Heads or Tails

Chapter 14

Stephanie and Michelle are waiting for us at the front doors of the Spa.

When we walk inside, a middle-aged woman with curly black hair greets us with a smile. "Welcome to the Spa, ladies. May I ask, who is the bride?"

"Me," Jessica says, shooting up her hand.

"Wonderful. Congratulations," she says. "My name is Nadia. I will be taking care of you this morning."

She takes a tray of champagne flutes from the counter and hands one to each of us. Leading the way, Nadia walks us through double doors onto a hydrotherapy Jacuzzi pool deck. We are surrounded by lush greenery and tropical flowers. The sun is shining, and the air is warm. I admire a gigantic mosaic mural on an outside wall resembling the sea. Nadia hands each of us a white housecoat.

"Can we use the pool?" Jessica asks.

I nod. "We are getting every treatment this spa offers."

She throws her arms around my neck, hugging me. "You're the best."

We follow Nadia further inside to a separate section of the Spa. Rich, warm colours and plush furniture decorate the space. We removed our sandals and selected a colour for our hands and toes.

Once our manicures start, so does the conversation. We mostly listen to Jessica vent about the trials of being a bride and planning a wedding, how Michael can never seem to understand the importance of details, or how she's worried her dress won't fit after a week of drinking and eating non-stop.

"You've never told me how you met Michael," Stephanie says.

I've heard this story a million times. But, of course, Stephanie wouldn't know. She didn't attend the same high school. Jessica met her at college.

Jessica smiles. "I have Megan to thank for officially meeting Michael."

"Guilty as charged," I laugh.

"Back in high school, Megan was such a studious little academic," she laughs. "She took every advanced science course offered."

"Ew, why?" Stephanie asks.

"Because she wanted to be a marine biologist," Jessica answers. "And every day when her advanced biology class ended, I'd show up at her classroom door and walk with Megan to English class." She sips champagne before continuing, "Michael was in Megan's advanced biology class. One day, Megan went home sick from school and didn't tell me, so I showed up at the classroom door and waited for her, but she didn't show. Michael was the last student to exit the classroom, and he looked at me and said, your friend wasn't in class today. He then asked my name, and I told him Jessica Ellis. I pretended I hadn't noticed him before, but I mean, how could I not have noticed him?"

"True," Michelle says, and we all nod in agreement.

Michael is very handsome. Honey-brown hair and piercing blue eyes like his rarely go unnoticed.

"Anyway, he asked me if he could walk me to my English class," she laughs, nostalgic at the memory. "I didn't even have to tell him where my classroom was. He already knew, which meant he had followed us before. I thanked him for walking me, and we said our goodbyes, but then, later that same day, he approached me in the cafeteria, asking me if I wanted to come to a party that weekend. So I made Megan come with me to that dingy basement party, and after the party, he asked me to see a movie with him sometime. Of course, I said yes. We saw a movie next weekend. And ta-da, it's been love ever since."

"So," I say, " if I hadn't gone homesick and puked my brains out, Michael and Jessica wouldn't have met."

"Exactly," she laughs.