"No more crab puffs!" Lou exclaimed frantically, awaking suddenly from her slumber and sitting up straight in the bed. Her messy curls hung over one of her eyes as she calmed her breathing. She pulled her fingers through her hair as her eyes searched the unfamiliar space. The walls were light gray and mostly taken up by large windows with long drapery. On the ceiling was a gold chandelier. Monogrammed party favors and decorations were strewn about the room.
Her eyelids lowered slightly as she grumbled and turned to the left. She saw her phone on the nightstand and picked it up to check it. 9 p.m. And two unread messages from Zuri and Tiffany that she didn't bother reading before tossing the phone to the side.
Lou leaned forward slightly and squeezed her eyes shut. Her head was killing her. She groaned, "What in the Sam Hill… Ugh, why do I feel like I've been hit by a truck?"
"That may have something to do with the fact that you haven't slept for two consecutive days."
Lou jumped slightly at the sound of Ravi's voice. She hadn't noticed him sitting in an armchair on the other side of the room, scrolling through his phone. She blinked a few times to make sure she was seeing things correctly. He was dressed up in an expensive looking suit and tie. He looked like one of the models Zuri had dated in college. Lou glanced down at her own attire. She was wearing a bridesmaid dress the same color as Ravi's tie.
Realization finally hit her. She was in her room at the elegant hotel that was also serving as the venue for Xander and Emma's gorgeous wedding reception. It was the biggest event in Lou's life because she had been looking forward to it for years. Her eyes widened in worry at the thought of her missing anymore of the perfect day. Lou tried to scramble out of the king-size bed, but she was lost in a sea of plush bedding.
She blew out a frustrated breath and flopped her arms down beside her. "Hey handsome, help me out of here, would ya?" she demanded. "I need to make sure everything's perfect."
"Oh, no," Ravi said, shaking his head as he stood up from the armchair. "I've been given strict instructions to make sure you stay here and actually get some sleep. Being awake for so long isn't healthy, Lou."
"What? You're not making any sense, Ravi. Help me out of these stupid blankets," Lou said in an irritated tone. She waved her hands out in front of her for him to help her, but he didn't walk forward. "Ravi! I have to get back to the wedding," she whined.
She expected him to give in and help her out of the bed, so it surprised her when he chuckled and sat back down in the chair. She wanted to chuck one of the fluffy pillows at him, but her arms felt too weak to lift anything. She grumbled and slowly pushed her back up against the headboard. She should be making sure Xander's hydrated because he was so nervous that he was sweating bullets this morning. And she should be making sure that the photographer is capturing Emma from her favorite angles for the pictures Emma wants for office in Paris. She should not be wasting time with sleep.
"How did I even get to my room?" Lou asked in a grumpy tone.
"The bride and groom carried you," Ravi answered in an amused tone. "I had suggested that you get some much-needed rest."
"Why the heck would you do that?" Lou complained loudly. She winced and lowered her volume. "I remember telling you that I was fine."
Ravi raised his eyebrow at her and smirked. "And I doubted it as much then as I do now. So, please, rest. You've been working so hard to make things perfect for Xander and Emma. And you've achieved that. So, relax." He waved his phone. "I promise, if they need any assistance, I've got your back."
Lou frowned as she sank into the cushions. She didn't want to admit it, but her entire being was tired. Between being Xander's best man and Emma's maid of honor, she had stretched herself thin. But they were her best friends and she had been dreaming of their perfect wedding ever since the two of them started dating as teenagers at Camp Kikiwaka. It had confused her coworkers when she spent her lunch breaks in the teacher's lounge discussing the finer details of someone else's wedding plans with such enthusiasm.
"But I need to make sure the ice sculpture doesn't melt. If I don't stay on that caterer, he'll let the whole thing turn into a puddle and Emma will be heartbroken," Lou argued.
"That's what the wedding planner is for, Lou. And by the way, she is very much peeved at you for being so, uh...spirited," Ravi said gently. He noticed she was wincing every so often, so he stood up to grab the headache medicine and bottle of water that he had waiting for her by the nightstand.
"That woman's a hack," Lou said bitterly as she watched him open the bottle.
"Well, she's an expensive and experienced hack. But she, um, doesn't appreciate your...spirit and enthusiasm as much as Xander and Emma do."
Lou's glare softened as she studied Ravi's face as he struggled to open the medicine cap. It was something she did when she was sure he wasn't paying attention. His eyes shifted to hers once he got the bottle open, so she quickly looked away. She dramatically sighed and held out her hand for the pills.
"Take them with water," Ravi instructed.
She took the bottle of water from him and didn't ignore the way her heart sped up when his hand brushed against hers. She chugged the water and pills as he stepped away. He walked over to the dresser. There was a drink carrier on it.
"If they appreciate me so much then why'd they send me to timeout," Lou huffed.
"Because I said you needed rest," Ravi admitted as he brought the carrier over to her. There were four hot drink cups with lids. "I've heard caffeine helps with sleep deprivation. I wasn't sure if you were in a coffee mood or a tea mood, so I got you a couple of options."
