Her Maid of Honor (gxg)

Day 56 - Jess

The air felt cool against my cheek as the first breeze in what felt like hours finally grazed my face. I exhaled a clouded breath of smoke as I watched it trail off into the distance, slowly dissipating against the golden rays of the sun. Grabbing the Guinness that sat upon the black metal table sized perfectly to fit my wrap-around balcony, the icy condensation dripped down my fingertips as I leaned back to take a sip.

Work had become somewhat overwhelming the last few days as the depth of summer rolled in; but at least that kept me occupied from the wanderings of my mind. It had been at least 2 and a half days since I last heard from the mess of a redhead that I practically dragged up off the floor and nursed – very much so uncharacteristically – back to sobriety before her fiancé could put two and two together. Man, Danny would've killed me had he even the slightest inkling of the state she was in when I found her...

Just then, as my thoughts were beginning once again to recap the detailed events from that night, my phone began to vibrate against the tabletop, reflexively drawing my attention to the caller ID displayed on the LCD screen. Mayfield?

"Hello?" I answered somewhat confused, almost in a daze as I had just been thinking about her not even half a second ago. Was she psychic?

"Jessica?" Her tone was questioning as if to make sure that is was in fact me, despite the fact that she was the one who called.

"Uh, yeah," I finally responded, clearing my throat and straightening up. "What's up?" The question seemed to throw her off guard as she stumbled around for the answer.

"Um..." she paused again, almost seeming to debate her reason for calling, but finally deciding to spit it out anyway, "are you free tomorrow?"

Her words came as a shock as she said them so politely – unlike the first time we had agreed to make plans – that I almost didn't know how to respond. "Uh... yeah, I guess," I finally replied, not really taking the time to recall whether or not that was actually the truth.

"Good." Her voice brightened up ever so slightly that had I not known her personally, the difference would've been untraceable.

"Why?" My curiosity set in as I waited briefly for an explanation that never came.

"Right," I heard her bring herself back into the conversation as if she were somewhere far off into the distance. "Well," she began, "I know you hate this maid of honor stuff, but I kind of have a dress fitting tomorrow afternoon and was wondering-" she paused again, "hoping really, that you wouldn't mind coming with me."

Was she really asking me to accompany her again after what happened last time? Did she completely forget the disaster that took place before, during, and after the entire cake tasting event? She was either insane, or was suffering from some amnesiac episode; either way-

"Jessica?"

"What?" Her voice brought me back into the conversation that we were currently having and the question that still lingered in the air.

"Look," she sighed sounding surprisingly disappointed, "if you don't want to come, I wouldn't blame you-"

"No! That's not it." My voice reacted before my mind could process what I was saying, and before I knew it, "I'll be there," were the next three words that fell straight out of my mouth and onto the other end of the line. What just happened...?

"Great!" I vaguely made out her say as she continued to speak while my sudden eagerness to accompany her fully began to process through. "It's at noon down by Marcello's Italian restaurant on the west end. You know where that is, right?" She asked after hearing no valid response from my end of the line.

"Marcello's. Got it." My brain was on autopilot as she carried on with the minor details.

"Oh, and uh, Jessica?" The seriousness of her tone caught my attention as I felt her trying to formulate the rest of her words, "thanks again for... you know..." she paused again quietly, only to conclude in the most honestly sincere tone, "everything."

I hadn't even realized the slight smile that crept upon my lips until I finally acknowledged her spoken gratitude. "Don't mention it."