for God’s sake, and she’s had a rough couple of days.”
Erin laughed. “Okay, okay. I’ll hold back on my charm while you get yourself together, Ryann.” She slapped her forehead. “Oh, shit, that’s right. I forgot. I meant to get you a drink before you got here. Hang on a sec.” She shot to her feet and disappeared into the crowd, the four of them left watching after her.
“Please don’t mind my wife,” Darcy said.
“And don’t mind them,” Stuart said, rolling his eyes. “They got married on New Year’s, and they keep dropping the ‘wife’ word every chance they get.”
Erin appeared soon after, carrying two flights of beers. She set them down in front of Ryann and started talking.
“This is our current lineup,” she explained, gesturing. Each flight held six two-ounce pours, the beers gradually getting darker from the beginning of one board to the end of the next. A little descriptive card was tucked into each of the flights that named and described each of the beers.
“This last one,” Erin continued, pointing at the final and darkest beer, “won’t be released until Friday, but since you’re a friend of the family, you get to try it early. We’re calling it Cupid’s Kiss.”
“This is a lot of beer,” Ryann said weakly. “Do I drink it all? Or is it like wine tasting?”
Everyone laughed.
“Whatever you like,” Erin said. “You can taste them or drink it all. There’s a lot of them, but altogether, they’re less than two pints. Stuart said you can hold your own, so you should be okay. Let me know if you want a full pour of any of them, or if you have any questions.”
“Please, please, don’t ask her any questions,” Stuart said. “She’ll talk your ear off about beer if you let her, and we’ll never make it to dinner.”
Ryann started drinking a moment later, letting the others talk around her. They were laughing and discussing the details for the beer, wine, and liquor for the wedding, and she should probably be paying attention since she was going to be a part of this thing, but her attention was centered on the little glasses in front of her. She’d taken a hesitant sip of the first—not sure what to expect—and had been pleasantly surprised. It was a honey lager, but unlike any she’d had before. It was refreshing, light, and almost sweet for a time before the slight bite of light hops took over her palate.
Stuart had mentioned that the beer in Colorado was the best he’d ever had, but she hadn’t really expected that he meant the beer here in this little town, too. She’d thought most of the best places were in the bigger cities. She was no connoisseur, and she’d never really been in a brewery before, but this might be the best lager she’d ever had. She continued down the line, mostly just tasting, and each beer was surprisingly good and refreshingly different from the one before it. She especially enjoyed the two sours at the end of the first flight board, but her favorite was the last beer—the darkest. It was sweet and bitter, with the slightest hint of cherry on the back of her tongue.
She could tell Erin had been trying not to watch her this entire time, but when Ryann put the final glass down, Erin turned in her stool toward her, smiling.
“Did you like any of them?” Erin asked, clearly excited.
“I loved them. I mean, really loved them. I didn’t know what to expect, but they’re all great.”
Erin’s grin became wider, and she heard Stuart sigh next to her.
“You’re going to give her an even bigger ego than she already has,” he said.
“You like them?” Erin said, ignoring him. “Really?”
Ryann nodded. “I really did. I’m blown away. I’m more of a wine person. I’ve never enjoyed any beer this much. I mean it.”
Erin blushed prettily, and Ryann was pleased she’d managed to convey what she actually thought. She liked these nice people and was always glad to give a compliment when it was deserved. The beer was helping with her nerves, too.
“Which one is your favorite?” Erin asked, almost babbling in her glee and standing up. “Can I get you a glass of something?”
“Hey, hey,” Stuart said, gesturing in a calming motion. “Sit down, lady. Give her a second to breathe. She just got here. Remember she still has her sea legs.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ryann asked.
Stuart touched the back of her hand. “It’s not personal, hon. You came from sea level to elevation. Beer and alcohol will hit a little harder for the next day or two—that’s all. Let your body adapt a bit before going all out.”
“Okay, okay,” Erin said, holding her hands up in defeat. “I won’t get her drunk…yet. Still, which one was your favorite?”
