A/N: Thanks for your reviews! The second deleted scene from chapter 72.

Chapter 11 – Hands Washed

After they had their drinks, Johanna and Maggie took a cab to the Waldorf Hotel intent on delivering the new guest list to Bridget.

"Are you sure your aunt will be here?" Maggie asked as they walked through the lobby.

"She said she'd be here," Johanna replied as she stepped up to the desk; the man behind the counter looking her up and down.

"May I help you, Miss?" he asked haughtily.

"Yes; I'd like to know what room my aunt is in," she stated.

"Her name, Miss?"

"Bridget Langston…but it might be under her husband's name; William Langston."

The clerk did some checking, eyeing Johanna and Maggie as he did so. "Mr. and Mrs. Langston are in room 727…shall I let them know you're in the lobby."

Johanna's brow rose. "No; I'll go up."

"Wouldn't you rather they met you down here in the lobby?"

"No," she said; "I have family business to discuss and I don't care to do it in front of you. I'm going up; she's expecting me…do you have a problem with that?"

"Not at all, Miss," he sniffed.

"That's what I thought," she said as she stepped back from the counter.

"I think he does have a problem with it," Maggie stated loud enough for him to hear as they made their way to the elevator.

"I think so too."

"I don't think he likes us, Jo."

"He's just mad because he can't have us," Johanna declared as she pushed the button for the elevator.

Maggie laughed. "I thought maybe he didn't think we were high class enough."

"We're plenty high class; we just don't like to flaunt it too much," she said as the doors slid open.

"Right," her friend agreed as they boarded the elevator.

They were quiet for a few moments as the elevator began to rise but then Johanna broke the silence. "You got the list?"

"Right here," Maggie said as she took it out of her purse and handed it to her.

"Good," she replied. "It's time to be done with this."

Maggie nodded. "Wash your hands of it."

"My hands are totally washed," she declared as the elevator stopped.

They got off the elevator and wandered the hallway until they found the room Bridget was in. Johanna knocked on the door and when it went unanswered, she knocked a second time.

Finally, the door opened and Bridget appeared. "Johanna," she said in surprise.

"Am I interrupting something?" Johanna asked, taking note of her aunt's untucked blouse and slightly disheveled hair.

"Of course not! I was getting ready to shower."

"It can be done there," she said as she and Maggie entered the room.

"Johanna!"

"Well it's true," she replied. "I used to think that it wasn't entirely possible but I've found out that it is."

"Johanna!" Bridget exclaimed. "If your mother would've known what kind of things you've been up to, you would've been married off years ago."

"I didn't learn the shower thing until this past summer and he's already agreed to marry me."

Bridget shook her head. "So Jim's been teaching you a few things, huh?"

She grinned. "He's taught me a lot of things. He wasn't lying when he said I hadn't been with the right man in the past."

Bridget smiled. "Have you been drinking tonight, dear?"

"Yes; it was margarita night at the Crystal Bar."

"I see. Who's your friend?"

Johanna grasped Maggie's wrist and pulled her closer to where she and her aunt were standing. "This is my best friend Maggie. She's my maid of honor and fellow snotty little lawyer."

Maggie burst into giggles as Bridget eyed them with amusement. "That lawyer comment from your mother really got stuck in your head, didn't it, sweet pea?"

"Yes; you don't see me going around calling her an uptight housewife."

Her aunt smiled. "Naomi definitely wouldn't like that. It's nice to meet you, Maggie," she said as she glanced to her niece's friend. "I'm Johanna's aunt Bridget."

"It's nice to meet you too," Maggie said; "Are you sure you're not her mother; you have the same hair and eye color."

"No, dear; I'm not her mother, although I would have gladly taken her if Frank and Naomi had wanted to give her to me. Johanna just has a healthy dose of McKenzie genes; most of us have dark hair."

Maggie nodded. "Well you tell her mother that you met one of the snotty lawyers…as maid of honor; I'd like to be called the queen of snotty lawyers."

"I thought I was the queen," Johanna said; "I'm the bride."

"Right; sorry; I'm the vice queen of snotty lawyers."

"Oh my," Bridget chuckled; "Just how many of those margaritas did you girls have tonight?"

"Usually we just have two," Johanna told her; "But tonight we had three because it felt like a three margarita kind of night."

"I see…and now you're drunk."

"We're not drunk," her niece stated.

"No? Then what are you?"

"Just a little tipsy."

"What's the difference?"

Johanna laughed. "Tipsy is when you're not drunk enough to be drunk."

"That's right," Maggie agreed. "We didn't even fall down getting out of the cab."

"I'm glad to hear that," Bridget laughed. "Did you girls eat before you went out?"

