Speak Now Read Online Free

cheekbones were a fluke. Simon enjoyed describing himself as “omnisexual,” and he lingered as he shook Jack’s hand, asking “Wherever did Charley find you?”
    Jack looked at me. “Well—”
    “Later!” I interrupted, and pushed Brenda in front of Simon. “This is Brenda.” I could have continued by saying “the nicest woman in the world” and I didn’t only because she would just have gotten self-conscious. But she was.
    Brenda and her mother had been the closest thing I’d had to a real family after my parents had died, and there’s still nobody who can touch Mrs. Gee for the pure comfort of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves.
    Brenda hadn’t changed, I saw with relief. She was still slightly plump, her glasses still slid down her nose, she still wore her long straight hair in a clip at the back of her neck, and she still dressed in loose, flowing clothes. She looked wonderful.
    “It’s great to meet you,” Jack said. “Charley’s told me so much about you.” If I hadn’t known better I’d have believed him.
    Then they were off again, firing questions on top of each other, only certain words—“Boyfriend?” “American?” “Staying?”—emerging from the babble.
    “Hey, hey, hey!” I yelled, finally audible after the last shout. “Everybody, just calm down!” I straightened my robe, pulling the belt tighter for added dignity. “Sheesh, you’d think I’d never had a man in my room before!”
    “Well, darling—” Simon began, but stopped when I gave him a look.
    “Everybody,” I announced serenely, “this is Jack.” Before they could start up again, I added the phrase I’d been rehearsing for two days. “Jack is my husband.”
    A moment’s stunned silence and then—pandemonium.
    “Are you serious?”
    “Darling, what can you mean?”
    “Husband? You got married?”
    “You’re not serious.”
    “You got married!”
    “You are serious!”
    “Darling!”
    Jack was great, answering three streams of questions while being pulled and pushed into one set of arms after another. Finally he landed in mine and I held on.
    “Okay, everybody! Everybody!” I tried to bring order to the chaos. “Thank you! Thank you!” One last kiss from a tearful Brenda and they finally calmed down. “And now,” I paused, “go away!”
    I must have sagged a bit because Eileen snapped into action. “Of course you’re exhausted, and of course we should go,” she said, brushing her lips past my cheek. “We’ll have plenty of time to hear all about everything when you’ve had a chance to get some rest.”
    “Um,” Simon looked awkward, and not just because a weep ing Brenda was wiping her glasses on his shirttail. “What about…” he looked heavenward.
    “What about…shit!” Eileen’s hand flew to her mouth. “The party!”
    “What party?” I asked.
    Brenda gulped hugely and stopped crying. “The party!”
    “Hello?” I said, getting a little nervous. “Don’t tell me more people are about to start banging on the door.”
    “Certainly not,” Simon said smoothly. “They’re all upstairs.” He registered my look of incomprehension. “In the bar…” Patiently… “the Top of the Mark?” He pointed up.
    Oh, good God. “Who? How many?”
    Simon shrugged. “Everybody.”
    Eileen assumed command. “Well, never mind. It was a stupid idea. We just thought a little welcome home thing. Of course we didn’t know…” she trailed off and looked at Jack, who was observing the exchange with obvious amusement. “But it doesn’t matter. It was thoughtless of us, and you’re tired, so we’ll just…” A crease appeared between her brows.
    “We’ll just pop upstairs and explain, and…” Simon waved his hands magically. “Everything will be fine.”
    Brenda said “I’m sure everyone will understand.”
    I looked at Jack. He shrugged. “As long as we’re up…”
    I kissed him loudly on the cheek. “You’re wonderful.” Then, to Eileen, “Give us five minutes