Love Unrehearsed
Page 147
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I could see the light dawning on her. It also became quite obvious to me that when Ryan and I did get married, keeping the date and the location secret would be the top priority.
“So now what?” Pete asked.
Ryan drew in an audible breath. “You know I want to be there for you, man, but the shit that surrounds me can get out of control.
Your wedding date was posted in one of the replies to the original Twitter post. It spread from there.”
Pete turned and glowered at Tammy. “You fucked up.”
Her face fell. So did my heart. “Pete, it’s not her fault.”
Tammy was on the verge of tears. “I didn’t do this!”
I clutched his arm, hoping to get his attention before this blew up, but it made no difference. His other fist hit the table. “No?
Then who did?”
Tammy appeared indignant, holding it in.
“I don’t know why you’re so mad at me.” Ryan cautioned them both. “Listen.
What’s done is done. I’m just worried about your day being ruined because of this, that’s all. Taryn and I are huge media targets right now.”
Tammy swiped a tear away. “Ruined? Like how? Do I have to cancel everything now?” I could see the panic welling up in her.
“No, sweetie, you don’t. It’s your wedding day—it’s your day to shine. We just don’t want to do anything to detract from that.” Pete was obviously fuming. “Amy couldn’t keep her damn mouth shut, could she? I warned you about her, time and time again, and now look what she’s done. I do not want that bitch in our wedding.”
Tammy fell back and cowered in her chair.
“She’s my maid of honor, Pete. You wanted Gary as your best man.”
“Yeah, well I also didn’t know that he was nailing your friend behind Marie’s back. Not only is she a loud-mouthed whore, she’s also a home-wrecker. I don’t want you hanging around her anymore. She’s no longer welcome in my house.”
Tammy stood up abruptly; her chair scraped the floor. If looks could kill, he was a dead man. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“What? That your girlfriend is a whore or that’s she’s a home-wrecker?”
“Go to hell,” she growled.
Pete relaxed back into his chair. “Babe, sometimes I feel as though I’m already there.”
Tammy let out a frustrated groan, chucked her middle finger at Pete, then stormed out of the pub and back into the kitchen.
Ryan was scratching the back of his head, appearing just as dumbfounded about the last ten minutes as I was. “Dude, I’m sorry.
We never meant to cause problems for you.” Pete waved his hand, casting that off, and then rubbed his face. “It’s not your problem, Ryan. This wedding is creating so much stress, she’s driving me crazy.” He glanced back and forth and then held his gaze on me.
“I didn’t know Gary was messing with that girl. I swear. Amy was over at our place one time when Gary came over. They sort of hit it off right away, but I didn’t think anything of it. I just thought they were being friendly. I told Tammy to tell Amy to back off because Gary was married but apparently that message never made it through.” I believed him. Through all these years, Pete had never lied to me. He told me everything straight up, whether good news or bad.
“What are we going to do?” I asked him.
Pete shrugged. “I just banned my best man’s date, Marie and Tammy aren’t
speaking, the paparazzi are going to hound you if you show up, and I just pissed off my bride. I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.” Four days later, Ryan caught a flight out to ll.A. to start rehearsals for the third Seaside film while I stayed in Rhode Island. Pete had an appointment at the physical therapist, so Marie and I were back behind the bar together, mixing drinks and tapping beer, just like old times.
I saw Tammy walk out of the kitchen, her eyes totally focused on the paper in her hand. “Taryn, I have the first draft of the lunch menu.” She stopped abruptly when she almost plowed into Marie.
Like two magnets repelling each other, I watched as they quickly sidestepped, avoiding even the smallest of acknowledgments.
Marie turned her back, swiftly moving to the opposite end of the bar. Tammy’s lips curled down into a frown.
She still held the paper in her hand, but her attention was focused on Marie’s cold rejection. I couldn’t say I blamed Marie; after all, betraying a friend is enough to get you permanently kicked out of the sisterhood.
“So now what?” Pete asked.
Ryan drew in an audible breath. “You know I want to be there for you, man, but the shit that surrounds me can get out of control.
Your wedding date was posted in one of the replies to the original Twitter post. It spread from there.”
Pete turned and glowered at Tammy. “You fucked up.”
Her face fell. So did my heart. “Pete, it’s not her fault.”
Tammy was on the verge of tears. “I didn’t do this!”
I clutched his arm, hoping to get his attention before this blew up, but it made no difference. His other fist hit the table. “No?
Then who did?”
Tammy appeared indignant, holding it in.
“I don’t know why you’re so mad at me.” Ryan cautioned them both. “Listen.
What’s done is done. I’m just worried about your day being ruined because of this, that’s all. Taryn and I are huge media targets right now.”
Tammy swiped a tear away. “Ruined? Like how? Do I have to cancel everything now?” I could see the panic welling up in her.
“No, sweetie, you don’t. It’s your wedding day—it’s your day to shine. We just don’t want to do anything to detract from that.” Pete was obviously fuming. “Amy couldn’t keep her damn mouth shut, could she? I warned you about her, time and time again, and now look what she’s done. I do not want that bitch in our wedding.”
Tammy fell back and cowered in her chair.
“She’s my maid of honor, Pete. You wanted Gary as your best man.”
“Yeah, well I also didn’t know that he was nailing your friend behind Marie’s back. Not only is she a loud-mouthed whore, she’s also a home-wrecker. I don’t want you hanging around her anymore. She’s no longer welcome in my house.”
Tammy stood up abruptly; her chair scraped the floor. If looks could kill, he was a dead man. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“What? That your girlfriend is a whore or that’s she’s a home-wrecker?”
“Go to hell,” she growled.
Pete relaxed back into his chair. “Babe, sometimes I feel as though I’m already there.”
Tammy let out a frustrated groan, chucked her middle finger at Pete, then stormed out of the pub and back into the kitchen.
Ryan was scratching the back of his head, appearing just as dumbfounded about the last ten minutes as I was. “Dude, I’m sorry.
We never meant to cause problems for you.” Pete waved his hand, casting that off, and then rubbed his face. “It’s not your problem, Ryan. This wedding is creating so much stress, she’s driving me crazy.” He glanced back and forth and then held his gaze on me.
“I didn’t know Gary was messing with that girl. I swear. Amy was over at our place one time when Gary came over. They sort of hit it off right away, but I didn’t think anything of it. I just thought they were being friendly. I told Tammy to tell Amy to back off because Gary was married but apparently that message never made it through.” I believed him. Through all these years, Pete had never lied to me. He told me everything straight up, whether good news or bad.
“What are we going to do?” I asked him.
Pete shrugged. “I just banned my best man’s date, Marie and Tammy aren’t
speaking, the paparazzi are going to hound you if you show up, and I just pissed off my bride. I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.” Four days later, Ryan caught a flight out to ll.A. to start rehearsals for the third Seaside film while I stayed in Rhode Island. Pete had an appointment at the physical therapist, so Marie and I were back behind the bar together, mixing drinks and tapping beer, just like old times.
I saw Tammy walk out of the kitchen, her eyes totally focused on the paper in her hand. “Taryn, I have the first draft of the lunch menu.” She stopped abruptly when she almost plowed into Marie.
Like two magnets repelling each other, I watched as they quickly sidestepped, avoiding even the smallest of acknowledgments.
Marie turned her back, swiftly moving to the opposite end of the bar. Tammy’s lips curled down into a frown.
She still held the paper in her hand, but her attention was focused on Marie’s cold rejection. I couldn’t say I blamed Marie; after all, betraying a friend is enough to get you permanently kicked out of the sisterhood.