"I had a late lunch," Maggie replied; "I didn't have dinner yet."

"I had a salad," Johanna stated.

"I don't think you girls had enough to eat; how about I order some sandwiches and coffee from room service and we all sit down and talk about what brought you by; is that okay?"

"It's okay with me," Johanna said; "Is it okay with you, Maggie?"

"Yeah; it's okay with me; I like room service."

"Good," Bridget said with a patient smile. "Why don't you girls go sit down at the table and I'll place an order."

Johanna and Maggie drifted across the room to the table and sat down as Bridget made the call to room service. "Jo," Maggie whispered.

"What?"

"Is this going the way we want it to or is she going to feed us and make us write another list?"

Johanna pondered that for a moment. "I don't know…I feel like we still have control but I've felt that way before and have been wrong…so we'll just have to play it by ear…but no more lists no matter what."

"Hands washed," Maggie stated.

"Hands washed."

"The coffee and sandwiches will be up shortly, girls," Bridget said as she joined them at the table. "It's a nice surprise having you stop by."

"You told me you'd be here," Johanna replied.

She smiled. "Yes, I did and you found me."

"Where's Uncle Will?"

"Oh he'll be along shortly; he had a late meeting. Where's Jim?"

"I don't know," she answered; "He dropped me off at my apartment and went on his way. He's mad at me, remember?"

"Yes, darling, I remember," Bridget replied. "And what about you, Maggie? Are you married?"

"No; not yet; but I will be within the next three years."

Bridget's brow rose. "Oh? You're so sure of that?"

"Yes; that's what we agreed on…he wanted five years but I talked him down to three."

"Maggie's good at making settlements," Johanna said with a nod. "She'll hold Jeff to the deal."

Her aunt smiled. "So your young man is named Jeff?"

"Yes," Maggie smiled. "He's Jim's best friend; he's going to be best man."

"How nice," Bridget replied; "It's always wonderful when the maid of honor and best man are a couple."

"I think so too," Johanna agreed; "I don't think Maggie will have to wait the whole three years…Jeff just wants Jim to get married first."

"Why is that?"

"No one will tell us," Maggie remarked.

"I think Jeff wants an endorsement from Jim about marriage," Johanna remarked; "So as soon as we're married; Jim will give a glowing endorsement."

Bridget glanced at her niece. "What makes you so sure he'll give a glowing endorsement?"

Johanna met her eye. "He's going to be married to me; what's not to glow about?"

"Well when you put it that way," Bridget laughed; "Of course he's going to give a glowing recommendation…especially when you're so eager to learn new things from him."

Johanna smiled. "I could've been eager to learn things long ago if I had just met him sooner."

"Well that's neither here nor there. I take it you met your friend here at work."

"Yes," she replied; "At the snotty lawyer factory that I work at."

Bridget patted her hand. "Honey, your mother made that comment, not me."

"I know; but she's not here…and you're going to go see her tomorrow so you know, you can pass it along."

"I'm not sure that would be wise."

"I think it would be; I want her to know that I didn't hide my maid of honor from my aunt."

Bridget gave her a patient smile. "I think the margaritas are adding to your bravado but I'll definitely let her know that you brought your friend with you to visit me."

"Good; do that."

"I will," she said before turning her attention back to her niece's friend. "I take it Maggie is short for Margaret?"

Maggie frowned. "Yes; but please don't call me that name. I hate that name."

"Oh don't worry," Bridget assured; "I'd never call you by a name you disliked."

"Thank you," Maggie said before glancing to Johanna. "Jo; your mother won't call me Margaret like Sharon's mother did, will she?"

"No," Johanna replied; "We won't tell her what Maggie is short for."

Maggie smiled. "Okay."

"I think Naomi knows that Maggie is a common nickname for Margaret," Bridget announced; "Especially considering that my sister's name is Margaret."

Johanna waved a dismissive hand. "No one calls her Maggie…which is good; because it would be confusing have two Maggies."

"I agree," Bridget stated; "So you see, Maggie; you're in no danger of being called Margaret in this family; we already have a Margaret."

"Good…does she like that name?" Maggie asked.

"I don't know, dear; I never asked her…I'll have to do that the next time I talk to her."

"I don't like my name," Johanna stated.

"Why not?" Bridget asked. "It's a perfectly fine name."

She wrinkled her nose. "I just don't like it; I never have…no one ever spells it right and it's plain…ordinary; my middle name isn't much better."

"Watch it," Bridget warned; "We share that name."

"I know…I'm also going to share it with my future witch-in-law; I mean mother-in-law."

Her aunt chuckled. "Yes; I know…but she'll get used to you eventually and she'll leave you alone."

"Sure she will," Johanna scoffed.

