thought it was odd, and she shook her head as Carrie left. “I know you say it’s just being a good waitress, but man, sometimes she’s creepy good in guessing what I want to eat.”
I decided to change the subject rather than get into a discussion of statistics and probabilities. “So why lunch on a Tuesday? Usually you’re too busy with city council stuff to get away.”
“I wanted to talk to you about the upcoming trip next weekend. You’re ready, right? And Greg’s still coming? Justin’s friends are all bailing on him except for his best man. And he’s being cagey about the trip. Who says no to a paid trip to Vegas?” Amy sipped her iced tea, then pulled out a small book covered with a bird binding. It had a latch like a journal or a diary. She opened the book and glanced through a few pages. “Anyway, I was wondering if I should bring the napkin runners to work on while we’re there. It wouldn’t take more than a day to get them all done.”
“Wait, you want us to sit in a hotel room and glue rhinestones on a napkin holder while we’re in Vegas? Are you crazy?”
Amy looked up at my face, started to say something, then changed her mind. She focused on writing something in the notebook. “Okay, then, no arts and crafts during the bachelorette party.”
Carrie set our food on the table and, after overhearing Amy’s statement, laughed. “I had such a good time at my last bachelorette party. We went to a cowboy bar and wore pink cowboy hats, and I rode the mechanical bull. Of course, that was a few years ago, when I married my last husband. If I did that now, I’d break a hip.”
“A cowboy bar might be fun.” I picked up a fry and pointed it at Amy.
“You like animals.”
“I do, and that’s why I don’t attend rodeos. I hate the way they treat them.” Amy shook her head. “No cowboy bars. But I’ll figure something out. We will have fun.”
“Just not too much fun. Remember that you invited Aunt Jackie and Harrold. I’d hate to see them fall off a bull.”
Amy picked up her hamburger and took a bite. She glanced at the notebook, and all of a sudden, I knew what she’d had planned.
“You were going to have us finish the decorations for your wedding. At your party.” I shook my head. “The parties I’ve been to have been all about getting the bride drunk, not getting things done. Have you ever been to one?”
“Of course I have. I just thought that this might be more fun. We could order in room service and watch movies on television. And it wouldn’t be all weekend. I’m sure we could get everything done in ten to
fifteen hours, max.”
I took a deep breath. I was going to regret this, but it had to be done. “I’m the maid of honor; I’ll plan the party. Just be ready to have fun.”
“But what are you going to do?” Amy demanded.
I shrugged, dipping a shrimp into the cocktail sauce. “It’s going to be a surprise.”
And it was going to be a surprise, even to me.
And that is how I ended up in charge of a wedding-related event after I’d messed up my own fake wedding in high school.
Walking home, I kicked myself for opening my mouth. Arts and crafts wouldn’t have been that bad of an activity. As long as I didn’t have to use a glue gun. Those things hate me. When I got home, I pulled the mail out of the box and flipped through it as I paused at the front door. I guess it was just the right time of the year, but my mail was filled with wedding flyers along with the multiple credit card offers. I flipped through the mail, separating it into two piles: throw away and take a peek at. The peek ones were bills. I put those on the kitchen table and threw the others in the recycling.
I opened my laptop and Googled Vegas bachelorette parties. Some of the choices made me blush. Others made my pocketbook run and hide. Seriously, why had Amy thought having the party in Vegas was a good idea? She was a beach girl. She liked sand and surfing and bonfires. All things I could have set up just down the road with no problem at all.
I sighed as I pulled out a notebook and started making a