Remember When 2 by T. Torrest Read Free Book Online

had become Lisa’s and my most recent favorite lunch destination.
       I walked out onto the deck where she was already waiting at a shaded table at the edge of the water, reading the Daily News . It was a gorgeous day outside—sunny, but cool—and I was grateful that we’d be able to take advantage of the outdoor seating.
       She saw me from across the deck and folded her paper onto the seat next to her. Before I could even sit myself down at the table, she said, “Lemme see that thing!”
       She immediately reached out and grabbed my hand once I was within her arms’ range, and spent an exorbitant amount of time appraising the diamond on my finger. I’d had a manicure a few days prior in order to display the ring to its proper advantage, and I was grateful that it had held up long enough to pass Lisa’s inspection.
       She let out with a low whistle. “Wow. That is some ring. Your man has good taste.”
       I reclaimed my hand and looked down at the shiny, foreign object on it. I still hadn’t gotten used to the feeling of it on my finger, the way that it would tangle in my hair when I ran a hand over my scalp, or the way its sparkle still managed to catch me off guard. I took a moment to stare at the alien entity on my left hand, trying to take in everything about it, from the large, round center stone... to the teensy tiny black dot at the very center of it.
       Huh. I hadn’t noticed that before.
       It was a beautiful ring and the flaw was miniscule, really. But for some reason, my eyes managed to zero in on it until I could see nothing else but that one, stupid speck. I thought about pointing it out to Lisa, but she’d already launched into a Q and A.
       “So, what are our plans for the wedding?”
       Of course Lis would refer to the wedding planning as ‘ours’. It went without saying that she’d be my Maid—er, Matron —of Honor. I bit my lip at her across the table and replied, “Um, I hadn’t really thought about it yet. I guess we’ll have it somewhere in Jersey, right?”
       “Don’t ask me! It’s your wedding, dopey. Haven’t you even thought about that at all?”
       I remembered Lisa’s wedding from a few years before. The ceremony was a beautiful but simple affair at the Redys’ church, but the reception took place in a much more elaborate setting down in West Orange.
       She’d driven me crazy with every detail about the big day, and I spent less time helping her plan and more time trying to chill her the hell out. We’d visited practically every reception hall in New Jersey over a two-week period, trying to find the place with the highest ceilings (in order to accommodate Pick’s NBA buddies) and the prettiest grounds (in order to accommodate Lisa’s “vision”).
       Oh. And a staircase. It was crucial to have a flipping staircase for the pictures.
       She must have tried on fifty dresses before narrowing her choice down to the ultimate victor (It had to be cream . Not off-white, not beige, cream ), and I must have eaten forty thousand calories worth of cake samples. Thankfully, the silver bridesmaid gowns we had to wear were corset-style. Not very comfortable, but they matched Lisa’s ideal of “ traditionally modern ”, and made me look even skinnier than I did pre-cake.
       And the flowers. I swear, I’d never seen so many flowers in my entire life! Should you ever find yourself  in a life-or-death situation where it is absolutely imperative to make the distinction between “dusty rose” and “fairy pink”… call Lisa. She’s the girl for the job.
       As amazing as Lisa and Pickford’s wedding was, I didn’t think I wanted anything that involved.
       But still. I guess I should have figured that at least some forethought would be expected of me before walking down that aisle.
       “Well, sort of. Not really, I guess.” I laughed and added, “We just got engaged four days ago! Guess I’m just not the super-planner you