The Right Thing

The summer was going quickly as the wedding was creeping up on us. My stress levels were better and Sidney and I had caught our stride. But all of that was about to be interrupted by the weekend that was to be dedicated to our bachelor and bachelorette parties.

Marc had gotten the boys into some exclusive hotel in Vegas where celebrities went to gamble and cheat on their spouses in secret. Sidney was less than enthused about the choice of venue, but they hadn’t taken his opinion into account seeing as how if they had, Vegas would have been off the table completely. He didn’t have the excuses I did to limit the activities and was going to be forced to suffer through a weekend in Las Vegas. He’d never been a fan. Excessive gambling and drinking weren’t his bag, but he was stuck.

I was beginning to look forward to my spa weekend; until I found out that the spa was in New York City. It was no wonder that Nicole and Taylor had kept it all such a secret when they were planning it. I would have put up a fight if I’d known. But it was my fault for assuming that we’d be spending the weekend in Halifax in as low-key a manner as possible.

We headed to the airport as a family as if we were about to embark on some fun filled vacation. All we needed to look the part would have been matching t-shirts or hats. But we weren’t headed to Disneyland for a wholesome adventure. Far from it.

Sidney was on his way to an exciting weekend of debauchery in Las Vegas. He had his father in tow and I presumed that Troy would be there to put out any fires and bury any bodies over the course of the weekend. It seemed that would be the role that he would have to play. He didn’t look overly enthused about it, but I doubted he would have ever allowed Sidney to head to Vegas with his friends without some form of supervision.

I was headed for a city that intimidated me to the point of an ulcer. But I was going there to primp and relax for the weekend. I knew that I’d be spending it with a group of women but I didn’t know who was on the guest list. It put me in a position to have no idea was to expect.

Surprises weren’t appealing to me, but I didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter.

“Strange how we don’t have a say in what we do this weekend,” I muttered as I took my seat next to Sidney on the plane.

“Did you expect any less of our friends?” he replied as he settled back into his seat.

“No,” I admitted. “Not really.”

Sidney and I held hands on the flight to New York as Taylor peppered us with questions. The sound of her voice coming from the row behind us was constant. She was relentless and somehow, in all of her chatter, she didn’t once mention the wedding. I was thankful for that and astounded by her ability to talk without taking the time to breathe.

Trina and Troy were quiet. It was clear that they were both along for the ride. Trina seemed to be looking forward to our Big Apple adventure. Troy on the other hand, seemed to be more concerned than excited. He was always worried about what things would do to or for Sidney’s reputation. He considered it a part of his job, though Sidney didn’t necessarily agree.

We were forced to go our separate ways in the airport. Sidney and his father had a plane to catch that would take them to Vegas. It hurt a little to go in opposite directions. I wanted so badly to kiss him goodbye, but the public venue stopped us. I clung to his hand until the last possible second.

“I’ll see you on Tuesday, baby.”

He pressed his forehead to mine, risking a little physical contact to say goodbye as best he could.

“I love you,” I muttered.

“I love you too.”

He freed his hand from mine and he and his father were on their way.

Taylor’s hand replaced her brother’s as she pulled me through the airport with their mother pulling up the rear.

“Why are you in such a hurry?”

“I’m just excited about this weekend.”

“She hasn’t stopped talking about it for a week,” Trina confirmed.

It turned out that the spa where we’d be spending our weekend was in the hotel where we were staying. I could tell by the size of the lobby that it had been Sidney’s dime that was paying for the weekend. I was sure he was more than happy to pay for it just to encourage me to have an enjoyable weekend. He’d known that I was dreading it just as I’d known he wasn’t looking forward to Vegas.

But we both knew that we would still enjoy ourselves once we got used to the idea of the cities where we found ourselves stranded.

We had a block of rooms all on the fifteenth floor and it wasn’t until dinner the first night that I realized how much thought Nicole and Taylor had put into the event.

My Aunt Maggie had made the trip from California. Several of my college friends had come from all over the country. A few of the wives of Sidney’s teammates had even made the trip and I was feeling incredibly thankful for the thought that Taylor and Nicole had put into the whole thing.

