Just Breathe Trilogy Box Set (53 page)

Maggie and Henry immediately go right into their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wú, which doesn’t give me more than five seconds of freedom from attention. Joe tugs at my hand, reminding me that we’re supposed to join them along with the rest of the bridal party.

“You did a wonderful job, beautiful,” Joe sweetly praises.

“Yours was better,” I claim.

“I think we both did great,” he assures.

“You did better, but thank you,” I graciously accept.

Joe helps to continue to distract me from worrying about tripping and falling on the dance floor by talking about incidentals. We mostly talk about who we caught gasping when Jared and Jimmy came down the stairs after us and then again when Nathan and Allen did. He’s able to get me to relax for a few minutes, forgetting where we are and what we’re supposed to be doing.

“You look devastatingly sexy in that dress,” he professes in his sexy voice — my favorite of his voices.

My face heats up, but thankfully my feet don’t falter. “Stop distracting me,” I playful chide.

“How is the truth distracting you?” he teases back.

“The sexy voice,” I remind.

Joe laughs. “I was just whispering.”

“No, you weren’t. You knew what you were doing when you said it.”

“I’ll do my best not to distract you then, not at least while we’re dancing.”

“Too late,” I claim.

“Really? How is that?”

I offer a wicked grin, but say nothing.

“Now you’re distracting me,” he delivers seductively. Joe’s hand tightens on my waist, forcing my body into his a little more.

“Careful. You’re going to make Lee and Richard jealous,” I goad.

“Hopefully I’m making every man in this room jealous,” he devilishly admits.

I bite my lip trying to prevent too much of a smile on my face.

“You definitely have all the single women jealous,” he informs me.

“And, probably most of the married ones too,” I add sinfully.

“I don’t mind if you don’t,” he suggestively infers.

The next song comes on and Jared is suddenly whisking me away from Joe. “I’m stealing Jimmy’s turn to dance with you,” Jared confesses.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re supposed to dance with all of the groomsmen.”

“Since when?”

“It’s a tradition and Amelia mentioned it yesterday. I’m supposed to dance with all of them too, but I knew Jimmy wouldn’t mind and you’d be willing to dance with him later.”

From one song to the next, I dance with Allen, then Lee and Richard. The DJ starts to play music for everyone to dance to which is my cue to get off the dance floor. Jared, Nathan and the rest of my friends yank me back onto the floor. I willingly dance for a few songs and end up dancing with Jade and Rey a little too. I make a break for the bathroom and make it without any distractions.

Back in the ballroom, Jimmy takes me for the next slow song to dance followed by Henry, Nathan and Pop-Pop. The DJ feels frisky enough to play another slow song which gets three good looking men, whom I don’t know, asking me to dance.

“Thank you, but I have to decline. I don’t dance with anyone I don’t know,” I graciously decline.

“What about with an old man such as myself?”

I turn to find Mr. Covelli behind me.

“Mr. . . . I mean John. I was wondering if I’d get a chance to say hello to you and Mrs., I mean Elaine,” I greet, happy for the excuse to not talk to the men whose names I have already forgotten.

Mr. Covelli leads me out to the dance floor with regal grace. Our conversation is light because Mr. Covelli informs me that Mrs. Covelli told him not to discuss business with me until after tomorrow. Once we finish, Mr. Covelli hands me off to Jared for safe keeping which I greatly appreciate.

Later in the evening, I’m able to track Mrs. Covelli down when she isn’t busy talking with someone. We exchange pleasantries before Jared yanks me onto the dance floor for the tossing of the bouquet.

“Front and center, Emma,” Maggie announces over the microphone.

My heart stops for a minute at her words.

“Come on all you single ladies. Get over here. It’s time to toss the bouquet,” Maggie says a second time.

I try to hide behind Nǎinai, but she doesn’t let me. Maggie counts down from three and before the flowers go flying into the air, I grab Jade and hoist her up in my arms. Seeing the flowers dropping, I instruct, “Catch it, Jade!”

Jade reaches high above her head and grabs the bouquet by the white silk ribbon that is tied around the stems as it goes above us. I know Maggie was aiming for me, but she sent the flowers a little too high.

