The Best Friend (23 page)

Tracy shrugged and turned her head to meet Gretchen’s gaze. “You and I never did anything but the smart thing, for which there was always a reason. Vickie got to experience what is was like to have all the irrational, crazy, bad ideas. So maybe, just this once, you should try that.”

“Do you regret it? Not acting more like Vickie?”

Tracy shook her head. “Not really. I love my kids and Micah. It’s just… we were always responsible and smart and centered. Just as Vickie never was. Maybe, after doing everything right, you should try something a little crazy.”

“With an angry, one-armed Army veteran who isn’t even all that nice or fun? That doesn’t sound like fun-crazy, it sounds stupid and ill conceived.”

“Maybe… it just might turn out to be everything you ever wanted. You are the nicest woman I know, maybe you shouldn’t be with the nicest men we know. Maybe you should try being a little more like Vickie.”

Gretchen shuddered. “God, I didn’t think you’d ever give me such terrible advice.”

Tracy rolled onto her side, and put her hands under her head. “I think you deserve to have a little crazy.”

Gretchen studied her sister’s face, which now seemed more serious and intent. “You really think Tony Lindstrom is someone I should sleep with?”

“Yeah. I do. There hasn’t been any man whom you talk about like you do him. It’s complicated and rough and not so nice. Every other man you’ve been with is usually nice and uncomplicated. Maybe it’s time to try something different.”

“I wasn’t thinking about it even. Besides, you know why I can’t. Not right now. This stuff with Olivia is going to do nothing but get more intense, and more time-consuming. It’s going to be my entire life in a matter of weeks or months. I owe it to her to give her my complete attention.”

“Yes, and you will. Just as I do with my kids. But, Gretchen, the first thing you need to understand about parenthood, is that you have a life too. You don’t give it all up. Not like you’re thinking, or you’ll burn out in the first few months. It’s exhausting enough without being super-human. You can love Olivia, and take care of her, and still have a sexual side to your life. You deserve to have a relationship. I don’t think Helen meant for you to give up your entire life. Olivia is going to be a critical part of the bigger whole, just like my kids are in my life.”

“I don’t know. I just don’t think now is the time to do anything different or unusual, because so much will be different for her soon.”

“Well, think about it. Or, don’t think about it. Let yourself… just be. Stay in the moment. With this man. Just be yourself and let him be him, and see what you might find.”

She frowned and studied her sister. It was such simple, but serious, advice. And maybe it was something worth considering. She never perceived Tony as someone whom she could be with. Obviously, she never fantasized about Tony. It seemed like everyone else did, however.

Could she simply just be with someone?

She grabbed Tracy’s hand and squeezed it. “Thank you. If only I could get my personal life together like my professional life. I wish I was half as good at it as you.”

Tracy smiled and tilted her head up before shutting her eyes with a deep sigh. “Ah, Gretchen, no one ever gets it all right, not all at once. You just try to get it so it’s livable.”

****

Tony watched Gretchen walking down the aisle towards him. He shifted the weight on his feet.
Damn.
She was gorgeous… but the dress was hideous. It was worse than the three she showed him that day in her condo. It was a strange kind of metallic gold-like material, that brushed the floor and appeared to be a giant bell. It shimmered and twirled whenever she moved, bustling up the back, but pulling tightly across her chest. The only positive feature was the way it purposely squeezed her breasts together and formed a deep, mouth-watering cleavage. It created smooth, white globes that his hand itched to touch, and his tongue salivated to lick. Her sister had the exact same dress on, and her red hair clashed even worse than Gretchen’s blond. Except for the spectacular cleavage, Tony felt sorry them having to wear the gold aberrations.

He stood next to Donny at the altar, and was almost ready to step forward to grab his brother. Donny seemed pale and twitchy; and several times, Tony wondered if he would pass out. Or run at breakneck speed the opposite way from where he was staring now, waiting for his new bride.