We all went to lunch as a group as Sidney emailed updates from the plane to Vegas. I had a hard time concentrating on the conversation we were having when my mind was on Sidney and his trip to Sin City.

Taylor caught me reading a message and rolled her eyes.

It was my own fault, holding the phone below the table and trying to be sneaky about it. It was a pathetic display and before long Taylor had confiscated my phone for the night.

“He’s going to wonder why I’m not replying,” I complained.

“I’ll fix that.”

I watched, completely helpless as she typed a reply to her brother and tossed the phone in her mother’s purse.

“What did you tell him?”

“That you two have spent plenty of time apart and both of you are capable of not talking constantly.”

“You can give me my phone back.”

“Later.”

I glared at her. I couldn’t fight her and I didn’t want to start a scene in the middle of the restaurant. The eyes of the other women at our table had already fallen to us as Taylor and I stared at each other.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Why?”

“Jack is taking his phone away as soon as they land.”

“So I have a pain-in-the-ass little sister now, huh?”

She grinned, her dimples like punctuation marks.

It was the end of it. My connection to Sidney was gone, my phone relegated to the bottom of Trina’s purse. I had no choice but to truly focus on what was going on around me. But it didn’t stop me from wondering how things were going for him on the other side of the country.

We started the next day early, everyone piling into the spa by eight in the morning. We were all in robes and slippers and the mimosas were flowing. It was just an excuse to get tipsy at breakfast, but I didn’t mind.

My first surprise of the day happened as soon as we started. Nathalie arrived with all three of her daughters in tow. I hadn’t expected them and seeing Nathalie’s smiling face was almost enough to bring me to tears.

I slipped away to use the restroom, needing to clear my head before I got overwhelmed by the kindness of it all.

I stopped in my tracks as I heard my name being whispered behind me. I turned on my heel and caught a glimpse of Alexa Lemieux as she round the corner.

“Hey.”

“I’m happy for you and Sid.”

“Thanks, sweetie.”

She cast a quick glimpse over her shoulder and held her phone out towards me.

“Sid wants you to call him. He texted earlier and told me Taylor took your phone. I think he misses you.”

“I could get in trouble for this.”

“My lips are sealed,” she said with a smile.

I thanked her again and took the phone from her before sneaking off to the bathroom.

“I thought they took your phone away,” I said as he picked up the phone.

I was leaning against the vanity in the bathroom, staring at a blank wall.

“They did. Sebastian smuggled it back to me.”

I heard laughter and music in the background. It was early in the morning and it appeared the party was still going strong.

“Smuggled?”

“He snuck it out of Kris’s back pocket and got it back to me.”

“He’ll use any excuse to touch a hockey player’s butt.”

“Like you’re innocent in that?”

“Hush. Yours is the only hockey tush I’m interested in.”

He chuckled.

“So, are there a stripper or did you luck out and they decided to get you tickets to Cirque?”

“What do you think?”

He held out his phone and the noise intensified. I heard a wolf-whistle that I was almost certain belonged to Marc as the bass pounded in the background. The noise faded and I heard him sigh into the phone.

“Okay, so there is a stripper. Where are you?”

“The room.”

“Specifically.”

“The closet. Hiding from the flexible Cirque rejects in g-strings.”

“So that covers the guests. Aren’t you hiding from the stripper too?”

He laughed. “It smells like mothballs and fornication in here.”

“So it basically just smells like balls?”

“Basically.”

“How’d you get away to hide in the closet anyway?”

“There are strippers, Wyn. They couldn’t care less where the groom is right now.”

“How is your illustrious sports agent going to feel about this?”

“You could ask him but I’d have to step back into the lion’s den.”

It sounded like an invitation to a Siegfried and Roy joke, but I was more interested in the presence of his agent at the bachelor party.

“Pat’s there?”

“Strippers. Even agents like strippers.”

“You keep using the plural…”

“Four strippers and twice as many unnaturally large breasts.”

“Shouldn’t your face be buried between a set of the silicone tits?”

“Not happening,” he groaned. “We’ve been apart way too much in the last year and I just want to be home with you.”

“With your face between my tits?”

“If that’s an open invitation, I’m on the next flight to New York.”

