Bridesmaid Lotto (8 page)

“Oh yeah, I was wondering about that,” I said, smiling. “I thought your picture on TV looked like a professional photo.”

“Yes, it was,” was all she said.

Boy, some people just have a way of making you feel stupid, I thought to myself.

“So Josie, what do you do?” Jennifer thankfully jumped in.

“I’m a copywriter,” I said. “How about you?”

“IT,” she replied. “You know, fixing everybody else’s problems.”

I nodded. “And Bobbi Lynne, what do you do?”

“Well,” she said with great enthusiasm. “I guess you could call me a starving actress. I moved out here to be close to Broadway. I just love stage acting. But for now of course I’m doing the waitressing thing until I get my big break.”

“Well this Bridesmaid thing should sure get you some attention,” I said. “I find it almost overwhelming.”

Rebecca made a weird noise, almost like a snicker only snottier, as she continued to survey the room. “I have to go to the bathroom,” she announced and got up without looking at any of us.

“I’ll go with you,” Bobbi Lynne said, apparently not phased at all by Rebecca’s rudeness.

Rebecca rolled her eyes and continued straight for the restroom. Bobbi Lynne just bounded behind.

“Thank God there’s another normal one,” Jennifer said to me. “I’d love to strangle that model snob, and that country bumpkin is annoying as hell.”

I laughed. “Yeah, Rebecca seems like quite the diva, but I think Bobbi Lynne is kind of sweet.”

“Yeah, for about five minutes,” Jennifer said smiling.

I was relieved that she’d said it with a smile. Truthfully, I also thought that Bobbi Lynne’s hillybillyness would probably get a little annoying after a while.

“I’m glad you’re normal too,” I said. “I’ve been feeling totally out of place through this whole thing.”

“I know it’s weird, right?” Jennifer said.

I nodded. “It’s so good to have someone to talk to about all this.”

“I know. All my friends are like oh, lucky you, and all that, but they can’t really know what it’s actually like.”

“Exactly! I mean, I don’t want to sound ungrateful or anything, but it’s just a lot to deal with all at once, and still try to work and everything.”

“Totally. Everyone is treating me completely different than they used to,” Jennifer said.

“Uh huh. And I feel like I can’t even vent about any of it.”

“Yeah, like venting about the other girls. I swear every time that Rebecca looks at me, it’s like she’s trying to drive a dagger into me.”

“She does seem a little competitive,” I said. “Plus they paired you up with Jake Hall, so I can imagine she’s a little pissed.”

“I know. That’s another thing. I don’t know how the hell that happened. It’s really quite nerve racking.”

“I don’t know what’s worse, the nervousness of being paired with Jake, or the supreme disgustingness of being paired with Eric VanHorn.”

Jennifer burst out laughing. “Oh, I know. That is so unfortunate. What is with that guy anyway?”

“I don’t know. He is so creepy,” I said.

“Maybe they thought that you looked nice enough to actually put up with him. I’m sure everyone must realize that he’s a slimy toad.”

I shrugged. “I guess we could pretend that’s what it is,” I said. “I just hope they didn’t stick me with him because they think I’m the nerd or something.”

“Uh, no. I don’t think so,” Jennifer said.

“I really do have a hard time talking to him though,” I said.

“I hear ya. He doesn’t seem like much of a conversationalist. Maybe they should have put Bobbi Lynne with him. She could keep the conversation going no matter what. I’ve only been here for ten minutes and I’m already exhausted.”

“Really? She’s that bad?”

“Well, look,” Jennifer said pointing.

Rebecca and Bobbi Lynne were on their way back from the bathroom. Rebecca was walking ahead, eyes straight forward, completely ignoring poor Bobbi Lynne as she chattered away behind her.

I almost spit out my drink.

“What y’all talkin’ about?” Bobbi Lynne asked in her bubbly way.

“Oh nothing,” Jennifer said. “Just the wedding and how weird this new celebrity status is.”

