radiance [h.s.]

So, No Strippers?

"So she invited Ben to the wedding?" Louis asks leaning by me to reach his waiting drink. We were sitting at the bar at Gil's taking a break from setting up the decorations. I was still in jeans and a t-shirt (not how I want to be looking at a bachelorette party). Louis got off work early and decided to help me and some of the other bridesmaids with the decor. 

"Yep," I reply through gritted teeth.

"I thought you two were just friends," Louis grimaces as he swallows his drink. 

"We are, he still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend when we were casually dating, so we agreed we would just be better friends," I explain. "He stopped by my classroom to say hello and Eleanor pounced on the possibility of me giving her nieces and nephews."

"Two things," Louis began, setting his drink on the bar. "One: you will not be having nieces and nephews until you are at least thirty, and two: you can feign being busy with wedding details to get away from him."

I laugh, "I am twenty-six, Louis, no need to baby me. Besides, I can't just abandon him when he doesn't know anyone--I mean, it shouldn't be awkward we are still friends. I will just talk to him about work or something." 

"Good plan," Louis agrees. "Okay, so hear me out."

"Oh geez," I sigh. "Whenever you start a statement like that it never ends well." 

"Piss off," Louis scoffs. "As I was saying...some of my groomsmen have food poisoning--"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I exclaim, smacking him on his shoulder. "The wedding is in two days! Please tell me you did not tell El this."

"Of course not, I'm not a complete idiot." Louis defends while rubbing the tender spot on his arm. 

"Please tell me they are going to the doctor or something?"I reach and take Louis' drink and down the rest. 

"Yeah, yeah, they will be fine by the wedding--they are just not fine tonight," Louis explained. "So, I may have invited a few of my other friends."

"Lou, this was supposed to be wedding-party only." I groan. "I am never going to hear the end of this from El!" 

"I know, I know, and I am sorry--I just don't want to be outnumbered by estrogen." Louis jests. "Hey, you know what? Maybe I should invite Ben."

"Fuck off, okay?" 

"You know I'm kidding," he laughs, "and don't worry about El, I can handle her."

"Whatever," I huff. "Do what you want, there is no sense in me planning anything since the two of you change your mind every second." 

"I resent that statement," he tells me, eyeing his now empty drink. He glances at the watch on his wrist as El stumbles in with bags of party favors and outfit choices.  Louis and I make eye contact before I head to meet my doom as the forsaken maid of honor. 

"So, I brought like six different outfits, and I need to know what to choose," Eleanor tells me in a panicked voice. I hold up my hand to stop her. 

"First things first," I begin. "Go get a drink, and give your fiancé a kiss, and meet me in the bathroom." 

I hand off the responsibilities of finishing up the decorations to Jimmy, one of Louis' groomsmen who evidently doesn't have food poisoning. I take some of the bags from Eleanor as she joins Louis at the bar for a quick drink. 

Surprisingly, the bathrooms at Gil's are not as disgusting as some would think a bathroom to be at a bar. Jimmy, who conveniently owned Gil's, kept the bathrooms clean and kindly well stocked with feminine products.