“You never told me that you had met them.”
She took another sip of champagne to avoid answering me.
I looked over at James. “Annual New Year’s Eve party?” James had never mentioned that party to me. We always went out to dinner on New Year’s Eve and walked around Central Park before the clock struck twelve. Last year it had started to snow right before midnight and I could still picture the snow falling around us as we shared our first kiss of the new year. It was romantic and perfect. But had we only done it because his parents had told him I couldn’t come to their exclusive party?
“It’s not that big of a thing,” James said.
I looked over at Mason and Bee. “How many people were there last year?”
Mason shrugged. “Not that many. And it’s not even fun. I doubt Bee and I will even go next year. We only go because my parents go.” Bee was busy pouring herself more champagne, still avoiding eye contact with me.
“Did they invite you?” I asked James.
“I haven’t gone since I broke it off with Isabella.”
I just stared at him. That didn’t answer my question.
He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Yes, they invite me every year. But they never extended the invitation to you.”
“See, they’re the worst,” Mason said. “They try to control everything James does. They’re just pissed that he chose you without their approval first. If I was you, I’d skip the party tomorrow night just to spite them. Throw the whole thing in their faces.”
“Mason, you’re not really helping,” Bee said. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Penny. I just didn’t know what to say. The whole situation sucks. I didn’t think telling you I had met them would help anything.”
“It’s okay, I get it.” I hated the way I was feeling right now. “So, they’re perfectly nice?”
“I don’t know,” Bee said. “They were polite to me. I don’t really know them, though. Well, besides for the fact that Mason doesn’t like them and they refuse to meet one of my best friends. I was just trying to make you feel more optimistic. But clearly they’re the worst. Sorry, James,” she quickly added.
James laughed. “You all already know how I feel about this. As far as I’m concerned, you guys are my real family.”
I smiled. That’s what Mason’s parents had said in their letter to me. Our friends in New York had become part of our family. I loved that James had taken that to heart. He wasn’t good at letting people in. But he was opening his heart so much easier recently. When we had first met he seemed so cold. I liked this new warmer side of him.
Mason lifted up his mug. “Here’s to the start of a new chapter in our lives.”
“Didn’t you already start that chapter when you turned 30?” James said and clinked his glass against Mason’s.
“I’m only a few months older than you, asshole. Next month you’ll know how it feels.”
James laughed and took a sip of champagne. “Well, right now, I’m still in my 20s, so I get to tease you for another month, old man.”
Mason sighed.
“Speaking of new chapters in our lives, does that mean the two of you have news?” James and I always joked around with Bee and Mason about getting engaged. They had been dating for almost as long as James and I were engaged.
“Unfortunately, Bee has major commitment issues,” Mason said.
Bee lightly nudged his shoulder. “Yeah right.”
Mason smiled at her. “I’m sure we’ll make it official soon.”
Bee’s cheeks turned even rosier.
“Well, you’re not getting any younger,” James said.
“Ha. Ha. Let’s talk about your bachelor party. We’re running out of time, so we need to decide soon. If you want something more traditional, we could do Vegas. Strippers, sex, cocaine, that empty feeling you get inside when you…”
“Whoa,” Bee said. “Nope. Mason, you’re not planning his bachelor party. There is a zero percent chance that’s happening.”
James laughed. “Really, none of that sounds appealing.”
“What empty feeling are you talking about?” I asked.
“You know… like when you hook up with someone and the next day you wake up realizing how depressed you are that you have nothing real in your life.”
“No, I don’t know about that.”
“You’ve never had meaningless sex?”
“No?”
Mason shrugged. “Girls from Delaware are so tight laced. Well, until you awaken them.”
“Mason!” Bee lightly shoved his arm again.
“He’s not wrong,” James said.
“Both of you are ridiculous.” My face was probably even redder than Bee’s. “And both of you have full lives. So you wouldn’t get an empty feeling. Unless we broke up with you after you cheated on us.”
“Here’s to that,” Bee said. I clinked my glass against the one she had raised.
“Well, I know that,” Mason said. “But James already vetoed my first several ideas.”
“Which were way worse,” James said.
“I really don’t understand the whole bachelor party thing,” Bee said. “It’s your last night as a single guy before you marry the girl you chose to marry. That shouldn’t be a big deal.”
“Exactly,” James said. “Which is why I don’t want one.”
“Fine, we’ll just go with the first idea I had. I already have the place booked anyway,” Mason said.
James laughed. “I don’t think so.”
“It’s not like we have to participate in everything. Obviously.” He gestured to Bee and me.
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Bee asked.
“Yes.” Mason kissed her cheek and put his arm around her shoulders. “Wait, does this mean you don’t want me to have a bachelor party before our wedding?”
“Um… yeah.”
“I need to rethink everything now.”
Bee laughed as Mason pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms tightly around her.
“Never mind, you’re worth it.”
James squeezed my hand and I looked up at him. We had an ongoing bet for when the two of them would get engaged. He had guessed Mason would pop the question sometime this summer. It was looking like he was going to win. He usually did win our bets. But I was always willing to give him the rewards he requested. I shrugged my shoulders and smiled at him.
“How about that tour?” James asked.
“Sounds good. What did this place set you back? I honestly didn’t know apartments could be this big this close to Central Park,” Mason said.
“It was actually two apartments that we had to combine. So we got everything custom done, which was great.”