Текст книги "That Wedding"

Автор книги: Jillian Dodd

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Текущая страница: 14 (всего у книги 25 страниц)

"Wow, Danny. I wouldn't need to get tipsy to buy this car. Can I have one too?"

Danny laughs as he opens the door and lets me slide behind the wheel.

"You look good in it. You should buy one for yourself."

"I can't talk Phillip into spending money on a house. He'd have a cow if I brought home a freaking Ferrari! Plus, I'm not an NFL quarterback."

"Jay, when it comes down to it, it's your money. You can spend it however you want."

Sitting behind the wheel of this car, I feel like I could have anything I want.

"Phillip said to me, I have a good job, I don't need a handout from my wife to buy a house. And I'm not sure what to do. He won't listen to me about it. It's like a closed subject. Every time I bring it up, he gets pissy with me, and Phillip is never pissy with me. That's your job." I give him a smirk. "Plus ultimately, I have to get your dad to agree. Why in the hell did you tell me to put the money back in my trust? I wouldn't have to go through stupid couple's counseling."

"Because my dad was afraid we'd blow it on a car like this." He studies me and the car. "You look hot in this car. You should do what you want."

"I'm not buying a car like this, but anytime you want me to drive this for you, you let me know."

I stick my hand out and do my best rap star imitation. "I'm in my whip. I'm in my ride." I laugh. "You know, I totally should've been a rap star."

Danny laughs, crosses his arms in front of his chest, and does a rap star pose. "Dude, me too."

"We're gonna need to buy you some gold chains or something first. You're a little too clean-cut looking."

"I think you're trying to distract me. Back to the subject at hand. Do you know how cool it would be for our kids to be neighbors and for us to be able to hang out like our parents always did? In fact, speaking of that, you need to hurry up and get pregnant."

"No way."

"We want you pregnant soon."

"You sound like Phillip's mom. I wanna be able to drink on my honeymoon."

Danny takes my hand and helps me out of the car. "Go off the pill now, and maybe you can kill two birds with one stone. You can go on your babymoon and your honeymoon at the same time. Which would save Phillip money, so he can buy the house next door. You'll love it, Jay! They just finished remodeling it, and the kitchen is so cool. The basement looks like a sports bar. It's awesome."

Danny throws his arm across my shoulders and leads me over to a matching fly yellow Ferrari. "We wouldn't have to match exactly."

The sales guy, who's been following us around, says to me, "This car looks like you."

I'm not sure if looking like a fast expensive car is a compliment or not, so I ignore him. "A babymoon is the silliest thing I've ever heard. What are you celebrating? That your baby isn't there yet? The soon-to-be death of your romantic and sex lives? I want some time to enjoy it being just Phillip and me. Like you and Lori did. You had romance."

"We still have romance."

"Danny, I've dated Phillip for three months. That's it. I wanna date him for a while. I want it to be just the two us of."

"Having a baby is romantic."

"It doesn't seem like it. Seems stressful, and once the baby is born, it's a lot of hard work."

"So how long does Phillip wanna wait?"

"I don't know. We really haven't talked about it, but I'm sure he wants to wait too."

"Come on. Just think, our kids growing up together, playing football together." He gives me a big smirk. "Your daughter begging my son to teach her how to kiss."

"I did not beg you. I wanted a simple two-minute demonstration. I didn't expect you were gonna have to teach me for hours."

I hear the sales guy chuckle.

"You know me, I just wanted you to be perfect."

"And besides, you're a year older than me, so I have some time."

"You need to start trying now."

"My luck, I'd get pregnant and would be puking through my wedding."

"Fine. After the honeymoon. You have a goal now. Visualize yourself being fertile, fruitful."

"Danny, jeeze. Yuck."

Danny looks at the sales guy and says, "This car is really tight. She'll take it." Then he grins at me. "Just think, Jay, when you're trying to get pregnant, you have to do a lot of trying."

"Danny, okay. Enough. If it's supposed to happen, it will." I look at the sales guy. "I will NOT be taking it. We need to get back to the bar."

"Fine," Danny pouts.

"You know, you kinda pout when you don't get your way."

"I do with you."

"Why?"

"Cuz it usually works. Shall I give you my grin too?"

