Bridesmaid

"What?" my wife asked me when she saw me looking at her.

"N...nothing," I mumbled.

"Did you put my overnight bag in the car?" she asked.

"Yea," I said, looking down.

"Hon," she said, "what?"

"I just...I don't...why...why can't I go to?"

"Sweetie, it's just for the wedding party," she said, "she's the bride, I think she gets to decide things like this."

"I just...it's her wedding night, why does she want her wedding party to stay?"

She shrugged. "They are not flying out for day, they wanted all of us to hang out with them."

"But...why...why don't you have your own rooms?"

"We're the only people in the wedding party that aren't a couple," she said, "the B&B only has so many rooms, so she just got one per couple. It's fine..."

"It's just...he's kind of...you know...one of those guys."

She laughed. "He's got a reputation, I'll grant you that."

"You're going to spend the whole wedding with him and he's going to assume..."

"Assume what?"

"That...that you're like...his date," I said, finally saying it.

"Hon, I am his date," she said.

"You know what I mean," I said.

"Yea...and you're right, I am his date, that's how a wedding party works."

"You'll be in the same room and you're wearing that lingerie...what if he...you know..."

"Is that what you're worried about? That he'll try to sleep with me?"

"Yea," I blurted out.

She smiled, looked at me. "Isn't that what you fantasize about?"

"What?"

"Isn't that what you fantasize about?"

"What are you talking about?"

"All that stuff on that hard drive you keep in the back of the drawer, isn't that what you fantasize about? Me, with a strong, masculine man?"

"Angela!"

"Tell me I'm wrong," she said, "and I'll beg off."

"What are you talking about?"

"Tell me you don't fantasize about it and I'll make some excuse."

"Angela."

"Tell me," she said.

"Angela," I said again.

"I wore it hoping it turns you on," she said, "the lingerie. I wore it hoping you think about it all night, wondering if he'll get to see me in it."

"Angela."

"Tell me," she said again.

"I..."

"I'll need a ride. Home. Pick me up after brunch, like at 1," she said. "Just come right to the room. I'll make sure he doesn't leave before you get there so you can say thank you."