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"Well, I'm tired of the ropes. I want something more
challenging that will be a real career." Her chin lifted. "I'm
going back to college. I filled out the paperwork and emailed
it last night."
His hopes dashed. The closest college was an hour away.
She must mean she'd enrolled down in Ft. Lauderdale or
Miami. "What school?"
"Florida Atlantic."
He wasn't surprised. The school was just north of Ft.
Lauderdale, in Boca Raton. "What made you decide this?" He
also wanted to ask why now? Why had she waited so many
years?
"I need a change. I want more respect, and I want
something with upward mobility and a better pay check."
So she was going to leave again His heart froze and his
throat constricted. All he could mutter was, "Good luck. I
hope you get what you want." Unable to look at her another
moment he turned and left the room.
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65
Always A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
Chapter Four
Because Breanna hadn't come home to plan the
bachelorette party, she'd had to work long distance with two
of Sierra's friends. Like her sister, they worked as children's
birthday party clowns, and like her sister, they seemed
normal enough.
The banquet room they'd rented was large and brightly lit
by chandeliers. Brocade curtains covered several windows.
Three long tables pushed together were covered with white
cloths and piled high with brightly wrapped shower gifts.
At least thirty women milled about the room, sipping
punch and champagne. Some Breanna remembered as her
mother's friends. A few were her sister's high school pals. She
didn't recognize at least half of the faces.
When a giant cake was wheeled out into the center of the
hotel's banquet floor and an almost-nude young stud jumped
out and started gyrating his hips in front of Sierra, Breanna
gasped.
A completely red-faced Jana leaned toward her and yelled,
"Did you plan this?"
"And have your husband kill me? No way!" On one hand,
she was mortified how the women whistled and grabbed for
the buff man. On the other, she couldn't stop staring in
shocked admiration as he proceeded to strip off his loin cloth.
Not many men possessed a better physique and the only one
she knew was a certain sheriff she was having trouble
forgetting.
66
Always A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
Sierra cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled at
Breanna, "I'm going to get you for this!"
Breanna waved her hands, and crossed her heart. Great!
Although she did have a strong mischievous streak, and she
was responsible for many wild parties, she was not at fault for
this one. This made her definition of wild look like a child's
games in comparison. "I didn't do this," she yelled back. She
was going to get Sierra's friends for not letting her in on this
part of the preparations.
"The bride must dance with me," the stud implored,
grasping Sierra's hands and pulling her out to the middle of
the dance floor.
He held onto her hands as he moved in ways Breanna had
seen no man move before.
Sierra's friends whooped and hollered, cheering them on.
"When do we get our turn?"
The score of Space Odyssey 2001 blasted from the
speakers as the lights dimmed. Mist rolled out from the stage.
Everyone hushed, mesmerized as the curtain pulled up,
especially Breanna. Shocked awe was more like it. Back in Ft.
Lauderdale she could relax and get into this, but not here in
Youngwolf's jurisdiction, or with Tim's very pregnant wife in
tow. Silently, she cursed the terrible timing.
A fireman, in full working garb, swaggered onto the stage.
"Take it off!" one of Sierra's friends yelled. "Show your
stuff!"
"I don't believe this," Breanna murmured to Jana. "I didn't
have clue one they were doing this."
67
Always A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
Jana whispered in an aside to Breanna, "Tim's going to kill
me if he finds out."
"And me." She didn't think her friend had been joking
when he'd told her to watch out for his wife. She prayed they
didn't get too wild, and that Troy or Tim didn't get wind of
this.
As the young extremely buff fireman peeled off his uniform
jacket to reveal only a G-string beneath, the women's cheers
got louder.
A silver spaceman with a space helmet sauntered onto the
stage, swiveling his hips. Then another fireman. Three women
scrambled onstage and danced with the men.
"We're in major trouble," Breanna groaned, covering her
eyes. Now that she worked for the local Sheriff's office, did
she have an obligation to stop this? "I've got to break this up
before the situation totally disintegrates. Stay put and keep
low."
"Is that possible?" Jana's expression was a study of morbid
fascination. "My party was a Sunday afternoon social
compared to this."
Afraid this was fast becoming an orgy, Breanna took the
stage stairs two at a time. She reached for the microphone to
announce that the party was over and everyone should get
dressed and go home when another woman snatched it from
her and smashed it on the floor. Startled, her heart pounding
loudly in her ears, she jumped. Before she could get off
stage, another dancer in a policeman's uniform grabbed her.
68
Always A Bridesmaid
by Elaine Hopper
He licked his lips seductively and tried to coax her out of
her clothes and dance with him. When he wouldn't take no for
an answer, she shoved him away.
The man tumbled backwards, crashing into the wedding
gifts piled high on the banquet table, scattering them across
the room.
A tall, burly woman clad in a mini skirt and a lacy bra lifted
a chair and aimed at Breanna's head.
Breanna rolled and ducked so that the chair splintered
against the stage floor.
Rage engorged the inebriated woman's mottled face as she
jumped high and caught the chandelier. She swung on it and
kicked at Breanna's face. The light fixture groaned ominously,
and then crashed to the floor. Glass and mortar shattered
mere inches from the would-be attacker, their shards
reflecting like a thousand diamonds.
An exploding bomb couldn't have been louder. The women
in all manner of undress screamed and pushed out the doors.
The assistant hotel manager barged into the room, and
skidded to a stop in the midst of the destruction, eyes wide
and a hand covering her mouth. "What have you done to my
hotel? We'll sue! We've called the police."
The women and male strippers stampeded through the
door as they haphazardly threw on any clothes they could
find. A woman now wore the spacesuit and the stripper who
had worn it earlier draped a skirt around his hips.
Worried about Jana in her delicate condition, Breanna
sought safety. She wouldn't escape paying for the damages
as she had signed for the room but she hoped to avoid arrest.
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