Kim, Jade and I stand off to the side of the dance floor as Henry takes off the garter from Maggie’s leg. Jared, Nathan, Jimmy and Allen are standing behind me claiming that they are taken. I argue that I’m taken too, by B.O.B., but they tell me that B.O.B. doesn’t count. Henry hurls the garter into the air at all of the single men. You can see the disappointment on their faces knowing that Jade is the bearer of the bouquet. A hand shoots up and attains the prize. It belongs to Joe Covelli.

I lead Jade over to the chair that is now back in the middle of the dance floor. As Jade gets settled, Henry gets on the microphone. “Joe will be putting on two garters tonight. One for the lovely Jade who caught the bouquet. And . . . because there needs to be someone of legal age to properly receive the garter, Emma will be getting the other one that Maggie is wearing.”

My body freezes and my heart stops. “No!” I protest.

“Our wedding, our rules,” Henry rebuts.

My eyes narrow. “I’ll remember that.”

Jade gets up and lets Maggie sit. Henry reaches up to get the other garter rather quickly this time. More whistles and cheering erupt from the giant crowd. When I lead Jade over to the chair, she insists that I sit with her.

Joe sweetly walks over and kneels before the two of us. “I need your arm,” he instructs Jade.

Jade extends her right one.

Joe dances the circular object up Jade’s arm and over her shoulder. He lifts her up in the air as everyone cheers and before lowering her to the floor, he kisses her on the cheek. When Joe kneels back down, Jade walks up and kisses Joe. I’m barely able to see it because of all of the flashing lights.

“You ready?” he grins knowingly.

I stick out my arm like Jade.

“No,” Joe chuckles.

“The right way, Emma,” Henry announces.

Everyone watching laughs.

“You won’t get it that high with this dress,” I comment.

“Wanna bet?” Joe’s grin widens. He removes my right shoe before coming a little closer.

Henry gives a play by play over the microphone as I bite my lip and look away. Joe deliberately torments me, moving ever so slowly inch by inch. As his hands reach the bottom of my knee, I use my left foot to slide back in the chair away from him. I manage to get the chair to go back a few inches.

“You can’t move,” he claims, sliding closer.

I feel the chair get stuck and notice that Jimmy and Jared are holding it in place with their feet. “No moving,” they say at the same time.

I hold my breath and wince as Joe tickles my leg with his fingers, heading back up to my knee. In one quick movement, he rounds my knee cap and stops. I look to him thinking he’s done, but the wicked smile on his face tells me otherwise. He nudges the garter with his fingers, getting further up my thigh. My lips clench as Joe’s hands climb higher. Somehow Joe has managed to reach the middle of my thigh. I shake my head no, hoping that he doesn’t dare to go any further. Winking, Joe gives one last nudge before he seductively slides his fingers back down to my ankles and returns my shoe. Joe helps me to stand and plants a kiss on my cheek.

“You’re a dead man,” I proclaim when we are surrounded by just our friends.

“Ohh come on, Emma. Joe was just having a little fun,” Jimmy defends.

“Looked like you were enjoying it too,” Allen antagonizes.

“I need a drink,” I say, turning to Jared for a rescue.

“Follow me,
Kitten
.” Jared takes my hand leading the way to the bar. “Be thankful it wasn’t Lee, Richard or any of the other single and horny men in the room,” he comments once we are off the dance floor.

I refrain from replying.

The rest of the night is a blur. We dance, we drink and I watch everyone gab the night away. At some point, I’m not sure when since I don’t have a watch, Maggie plops herself next to me. She rests her head on my shoulder and I wrap my arm around her. We sit not talking for a long while, just enjoying the moment.

“What is it with men and babies that is so freakin’ hot and sexy?” Maggie exclaims.

I laugh at her comment, but don’t verbally agree. I know that she’s been watching Henry dance with Rey from her statement. Ironically, my thoughts were on the same thing. I was busy watching Joe dance with Jade.

“Thank you, Emma!” Maggie slides closer giving me a kiss on the cheek.

“For what?”

“Everything. All of this. And, what you said earlier. It means a lot to me, and it means a lot to Henry too,” she confesses taking my hand in hers.

“You’re welcome.” I avoid looking at her because I don’t want to cry.

Running her fingers back and forth over the top of my hand, Maggie asks, “Can I tell you something?”

“Sure,” I agree.

“I haven’t told anyone . . . not even Henry,” she begins.

