That Wedding Page 4

  I knew I should've just called him in the first place, but I'm happy I called Lori first because she seems so happy about it.

  I hear Danny's deep voice go, "What's up, girls?"

  And I'm like, "So last night, Phillip told me that he used to have naughty dreams about me."

  Danny says, "So? Big deal. We both did."

  "You did!!??" I say.

  "Well, a couple, sure. I mean we were together all the time."

  "Danny! Did you dream about me or lots of girls?"

  "Well, duh, lots of girls."

  "Crap. Now I'm depressed. Phillip probably did too."

  Lori chimes in and explains to Danny, "Phillip told her he used to have naughty dreams about her, and I think for some reason, that reason being she's oblivious, she was surprised by this."

  Danny says, "Jaybaby, pretty much all Phillip's dreams were about you."

  "He told you about them?" Lori and I say at the same time.

  "Well yeah, some of them. We've always talked about everything. You know that."

  "Dang, I thought you guys told me everything too. Now, I'm sad."

  "Don't be. In high school, our dreams were certainly more exciting than what we were actually doing."

  "Danny, you did plenty of doing in high school."

  "Not really. Think about high school sex. It was do it quick, don't get caught, pray her parents don't come home early, pray she doesn't get pregnant. Not exactly dream worthy."

  "I think Jade was considering trying to fulfill some of Phillip's dreams," Lori says.

  "Like his fantasies? Wow, lucky guy. He'll definitely like that."

  "Well, I was thinking about it, but now that I know he had them about other girls, I don't know if I want to."

  Danny says, "Jay, come on, like all his dreams were about you."

  "He told you that?"

  "Kinda, yeah."

  "So what you're saying is that you really don't know?"

  "No, they were mostly about you. I know that because when they weren't, and they were about like a Victoria's Secret model, he would tell me. And most of the time, he wouldn't tell me who the girl was. I would ask, and he would always say, It doesn't matter. It all makes sense now. It had to be you. So you wanna make his dreams come true, huh?"

  "Yeah, but which one? If you talked about it, do you remember, did he have like a favorite?"

  "Yes, actually, he did. It involved you and me getting it on in that little tent we used to camp in."

  "So it was a threesome?" I ask.

  Lori says, "I can't imagine Phillip dreaming that."

  "OH. MY. GOSH!" I say. "Is Phillip bisexual!!??"

  Danny chuckles. "Oh, wait. Maybe that was my dream."

  Lori hmmphs.

  I'm like, "Danny!!"

  And he goes, "Ha. Ha. I'm just kidding. And jeeze, Lori, I was fourteen. Okay, so back on track here. I remember one he used to have a lot. We were at the ball field, and someone attacked him on the hood of his car. Of course, that was you. Remember how the three of us used to do that? Sit there drinking my special Gatorade/vodka mixes and eating sunflower seeds? But there was also a spin the bottle one that I never really understood."

  Lori is like, "I know that one! Jade, remember when I told you it was time to play spin the bottle again?"

  "Yeah." I can't help but smile about that.

  "Did that happen?" Danny asks.

  "Kinda. Remember when Mary Beth had a crush on him, and he was in the closet with her for seven minutes of what were probably pure hell at Lisa's fourteenth birthday party?"

  "I did hear about that part. He told me he wouldn't kiss her because she was gross and mean to you."

  "Awww, really??? That's sooo sweeettt. Phillip's so sweet."

  "The story, Jay?"

  "Oh, yeah. So later that night, we played spin the bottle, and the bottle landed like right between me and Mary Beth. He pointed the bottle toward me, and then he kissed me. He was just trying to piss MB off. That was the last time I really kissed him until after your engagement."

  "Makes sense now. So Jay, did you have any dreams like that, and how many were about me?"

  "I didn't have any dreams about you like that, but I do vividly remember one I had when I was dating Jake. We were all playing football. I was mad at Phillip because he was being a jerk about something, so I accidentally on purpose tripped him, and we both fell down."

  "The flag bikini day?" Danny asks.

  "Yeah, that's it. I was mad because he told me he didn't like my swimsuit. Remember how he was so pissed and was sitting on top of me?"