“You need to enjoy your bachelor party. We’ve got the rest of our lives.”

“And I can bury my face in you tits?”

I laughed. “I’m doing what I can to enjoy my bachelorette party.”

“Much easier. You’re at a spa in a fancy hotel. It probably smells like flowers and fresh baked scones.”

He was astoundingly accurate in that assessment. It certainly didn’t smell like stripper glitter and man-sweat.

I heard him groan again.

“What?”

“I’ve been found out.”

“By?”

“Flower just shouted at me to come out of the closet.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“No wonder you and Sebastian are best friends. He’s getting a good giggle.”

“I’d expect nothing less of him. Though I’m sure he’d rather it was Kris emerging from the closet right about now.”

We said our goodbyes and I slipped out of the bathroom. I didn’t want to think that I’d been avoiding the gaggle of women there to celebrate the end of my life as a single woman, but I was. They were hell-bent on scrubbing, waxing, and primping me to the point of being unrecognizable.

Taylor and Nicole were waiting in the hallway. It was incredible that they could look intimidating in robes with their hair piled on their heads. Nicole’s toenails were drying, evident by the foam strips still between her toes.

“What are you up to?”

“That wasn’t my big brother, was it?”

I glared at both of them. “I’m losing my mind. I needed to hear his voice. And he started it.”

“Involving a sixteen-year-old.”

“Shameless,” Taylor added. “You’ve been apart for less than a day.”

“You’ll understand it someday. Nicole never will.”

“I don’t do strings,” Nicole confirmed.

“We should introduce you to Nealer,” Taylor suggested. “And you should give me Alexis’s phone.”

“I’d rather not.”

“Hand it over. You have gifts to open while the girl with magenta hair paints your toenails,” Nicole commanded.

“How do you two function when he’s on the road?”

“I’ve always assumed there’s a lot of Skype and sexting.”

“Oh my God, Nicole!” I reprimanded.

“Not something I ever needed to know,” Taylor sighed.

“Whatever you do, don’t picture it.”

“Too late.”

Taylor took the phone away and was off before I could argue. I was forced to follow behind my bridesmaids and rejoin the women in the expansive pedicure area.

“I hate presents,” I muttered for only Nicole to hear. “My future mother-in-law is here and I know what some of you jerks probably bought.”

“She’s got kids, I’m pretty sure she knows how sex works.”

I sighed and followed her back into the crowd.

All in all, it was a larger group than I’d expected. Between my two bridesmaids they had managed to invite nearly every woman in my life.

I couldn’t help but think that for every present that was passed to me, a dollar bill was being tucked into a tiny thong in Sid’s room in Vegas.

Aside from a few pieces of lingerie, the gifts weren’t too risqué. I had seen Nicole and another college friend tuck small gifts into their purses when Nathalie arrived with her daughters. Whatever was contained in the boxes they’d hidden away, it clearly wasn’t made for the eyes of a sixteen-year-old girl.

I was exhausted by the end of the day. I opted out of dinner with a few of the ladies and tucked myself away in the room.

Trina had called Taylor away as I finished the meal we’d ordered to share over a movie we’d found on cable. I was left alone in the room with the phone that Taylor had confiscated the night before and rushed to make the call when I could.

“Hey, baby.”

I was glad to hear his voice again, though we’d spoken in the morning.

“How’d you get your phone back this time?” I asked.

“It was in Jack’s pocket and he fell asleep. He’s still passed out.”

“Front or back?”

“Front.”

“Damn. Good thing he didn’t wake up during the recovery mission.”

“I paid Sebastian to do it.”

“I think there are laws against that.”

“It’s Vegas. There are no laws. It’s just alcohol, gambling, nudity, and complete anarchy. What about you? I thought that sister of mine still had your phone.”

“She did. We’re also sharing a room and she left it unattended when your mom asked her to go down the hall for a while.”

“You bribed my mother?”

“I didn’t have to. She thinks the radio silence thing is silly and the thought that her little boy is as miserable as I am right now…she can’t stand it.”

“I’m not actually miserable.”

“Neither am I. I just miss you.”