Ryann didn’t hesitate, pointing at the last glass—the Cupid’s Kiss. “It was delicious.”
“I knew it!” Erin said, high-fiving Jai.
“What kind is it?” Ryann asked.
“A chocolate-cherry stout,” Erin said. “There’s a Valentine’s contest between brewers around here at the festival, and lots of us submit a beer for it. I think this is our best one yet.”
“It’s delicious,” Ryann said.
Erin’s face went red again, and she turned to her wife, fanning herself with a hand. Darcy laughed and kissed her lightly, slinking an arm around her shoulders. Ryann had to admit she was a little surprised by this, too. She hadn’t expected them to be so open in public—not in this small town. She realized then that Stuart and Jai were holding hands, and not a single person in the rest of this crowded room seemed to care.
The beer had warmed her, and she started removing her outer layers and hat. Jai stood up, taking the clothes from her and hanging them on a coatrack a few feet away. Erin and Darcy were staring at her again, eyes wide.
“What?” she asked.
“It’s just—” Erin began.
“Your hair,” Darcy finished. “It’s glorious.”
“Amazing,” Erin added.
Ryann touched it self-consciously, pulling one of her red curls straight for a second. “Oh yeah?”
“I haven’t seen it natural in years—not since we were kids,” Stuart said to the others. “She normally straightens it.”
“What a tragedy that would be,” Darcy said. Her icy blue eyes were locked on Ryann’s, and Ryann heated even further under that cool gaze.
She looked at Stuart, desperate to detract attention from herself. “I haven’t had time to go to a salon in a while.”
“It’s really long, too,” Stuart said, pulling one of her curls lightly. “I don’t remember seeing it this long before. It’s gorgeous.”
All four of the others were staring at her, and her cheeks warmed even more. “Thanks,” she managed.
“Okay!” Jai said, clapping his hands. “We’ve embarrassed her enough. We’ll save the rest of the wedding details for another day, if you don’t mind, Erin. I want to get to know my fiancé’s friend a little, and then we need to get something to eat.”
“All right,” Erin said, standing up. “I know when to leave a party.”
Darcy stood with her, taking her arm. “A lady always does.”
“I wouldn’t call myself a lady.”
Darcy kissed her cheek. “I wasn’t talking about you, hon.”
Ryann laughed, shaking their hands again, tuning out a little as Stuart and Jai made plans for another get-together with them later this week. Between the beer, the embarrassing compliments, and her general exhaustion, she was starting to lose the ability to keep up with everyone. Her eyes were still sandy, and the dry air was making her skin and nose tickle. Jai and Stuart stood talking to their friends, and she took the opportunity to slide around to Darcy’s vacated chair in the farthest corner, which gave her a view of the entire room.
It was strangely busy in here for a Wednesday evening, especially this early in the evening, but the excellent beer likely explained the crowd. The room was wide and airy, with exposed brick walls, soft yellow light, and light pine floors. The tables and chairs were also pine and dark metal, the whole place sophisticated and almost urban. Valentine’s decorations were in here, too, though somewhat more subtle than she was used to seeing here in town—a few of those enormous wooden conversation hearts on the walls and some heart-shaped streamers hanging from the rafters.
A pint of dark beer was set in front of her, startling her back into reality, and she smiled up at Erin.
“Nice meeting you, Ryann,” she said. “I’m sure we’ll see more of you soon.”
She started reaching into her purse, but Erin held up a hand. “No charge, of course. You get the friends-and-family discount.”
“Thanks.”
After Erin and Darcy left, the men sat down in their chairs again across from her. Now, seeing them side by side, she couldn’t stop the stab of happy melancholy piercing her heart. Watching Stuart was enough to tell her everything. He was wholeheartedly, gloriously happy—more so than she’d seen him in the entire twenty-plus years she’d known him. And he’d changed so tremendously—not just the clothes and the beard, but everything about him. It was almost like meeting someone new, someone better, as if this person had emerged from inside her old friend.