  "Yeah."

  "Well, that happened in my dream. He leaned down to yell at me, and instead, he started kissing me and, um, doing a lot of other stuff too. You sorta disappeared."

  "I think I did disappear that day. It looked like he was gonna do you right there in the grass. I think I told you to get a room."

  "The dream really upset me, back then."

  "Why?" both Danny and Lori ask.

  "Cuz Phillip was like my brother. It was like, I don't know, practically incestuous."

  "Jay."

  "Well, he was, and the problem was I liked it and kept wishing I'd have the dream again. I felt very conflicted."

  Lori says, "Oh my gosh, you two were so dumb."

  Danny intercedes. "Okay, so here's what I think. You should take him to the ball field. Wear a ball cap and those cute little braids like you used to, but sexify it. Wear something hot, like a teeny little baseball shirt with major cleavage. Well, as much as you have anyway, and some short shorts with tall socks and high heels. Get him on the hood, and then like straddle him, tease him a little, and then...."

  "Danny!" Lori says, "I think we all get the idea."

  "Oh, dang. Sorry."

  "Danny, if I do this, will he think it's weird?"

  "Dude, if he thinks it's weird, you have my permission to dump him."

  After work, I start planning. Phillip planned all that stuff for our engagement, and I think this will be my little engagement gift to him.

  A series of naughty events.

  A little trip down memory lane of my own.

  I wish wedding planning was this fun.

  We can't do it all in one night, so I think it'll be a weeklong event.

  I'm going to have fun with this. Okay, let's brainstorm. We'll do the baseball field. Maybe the swings at the elementary school. Camping in a little tent. His mother's kitchen island. And maybe it would be fun to have a prom night redo. The same room, the hot tub. Hmmm.

  My phone chimes. There's an email offering me last minute deals on airfare. I click through it and see Cancun on the list.

  OMG!! That's it.

  It's like fate!

  I call Phillip and tell him he's mine every night next week and not to make any weekend plans.

  He's like, "Why?"

  And I'm like, "Maybe I have a few surprises of my own."

  My phone vibrates with another text from Danny.

  Danny :) Done with practice. Guys LOVE your idea and think a hot nurse bridesmaid is in order.

  I book flights to Cancun and make reservations at the resort where we stayed for Danny and Lori's wedding. The lowest point in my relationship with Phillip. Time to make some happy memories there. Oh, I hope he likes this!!!

  Vibrate.

  Danny :) And a dirty cop. They also think if all women would plan XXX weddings, guys would be much more excited about the planning process. You might be on to something.

  I ignore Danny's text because I need to finish planning. I grab my purse and head out to my car. I'm gonna run to the sporting goods store and find a little baseball shirt, and then I'm gonna hit Victoria's Secret for one of those bombshell bras. I think that should give me the look Danny had in mind.

  I'm running late to meet Phillip. We're going out for a nice dinner, and then we're meeting some friends at the bar.

  Danny calls me. "What are you doing? Why aren't you replying to my brilliant texts?"


  "Your XXX wedding ideas are brilliant, and I appreciate your help. And I didn't reply because I've been busy trying to plan naughty dream week. Phillip's gonna love it. I mean, I think he will. I hope so anyway. I'm taking him to Cancun next weekend! We're gonna have a Cancun redo! And right now, I'm rushing to meet Phillip for dinner."

  "Let me guess, you're late as usual?"

  "A bit. And I shouldn't be. It's our second date!"

  "So, Jaybaby, speaking of dates, have you set one yet?"

  "Oh my gosh, Danny, fuck off."

  I hang up on him, but my phone immediately vibrates. He's calling me back.

  I answer with, "Eff off, baby!"

  I'm totally making fun of Danny, and he knows it. Since he started in the NFL, practically every other word out of his mouth is baby. Which is hilarious because even with all the girls Danny dated, he never called a girl that. He always remembered their names.

  I hear a voice, a voice that is not Danny's, say, "Hello? Is this Jadyn Reynolds?"

  "Uh, yes, this is her." Oh my gosh, who is this? Who the hell did I just tell to eff off??

  "JJ, this is Pastor John. I was hoping to set up a time for us to get together and talk."