“Just think; after this, they can’t kidnap us like this again. We’ll spend time apart, but not like this insanity. And in a month, we’ll be on our honeymoon.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

“Why must it be such a big secret?”

“Because I enjoy torturing you.”

“You understand how stressed out I am, right? I am liable to snap.”

“You’re fine and Morgan has everything under control. All of the planning is in her hands and you’ve got nothing to be stressed about. Aside from picking which pieces of sexy underwear you’re bringing along to whatever paradise I choose for you, there’s no pressure left.”

“Did your sister tell you about that?”

“No, Nicole was texting Sebastian about it.”

I’d received any number of racy nighties and lingerie sets within the boxes of gifts that I’d gotten during our day at the spa.

“Your sister is back,” I muttered as I heard the door close.

“She going to take your phone away again?”

“I’m barricaded on the balcony and out of sight.”

“Curled up under the window?”

“Yep. You?”

“Bathroom. Jack’s still asleep but as soon as he wakes up, it won’t take him long to find me.”

“Any potential tabloid fodder after last night’s antics?”

“No. I think it’s all pretty much under wraps. No PR nightmares to worry about. Nothing to shock or embarrass the franchise.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“What about you? Are you thoroughly relaxed?”

“Primped, yes. Relaxed, yet to be seen. They ripped so much hair out of me that you may not even recognize me when all is said and done.”

“I’d recognize you no matter what sort of damage they’ve done, beautiful.”

“Suck-up.”

“I’ll cop to it.”

“What wild things do they have planned for you tonight?”

“I’m completely in the dark about it. What about you?”

“I think we’re done for the day. I’m sure Tay will want to watch another movie or something. But it’s back out in the morning for round two.”

“There are more things they can do to you?”

“Evidently. I think we’re having brunch. But don’t tell Sebastian that, he’ll assume it’s like an episode of Sex and the City and he’ll feel left out. We’ll probably do some shopping as well. Your mom, Taylor, and I fly back to Halifax tomorrow night at about dinner time.”

“Unfair. I have to be here until Monday morning. That means I actually have two nights of this shit left.”

“You’ll survive.”

“That’s questionable. Have you ever been to this place? It’s like something on TV. I think CSI has this place pegged and that is some scary shit.”

“I’ve been there once when I was a junior in college.”

“For?”

“Nicole’s twenty-first.”

“Why am I not surprised that Nicole was involved?”

“It’s not that bad and I was there with her. You’ll be fine.”

“You probably stayed on the strip and went to see Celine Dion.”

“We did stay on the strip but I would never see Celine. Trust me; you’ll survive and I’ll be there at the airport to pick you up on Monday night.”

“This is like the seedy underbelly of Vegas, babe. I’m not sure I feel safe. Who knows if I’ll even make it home. I should make a break for the east coast while I can.”

“Stop being a baby or I’ll hang up on you.”

“Fine. I still miss you, especially since I’ve got the real Wyn back. You’re out there handling things like a champ and I don’t get to enjoy it.”

“I’m curled up under a window hiding behind a potted plant on a hotel balcony.”

“Yes, but that’s only because my little sister is bigger than you.”

“True, and Jack is bigger than you.”

“Also true,” he paused before the tone of his voice changed. “Jack’s up and he’s going to need in here. He drank so much I’m surprised he didn’t wet the goddamn bed today.”

“He may have and you just haven’t noticed yet.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too. I’ll see you one Monday. I’ll be the woman driving your car; just in case you don’t recognize me.”

I heard Jack’s voice rise up through the door and then the line went dead.

“How long are you going to hide behind that plant?” Taylor asked from the door.

I jumped, startled to find her there with the sliding door open.

“How did you know I was out here?”

“Room was empty but the TV was still on and your purse was on your bed. And don’t think I didn’t notice that you took your phone back.”

“Sorry,” I replied as I rose to my feet and brushed the dirt from the back of my sweatpants.

“You two are pathetic.”

I handed her my phone. “In love. We’re in love.”

She shook her head. “I don’t get it. You’re both these crazy independent people but it’s like you can’t stand not talking to each other.”

“It’s hard to explain,” I replied as I collapsed on my bed.

“Try.”