"None," Lou said stubbornly. "I'm going back down to that wedding…" She wiggled her toes and stiffly moved her legs beneath her fancy bridesmaid dress. She stopped trying to move and muttered, "As soon as I can feel my legs again."
"Fine," Ravi said in a teasing way as he sat down on the edge of the bed with the drink carrier. He lifted one of the cups and shrugged. "I probably shouldn't mention that one of these is a dark chocolate hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. But it wouldn't matter anyway…"
Lou leaned forward and wiggled her fingers toward the cup, saying, "Hand it over."
"Nope. I don't think I will," he said as he stood up. He paced in front of the bed and hummed happily to himself, sipping from the cup.
"Oh, you just wait until I can get out of this stupid bed. I'm gonna string you up to a tetherball pole like I used to do when we were kids." She chuckled despite her threat and added, "Except this time there won't be any campers to throw eggs at you."
"Eggs? Those monsters threw rocks at me," Ravi huffed as he stopped pacing.
Lou giggled and it made Ravi smile. He stepped closer to the bed and held out the cup of hot chocolate. Lou grinned and reached for it, but at the last second, he moved it out of reach.
"Hey!" She glared at him.
"No dark chocolate hot chocolate for you until you promise not to go back down to the wedding."
"But I told you I'm fine!" Her eye twitched slightly.
"You're sleep deprived, Lou."
"So," she said, scrunching her nose and messing with the ends of her hair.
"So, you fell asleep at the end of your speech during the toast; you were hallucinating that there were chickens on the dance floor; and you tried to make out with a groomsman," Ravi said pointedly as he recounted the details of the evening.
"Which groomsman?"
"I, uh… The point is your lack of sleep is affecting your behavior. So, rest, Lou."
Lou furrowed her brow. Her speech had been a blur, but she had been practicing her best man and maid of honor speech in the mirror every morning before work since the couple had gotten engaged. So, she wasn't too concerned about that. She could doze off and still recite that speech in her sleep. She didn't remember the chickens, though.
"Chickens?" Lou asked, slightly embarrassed. For a moment she wondered if any of those unread messages on her phone from Zuri and Tiffany had anything to do with that. Surely one of them had recorded it.
Ravi nodded. He handed her the hot chocolate without taking it away this time. She took a long sip and smacked her lips. The richness of the warm drink was already making her feel a little less groggy. She wondered for how long she had been passed out for Ravi to have time to make a coffee run.
"Thank you," she said.
He loosely crossed his arms as he smiled affectionately at her. "You're welcome," he replied.
Lou sighed. On a normal day, she could easily pick him up and move him out of her way to get back to the reception. But she was tired. She glanced around the room. All the decorations and favors had been leftovers from the bachelorette and bachelor parties that she had stored in her room. On the other end of the dresser were discarded outfits that she had worn over the past two days. There were even a few fishing poles leaning against it.
"Guess hosting a bachelorette brunch, a girls' night out, a bachelor poker night and an all-day fishing trip was a bit much," Lou admitted. She looked down at one of her hands. There was still glitter trapped under her fingernails and a small cut on the back of her hand from a fishing hook.
Ravi took a few steps closer and reached out for her hand. She let him hold it as he inspected the glitter and cut. He chuckled and added, "And don't forget the spa outing you organized this morning. I thought we'd never get Jorge to leave that mud bath. Even as an adult, he loves being messy."
He brushed his thumb across the cut and Lou's headache instantly went away. She was sure whatever expression was on her face was lovesick and embarrassing, but she didn't care. She had nurtured a secret crush on the guy for years. Now they were in their late twenties and she was sure there'd be a point soon where she wouldn't be able to keep her feelings in check. He gently let go of her hand and she wished he hadn't.
"Or the flag football game you hosted for the wedding party mid-afternoon yesterday," Ravi continued.
"Oh, I went hard on flag football," she grinned.
"I know. You tackled me," he said flatly and placed a hand over his ribcage. "Tiffany had to bring me ice. And you lost points."
Lou shrugged. She took another gulp of hot chocolate and hummed. She exhaled. "Why does a Lou schedule have to be so intense?"
"That's what makes it a Lou schedule," Ravi laughed.
"Well, I call dibs on the coffee when I'm done with this."
"It's all yours."
Honestly, she didn't think she'd make it another fifteen minutes before passing out again. She was exhausted. She placed the half-full cup of hot chocolate on the nightstand before settling into the pillows and blanket.
She looked up at Ravi and asked, "Do you think my besties had a good time?"
He nodded and answered, "I guarantee it."
Lou yawned. She felt less cranky and less anxious than she had when she first woke up. The past two days had been everything she could have hoped for and more. And if Xander and Emma had enjoyed themselves, then she had done her job as their best friend. She could relax. Her eyelashes fluttered as she patted the empty space beside her.