  Oh. Shit.

  I'm probably going to hell for this.

  Can you get sent to hell for telling a pastor to fuck off?

  "Uh, I'm sorry about that. I thought you were someone else. Um, Mrs. Mac said something about couple's counseling, but we aren't getting married for quite awhile, so there's really no rush."

  "I'd still like to talk to you. Could you come see me tomorrow morning before the Husker game?"

  I want to say no, but I feel like a little kid that's in trouble. It'd be like telling the principal, Sorry, I'm not going to your office. "Uh, sure."

  "Great. See you then."

  Pastor John is sitting behind his desk when I walk in. He stands up to greet me. Pastor John is about the same age as Mr. and Mrs. Mac. He's not that tall, but what he lacks for in height, he makes up for in attitude. He's really a great guy and makes going to church both fun and a learning experience. He baptized Phillip and I, taught our confirmation classes, took a group of us on a mission trip one summer, and was really nice when my parents died. I've known the man my whole life.

  He hugs me and says, "So, you and Phillip are engaged."

  "Yeah, you were at our engagement party," I say as I sit in one of the two blue checkered chairs in front of his desk.

  He slides into the chair behind his desk. "I'm curious, did you say no on stage just for a dramatic effect?"

  "Not really. I was thinking about saying no. I told him I was gonna say no."

  "I wondered about that. His parents had told everyone he was asking you at dinner, and that when you came down, it meant you'd said yes. I noticed when he went up on stage with you that he put the ring on your finger. I thought he would've done that before."

  "He did. I said yes at dinner, but I got mad at him when I figured out it was an engagement party."

  "Why?"

  "He had just agreed we wouldn't tell people yet."

  "Why wouldn't you want to tell people such happy news?"

  I roll my eyes at him. "Pastor, you know we got engaged on our first date. You've been marrying people for a long time, ever seen that?"

  "Actually, no. That's part of why I wanted to talk with you. But first, tell me why you said yes."

  "That's easy. I said yes because I love him."

  Pastor nods.

  "And you don't have to worry. We're not rushing into things. We're gonna have a very long engagement."

  "I see," he says.

  He seems frustratingly noncommittal. I thought he'd agree that's a good idea. "Do you think that's bad or something?"

  "I'm not here to judge you, JJ."

  "Then why am I here? Why did you wanna talk to me? I know getting engaged on your first date is a little unusual, but it'll be a great story to tell our kids someday."

  "Would you want your children to do the same?"

  "Well, no, but I've known Phillip my whole life. It's not like I just met him."

  "Yes, but being friends with someone is different from being in a relationship with them."

  I wanna say, Damn right, sex makes it a whole lot more fun, but I don't. I'm in church. And hell doesn't sound like much fun. I'm just saying.

  He says, "I'll be honest with you. Phillip's parents are a little concerned about this."

  "Are you serious? Mrs. Mac keeps pushing me to plan the wedding."

  "It's not the planning part, or the fact that you're marrying their son. They love you. They're just a little worried that you've never dealt with your parents' death and are afraid it might affect your future with Phillip."

  That comment sorta gets my panties in a wad, so I have a hard time keeping the smart ass out of my tone. "I dealt with it."

  "If I recall, you refused counseling," he says with an equally snippy voice. "At least from me. Did you talk to someone that I don't know about?"

  "I didn't need counseling. Obviously, I turned out good. I graduated from college, and I have a good job."

  "Yes, on the surface, it would appear you have, but I also heard when you and Phillip tried to date before, you pushed him away."

  Are you kidding me!!??

  "I DIDN'T push him away!! We were having fun, drinking, dancing, and HE ditched ME! He's the one you should be talking to about this."

  I'm mad, but I also know that he's sorta right. I kinda did push Phillip away. I was scared, but it had nothing to do with my parents.

  I mean, except for the whole being alone thing.

  What's this all about?

  Pastor John looks frustrated with me. He runs his hand down the sides of his small brown beard. "I will talk to Phillip. You'll have to do couple's counseling if you want me to marry you."

  "Well like I said, there's plenty of time for that."

