A big Thank you, to Hannah (grahamlecter) for Beta Reading this, finding my mistakes. I appreciate your time and dedication to this story!
G-Girl
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Chapter 45 - The Night Before
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After the jet landed, and he grabbed his go-bag, Spencer waved to the others as he got into his car. He drove to his apartment to shower and change. He was meeting up with his father—who had arrived earlier—for an early dinner before the outing with the guys.
During dinner, Bill told Spencer he would pick up Diana, escort her to the wedding, and drive her back to Brookdale afterward. He felt it was the least he could do, not only for Spencer, but for Diana. Becca wasn't able to make the trip; her son Dwayne had been hurt in a car accident the day before and was in the hospital, but his condition was improving.
Later, father and son met up with the rest of the group at a jazz club, near DuPont Circle, where Dave announced he was buying the drinks. The plan was to show Spencer a good time, not to get drunk.
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As they were getting ready for their night out, Susan took her AmEx card out of her wallet and handed it to Lizette. "Would you be in charge of the food and drinks tonight? It's gonna be a no-alcohol night for me but do me a favor, keep to yourself. Capisce?"
Lizette's eyes widened. "Wait. Poodle, are you… pregnant?"
Susan shrugged. "I don't know? Maybe? My period's late, maybe from everything going on. Better safe than sorry, right? I need to talk to Spencer before the ceremony, but after I take a pregnancy test."
"That would be awesome."
"This last week or so, I've been wiped out."
"Could be from all the sex." She grinned. "Still, I hope you are. That would be wonderful."
Susan had on a sparkly navy-blue party dress with a high neckline, a scooped back, and elbow-length sleeves. She slid on her sandals and said she was good to go.
"You gotta wear at least a little bit of makeup, Pood." Lizette wore the deep-green dress with a V-neck dress borrowed from Susan's closet and her Converse wedges.
No sooner had they put on some eyeliner and lip gloss, the party bus hired by Dave arrived. Susan slipped a Flex disc packet in her small clutch purse on their way out, just in case.
The driver had stopped by the community center first to pick up the rest of the group. All were ready to party, dressed in a variety of stunning outfits. As Susan and Lizette boarded the bus, Penelope gleefully adorned Susan in a Bride sash, a plastic tiara, and a short fluffy veil hooked on the back. As soon as they were all buckled in, the driver headed to the first stop.
On the way, Susan informed the ladies she had three rules for the evening. "First, for every drink with alcohol, at least one glass of water must be consumed. Second, all the food and drinks are on me, and third, there is to be no talking about work tonight." No one argued with those rules.
They started at the New Vegas Lounge, a blues and supper club near Logan Circle for dinner, then to a dance club called Decades, near DuPont Circle. The retro-themed nightclub featured music from the '80s and '90s, where they danced and had fun. The last stop—up the street—was at Café Citron, a lively Latin club with salsa dancing.
Susan had been sipping on a Blackberry Mojito mocktail, then went to the dance floor. When she got back to the table, Garcia eyed her suspiciously as JJ walked up beside her.
"I took a sip of your drink and thought it tasted strange… and I realized… it's because there's no alcohol in it. What gives?"
She shrugged. "I wanted to have fun and dance tonight… not get drunk. Remember, I have to look fabulous for Spencer at the wedding tomorrow."
They weren't buying it. JJ stood on Susan's other side, leaning in. "Are you pregnant?"
"I'm a little late. Probably from all the wedding planning and excitement going on. But then..." She shrugged again, smiling.
Garcia's eyes widened. "Does Spencer know?"
"Not yet. I haven't taken a test yet. In the morning, I'll pick one up and talk to him as soon as I know one way or the other."
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At 1 am, the ladies were back on the party bus, heading home, tired from dancing, but they all had a great time.
Jinny Moore, Susan's friend, asked, "So, how do you feel, getting married tomorrow?"
"Dithyrambic?" Emily grinned, answering for her.
Susan tapped her finger on her nose. "Ding ding ding. You got that absolutely right!"
Lizette, on Susan's left, yawned, covering her mouth as her brows furrowed. "Dithy what? What's that?"
"It's another word for euphoric, Gator."
On her right, Marsha told the group how she had stopped by with their travel packet weeks before. "Suzie was dancing around, cooking dinner in the kitchen, wearing only a tank top and undies."
Susan leaned against her godmother and picked up her hand. "Oh, Mama, that reminds me. Thank you, from Spencer and me, for making all the travel arrangements for the out-of-town guests. You're a miracle worker." She lowered her voice. "And you charged everything to my AmEx, right?"
"Yes, I did, Honey. I'm so happy you two found each other. You're all lit up." Marsha's eyes welled as she kissed Susan's forehead and hugged her.
Lizette chimed in. "And Suzie's been getting subs for nearly all of her classes lately, at the center, to spend more time with her sweetie pie." She puckered her lips and made kissing noises.
"Hey, he makes me happy. Can't we leave it at that?"
Emily joined in, gleefully recounting her conversation with Spencer in Las Vegas "So he answered his phone, with Reid here, this better be good. I was surprised. But then he said he had his hands full. He didn't say what with and I didn't press the issue. I can only guess, though."
Susan giggled as she shook with her hands over her face.
"Yeah, I figured as much." Emily laughed emphatically.
As the stories were getting good, Tara shook her head and shrugged. "Really? Spencer? He's adorable… and sweet but doesn't seem like the passionate type to me; unless you're talking about books."
"Oh, but Tara, he is. He feels so deeply," Susan said, "I'm sure you know the old saying about not judging the book by the cover? Well, that tall, gorgeous book is full of delightful surprises."
