After posing for all the necessary pictures, the dancing began. I grabbed a few of my friends, and we started to dance. It was so easy to lose myself with the music, and to dance with the number of men that weren't too shy to join us. I danced with many handsome strangers, but it was getting obvious that they were attracted to me. That really irked me, so I decided to dance with all of the taken men, who hopefully were more obsessed with their girlfriends than me. It didn't last long. The moment a slow song came on, Richard gallantly tapped the shoulder of the man I was dancing with, and took my hands in his.
"It was a beautiful wedding" he commented as we twirled around the dozens of couples who looked so in love.
"It was, wasn't it? Mitchell and Sweetie are so lucky to have each other."
Richard drew me closer to him. "I went to the bachelor party."
"Thank you. I know that it must have been awful and no fun."
He nodded. "My feelings still haven't changed about Mitchell. I do like your roommate however."
"It's Sweetie, Richard. I don't know what your aversion to that nickname is, but that is what we call her. It's very endearing."
Richard ignored that comment, and it was silent for a few moments. "Emily, I don't like that we haven't been communicating well this week."
"I don't like it either. I suppose this is just a part of our relationship that we have to work through."
He was about to respond when the band stopped playing to introduce the new married couple. As they walked in, and their song started to play, Richard and I were suddenly swarmed by all the women I had been trying to avoid. As if it wasn't hard to enough to have to deal with my failing relationship.
I tried to be cordial. "Isn't it a lovely wedding? Sweetie looks like such an angel."
A few of them ignored me, a few stared at Richard's hand in mine with disgust, and a few smiled at me. Only Lauren answered, "I'm so jealous. I hope that I look like that when I get married."
"Me too."
One of the less bright girls piped up eagerly. "Ooh, are you getting married, Emily?"
Richard looked over with annoyance; he did not have the stamina to put up with such girls. "Do you see a ring?" I asked sweetly.
"Oh, no, sorry, Emily."
"Richard and I were just about to go congratulate the happy couple, so we will stop and chat later," I said cheerily as I walked away as fast as I could.
"Emily, you don't have to stay with me, I know that you're friends with many of these girls."
"Richard, none of them are as important as the conversation that we were having."
He smiled. "Well, that's certainly nice to hear."
"Richard, there is a reputation that I have to uphold, and it would be nice to see my boyfriend at those events. If it's really too painful for you to do, then fine, I understand. But I insist on you getting along with my best friend and her husband."
"I suppose I can arrange that. And from now on, we talk to each other when something is wrong, Emmy."
"All right." We stood there in silence for a moment, and then he pulled me back on the dance floor.
After a few dances, I went around and talked to all the girls who were my friends. By the end of the night, I had managed to win back most of the girls who were unsure about Richard and me.
Before I left, I managed to pull Sweetie aside. "Well? Are you having fun?"
"The best time, Emily. Are you and Richard better?"
"We're perfect. Are you excited for tonight?"
"Oh, Emily, since when have you become so crude?"
I widened my eyes innocently. "Crude? I was referring to the fact that you are a married woman, nothing crude." Sweetie and Mitchell weren't even going on a proper honeymoon, because we still had school, so I assumed they would just spend a few days in Mitchell's apartment. Sweetie and I were still living together, though, because she still goes to Smith.
Sweetie gave me a hug. "I'm sure that's what you meant, Emily."
Richard came up behind me, and enveloped my waist in his arms. "Congratulations…Sweetie."
"Thank you, Richard. Did you have a good time?"
"The best."
I gave her one more hug, and then I walked off with Richard. Hopefully everything would be alright between us. I just wished that I could be Sweetie, the happily married woman. Her future secure with a handsome husband. I knew that I could have had that with Samuel, but Richard and I had something more. Something better.