The Bridesmaid

Chapter One

The Bridesmaid

Chapter One:

JANE

                Everything always happened to Cynthia first. She was the first to ride a two-wheeler. The first to get her ears pierced. The first to kiss a boy. The first to get her driver’s license. But, she was my best friend in the entire world, so I didn’t resent her for it. Deep down, I knew she would be the first to get married and start a family, so I wasn’t surprised when she brought me to Café Grind and told me that her long-time boyfriend, Grant Ritter, had proposed. They were getting married in June in Jamaica. It would be the perfect destination wedding- a vacation and a wedding all at once. Cynthia was ecstatic, so naturally, I was too. Cynthia and Grant’s courtship had been so perfect, it seemed a little cliché. She was the all-American blonde from California. He was the sandy-brown haired guy from London with a charming British accent. They met in a marketing class at UCLA and things had progressed from there. That was our sophomore year of college. Now, four years later, they were making it official.

                Cynthia and I were so close, we did everything together. We lived together in a modest bungalow in the Los Angeles area. We also co-owned and operated a small boutique, Gloss, selling everything from women’s clothing to local brands of soap and candles. Surprisingly, Gloss had been fairly profitable, allowing Cynthia and I to be in better financial shape than most women our age. Cynthia and I were good business partners. She was all about the people and the merchandise, while I was all about the numbers and the math that went on behind the scenes. Our business relationship mirrored our friendship. Cynthia was the outgoing, popular one. I was the quiet sidekick. I didn’t enjoy being the center of attention. Cynthia lived for it. But, again, I didn’t resent that. She and I were practically sisters. We even looked like sisters, according to everyone around us. We both had long, blonde hair. We even had similar bone structure in our faces. We simply went well together.

                From the beginning, I knew Cynthia’s wedding would change things. But, with Cynthia, everything was an adventure, so I wasn’t worried. I was ready to sit back, have a killer vacation and help my best friend have the best day of her life. Little did I know that the wedding would be a bigger adventure than I could have ever imagined.