late, because at the last minute, Jessica insisted she loosely curl my hair. Jessica’s mother, Anne Ellis, greets us and runs in our direction. She wraps her arms around Jessica, and whispers in her ear how stunning she looks. Michael’s mother forces herself up from the table and gives Jessica a stiff hug and a firm pat on the back. While all the other ladies sitting at the table, cheer over the bride-to-be’s grand arrival.
Throughout dinner, Mrs. Ellis takes over most of the conversation and tells childhood stories about Jessica, including reiterating the day she was born. She even divulges into a few stories about our high school years, like the one time she caught us attending a college party when we were only sixteen. Mrs. Ellis just happened to be driving down fraternity row when Stephanie was doing a keg stand on the front lawn of the Alpha Delta Phi frat house. Or when she caught us trying to highjack Mr. Ellis’s Jaguar, so we could hit up a party on the west end of Chicago. Her mother laughs now, but I don’t remember her laughing at all when it happened. Matter of fact, I distinctly remember her calling my mother and ratting me out, (even though I was the only one who tried to stop Jessica from illegally pulling out of her driveway).
Once dinner is over, with a lot of motivation on my end, and the shuffling of a flimsy Jessica, we are out of the restaurant. The shuttle pulls up to the front doors, and Michael’s mother announces she isn’t coming with us. Jessica’s mother (who is also a little tipsy) asks her why not, to have Michael’s mother turn up her nose and insist it isn’t her scene.
“That’s okay” Jessica says brushing her hand over Michael’s mothers face, “You need your beauty sleep anyway.”
Michael’s mother rolls her eyes and hops a separate shuttle to take back to own her villa. Jessica’s whiney voice and blunt drunken behavior is less than attractive when she stumbles onto our shuttle and waves her finger in the driver’s face and tells him he’s cute.
The music is blaring and everyone is dancing inside the bar. Jessica is out of control, and finds herself on top of the bar with an alcoholic beverage in either hand dancing like a bad version of Coyote Ugly. The men surrounding her are cheering her on, and she loves every minute of it. At one point she even let’s a random dude take a shot off of her body, and I find myself having to intervene, before she crosses the line of having a good time to cheating on her fiancé.
Michelle prances over to us with a plate of shots just as I am trying to convince Jessica to calm down and drink some water. I politely decline for the both of us; because I am still feeling depressed over Ben, while the last thing Jessica needs is another shot of booze. But Michelle doesn’t take no for an answer and shoves two of them in my face, “Come on Megan. Drink up and get that permanent frown off your face already.”
I take the two shots so I can try to forget about Ben and Stephanie’s secret romp, and of course Jessica’s inappropriate behavior. A few more shots later, and I have let loose and danced the night away. I even bump and grind with just about any guy that crosses my path, and I engage in some flirtatious salsa moves with a couple of cute Costa Rican’s.
But when midnight hits; so does Jessica’s vomit. Mrs. Ellis freaks out and calls the party quits, “Ohmigod! Someone put something in Jessica’s drink!”
I roll my eyes, because Jessica’s mother is just as dramatic as she is. I offer to bring Jessica back to her villa, but Mrs. Ellis says not to worry, she will stay in the Ellis’s villa tonight. Once all the other ladies fizzle out, Stephanie, Michelle and I are left completely buzzed and still raring to go.
“Should we call it a night?” I ask, feeling the tequila shots rush to my brain now that our dancing has stopped.
“No way” Stephanie shouts, “I am going to find Ben and make my move. Tonight’s the night ladies.”
Even when I am drunk, it still hurts like a bitch to hear Stephanie talk about him. It hurts even more so when an image of them having hot and steamy sex flashes through my mind. Therefore, I do what any