Heads or Tails

Chapter 5

This dinner quickly taught me that my limit on food courses is three - not five. My dress now feels tight from inhaling every delicious course. When our server sets the fifth and final course- a melon sorbet- down before me, I may explode. I poke at the melting slush until I hear Mr. Stanley Ellis, Jessica's father, stand up and clink his glass to command attention.

"Good evening, everyone," he says in his trademark deep and authoritative voice. Murmuring voices slowly silence, and everyone averts their gaze to Mr. Ellis. He smiles with pride at Jessica. She smiles adoringly and leans onto Michael's shoulder to look up at him. Michael kisses the top of Jessica's soft blonde hair. I smile, watching them.

"Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone for travelling to Costa Rica to celebrate the marriage of our beautiful daughter, Jessica Marie Ellis, to the soon-to-be Dr. Michael Frances Mercier."

Mr. Ellis begins to tear up. He pauses and clears his throat, wiping unshed tears from his eyes. Jessica's mother grabs his hand and squeezes it.

Seeing both her parents share in such a touching moment makes me wonder what my crazy divorced parents would be like if I ever got married. And for a moment, I envy Jessica's parents' relationship. My parents hate each other. My father abandoned us when I was in elementary school. They would never sit down together and share in a pinnacle moment of joy in my life. Instead, my mother would probably protest about being in the same room as my father. And my father would likely decline my wedding invite to spite my mother. Nothing about my fictional wedding day would even be about me. The central focus would be on their issues and problems.

Jessica has always been lucky; her family is loving and anything but dysfunctional. It makes sense that she could find love quickly with Michael; it's all around her.

"I am proud to say that five days from now, everyone in this room will witness the most beautiful bride walking down the aisle," Mr. Ellis sniffles. "Your mother and I wish you and Michael all the happiness in the world. We'd also like to thank everyone for coming once again. It means so much to our family and the Mercier family. Thank you. I love you, Jessie-girl."

I sip my wine and try to hold back my tears. Everyone clapped and cheered for Mr. Ellis's speech. Jessica stands up, and her dad kisses her forehead. Michael reaches out to shake Mr. Ellis's hand, but instead, he pulls him in for a hug.

"Mr. Ellis's speech was so sweet," Michelle says, wiping away tears with a napkin.

"I know, right?" Stephanie agrees.

"Oh, God. You girls are way too emotional," Eric groans. "Enough of this teary babble. Let's grab a bottle of booze and hang out on the beach."

"I'm down," Matthew says.

"Me too," Michelle pipes up.

"Are you coming, Ben?" Stephanie smiles at him, eyes wide and curious.

I don't know why she needs to ask Ben whether he's coming, but it annoys me.

"Yeah, I'll come," he says, watching me, the muscles of his jaw flexing. When I don't give my friends confirmation of my attendance, he asks, "What about you, Megs? You coming?"

I quickly scanned his muscular body and then decided that was a bad idea. Before I can respond, Eric abruptly stands from the table. "I'll get us another round of drinks here before we go. Everyone name your poison."

As our friends rattle off their drink to Eric, Ben leans across the table and whispers, "Promise you'll come to the beach with us."

My insides do an unexpected flip-flop when he says this. I take a deep breath, about to respond, when I see the playful glimmer in his eyes change to clouded confusion at something behind me. I turn slowly and follow his gaze to Jessica, standing behind me with a handsome mystery man.