A knock at the door spared Bridget from further comment as she got up to answer it. The food and coffee she had ordered was brought into the room and set on table. She tipped the man who brought it up and then returned to her guests; serving them their coffee and making sure they each took the sandwich of their choice.

"Now girls," Bridget said once they were all settled; "What brings you by to see me this evening?"

"This," Johanna said; picking up the list that she had laid on the table earlier; which she couldn't help but think that Bridget had pointedly ignored.

"What is it, dear?" she asked as she accepted the pages.

"The new guest list," Johanna told her. "Me and Maggie wrote it at the bar…well, she wrote it; but I told her who to write."

"I see," her aunt replied.

"Any changes that are needed are left to you and Mom now," her niece declared. "I'm not making any more lists."

"She's washing her hands of it!" Maggie declared.

"My hands are washed," Johanna stated with a nod.

"Drink some more of your coffee, sweet pea; we haven't gotten that third margarita out of you yet…and it really wasn't wise to have the third when you have to work tomorrow."

"I'm fine," she said as she picked up her cup to take another drink; "But I'm serious; I'm done with the list; anything that needs changed is on the two of you now. I am done."

"Alright…I see some people on here I know you don't care for though."

"Those are the people Mom wanted; and what Mama wants, Mama gets."

"Sarcasm," Bridget said with a nod; "You've got that in spades, don't you?"

"Only when she pisses me off."

"Just like your daddy."

Johanna frowned. "I wish everyone would quit saying that all the time."

"Why; you weren't offended by it earlier."

"Because sometimes I'm not sure if it's meant as a good thing," she replied.

"Well don't worry about it," Bridget stated; "Who are these people here on this part of the list?"

"That's Jim's family; nothing can be changed on that part and I mean it."

Her aunt nodded. "Alright; I'll see to it that Jim's portion of the list remains unchanged. Are these names at the bottom your friends? I see Maggie's name there and Jeff."

"Yes," Johanna said; "Those are my friends."

Bridget studied the names and then turned the last page over, expecting there to be more names but there wasn't. "Johanna, you only have six friends listed."

"I know."

"Why?"

"Because Mom doesn't want all of my friends there; so Maggie and I decided to just pick the ones who are going to be in the wedding party…although I'm not sure if Sharon will be or not but I invited her anyway."

"But what about the rest of your friends? They'll feel left out."

"No, they won't," Maggie said; "Jeff and I are going to throw a low key party for the friends who didn't make this list."

"Really?" Bridget asked; "You're going to have two parties?"

Johanna nodded. "Do you have a better idea?"

"Yes; invite your friends to this party."

"I can't; it's not what my mother wants."

"Your mother isn't the one paying for it; I am."

"I know; but she told me we can't take advantage of your generosity."

"Why would having your friends there take advantage of my generosity?" Bridget asked.

Johanna shrugged. "Ask your sister-in-law; she's the one who thinks she's Manhattan's answer to the Emily Post Etiquette guide."

"I'm definitely not going to mention that remark to her."

"Oh go ahead; live dangerously…I do; maybe she'll throw you out too."

Bridget smiled. "Coffee, dear; drink the coffee."

Johanna sighed and drank more of her coffee. "I had a perfectly nice list the other day," she went on. "Mom didn't like it and if you don't like this one, take it up with Mom."

"Naomi and I have much to discuss," her aunt replied; "But since it is my money, I say invite the rest of your friends."

"And listen to Mom complain about it? No thanks; I'll be fine with the six I picked; and chances are Sharon and Phil might not come just because she's mad that Maggie beat her out for maid of honor but really she's only got herself to blame for that. Maggie's been a way better friend than she has this last year. Maggie's been there for me and all Sharon's been is a little bitch like my sister."

"I'll never treat you like Sharon does, Jo," Maggie declared. "I know how to be a friend…all Sharon knows how to do lately is suck Phil's ass and act the way he wants and I'm just not that kind of girl. So don't worry, I'll be the best maid of honor and when I get married, you're going to be my maid of honor and it's going to be way better than other times when you were someone's maid of honor."

"If it was anyone else, I wouldn't believe that it would be better," Johanna replied; "But I know you wouldn't lie to me; and don't worry, we'll be planning your wedding soon. I just have to go first because you know, that's the deal Jim and Jeff made."

"I know and I'm okay with that," her friend replied. "You go first and then I'll go."

"Girls," Bridget said, drawing their attention; "As touching as this display of friendship and maid of honor pacts is, let's get back to the topic at hand."

"One more thing before we do that," Johanna said; "I have to tell her one thing."

"Alright, dear; go ahead."

"Maggie," Johanna said; "No matter what anyone says, don't have an engagement party."

Maggie nodded. "It's out of the question."