I smack his shoulder, which doesn't affect him in the least. Danny gives the sales guy a high five on the way out.

"We need to get Phillip over this nonsense and make him buy the house."

"I don't think it'll work. He thinks he wears the pants."

"Tell him you insist. You know, it's funny that the girl who's been giving me shit about not rewarding myself can't take her own advice."

"Danny, this is different. I didn't earn this money. I didn't work for it. I got it because my parents died. I'm afraid if I spend it, it's like I'm glad they're dead."

"You're so dumb, and your parents would be so disappointed. They wanted to take care of you if something happened. That's why they were well-insured. They wanted to be able to give you something if they weren't here to give it to you themselves. So why was it okay to spend it on college, but it's not okay to spend it on a house?"

"I'm okay with spending some of it on a house! Phillip is the one that isn't. He said, What if we don't work out. And I've only spent it on things they would've spent it on. Like they insisted I go to college, so I was okay with it. They would've paid for my wedding, so I'm okay with that. But I'm pretty sure they never would have bought me a Ferrari, Danny."

"True. But don't you think your parents would love the idea of you living by us, of our kids growing up together, just like we did?"

"Yeah, they probably would, but it's not me you have to convince, it's Phillip."

"So once again, tell him you insist. Tell him it's what your parents would want, and just buy it!"

"I don't think he'll let me. He's stubborn."

"Then you have two options. Use your feminine ways on him or make him feel guilty. Tell him you strongly believe it's what your parents would want, and you feel like if you don't, you'll be letting them down."

"You're devious, Danny."

"Yeah well, that's why we get along so good."

After a great dinner, we're all sitting around the curved hotel bar, laughing, joking, and reminiscing. As we learned last night, one thing about being friends with people practically your whole lives, they never seem to forget anything.

So of course, the topic turns to me and Phillip.

Blake goes to Phillip, "So now that you're engaged, you can finally tell us the truth. All those night the two of you went home to watch movies or just chill, you were hitting it, right? I mean we all knew it even though you were always like, We're just friends."

Nick joins in. "Yeah, why the big secret? It was so obvious to all of us. Every time you looked at Phillip, it seemed intimate."

My mind flashes back to coming home from hanging out with Nick, Chelsea, and some other friends. Phillip didn't go because he had a big test to study for. Phillip is a perfectionist. He likes to do his best at everything he does. That night, I came home and found his big body sprawled across my bed. I asked why he was in my room. He told me it smelled good, and it helped him relax. I quizzed him for a bit. Then he laid his head on the pillow next to me and buried his face in my chest. I could tell he was stressed, so I ran my hands through his hair. Sometimes, I rubbed it hard, like they do at the salon when they shampoo you. Other times, I was soft and gentle. I moved down to his neck, which was a mass of knotted up muscles. I figured his back was tense too, so I offered to rub it. I'd rubbed his back and shoulders many times before, but he'd always had his shirt on. He sorta shocked me when he sat up and pulled it off. I will admit, I didn't really mind rubbing his naked skin. I rubbed his back the same way I had rubbed his hair. Sometimes, hard and massaging. Sometimes, soft little caresses. Other times, I barely touched his skin with my fingertips. It was slightly hypnotic. I woke up later, wrapped in his arms, books still lying all around us. I didn't bother to wake him up. I told myself that I wanted him to sleep well before his test, but truthfully, I liked being in his arms. Nick is right. We were intimate. We just didn't have sex.

Nick continues. "You have this connection. I don't understand why you acted like it wasn't happening."

"Because it wasn't!" I exclaim.

Lori says, "Guys, it's true. Sad, but true."

"Damn, Phillip," Logan says, "you must've been really in love with her to spend all that time with her and DO NOTHING!"

Everyone laughs.

"So basically you all lived together for three years and NOBODY was getting any?" Blake asks.

"Not from each other anyway," I stupidly say.

"That's so disappointing," Logan sighs. "Jay baby, you should've come to Loggie. Oh wait, you did." He flashes me a cheesy grin.

"Shut up, Logan. I didn't do anything with you either."

"I wouldn't call it anything."

"Fine. I made out with some of Phillip's fraternity brothers, but seriously, that's all I ever did."