"You win. I won't leave," Lou said with a yawn. "Come sit with me. And hand me my phone. I want to watch YouTube videos of cats falling off of stuff until I pass out."
Ravi's shoulders visibly tensed. He took a large step back from her and the bed. He put his hands in his pockets and then took them out of his pockets like he wasn't sure what to do with them.
"What's wrong?" she asked as she sat up slightly. "You want to go back to the wedding?"
"No," he shook his head quickly. He nervously scratched the back of his head. "I want to stay with you."
His words made her smile. They spent so much time together. She couldn't remember a time where Ravi and her weren't working together as a team. They had grown up together. And now they lived in the same city and in the same neighborhood. They even carpooled to work together.
Lou patted the space beside her again. Ravi pointed at the armchair and stammered, "But I'll be over there. Right there."
"But the cat videos?"
He let out a nervous laugh and said, "You should probably rest first. I, uh, want to make sure you're fully cognizant of any actions you decide to take if I'm, you know, over there...near you..."
Lou scrunched her eyebrows and tucked her chin. "Actions?" she repeated. Her eyes widened as pieces of her memory clicked into place. She gasped, "I caught the bouquet!" Her eyes searched the room for the elaborate arrangement of delicate flowers. "Dang it! I hope no one claims it."
"I put it away for you," Ravi said. "Right after I suggested to Xander that you rest."
Lou gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks. Guess I freaked you out after I caught the bouquet and… you know."
That was the one memory of hers that wasn't blurry. She had caught that bouquet and turned to see Ravi standing behind her looking handsome and as adorable as the day she had met him. And she threw herself at him. She had never kissed someone so intensely in her entire life. By the look on his face, he had remembered it too.
Ravi's face heated and he chuckled nervously again. He shifted from one foot to the other as he said, "Psh, it was, um, no big deal or anything. I mean, my date didn't like it. But I liked…Um, and the reason I told Xander you needed rest was because, you know, you've been overdoing things the past few days." He had said everything in such a rush that he needed to take a breath before continuing. "So, that. And you nearly fell asleep on my shoulder when we were waiting in line to walk up the altar during the ceremony… And then again during dinner… my date wasn't thrilled about that either."
"Sorry," Lou apologized. She wasn't really. "For such a lean guy, you've got surprisingly comfy shoulders." Guilt and her polite nature made her add, "But don't tell your date I said that. I don't want her to hate me."
"You fell asleep on my shoulder on a bus ride back to camp when I was CIT and you've done so ever since then. She was bound to find out," he said, less nervous and more cheerful.
"Well, I hope I didn't mess things up for you two," she lied.
"Oh!" His eyes widened with the realization of what Lou was implying. "Oh, no. My date, she's just a friend from my evening book club. She was upset that I was trying to keep you from chasing imaginary chickens on the dancefloor instead of introducing her to Xander's single groomsmen like I had promised."
"Oh," Lou said brightly. She had been jealous when Ravi mentioned that he was bringing a date to the wedding, but she was too busy with her best man and maid of honor duties to find a date of her own. She didn't really want to be with anyone else anyway.
"Yeah, I'm single! Completely available. Ready for…" he slowed down his rambling to gaze into her eyes. "...love." He cleared his throat and rocked on his heels. "But, yeah, you did great with all the wedding events. Emma and Xander are lucky to have you."
"Thanks," she smiled as she snuggled into the blankets and closed her eyes. "My besties are all grown up and married now," she yawned again. "And everything was great. We all looked great. Especially you, Ravi. No wonder I tried to make out with you."
Ravi tried to calm his heart down after her comment, but he figured it was useless. His heart never listened to him when it came to Lou. He smiled softly at his friend. She had worked so hard to make the days leading up to the wedding special for everyone. And after knowing her for so long, he knew she had been looking forward to this day for a long time. He walked up to the bed and gently adjusted the blanket around her shoulders. He smiled as he gazed down at her.
He remembered how beautiful she had looked running around the dance floor like a crazed person for chickens in her lovely bridesmaid dress. He wished he had told her. And he was certain when he was walking her up the aisle during the ceremony that he felt a pang of jealousy that they weren't the ones to fall in love at camp and end up married. But they had always only been close friends and neither of them had ever tried for more. Even though he had always wanted to try.
He leaned forward and whispered, "Sleep well, Lou."
What happened next did so quickly. Lou's eyes sprang open before Ravi could lean back. He didn't have time to gasp as she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him fiercely.
She let go and smiled up at him, saying in a breathy tone, "Sorry. I wanted this to be the perfect day, so I figured I'd go for it."
"Sure," he said breathless and flustered. "I'll, uh, be over there if you need me," he stammered, pointing at the armchair in the corner.
Lou nodded sleepily as she shut her eyes and rested against the pillows. Ravi's knees felt weak as he made his way over to the chair. Once he sat down, he chanced a glance in her direction. He had always thought they'd only be close friends. But whenever she woke up, he wanted to talk to her about being more.