“Oh yeah, I know what you mean,” Bobbi Lynne said. “I am getting recognized everywhere I go! It’s so fun!”

Jennifer and I exchanged glances. Fun was not exactly the word we had been thinking.

“So, did you all get your ideas in for the bachelorette party?” I asked.

Rebecca sort of snorted. “As if I’m going to bother. If Emma VanHorn thinks she can boss me around like that, she’s got another thing coming.”

“Really?” Jennifer said. “Why did you sign up to be a Bridesmaid then? Isn’t that what Bridesmaids are supposed to do?”

“I signed up for two reasons and two reasons only,” Rebecca said, continuously glancing around. “For the publicity, and for Jake Hall. I could give a rat’s ass about Emma VanHorn.”

Jennifer and I quietly sipped our drinks, and for the first time that night, Bobbi Lynne was silent.

“Mm hmm,” I said, feeling that the silence needed to be filled.

Rebecca gave Jennifer a sideways glance. “And I can’t believe they paired you with Jake. It’s ridiculous, pairing a nobody with Jake.”

Jennifer’s mouth dropped open.

“Rebecca!” I said. “Jennifer is not a nobody. None of us are.”

Rebecca rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever,” she said.

Jennifer closed her mouth and straightened in her seat. “Well, aren’t you just a rank bitch,” she said. “And may I ask, what makes you so important. Nobody even knows who you are.”

Oh crap. Now it was on.

“Oh please,” Rebecca said. “I have been on over a dozen magazine covers around the world.”

“Well none that I’ve ever seen. You must not be very popular in the US.”

“I’ve been in plenty of US magazines,” Rebecca said, a slight edge to her voice, like Jennifer had hit a nerve.

“Well, it’s a good thing you are doing this Bridesmaid thing,” Jennifer continued. “You’ll finally get your picture in the magazines from your own country.”

And of course, as luck would have it, the paparazzi picked that exact moment to show up, just in time to witness the girls’ little tiff.

Cameras seemed to flash from every direction. It made me wonder if they had been there all along, lurking in the corner just waiting for something to happen.

Bobbi Lynne and I just sat there. I think I was in shock, and I’m sure she was too, since she remained silent.

Rebecca seized her opportunity. “Well, I just can’t believe that you, of all people, were paired with him. What is it that you do anyway? You’re a computer geek right? As if Jake Hall is going to end up with some nobody computer geek!”

“Whoa. Come on Rebecca,” I said, very aware of the photos being taken and the voice recorders in our face. “Let’s all just calm down, okay? We don’t need to do this. None of us think that Jake Hall is actually going to find a girlfriend just because our names were picked out of a computer.”

“Speak for yourself, little Miss Copywriting Clerk. Mark my words, I will date Jake Hall,” Rebecca said and flashed a glare at me that was likely caught from at least ten camera angles.

She paused, or more accurately, posed for a few more seconds before storming off to grab her coat roughly from the coat check girl, and flew out the door. Luckily, many of the photographers fled out of the lounge to follow her down the street.

Poor Jennifer was looking very upset. “Don’t worry about her,” I said quietly. “She’s just a model with a big ego.”

She nodded, taking another sip of her drink.

“Holy mackerel!” Bobbi Lynne said. I was amazed and impressed that she’d had enough self control to keep silent as the scene played out.

Bobbi Lynne, Jennifer and I sat silently for a few minutes and tried to enjoy our drinks. Slowly the paparazzi retreated back into whatever dark corners they had come from and left us alone.

“God, where did they all come from?” I said.

“I don’t know, but now I know what people mean when they say they’re like vultures.”

“No kidding,” I said. “Listen, I think that I’m going to head home. This night has turned into kind of a circus.”

“Yeah, me too,” Jennifer said, still looking a little hurt. “I’ve got to go try and figure something out for this bachelorette contest.”