Well, hell, Tony couldn’t blame him. The last week was extra long in preparation for this night. Vickie was bat-shit crazy, irresponsible, and impossible, just as Gretchen tried to explain to him and Donny. She cried about everything. The caterer was rude; and the color of the champagne glasses was wrong. Tony didn’t know how clear glass could be the wrong color… but apparently, it could. She was bloated, she was tired, she didn’t like the way the hairdresser cut her bangs… And the list went on. More than once, Tony almost dropped to his knees in relief that it wasn’t he who was marrying this difficult, demanding, quasi-crazy, but drop dead-gorgeous girl.

When Gretchen paused a moment before him and Donny, her eyes met his. A small, secretive smile crossed her lips and she tilted her head down and up as subtle acknowledgment of his presence. Even in the most repugnant dress he ever laid eyes on, Gretchen could pull it off, making it understated, elegant and gorgeous. He smiled in kind and discreetly lifted his hand and did a strangling gesture at his neck. She smiled even wider as she put her hand to her mouth, letting him know she got it. She assumed he was motioning he’d rather hang himself than be standing there at the altar. She turned and took her place across from him, and next to her sister. Tracy’s eyes were shining too, and she must have seen his slight gesture, but apparently, also appreciated it. Tony always liked Tracy better than the sister his brother chose to marry.

The chords of the wedding march started and the entire congregation rose and turned to look at the back of the church. Except for Tony.

He turned and stared at Gretchen; but weirder still, she turned and stared at him. She smiled again, only this time, it was a big, goofy smile, showing all her teeth as she rolled her eyes and tilted her head towards Donny. Tony nodded his agreement. And then… they just stood there, grinning like Cheshire cats rather stupidly at each other. Tony didn’t realize it until Vickie came right between them in her rehearsed march up the aisle. She stopped beside Donny, who accepted her hand, before shaking Vickie’s father’s hand as a symbol of her father “giving” her away. Tony wondered if her father would offer Donny a bill of sale this time, just to get rid of her once and for all.

Unfortunately, Donny and Vickie blocked Tony’s view of Gretchen. He could only catch glimpses of her when they tilted forward or backward. When it happened, she instantly beamed with happiness, and stranger still, so did he. When was the last time anything could manage to make him grin like a total fool?

He had no clue what was said in the ceremony, and tuned out the entire cartoon-like event. To him, it was nothing more than a farce. After having witnessed enough of Vickie during the last week, he knew Gretchen was right about everything she originally tried to tell him and Donny.

Donny’s marriage was doomed to cold ashes just like Vickie’s previous three. The only sickening part was the baby that would now complicate it all.

Suddenly, his brother completed the ritual, kissing his bride and taking her hand before they turned to be introduced to the adoring crowd as Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Lindstrom. Donny darted a hesitant, strange glance at Tony right as the minister announced them as “husband and wife.” Cringing only slightly, Donny turned back and smiled. Tony blinked as he wondered if he just imagined that.

He waited until his brother and bride walked to the back of the large room before he stepped forward. He took Tracy’s elbow in his and began heading to the back of the church. She was several inches shorter than her sister with an impish, and very girlish smile, even though she was the mother of two little girls.

“How long do you give it?” Tracy’s lips were plastered in a frozen smile. She whispered it so only Tony could hear.

“You agree with Gretchen, huh?”

“I agree with reality. How about you?”

“Unfortunately, I think she’s right too. But Donny’s a good guy. He can put up with a lot.” Tony didn’t add that his statement included Donny having to put up with him. Donny’s unflagging loyalty in his attempt to be a good brother, despite how hard Tony made it for him, aptly illustrated his ability to bear the most unbearable people.

“A lot? Well, this will surely test it. You don’t know my sister. But you do know my other one, don’t you? Tell me, Tony, when are you going to make a move? Isn’t twenty years long enough? Even I knew how much you liked her; and I was five years younger than you two.”

He almost missed a step as they came to foyer of the church where they were hidden from the other guests’ line of vision. Did Tracy really just say that? No, not mild-mannered Tracy, who never said anything out of line, let alone, that.

“I—”

“You’re chicken. The missing arm. Will. Donny and Vickie. Whatever you want to blame it on… I think it’s just because you’re afraid.”

He stiffened. “You’re not as sweet as you look.”

She smiled wickedly. “No, I’m not. Gretchen’s the sweet one. So, when, Tony? When are you going to finally admit it to her?”