"I've seen a change in him… for the better, of course," Penelope excitedly added. "He's more confident… and that in a man is sexy." She gestured to Susan. "The two of you together? Woo-hoo... very sexy," fanning herself with her hands.
Susan bobbed her head in agreement. "Mm-hmm. Very."
Leaning forward on the bench seat, Emily asked quietly, "So, since our night out is basically over, I have to ask, how did you get the girl to open up to you so quickly?"
"Of everyone in that basement, the one person she knew for sure would not, could not hurt her, was me, on the phone," Susan said. "Emily Bennett wanted to believe you and Spencer were the good guys. I merely reinforced that. Little kids like playing with cell phones and talking on video chat apps. I simply put it all together. If I end up working with her, I'll do one or two more video sessions, so she'll trust me when I see her in person."
"Well, it's my hope we never have another case like that, but that's not the reality we work with. Thank you for assisting. I think she's going to be okay... eventually."
"I'm glad to help. Once she feels comfortable with me, I'll use the CBT technique I showed Spencer." Susan was telling the group how she demonstrated it for him a few weeks before when she noticed the bus had turned onto her street. "Well, thank you, ladies, for a fun night. I know you will all look spectacular tomorrow. Remember, drink plenty of water, and take two aspirin before you go to bed, and two more when you get up with at least a liter of water, to avoid a hangover."
The bus driver stopped at the curb in front of Susan's house, and there were hugs all around as they ended the night.
Susan had set up the first-floor master suite next to the library with everything they needed for the night and getting ready for the wedding. "It'll be easier than running up and down the stairs."
Lizette had stashed her dress and an overnight bag in the small walk-in closet earlier, changing into a tank-top and pajama pants to sleep in. After brushing their teeth, they talked, and it felt like a sleepover when they were younger, except the conversation was different. Instead of hopes and dreams of the future, it was of plans of the here and now. As they talked about the hairstyles they decided on for the wedding, they braided each other's hair, like they used to do when they were young.
"It's been so long since I've worn anything to bed." Susan had changed into a tank top and a fresh pair of underwear. "I remember how crazy in love you were with Andy before you got married." They sprawled out on the bed, side by side, with their heads propped up on pillows. "It's like that, with me and Spencer."
"I can tell. He really butters your croissant, doesn't he?"
"Oh, he does. He truly does. I didn't want to share too much with his co-workers, but I could always tell you anything. Well, everything. That shaking thing happened every time I thought about Spencer while we were out tonight. I haven't seen him since this morning, and I feel like I'm going through withdrawals!"
"I'm happy for you, Poodle," Lizette said. "He's a dish, and so perfect for you."
"That's for sure. Are you bringing Tiana tomorrow?"
"Yeah, since Holly and Terri will be here watching the kids in the basement. Andy will help them with Tiana and after she goes down for a nap, he'll come out back." They got to talking about the Spring Fling, about songs and skits for the different dance classes.
"Darby told me she thought about promoting you to Assistant Director, in charge of programs even before you brought it up. You're perfect for the job, and you deserve it."
"Thanks. Andy's happy about it, too. We're talking about buying a house! No more arguing with Ingrid over not having enough room. No more condo. Woo hoo!"
"Ooh, speaking of, Stuart from the rental agency, left me a message. Remember when I asked him to let me know if any of the houses became vacant? Well, he said Scott and Hannah down the street are moving to South Carolina. Just think, a huge master suite, four large bedrooms, a basement, and a big yard. How great would that be, if you two bought Mom and Dad's house?"
"I've always loved your old house, plus walking distance to work, to Mom's, the park, and here—no more commuting from Hillandale. Tiana could have your old room. Do you think Phil will go for it?"
"Psssh, Gator, please. I know he will. You're part of the family. I'll tell him about it this weekend. Remember how Mom would get when we'd have sleepovers, stay up late, and get really loud?" Sounding exasperated, she grumbled, "Girls, go to sleep already!"
They both said, at the same time, "Okay Mom!"
"Poodle, I gotta say, I'm over the moon for you and Spence," Lizette said seriously. "You know how much you mean to me. You and your family have always meant the world to me and Mom."
"True, and my parents and grandparents loved you two more than Ellen and Janelle… their actual family." Susan told Lizette what her aunt said to Spencer, trying to turn him against her.
"Your aunt's a whacko. It's no wonder Janelle is so flaky. But I don't wanna talk about them. So, you know, in about ten years, Tiana and her bestie will be volunteering at the center, like we used to." Lizette laid her hand on Susan's abdomen, smiling as her eyes welled up.
"Think good thoughts then. I couldn't tell the others, but Spencer and I decided in Las Vegas to start trying for a baby, so if I am pregnant, I know he'll be happy. We haven't talked about it since we got back—with all the wedding planning."
"You talk about it, Pood; you have to do the deed." Lizette made a crude gesture with her hands and snickered, making Susan laugh. "Knocked up practically right out of the gate. The two of you missed out on months of practicing."
"Oh, you. Don't worry about that. We've got that practicing part down, right out of the gate." She grinned and shuddered. "Mmm."
"So that's why I didn't hear from you for two weeks. You were busy practicing. I get it. Andy and I were like that, too. You'll always be my bestie, but Andy and Tiana have top priority with me now."
"Mm-hmm. Like how Spencer has top priority now, with me."
Their voices turned to hushed tones, and Susan turned off the light. They whispered in the dark for a few minutes more. Lizette fell asleep, and not long after, Susan did too.
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A/N
Next, in Side Stories, read The Day of...
Coming up in S&B, Chapter 46 - Forever, I Do