Free Taking a Chance by KC Ann Wright Page A

afternoon after wine tasting. Maddie had thought George was getting a massage in a different room, but he had snuck back to their room to prepare. He had hired a private chef to cook a luxurious meal for them. Candles had been lit around the entire room. On the patio, George had set the table for romance with a bottle of champagne chilling, flowers and candles.
    When Maddie had finished her massage, the staff had told her George had already gone back to their room. She remembered being upset that he had not waited for her, but when she walked in the door she saw the flowers and candles everywhere. It had taken her breath away and even now when she thought back, it had been the most romantic night of her life.
    Immediately, George had gotten down on one knee. His proposal had been filled with love, poetic even, and Maddie remembered tears. They had taken dessert to the bedroom. She could still recall how thoughtful and tender he had been. That night, she had loved him more than she could ever have imagined loving someone. Unfortunately, things had changed after that night.
    “So, when will you see Todd again?” Molly asked her suddenly and Maddie knew she was trying to distract her.
    “I don’t know. We didn’t talk about it when he stopped by last night.”
    “What do you mean when he stopped last night? I thought you said it was a messenger from work in the lobby,” Molly said, as she started laughing.
    “Right, like I could fool you.” Maddie laughed.
    When they arrived at Maddie’s condo, they took a cooler of ice, a few bottles of Skinny Girl Margaritas and some wine up to the roof. The rest of the girls had arrived, so they were in full force for the weekend. Groups were taking turns playing beanbags, while the girls went down in shifts to get ready.
    Maddie, Molly, Amanda and Rachel were the last group. Everyone else seemed to know what the plan was, but Maddie was still in the dark. Maddie could tell Molly was brimming with excitement. To have kept it a secret that long was a sheer miracle. Molly shared everything with Maddie, and there were so many other girls in the know, she was surprised no one had slipped.
    • • •
    T he girls were eating at Bin 36, a wine bar and restaurant. They ordered platters of cheese and meats as they all decided on a flight of wine to order. Almost everyone ordered a different flight and of course the bride-to-be had the bubbly flight. They laughed as the waiter brought out their flights. There were fourteen girls and since each flight had four wines, they had a table filled with glasses. With a flight of glasses in front of each of them, they toasted to Amanda.
    Amanda’s mother had passed away when she was very young and she did not have any sisters, so Maddie knew how special her girlfriends were to her. Maddie looked around the table and was grateful to have everyone there. She watched Shannon telling a story about her boyfriend and some of his friends and a water skiing accident. As she told the story, her hands started to move faster and the movements got bigger. Maddie laughed to herself because she knew she did the same thing when telling stories, as if she thought her hands were the only way to get the point across.
    Maria and Becky were on the other end of the table and Maria was talking in a much quieter voice. They seemed to be caught up and had forgotten they were at a table full of girls. Becky nodded in agreement as Maria talked, her curls bouncing up and down with each movement. She had her hand over her mouth in disgust or surprise by whatever Maria was telling her.
    Molly was next to Maddie talking about an incident with a model at work. She had tripped in the middle of the photo shoot and Molly was explaining how it had ruined the outfit and the photographer had become irate. She was laughing hard as she continued to tell them about the drama that had followed.
    Maddie closed her eyes for a moment and tried to clear the emotion caught in her head. She loved