"Uh, Matt Fuller," Logan reminds me.

"Well, yeah, I dated him for four months. After he dumped me and pissed me off, I revenge dated his best friend because it drove him nuts. Those were the only two boys from your frat I slept with. I just, I don't know, I couldn't sleep with Phillip's friends."

"You didn't have any problem sleeping with my friends," Danny teases.

Nick jokes, "You just have a thing for hot football players, like me."

I turn my head and ask Danny, "Is a kicker considered a real player?" Then I give Nick a smirk.

"Actually, kickers are definitely real players. Think how many times a kick wins a game."

"True," everyone says, agreeing with Danny.

"Lori, how many football players did I sleep with?"

She holds up her hand, which is forming a big fat zero.

Danny looks at me in surprise. "Really? Is that true?"

"Yeah, sadly."

Nick says, "Why does that surprise you, Danny? You're the one that told every guy on team that we could look but not touch."

"YOU TOLD THEM THAT? Danny!! That was so not fair!"

Danny and Phillip laugh. "I never really thought it would work," Danny says. "Glad to know it did."

"Well it certainly explains a lot. It didn't matter though, mostly I did just fine finding boys without the two of you. And I preferred it that way."

"Yeah, you were sneaky," Danny says.

"I had to be! Here everyone thought it was all hot wild sex going on, but the truth is, it was like I lived with two FATHERS!"

Danny says, "Please. We used to get into trouble together. I never acted like your father."

"You did if I was getting into trouble with anyone but you."

Nick says to Danny. "Like when you guys used to make out at the bar?"

Phillip and Lori both look at us.

Shit. I'm pretty sure neither one of them knew about that.

Danny ignores Nick. "I've always watched out for Jay. Phillip and me both."

"And she's always needed it," Phillip says adorably.

He pulls me into a sweet kiss. Phillip's kisses are so amazing. I think that's why it was never a big deal to kiss Danny. It didn't really mean anything. It was more like an adventure. I'm pretty sure somewhere in the dark and scary recesses of my mind, I knew if I kissed Phillip it would've meant something more. Something important.

Dillon laughs and goes, "Remember that baseball game when JJ supposedly on accident mixed up the Gatorade bottles with Danny's special Gatorade/vodka mixes?"

Joey is like, "That was messed up, girl."

Phillip laughs. "Joey, you were the one who was messed up." He tells everyone else, "He got drunk during the game and was goofy and stumbling around."

"Everyone thought he had heat exhaustion and was delirious," Danny says.

"Hey, it was an honest mistake. I didn't see the special mark on the top. But I have to say, it was worth it. I don't think I've ever had so much fun at a baseball game."

"I don't even remember it," Joey says.

Neil clutches Danny's arm like he just remembered something super important. "Danny, dude, remember that chick from Park City that was all into you? She'd sit up in the bleachers in that little mini skirt with nothing on underneath? I got hit in the face with a pop fly one time when she uncrossed her legs."

Katie asks, "She was the one that had a boyfriend, right?"

Phillip laughs and says, "We all know how Danny felt about that."

All the guys say in unison, "Just because there's a goalie, doesn't mean you can't score."

We all laugh and giggle.

Joey is like, "Oh, guys, have you been out to Westown lately? They got a new convenient store. It's called the Kum and Go. I was seriously pumping my gas and laughing my ass off. Because, pumping!??!!"

"I know!" Neil says. "I get gas there every time I see my parents. I always feel bad though when I pump and don't go inside to buy anything. Like I did her, but I didn't stay to snuggle."

Lisa giggles. "I wondered why all the men were lined up outside. Coming and going is like their dream."

Lori quips, "Why? They can do that by themselves at home."

"A man totally named that store," I say. "Can't you see a bunch of high ass frat boys lying around, making up names for their future convenient store, and laughing their asses off?"

"We need to go there, Logan," Blake says. "We should try and plank on top of their sign."

Logan high fives Blake and says, "That'd be so awesome."

I look at Phillip and think it's time we go dancing. I can't wait to grind all over him and actually have the ability to back it up. I wanna drive him crazy. The kind of crazy that will make him want to take me back to my suite and drive me crazy. "You guys ready to go dance the night away?" I ask.