  "JJ, what we find is sometimes when a person's suffered a loss like yours, they tend to push people away without realizing it. Sometimes, they feel it's easier not to love, than to love with their whole heart and experience another loss. Is that why all your past relationships have been so short? Have you pushed people away?"

  What. The. Hell?

  What is he? Is he in some kind of pastoral CIA? Where does he hear this shit?

  "I don't push people away. I've had the same friends for years and made a lot more at college. And as far as guys go, they usually stopped dating me because they couldn't handle that we were close. I didn't stop the relationships, they usually dumped me. And I've dealt with my parents' death just fine. You were at the funeral. I stood up and spoke. I dealt with it. I'm fine."

  So there.

  He says quietly, "Some people feel abandoned."

  Abandoned?

  His quiet words knock the wind out of me.

  Before I can even think, I'm standing up, leaning across his desk, and yelling, "My parents didn't abandon me! They never would've left me. They loved me!"

  Then I remember, he's a pastor, I'm in church, and I probably shouldn't be yelling. But there is no way in hell I'm gonna stay and listen to this bullshit.

  Sorry, God, but I'm not.

  "Look, this has been a great chat, but I'm afraid I have to go." I walk toward his door.

  As I'm opening the door to get the hell out of here, he says, "Is this how you typically deal with conflict? Do you run away from it? Avoid it?"

  It takes everything I have to calmly say, "We don't have a conflict, sir. If we did, I'd stay here and fight you. You deeply offended me, and I have nothing more to say." I turn around and mutter under my breath, "And I'll be damned if you'll be counseling OR marrying me."

  Sorry for cussing in church, God, but I hate him. I really do.

  As the door closes, I hear him mutter, "Wanna bet?"

  I sit in my car, shaking slightly and feeling like I could throw up. What the hell does he know anyway? Just because he sees me occasi
onally at church, doesn't mean he has a clue about me. I never run away from conflict. I've always stood up for myself. Even against Danny, who is the stubbornest person I know.

  And what is that shit about my parents abandoning me? I've never felt abandoned. Ever.

  Alone, sure.

  I mean, I am alone. Family wise.

  And yes, I refused counseling. What good was counseling gonna do me? I wasn't going to sit around and talk about how they were gone. I was already painfully aware of that fact.

  I go meet Phillip.

  "So, how'd it go with Pastor John? What'd he wanna talk about?"

  "Um, nothing really," I lie. "I don't think I want him to marry us, Phillip."

  Phillip is taken aback by my comment. "Why not?"

  Fortunately, we just pulled into the parking lot of the bar where we're meeting a bunch of friends to watch the Husker game. I quickly hop out of the car without answering.

  I don't usually say this, but I could seriously use a drink right now. I'm still feeling shaken. I'm not sure what to tell Phillip about why I don't want Pastor to marry us. If I do, I'll have to tell him what he said.

  And what he said is something I don't wanna talk about.

  Phillip casually takes my hand as we walk across the parking lot.

  I take a deep breath. I don't know what it is about Phillip, but when he holds my hand, I feel like I could take on the world.

  I don't need a drink, just Phillip.

  "So why don't you want him to marry us?"

  "He's just getting old. I want our wedding to be cool," I lie. Badly lie at that. We were just at a wedding he did that was very contemporary.

  Phillip looks at me kinda funny, but when we walk in the bar, Joey immediately slaps Phillip on the back, hands us hot damn shots, and makes us cheer, Go Big Red.

  While I try really hard not to cry.

  I've pushed my run in with Pastor to the back of my mind. The man knows nothing. I'm also going to have to find a new church, which sucks because I know practically everyone there. I've also decided to push all the wedding planning nonsense to the back of my mind. Phillip and I are gonna have some fun first, and fun begins today with Naughty Dream Week.

  I'm super excited about this, but I'm also feeling a little nervous. What if he thinks it's silly?

  Danny told me that Phillip will love it, so I'm going to do it, even if it means making a bit of a fool of myself. What do they say about fools in love?

  I forget, but anyway.

  I want to surprise Phillip, but I also think anticipation is half the fun. So to clue him in a little, I snuck in the bathroom after he was asleep and wrote in lipstick on the mirror.