Read Online Autumn Getaway (Seasons of Love) by Jennifer Gracen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Gracen
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wedding tomorrow.”
Sam nodded. “Fair enough. When you change your mind, let me know.”
“Here we go, folks,” John announced to the group. Except for Lydia, they all leaned in to the bar to pick up their shot glasses.
“I’m the Best Man, allow me to make a toast,” Alec began.
“Like anyone could stop you,” Paige cracked, patting her husband’s arm.
The group laughed.
“Ryan, Melanie, I’ll save the funnier and sappier toast for tomorrow,” Alec said. “But in all seriousness, I’m so happy the two of you found each other, and that you’re going to have a wonderful life together. We all wish you the very best.”
“Hear, hear,” Melanie’s cousin Anne said, raising her shot glass.
“To the bride and groom,” Sam smiled, raising his shot glass as well.
“To the bride and groom,” they all echoed. They raised their glasses in salute, then simultaneously threw back their shots of tequila.
“Ugh,” Ryan’s cousin Jeanette moaned. She shuddered, then looked over at Lydia. “You were smart. I’ve never liked this stuff.”
“Then why’d you do it?” Ryan laughed.
“Because I’m a team player,” Jeanette pronounced. “Team Selby, baby.”
“I’ll drink to that!” Ryan smiled, exchanging a fist bump with her.
Alec turned to the bartender. “John, another shot for me and the groom, please.”
“Oh boy,” Melanie said. “Um, honey? Don’t get too shitfaced tonight. You have a wedding to host tomorrow, you don’t want to be hung over.”
Ryan turned to his fiancée and wrapped his arms around her. He smiled broadly and kissed her hard. “Yes, ma’am. I won’t get too shitfaced.”
“Maybe just a little shitfaced,” Alec said, handing Ryan the second shot.
“You’re a bad influence,” Paige scolded her husband.
“Always have been.” Alec nodded, clinking his filled shot glass to Ryan’s. The men threw back their shots easily.
The old Motown classic “The Way You Do the Things You Do” started blaring from the jukebox.
Alec grabbed his wife’s hand. “Dance with me, darlin’!” He dragged Paige to the open spot of floor towards the front of the lounge and they began to dance. Ryan pulled Melanie with him to follow suit.
Ryan’s cousin, Joseph, and Melanie’s cousin, Mark, moved to the billiard table and began a game of pool. The other three cousins, Jeanette, Anne, and MaryBeth, moved to the couches by the fire to sit and talk. Sam waited at the bar as John fixed him a glass of scotch. Lydia went to the jukebox to check out its song samplings. It was filled with Motown classics, a few Big Band era standards, 60s and 70s classic rock, and a handful of pop tunes from the 80s and 90s. Her eyes scanned the titles.
“Anything good?” Sam’s deep voice came from behind her.
Lydia smiled but didn’t turn, feeling him move to her side. “Yeah, a few, actually. But only if you like older music. It’s mostly classic stuff, not much from the last decade.”
“Fine by me.” He too looked over the selections as he took a sip of his drink, moving a drop closer for a better view—of both the song titles and of her. “So tell me which of these appeal to you.”
“You’re asking me what kind of music I like?” she asked, glancing up at him.
“Yeah, I’m curious.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out some bills held together by a simple platinum money clip, and retrieved three singles. He handed them to her. “Go on. This gets you six songs. I want to see what you choose. I’m not going to say a word until you’re done. Then I’ll give them a thumbs up or a thumbs down, rate your choices accordingly. What do you say, are you game?”
Lydia smiled, let out a chuckle. “Yeah, I'm game. Okay.” She put the three dollar bills in, then began to look over the list again.
“But you have to tell me the first song you pick, so I know what cluster of songs I’m listening for,” Sam instructed.
“Oh, now there are rules?” Lydia smirked.
He
Sam nodded. “Fair enough. When you change your mind, let me know.”
“Here we go, folks,” John announced to the group. Except for Lydia, they all leaned in to the bar to pick up their shot glasses.
“I’m the Best Man, allow me to make a toast,” Alec began.
“Like anyone could stop you,” Paige cracked, patting her husband’s arm.
The group laughed.
“Ryan, Melanie, I’ll save the funnier and sappier toast for tomorrow,” Alec said. “But in all seriousness, I’m so happy the two of you found each other, and that you’re going to have a wonderful life together. We all wish you the very best.”
“Hear, hear,” Melanie’s cousin Anne said, raising her shot glass.
“To the bride and groom,” Sam smiled, raising his shot glass as well.
“To the bride and groom,” they all echoed. They raised their glasses in salute, then simultaneously threw back their shots of tequila.
“Ugh,” Ryan’s cousin Jeanette moaned. She shuddered, then looked over at Lydia. “You were smart. I’ve never liked this stuff.”
“Then why’d you do it?” Ryan laughed.
“Because I’m a team player,” Jeanette pronounced. “Team Selby, baby.”
“I’ll drink to that!” Ryan smiled, exchanging a fist bump with her.
Alec turned to the bartender. “John, another shot for me and the groom, please.”
“Oh boy,” Melanie said. “Um, honey? Don’t get too shitfaced tonight. You have a wedding to host tomorrow, you don’t want to be hung over.”
Ryan turned to his fiancée and wrapped his arms around her. He smiled broadly and kissed her hard. “Yes, ma’am. I won’t get too shitfaced.”
“Maybe just a little shitfaced,” Alec said, handing Ryan the second shot.
“You’re a bad influence,” Paige scolded her husband.
“Always have been.” Alec nodded, clinking his filled shot glass to Ryan’s. The men threw back their shots easily.
The old Motown classic “The Way You Do the Things You Do” started blaring from the jukebox.
Alec grabbed his wife’s hand. “Dance with me, darlin’!” He dragged Paige to the open spot of floor towards the front of the lounge and they began to dance. Ryan pulled Melanie with him to follow suit.
Ryan’s cousin, Joseph, and Melanie’s cousin, Mark, moved to the billiard table and began a game of pool. The other three cousins, Jeanette, Anne, and MaryBeth, moved to the couches by the fire to sit and talk. Sam waited at the bar as John fixed him a glass of scotch. Lydia went to the jukebox to check out its song samplings. It was filled with Motown classics, a few Big Band era standards, 60s and 70s classic rock, and a handful of pop tunes from the 80s and 90s. Her eyes scanned the titles.
“Anything good?” Sam’s deep voice came from behind her.
Lydia smiled but didn’t turn, feeling him move to her side. “Yeah, a few, actually. But only if you like older music. It’s mostly classic stuff, not much from the last decade.”
“Fine by me.” He too looked over the selections as he took a sip of his drink, moving a drop closer for a better view—of both the song titles and of her. “So tell me which of these appeal to you.”
“You’re asking me what kind of music I like?” she asked, glancing up at him.
“Yeah, I’m curious.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out some bills held together by a simple platinum money clip, and retrieved three singles. He handed them to her. “Go on. This gets you six songs. I want to see what you choose. I’m not going to say a word until you’re done. Then I’ll give them a thumbs up or a thumbs down, rate your choices accordingly. What do you say, are you game?”
Lydia smiled, let out a chuckle. “Yeah, I'm game. Okay.” She put the three dollar bills in, then began to look over the list again.
“But you have to tell me the first song you pick, so I know what cluster of songs I’m listening for,” Sam instructed.
“Oh, now there are rules?” Lydia smirked.
He
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