the women get curious about the men across the way

[NOTE: This chapter happens in parallel with Jake's narrative.]

"I do want another drink, Aguri," said Kei to her boyfriend. "Let's try out something new and exciting." She picked up a menu on the bar and began to read descriptions. Aguri wasn't necessarily interested, but he was annoyed enough at his friends that he was happy to spend a few minutes entertaining fruity cocktails with Kei.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Rick and Danny looking his way. Rick smiled, and Danny gave a weird thumbs-up gesture which Aguri remembered from college. It was Danny's way of offering uninvited approval for the woman he was with.

Meanwhile, Staci was trying to bring Abbie closer to Melanie and Emily in the hopes that the women would be friendly together and enjoy the wedding festivities as if they were all a tight knit group.

"This is such a classic wedding scenario," said Melanie. "The bridal party doesn't know anyone on the groom's side."

"And then we'll have to process in together as if we were close friends," added Emily.

"And secretly fuck them in the bathroom during the reception," muttered Melanie.

Staci and Emily both stared.

"What?" said Melanie, deadpan. "Isn't that what always happens?"

Emily blushed. "I don't know how many weddings you've attended, but that ... um, well, that hasn't quite been my experience."

Melanie sighed. "Mine neither. Maybe I'm just being dreamy." She giggled and took a sip of her drink. "Why are you still staring at me, Stace?"

Staci shook her head. "No reason."

"You want me to ... publicly fuck them?" said Melanie.

Staci put her hand on Melanie's arm. "You do whatever makes you happy, Mel."

For no reason other than to play up the comedy of the moment, Melanie turned to Abbie. "Okay. Apparently we can fuck the groomsmen publicly or privately. You got that?"

Abbie laughed. "I got it!"

Emily steered the conversation back. "So tell us, Staci. Who are these boys anyway?"

Staci looked back toward the table. She smiled at the sight of Phil. "Well, that handsome one with the beard -- he's off limits." She giggled to herself. "I mean, unless the price is right, of course."

Melanie swatted her arm. "Staci! How could you even?"

Abbie laughed. The idea that Staci was even joking about her soon-to-be-husband messing around was both surprising and exciting. She hadn't been to many weddings, and didn't really know the standard practices around it. Were the storybook clichés about bachelorette parties and the like, were they actually true? she wondered.

"I'm kidding," said Staci. "Mostly." She laughed again. "But anyway. The thin man with the dirty blonde hair, that's my cousin Jake, and Abbie is here with him."

Melanie and Emily looked at Jake. They caught his eye, and it was almost as if they surprised him in the middle of something he wasn't meant to be doing. They giggled to each other like little girls, and then Emily turned to Abbie.

"He's very cute, Abbie. You've got good taste."

Abbie nodded. "Yeah, I guess I do."

It was validating to hear these other women, these complete strangers, give her that boost of confidence. Abbie acknowledged to herself that this wasn't anything, that she wasn't even dating Jake, not in a typical sense anyway, but it still felt good. She felt like part of the group.

"I'm not trying to be nosy, but if we're on the subject of partners, are either of you married?" Abbie asked Melanie and Emily.

Melanie sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm not. I have this stupid boyfriend who ... I don't know."

Staci furrowed her brow. "What is it, Mel? It's still William, right?"

Melanie nodded and tightened her smile. "Yeah. William." She drew out the name. "Willlliam. Ugh." She was clearly not happy with the situation.

"Who's William?" said Emily.

"William is this boy who lives in my apartment and doesn't do the dishes and thinks he a really great fuck and he is and ..." Melanie rambled on and sighed. "And I wish that either he'd grow up or take our relationship more seriously or something."

"You can't make people change," Emily remarked.

Staci nodded. "It's true. Phil is Phil. I take him for who he is. And it's usually wonderful, and it's sometimes tricky, but I love him more than anything, so at the end of the day, he makes me happy."

Melanie smiled. "That's incredibly sweet. And at the end of my day I sometimes just want to push William out the window."

Emily and Abbie both laughed at the idea.

"After we fuck, of course," added Melanie. Averting her eyes upward as if imagining things, "he actually is a really good lay."