"Okay, Bridget, go ahead," Johanna said.

She sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you girls…besides sober you up a little and then have Will take you home when he gets back; but back to this party; you're being as stubborn as your father, Johanna."

"I'm not the one who started this; Mom did."

"No, I did by suggesting this party in the first place. If I had known it was going to cause trouble between you and Naomi, I would've thought twice or arranged to plan it all with you myself…although I'm sure Naomi wouldn't have liked that either…you know sometimes she hates it when you tell me things you don't tell her but that's besides the point. Now, it's my money and I say that you need to invite everyone you want to this party and spare your friends the unnecessary expense of having another party. Having two engagement parties just isn't done, Johanna."

"I didn't ask anyone to give me a party!" she exclaimed. "No one has to spend any money on me, I don't care!"

"I volunteered to throw the smaller party," Maggie chimed in. "It's not going to cost all that much; we're just going to go to a bar or a club; have some drinks and some cake. We're not going for a high class event, just something small and fun…we're not the snobby people that everyone seems to think we are based on our profession."

"Yeah," Johanna said; "See, it doesn't have to be so complicated."

"Listen girls, I don't think either one of you are snobs; I'm sure none of your friends are snobs; I'm sure you're all very nice, fun loving people…but why go through the expense when there's already a party planned that everyone can come to?"

"Because that's not how my mother wants it…so give her the list she wants so she can be happy; and if the list still isn't suitable for her, tell her she has my blessing to make all the changes she wants."

"Sweet pea, I still think you're spoiling for a fight."

"No; I just don't care anymore," Johanna told her. "Mom's off her rocker, Jim's mad at me; you were making your comments at lunch acting like everyone is right and I'm ashamed of my family or whatever and I'm tired of defending myself. So I made a list and it's now in your hands; you and Mom do it the way you want it done and Jim and I will show up when we're supposed to and everything will be fine."

"But you won't be entirely happy," Bridget stated; "You won't have all of your friends there…and you'll have people there you don't like and didn't want to invite."

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

"Well it doesn't matter to me," Johanna said; "So you give her the list and take care of it."

"You really want me to give her this list?" Bridget asked.

"Yes, I do…give it to Emily Post and tell her to shove it."

Her aunt laughed. "I'm not going to do that."

"You give her that list, Bridget or I won't show up to the party."

"Oh I'll give her the list; I'm just not going to relay the Emily Post comments because then she might come after you and slap that smart mouth of yours."

Johanna shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Well it's time you realize that you're about to be a married woman and that you're getting too old to be disciplined by your mother. You're a grown woman, Johanna; you've got to learn to control your temper; you're just like Frank; you jump as soon as someone throws a bone."

"If I didn't know how to control my temper; I'd be in jail at least once a week for punching people," she retorted; "So spare me the lecture."

Bridget smiled. "Alright, dear; I'm not going to feed into your need for a fight this week; it's not what you need right now."

"What does she need?" Maggie asked.

Bridget breathed deeply. "I'm not quite sure…but sometimes a good cry does the trick."

"I already cried," Johanna stated; "It didn't do any good."

Bridget reached for her hand and held it. "Then maybe you just need love."

"Jim's mad at me."

Her aunt's brow furrowed. "He's not the only person who loves you; you know that right?"

"Sure; lots of people love me when I'm doing what they want, sit nice and quiet and mind my manners, mind my temper…whatever else is in the book of how to be a nice young lady."

Bridget rose from her chair and moved to her niece's side, enfolding her in a makeshift embrace. "Sweet pea, you've got it all wrong; we all love you without condition…you're just having a bad week and you're not used to being at odds with your mother. You handle it much better when it's Frank."

"At least I always know where I stand with him," she mumbled.

"He loves you," Bridget murmured; "Even when it's bad, he loves you."

"At least he's not crazy about wedding stuff like Mom is," she said, ignoring her aunt's comment.

"It's all going to be fine," her aunt stated before pressing a kiss to the top of her head and then releasing her so she could retake her seat. "But I would like you to be open to tweaking this list."

"No!" she exclaimed. "I told you; my hands are washed! Maggie, tell her."

"Her hands are washed," Maggie stated.

Bridget nodded. "Alright, Johanna; but I wish you'd reconsider…I want you to be happy."

"I'll be happy when Mom is off my back and Jim isn't mad at me," she stated; "I can make do with a less than perfect guest list…I always make do…let's just do it and be done."

A soft sigh crossed Bridget's lips as she regarded her niece; taking in the stubborn set of her jaw and the mix of cool determination and temper flickering in her green eyes. There wouldn't be any swaying her tonight…perhaps not at all at any time. Somehow, she'd have to make this up to her somewhere down the road.