“Yeah, good idea,” I said. “Show Emma VanHorn that you’re happy to be her Bridesmaid.”

“I know,” Bobbi Lynne said. “I just can’t believe Rebecca would say all that stuff about Emma. She seems really nice.”

Jennifer and I both nodded. I collected my things and made sure Bobbi Lynne got into a cab okay. I was feeling a little protective of her, being so far away from where she grew up. She seemed so naïve.

“Thanks for coming to my defense,” Jennifer said. “I guess I’m going to have to grow a thicker skin before this wedding is over.”

“Me too,” I said. “I’m not used to people attacking like that, both Rebecca or the paparazzi.”

Jennifer nodded and gave me a little smile before she got into her cab.

“Email me if you need anything,” I yelled just before she shut the door.

She gave me a little wave and a nod. I flagged down a cab of my own, noticing a few lingering photographers still lurking in the shadows near the building. I headed home, exhausted from all the drama.

I knew it. This was exactly why I wasn’t interested in entering the stupid lotto.

Calla was still up when I got home. “Hey, how’d it go?” she asked. “Are they all fabulous?”

“Well,” I said and flopped down in my favorite comfy chair.

“That good hey?” she said with a little smile.

“Jennifer and Bobbi Lynne are great,” I said. “But Rebecca started this whole fight about how she’s the famous one and should have been paired with Jake Hall in the wedding party.”

“That sounds fun,” she said.

“Yeah, she went on and on about how we’re all nobody’s and she’s going to date him. And the freakin’ paparazzi caught the whole thing.”

“Oh crap.”

“Yeah. I felt so bad for Jennifer. She got the brunt of it because she’s the one who’s actually paired with Jake. And now I’m totally exhausted. I’m going to head to bed.”

“Well if it’s any consolation, you looked fabulous,” Calla said.

“Thanks,” I said, giving her a little smile. “I needed that.”

Especially after all the ranting Rebecca did. I headed down the hall, still shaking my head at the scene that Rebecca had caused. What a crappy life she must have if she has to start stuff like that.

# # #

“Are you sure it was Rebecca that started the fight last night?” Calla asked the next morning as she read through the paper.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Well, there’s quite the diva photo of
you
on the front page of the entertainment section this morning.”

“What!” I ran over to see what she was talking about.

“Oh my God!” I yelled as I scanned the caption.

It read ‘She’s just a model with a big ego’ - Bridesmaids on attack!

The article went on to detail the argument from the night before. But the newspaper definitely put their own angle on it, totally taking my words out of context. It went on to quote Rebecca saying, ‘I just don’t know why Josie would have said something like that.’

“Oh my God! I didn’t think anyone could have heard that!”

“You actually said it?” Calla asked, surprised.

“Well, yeah. But it was after Rebecca had totally trashed Jennifer, and I was trying to make her feel better. I mean, Rebecca almost had her in tears.”

“This sucks man,” Calla said.

“This is just my stinkin’ luck,” I said. “Rebecca makes this huge freakin’ scene, and I’m the one who looks like the bad guy.”

I plopped down on the kitchen chair, totally defeated.

“I can’t go out there today!” I said pointing out the window. “Everyone is going to hate me.”

“Oh come on Josie, no one will hate you. You were just trying to help out a friend.”

“I know. But the whole city is going to see this!” I slammed the paper down on the table.

The phone rang. I sighed.

“Hello?” Calla answered. “Sure Mrs. McMaster, just a minute.”

She mouthed the word sorry to me as she handed me the phone.

“Josephine Gail McMaster!” my mother’s voice came through the phone. “Just what do you think you are doing? Are you trying to sabotage this for me?”

I had to hold the phone away from my ear to avoid damaging my hearing.

“Mother. They’ve got the whole thing totally wrong,” I said.

But she would hear none of it. “You’ve completely embarrassed me,” she continued. “What am I supposed to tell my friends at the club?”