“Sid and I are both very independent. It’s why I didn’t just follow him to Pittsburgh the day that he told me he loved me. I have my own life to lead and Sid has his. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t rely on each other and enjoy each other.

“I don’t need to be attached at the hip to your brother, but not having contact is another story. I think we work because we communicate the way we do. We always touch base so we never miss the little things that make one another tick. It might seem silly to you, but it’s vital to us.”

“You do have Skype sex, don’t you?” she asked with a wrinkle of her nose, as if she smelled something awful.

“That is a question I will never answer. For anyone, but especially you.”

“I know how sex works.”

“Don’t ever say those words to your brother. He’d die of a heart attack and he’s too young for that.”

“He’s going to be scary protective if you guys have daughters. Man, I hope you have daughters.”

She was right, he would be. And though I didn’t say it, I hoped that we did too. I’d found myself thinking about it more and more as the wedding grew closer. We were so sure we weren’t ready for kids, and I wasn’t about to question that decision, but getting married put us a step closer to being ready. Part of me was really looking forward to it, though for much different reasons than Taylor’s.

“Even if he does have daughters to protect, you’re still going to be on the list.”

She sighed and lounged on her bed. “Did he say how Vegas is?”

“Apparently it’s debauched and terrifying. I’m sure your father is having the time of his life.”

“He called Mom while I was in her room. He is absolutely hating it. I think he’s pretty sure they’re being followed and the events of the weekend will somehow wind up on the internet for all to see.”

“It wouldn’t be the worst controversy the NHL has seen this year.”

“No, but it would be the worst one my brother was ever a part of.”

“So, are you just going to be a pest or do you want to watch a movie?”

She snatched the remote from the bedside table and started flipping channels. It wasn’t long before I was asleep and the next thing I was aware of was Taylor’s face next to mine as she woke me the next morning.

“It’s almost time for brunch Sleeping Beauty.”

I groaned.

“Come on, we need to have our stuff packed so we can go straight to the airport after we buy too much stuff from vendors on the street.”

She was cheerful and as I allowed my eyes to adjust to the light in the room, it was clear that she’d been up for a while. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d already had a protein shake and a full workout by the time she was attempting to pull me out of bed.

It took me a moment, but I eventually made it to the shower to get my day started.

The brunch group was smaller than the spa group had been. A few of the WAGs had headed out, all of them having already said goodbye the day before. Aunt Maggie had an early flight back to California and seemed glad to get away from the consumerist mecca that made her so uneasy. It had been wonderful to see her, but her discomfort had been perfectly clear.

Those of us who were there enjoyed the meal without much more than small talk. No one asked about wedding plans or the honeymoon in the way they had during our spa outing and for that I was thankful. It was nice to actually be distracted and think about other things.

Two of my college friends were preparing for big moves for job opportunities. One would be headed from Boston to Dallas. The other would be leaving Chicago, where she’d been since graduation, to move to Seattle. I enjoyed the fact that conversation became about the others at the table. It allowed me to feel connected in a way that I didn’t when the questions turned towards me.

By the early afternoon, Taylor was dragging Trina and me around from shop to shop. She acted like she’d made some huge windfall though we both knew she was blowing all of her birthday money on things she didn’t need but that she could take back to Faribault and tell people she’d bought in Manhattan. I couldn’t really blame the kid. She was usually terribly responsible and it was nice to see her simply being a teenage girl with money to spend and a tight timeline within which to do it.

We made it back to the hotel with plenty of time to spare, but we were packed and ready to go. Taylor Taylor unzipped all three of our suitcases and started shoving her purchases wherever there seemed to be room.
“You didn’t really plan ahead, did you?”

“Anyone could fill another bag, but there’s no need to pay to check it if I can get everything in our carry-ons.”

She handed me my phone as we hailed a cab to take us to the airport.

“So, I have my phone privileges back?”

She nodded. “You actually did better than I thought you would. Only two slip-ups.”

We spent most of the flight quietly. I didn’t feel much like talking until the quiet started to get to me. I sent Sidney a quick email though I knew his phone was likely in his best man’s pocket. My thoughts started to wander to things I didn’t need to worry about.

I nudged Taylor and she removed her headphones. “What?”

“Distract me.”