I've been thinking about what Danny said, and I may have stumbled upon a way to do it.

I'm going to plant a seed and hope it grows.

That's how my mom always said she dealt with my dad, and my dad was more stubborn than I am. Somehow though, my mom was always able to get her way, but at the same time, she made my dad think it was his idea.

I need to pull out the big guns (or maybe the small, subtle guns) to get Phillip to buy the house next door to Danny and Lori.

What do those ladies say in the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Something about the man is the head, but the woman is the neck. How the neck controls which way the man looks.

I need to be the neck.

I need Phillip to look at the house and make the decision to buy it.

I can't be the one to suggest it.

I need to find out how much they want for the house. I need to get Mr. Diamond to agree to let me spend it. Mr. D will be the one to tell Phillip it's what my parents would've wanted.

No, wait! I have an even better idea!

We'll make the money a GIFT from my parents.

Then it will be OUR money.

We'll go look at the house, and Phillip will say, Now we can afford it. We'll take it.

Or something like that.

Phillip will think it's all his idea while I will act appropriately shocked and thrilled. Phillip will be my hero, and we'll live happily ever after.

Gosh, I hope this works.

Mr. Diamond called Phillip earlier today and asked if we could meet with him after work.

We sit in the big wingback chairs in his study, and Mr. D says to Phillip, "So you know that my job is to protect JJ's financial interests. And as much as I know you two will be together forever, I have to think realistically about that. Every time I make a decision about JJ's finances, I always ask myself what would Paul have done? What would her dad have wanted, and how would Ronnie have felt about it? When I'm not sure what to do, I've consulted with your dad, Phillip, since he and JJ's dad were so close. I want to talk to you about JJ's finances tonight. I want you to understand everything. First off, you know they would've wanted her to have a special wedding and that Jadyn has that budget?"

"Yes, sir," Phillip answers.

"Second of all, I know her parents would have wanted to give you a special wedding gift, so in this envelope is a check made out to both of you."

Phillip grimaces.

Mr. D hands Phillip the envelope. "Phillip, you're going to be getting lots of wedding gifts in the coming month. Each gift is your friends and family's way of helping you get started in your new life together. You're planning on accepting these gifts graciously, am I right?"

Phillip thinks about it. "Yeah, I guess."

"That's what this is," Mr. D says. "A gift. Phillip, I know what you're thinking. You're a man. You're starting a new family with JJ, and you want to love and support her. When Mary and I got married, her parents wanted to give us money for a down payment on our house. I fought her tooth and nail because I didn't want to feel like I owed them anything. I wanted to make it on my own. In some ways, it felt like a slam to me, like they were saying they didn't believe I could support and provide for their daughter. But her father sat down with me and told me that it was a no-strings-attached gift and to please accept it as such. So Phillip, please accept this gift from her parents. It's what they would have wanted. Hopefully, you can use it to find a home that's perfect for you."

He asks Phillip to open the envelope. Phillip's eyes get big when he does. I know the exact amount of the check, but when he shows me, I act surprised.

Phillip says, "Wow."

Mr. Diamond keeps going. "But this is your money as a couple, and it's completely up to you how to spend it. You might do what I think her parents would have wanted and use it to buy your first home. Or, you might decide you want to blow it all on a trip around the world. Maybe you'll decide to reinvest it, to start your own business, or hell, buy matching Ferraris. My point is, Phillip, this is your money together, and you should decide together how to use it."

Phillip is listening very closely to Mr. D, and I have to give it to him. He nailed it.

And in case Phillip hasn't had enough of a mind fuck yet, Mr. D drops this on his plate.

"Thirdly, like I said, it's my job to protect JJ's finances, so I'm going to ask you to sign a prenuptial agreement that will protect the rest of her trust in case either one of you decides to end your marriage."

In other words, in case Phillip decides to dump me or trade me in for a younger model someday.

Phillip has no problem with this. He reads over the document and signs away.

I'm hoping now that he doesn't have access to my money, he will feel okay about using the gift money on our house.

I'm so bad. I haven't even seen the place yet, and I'm already calling it our house.

Okay. Seeds have been planted.