My attention is caught. I turn to look at her. “What?”

Maggie’s face is beaming. No. Glowing. She leans in and whispers, “I’m pregnant!”

“What?!” I blurt in shock.

The music is so loud that no one near us hears me.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah . . . you’re the first to know. I’m telling Henry either tonight or tomorrow. I’m waiting for the right moment, you know.”

“Kim knows though, right?” I check.

“No. I haven’t had an appointment with her. I have one scheduled when we get back from the honeymoon to find out how far along I am,” she confirms.

“Thank you,” I say with tears in my eyes.

“For what?”

“Sharing it with me. Thank you,” I take a deep breath in to fight the sobs. “I’m so happy for you!” I wrap my other arm around her.

I am. I genuinely am happy for Maggie. I’m happy for her. I’m proud of her. She couldn’t be more perfect than in this very moment.

“You can tell Jared after we’ve already left, but no one else. I want to make it a special thing to tell the rest of the family,” she explains.

“Okay,” I agree.

The next slow song that comes on, Maggie and I dance together. Jared and Nathan join us about halfway through the song, circling around Maggie and me. Shortly after, Jade wedges herself between our legs, so I pick her up. Henry, Joe, Jimmy and Allen surround Jared and Nathan. As my eyes sweep across all of the beautiful, happy faces around me and to others in the crowd like Amy, Kim, Peter, Eric, Rey, Jet, Mŭqīn, Fŭqīn and Nǎinai, I feel — I feel as if my life is complete. It’s a family. They’re a family. They just aren’t a family. They’re my family.

Henry and Maggie leave the reception while at least half of the guests continue to dance and celebrate into the night. I hide in a corner, sitting in a lounge area away from the single men who keep asking me to dance or offer me a drink. Jared and Nathan come by first, followed by Jimmy, Allen and Joe. Lee and Richard bring a few stragglers along with them, mostly the men who I’ve been avoiding.

Jimmy and Allen disappear first followed by Jared and Nathan about a half hour later. I beg Jared to stay, but sex is more important than saving his best friend from a bunch of boys. It doesn’t take long before some of the men start to move closer and talk to me. I try my best to be polite until I can’t stand it any longer. I need to get away. But how?

“We forgot to give Henry and Maggie the thing,” I abruptly announce to Joe.

With a puzzled look on his face, Joe just stares at me.

“Come one.” I pull on Joe’s sleeve to get him to stand up.

“I don’t think now is a good time to bother them,” he counters.

“We aren’t going to bother them. We’ll take it to the front desk and instruct them to deliver it with their morning breakfast,” I explain to make my actions sound more realistic to the men around us.

Without question or hesitation, Joe follows me as we duck around corners or rush past open doorways to prevent ourselves from being seen.

“What are we doing?” he asks when we get stuck behind a pillar. “What thing did we forget to give Henry and Maggie?”

“Shh . . . the thing, remember,” I inform him, as if he knows what I’m talking about. “We’re waiting until it’s clear to go by.”

“Why? Why don’t we just walk by?”

“Shhh . . . I don’t want to be seen or heard,” I explain.

“Why don’t you want to be . . . ” Joe’s voices trails when I yank on his collar to follow me, dragging him behind me into a staff member service elevator.

“I don’t think we’re allowed to use this one,” he contends, slowing down as I enter the box.

I pull him in and press the button for the doors to close. As soon as we have privacy, I press my body against his and seize his lips. Joe doesn’t object, instead, he presses harder into me forcing me back against the wall.

“So, what’s the thing we forgot?” Joe questions once the doors open to our floor.

“You’ll see . . . ” I offer with a smile as we walk casually down the hall to our rooms.

Joe ushers me to my room. I guess he thinks the thing I’m talking about is in my room.

I turn to face him and check down the hallway before I reach into his jacket pocket and pull out the very item I intended to get.

“What are you doing?” he questions as I shift around him and walk towards the other side of the hall.

Biting my lip, I hold up what I took out of his pocket. Without taking my eyes off of him, I slip the key in the slot behind me and crack open the door. I don’t say a word as I push the door open further and turn to go into his hotel room. As soon as the door closes, I hear Joe lock the security latch. There’s one light on in the room, but it’s coming from the bathroom, causing me eyes to take a moment to adjust.