“From?”

“Going bridezilla.”

“How?”

“Tell me about your brother; when you were little and he was still at home.”

She smiled, more than happy to fill the time with tales of his life before Shattuck and Rimouski. She had plenty to talk about and by the time she reached the end of her anecdotes, we’d narrowly avoided a being recognized and questioned at the airport and I was on my way back to the house on the lake.

The bed was terribly empty without Sidney there to fill more than half of it. I nearly got out of bed as I struggled to get to sleep. I wasn’t sure what I would do, though I considered a trip to the gym in the outbuilding on the property. But I eventually got to sleep without having to resort to drastic measures.

I was glad to be home, even if I had to be there without Sidney.

I spent Monday cleaning every room in the house. I washed the bedding in both bedrooms, vacuumed every surface I could. I even ventured into the basement to clean up the man cave. I had to stop myself when I considered polishing the balls on the pool table.

Unfortunately, that led me to making lists of things that I needed to do over the two weeks we had left until the wedding. We were actually down to nine days until the wedding. We’d be getting married on Wednesday of the next week. The party was on Thursday. It was an overwhelming thought knowing that the wedding was creeping up on us.

I knew that worrying about it wasn’t my job anymore. I’d relinquished my duties to the planner, but it was nice to feel like I still had some semblance of control. It filled the hours before I climbed back into Sid’s Tahoe and headed for the airport.

Troy looked haggard as he took a seat in the back.

“The boys run you ragged?” I asked.

He didn’t even attempt to reply as Sidney joined me in the front of the SUV and kissed me quickly. He was hyper-aware of his father’s presence in the car and pulled away quickly.

“Missed you.”

“You too,” I replied as he laced his fingers with mine.

“Let’s get Dad home, then we can go pick up some dinner.”

“I can cook.”

“Nah, we’ll save time and energy this way.”

Troy sighed. “Just take me home before you start talking about this. Or I can always call you mother if you can’t control yourselves.”

“We’ll take you home, Troy.”

“He’s been in a shitty mood since we landed in Vegas.”

“I’m just not a fan.”

“He should’ve just stayed home. Everyone else had fun.”

“Mario didn’t.”

“He was much less of a downer. And when he didn’t think he’d enjoy something, he stayed in his damn room. You could have just hung back with him.”

“Mario was there?” I asked.

“Who wasn’t there?” Troy quipped.

“Christ, Dad! I wasn’t in charge of the goddamn invites. Don’t take this out on us. We’re home. Everyone survived and no one was arrested. It’s all good.”

“Where the hell was Austin?”

I was uneasy about the idea of Austin, such a typical seventeen year old boy, all alone in the big house in Pittsburgh with no adult supervision. After all, Nathalie and the girls had been in New York with me.

“Hockey camp,” Sid replied.

Troy remained quiet for the rest of the drive to Cole Harbour. He said a quick goodbye and left us alone in the car.

Sidney breathed a sigh of relief. “Such a crab,” he muttered.

“Taylor says he was worried it would all end up on the internet.”

“None of it was that sordid.”

“You weren’t sure you’d survive to tell the tale. Changing your tune, are you?”

“I was more or less referring to the pimp I’m pretty sure was living down the hall and at least two of his girls were definitely guys.”

“Maybe you should stay somewhere less…I don’t know, dodgy, next time.”

“Next time I’m in Vegas I will be sharing a room with my wife in a hotel with at least four stars and a doorman.”

“I hate Vegas.”

“NHL awards next year. I’m going to need a date.”

“Take your dad.”

“Pretty sure he never wants to step foot in that place again.”

I was driving aimlessly as we chatted.

“Where are we picking up dinner?”

“You know, I’m not really all that hungry.”

“Of course you are. You had a long flight.”

“I’ve had a long weekend.”

His hand travelled from my hand to my thigh. He slid his fingers upwards slowly, squeezing the flesh that was covered by a pair of Sid’s old sweatpants.

“A really. Long. Weekend.”

“You want to go home?” I asked.

“Might be the best way to work up an appetite,” he replied with a smirk.

Frankly, I had no doubt he was right and I knew that as soon as we got to the house, I would be finding out.