Now, I'm just gonna stand back and watch it grow, or germinate, or take root, or whatever newbie seeds do.

As we're driving home, Phillip says, "So what do you think we should do with this gift?"

I say a little bit pathetically, "Well, I guess just put it in the bank until we can decide what we wanna do with it. I mean, I know you won't wanna spend it on a house, so I guess we'll just reinvest it."

I hate to admit it, but I think I might be coming down with a cold. And even though I'm not feeling great, I still helped Phillip's mom clean up after dinner. I'm ready to sit on the couch and watch football, but when I walk in the room, the guys all hold their empty beer bottles up at me.

A not-so-subtle hint to bring them more.

I purposely sniffle loudly, so Phillip will feel sorry for me, but he doesn't seem to notice. When I walk back into the kitchen, there's an intense conversation going on between Ash and her mom. I really don't wanna get involved. I just wanna go sit down, but I get dragged into the conversation when Mrs. Mac says, "So, JJ, when are you and Phillip going to have children?"

And maybe it's the fact that I don't feel good.

Or maybe it's the fact that I'm not married yet.

Or maybe it's the fact that Phillip and I haven't even discussed it.

Or maybe it's the fact that the idea of me being pregnant is just plain laughable.

I can't help even help it.

I laugh out loud.

Sorry, but I do. Ha!

I even let out a little snort.

She doesn't look very pleased. She says, "I'm serious."

I rub my hand across my temple. Think, Jadyn. Say something noncommittal, but something that will appease her. Or better yet, make her forget about me and babies.

"Um. Gosh. I'd say we'll figure that out after the wedding." She gets a sad look on her face which makes me feel bad, so I add, "But it'll probably be fairly soon."

She smiles at me. It's a touching, heartfelt smile that makes me feel worse.

I'm probably going to hell for lying to my future mother-in-law about her dream grandbabies.

But technically, it's not exactly a lie. I just think her idea of fairly soon and mine are quite a few years apart.

I tilt my head at her. "Isn't that a question more appropriate for your already married daughter?"

Let's put some pressure on Ashley for a change. Put her in the hot seat.

Mrs. Mac waves her hand. "I don't think they're even trying. Maybe not even having sex."

"Mom!! We'll have children when we're ready!! And we have sex. I mean, some sex," Ash says.

She looks kinda sad. Like maybe some is code word for not so much.

"So when will you be ready?" I ask.

"When I decide if I'm going to keep him."

"What?!" I exclaim.

"Oh, I'm just teasing," Ash says.

But the way she's looking at Cooper, who's now sprawled across the couch shoving chips in his mouth, I wonder if maybe she's not.

I wonder if she's glad she got married. I mean, Lori and Danny are happy, but Katie and Eric are having a rough time. And now I wonder if maybe Ashley is having a hard time too. Although, Katie says the best thing about fighting is the makeup sex. She also says sometimes she picks a fight just so they can make up. Sounds a little twisted to me, but it's not my marriage, so I just laugh along.

I look at Cooper. I like Coop. He's a cool, relaxed guy. And Ashley can be pretty overbearing. You'd have to be pretty chill to deal with her. But I hardly ever see them all gooey anymore, like they were when they were dating. Maybe Mrs. Mac is right, and they really aren't doing it.

That's a scary thought.

What if Phillip gets tired of me?

What if someday he doesn't want me anymore?

Phillip's mom keeps discussing babies, and she's going on and on about how lucky the Diamonds are that Danny and Lori are expecting.

I think she's got Grandma envy.

"Just chill, Mom," Ashley says in a snotty voice.

Which is not something you should say to your mom because I can tell Mrs. Mac is about to tell her a thing or two about chilling.

I quickly hold up the beers I just got out of the frig and offer a wry smile, so they'll understand it's imperative that I get back to the family room and deliver them to the menfolk while they're still cold.

I go in the family room and hand them to the guys.

I sniffle again as Phillip pulls me onto his lap. "You're sniffling. You need to see the doctor."

"It's just a cold. I'm fine."

He whispers in my ear. "Did I mention that I'm gonna be the doctor?"

My face instantly feels flush. I whisper back. "In that case, I may need a very thorough examination. We better get home."