Heteroflexibility by Mary Beth Daniels Read Free Book Online Page B

smile. “Is there anything even on it?”
    “Boys, for one,” she called over her shoulder. “Giant fist-shaped dildos, for another.”
    I shook my head. “She’s really something.”
    “She is. I guess you know I’ll be handling the wardrobe.”
    “Yes!” I popped back into professional mode, relieved for a safe topic. “Please, give me details. Are they going formal? Semi? A lot of white?”
    Bradford leaned easily against the rail. Images formed in my mind again. Shirtless, looking into the distance. Close up, focused on his eyes. “Each couple is a little different,” he said. “Only Bella will be in a traditional gown.”
    “They said you are coming with us. Is that right?” Please. Say. Yes.
    “I have hair and makeup detail.”
    Sweet!
    Fern stumbled across the patio in an awkward dance with a Palin Power Tool girl. She waved as she passed.
    “Friend of yours?” Bradford asked.
    “For maybe five more minutes.”
    “That close?”
    “We’re hard on each other. It’s part of the gig.”
    He crossed his arms, and I had to work to avoid getting distracted by his hands. “And how is she hard on you?”
    “She thinks I married wrong.”
    “You’re married?” He said it quietly, but several people turned anyway.
    I glanced down at my hand. I still wore, I realized, the diamond ring. Until that moment it hadn’t occurred to me to take it off.
    “I was.” I shoved my hand in the pocket of my jeans.
    “But not now?” His eyes had turned gentle, the smallest creases forming in the corners. He wasn’t as young as most of the others, all in their twenties. Definitely thirty.
    “He served me the papers last weekend.”
    “You going to be okay?” Bradford asked. “Photographing another wedding so soon?”
    “Oh, yes,” I said. “Business. I’ll be fine.” Yeah, I was desperate for cash. I would suck anything up.
    Fern circled in front of us again, this time almost falling.
    “And that, I better handle now. I’ll see you on the plane, I guess. We’ll figure everything out.”
    “I look forward to it.”
    I grabbed Fern by the arm and pulled her away from the other girl. “Just let me cut in here.”
    Fern let go of the Power Tool. “Party pooper.”
    I led her away. “I know you’re not drunk, Fern. You have the alcohol capacity of a fifty-five-gallon drum.”
    “It’s easier to get them relaxed if they think I’m toasted.”
    “This is a work situation for me,” I said quietly. “Please don’t wreck it.”
    “But they LOVE me!”
    “I know. Everybody loves Fern.”
    “Did you fall for that gay boy?”
    I glanced back at Bradford, back to chatting with the other men. “Of course not, I don’t exactly need a man right now anyway.”
    “They always come when you aren’t ready!” Fern waved at a Love Monkey. “Ready or not, here they come.”
    “This is a theme with you lately.” I grasped her firmly by the arm and led her through the maze of jerseys, smiling and waving as we passed through.
    “If you knew who I’ve been banging lately, you’d totally get it.”
    “Zest! Wait a minute!” Nikki barreled across the patio.
    I stopped, not letting go of Fern.
    Nikki smiled at Fern. “You always look even better up close.” She turned to me. “The Hoebags are all going to Rainbow tomorrow night for dance lessons. You should come!”
    Fern took a breath like she was about to talk, but I squeezed her arm.
    “I’ll see what I can do,” I said.
    “You know where it is?”
    Fern refused to be thwarted. “I do.”
    Nikki winked. “I bet you do! See you then!”
    I hustled Fern back to my car and loaded her into the passenger seat. A couple team members still watched us. I waved again as I rounded the car and opened the door.
    “What was with you tonight?” I asked. “Did you even like that boy? Or that girl? Was it all for show?”
    She stared morosely out the window as I pulled away from the curb. “Everything’s for show.”

 
    Chapter 9: There’ll Be Sad