“Your husband is looking for you.” He nodded towards Micah who was scanning the crowd before he found Tracy and smiled as he came walking up to them. Tony gratefully left them without answering her inquiry.

Afraid? He was not afraid. He, unlike Donny, just accepted reality as it was. He saw reality more sharply, and clearly, and would never spit in the face of what he knew to be true.

He did, however, promise his mother he would be nice, if only for tonight. He promised to socialize, smile and not be like his normal self. She rarely asked anything of him. Strangely, she accepted his reclusive, rude ways, and seldom pressured him to do otherwise. He figured he owed her.

Chapter Fourteen

Finally, it was okay to leave. Tony let out a long breath as his brother and Vickie disappeared down the street, their limo’s brake lights illuminating the dispersing crowd before turning and disappearing. He glanced sidelong at Gretchen. She was staring after the car too. She finally lowered her hand from waving and glanced at him with a smile.

“Well, for better or worse, there goes number four. Lord willing, it will be the last.”

He chuckled. It was hard to see Vickie as Gretchen’s sister, but then again, most people might think that way of him and Donny. Donny, of course, was the good brother, and he more like Vickie.

They were free to leave at long last, after gushing goodbyes to all and hugs to everyone. Except Tony. Most people skipped hugging him as his demeanor scared most of them off. He was glad of it. Hugging the one-armed man was a bit awkward for most people. He seemed weird to them, and they weren’t sure how to act.

“Tony?”

He turned when Gretchen’s voice caught his ear. She walked quickly toward him, since her heels were now off and being carried in one hand, while she used the other to hold the skirt of her dress back. He watched the swishing of her legs, revealed by the hiked up skirt. The old, familiar twitch in his dick simultaneously occurred. It rarely happened anymore, but for some reason with her, it did.

“Are you leaving?”

He shrugged and didn’t feel much like explaining that he would wait outside for his parents to drive him home to their house.

“Do you want to come with me?”

Versus catching a ride with his parents? Yeah, not much conflict there.
He nodded this time as he followed her and she quickly headed toward her car.

She threw her stuff into the back and settled her skirt temporarily as she started the car and brought her seatbelt around her. The skirt was a pre-formed thing with a sewn-in wire or something to keep it stiff. It stuck up awkwardly when she sat. She pushed at it, frowning as it kept interfering with the steering wheel.

Tony couldn’t help but laugh. She slid a glance his way, and finally, she laughed too, opening her legs, and smashing the dress between them before clamping her legs back together. “I need a freaking leash for this thing. Can you believe it?”

His eyes never left her thighs until he raised them to her face, and began to flush as he wondered what it felt like to be clamped between those thighs. Luckily, owing to the passing semi-shadows of the car’s interior, she didn’t realize how much she affected him.

“Okay, you didn’t lie about the dress thing. She does it on purpose. What is that thing?”

“I know! I mean it has a hoop skirt. It’s metallic, and oh my God. Does the gold wash me out so much, I look sickly. But, as always, she did look beautiful.”

“She’s half as pretty as you. Even wearing that dress.”

She whipped her head towards him, stopping her car before backing up. Her gaze roved over him, studying his eyes and moving down his face, as if looking for the joke. Finally, she smiled softly, “Thank you, Tony. It’s not often you say nice things to me… or anyone, really.”

He glanced out the window to break the soft look he saw in her eyes. She was probably glad to see how well he was behaving.

He tapped a finger on the armrest and watched the fleeting lights of Calliston passing by. He sat up a little when he realized she wasn’t heading for his parents’ house.

“Uh, you forgetting to drop me off?”

She slid a quick, hesitant glance toward him. “I wondered if maybe you might like to come over for awhile. It’s Christmas Eve. I really can’t picture anything more depressing tonight than to go home alone, after attending my sister’s
fourth wedding
. I already know your family had no plans either, and I thought we could hang out for a little while. And not be alone on Christmas if we’re together. If you don’t mind, that is.”

“Mind? Would I rather go home and sit in my parents’ basement or hang out with a beautiful woman? I think I can skip the basement for a few hours. I didn’t lose my mind, just my arm.”