Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Which there was.
“How mad at us do you think Ian’s going to be for letting his fiancée dance on the couch?” Kate asked.
The front door of Lara and Ian’s apartment started to open, and Sabrina straightened. “I’d say we’re about to find out.”
Kate turned toward the front door just as Lara shouted Ian’s name and vaulted off the back of the couch and straight into his arms. He stumbled back a step or two as Lara slammed into him and was steadied by Matt and . . . yes, Kennedy.
Kate purposely didn’t look at him as she took in a tipsily affectionate Lara and Ian, whose singing along with Cyndi was a dead giveaway of his state.
“What in God’s name did you give him?” Sabrina asked as Ian twirled Lara around their living room. Gabby clapped to the music from the couch, not even close to on beat.
“He mostly stuck to his usual Negronis, heavy emphasis on the plural,” Matt said, helping himself to a mushroom as he wrapped an arm around Sabrina’s waist.
Kate glanced at Kennedy, keeping her face carefully in the friend zone. “You do realize you guys are crashing a bachelorette party, right?”
“We did our best but decided the whole bachelor party was a bust when Ian started telling the stripper all about the wedding. In great detail. Then asked if she was cold.”
“Oh dear,” Kate said with a laugh. “Well, at least we know he’ll be loyal.”
“Lara, too,” Sabrina chimed in. “I suggested a male stripper, and she asked if we could have Ian do it.”
“And there’s my nightmare fodder for weeks,” Matt said with a wince.
“So what do we do with them now?” Kennedy asked as Ian and Lara moved on from Cyndi to ABBA. “Oh Jesus. Here comes the striptease.”
“Come on, man,” Matt called as Ian began twirling his dress shirt above his head. “At least let it be Lara who takes her clothes off.”
“Is she wearing condoms on her head?” Kennedy asked.
“Nice, right?” Sabrina said proudly.
Kate took one last sip of wine, then decided it was time to call it. “All right,” she said, clapping her hands and walking into the living room. “Lara, sweetheart, pull your skirt down. Matt was just kidding. Matt, Sabrina, you think you can get our girl Gabby here into the guest room?”
“I’m a guest!” Gabby said with a happy, slightly oblivious smile.
“You sure are,” Sabrina said, wrapping an arm around the other woman and moving her in the direction of the second bedroom. “You want to brush your teeth?”
“Why are you spinning in circles?” Gabby asked.
“Matt, can you get her some water from the fridge?” Sabrina called over her shoulder.
Kate took care of Lara, reaching up and gently untangling her hair from the condom crown. “You ready for bed, bride?”
“Can Ian come?”
“Of course, my dear,” Ian answered for Kate, extending his hand to Lara, who took it with a flourish.
Kate stepped aside, watching with a smile as Ian led his fiancée toward the bedroom, realizing they were long past caring that there were other people in their apartment.
“Don’t forget my hangover kit on the counter!” Kate called after them.
“They’ll be okay. He’s a little tipsy, but I think he’s more happy than he is drunk,” Kennedy said quietly.
“Drunk on love,” Kate said with a smile. “Lara, too.”
Matt had joined Sabrina in the bedroom, and Kate heard them arguing with Gabby over the merits of sleeping in her stilettos.
She and Kennedy were alone. He looked down at her. “You have fun?”
She smiled and moved back to the counter to clean up. “I did. You?”
“Sure. Yeah. It was nice to hang out, just the three of us, instead of a big blowout bachelor thing.”
“Yeah, I think Matt learned that lesson for all of you last year,” Kate said, remembering how a particularly rowdy bachelor party, with an ill-placed Wall Street Journal photographer, was what placed Matt and Sabrina on their course toward coupledom, but not without plenty of bumps along the way.
“You don’t have to clean up,” Kennedy said as she started taking glasses toward the sink.
“It’s okay. I don’t want them to have to worry about it tomorrow when they wake up.”
“They won’t. I asked my cleaning guy to come by in the morning to take care of it.”
Kate turned to stare at him, letting herself see him for the first time that night. She swallowed, because he looked . . . good. His hair was just a little more disheveled than usual. His dress shirt was white and should have been boring, but rolled up to his elbows to reveal his watch and strong forearms, it was anything but.
She tilted her head. “You hired a cleaner? Why?”
He shrugged. “Because I know you. Knew you’d insist on cleaning up for them.”
“Because it’s what I do,” she said before she could stop herself.