“Love you too,” he called, but she knew he was already tuned back into Sports Center.
Chelsea drove the short distance to Sangi’s house. She lived in a single story house she’d inherited when her parents passed. It was in a reasonably good part of town filled with families and elderly people who’d never left the neighborhood. Once her mother had died, the traditional forest green shutters and awning against pale bricks had been changed to a colorful array of rainbows. Some people tried to get her to change it, but there was no talking to Sangi once she’d made up her mind. In the driveway, there was a yellow VW Beetle.
Chelsea knocked on the door, but she could already hear music thumping out through the house. She stood on the tips of her toes and knocked more loudly, still nothing. She sighed before she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The smell of incense filled her nose, both pleasant and overwhelming. She caught a glimpse of something colorful flash out of the corner of her eye and headed to the kitchen. Sangi was singing at the top of her lungs and dancing wildly. She wore a multi-colored skirt that brushed across the floor as she moved and a dusty rose tank top. He black hair was in a long pleated braid that rested against her brown skin. Chelsea shook her head, a smile on her lips as she picked up a black remote on the counter and pressed pause.
“…only youuuuuu! Charlie! I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in,” Sangi said.
Chelsea laughed. “No, you were too busy doing whatever…that was.” She was tempted to go down the don’t call me Charlie route, but she knew Sangi. She’d been calling her that since first grade, it was never going to change.
“I made us some drinks! Bourbon treats. Cheers!”
Chelsea clinked her glass against Sangi’s and tossed the shot back quickly. She gagged. Several flavors swirled on her tongue, none of them the least bit pleasant. It was too late to spit the drink out, so she ran to the sink. Cold water filled her mouth before she swished it around a few times and spit the concoction out.
“What the hell was that, Sangi?”
“A bourbon treat. It has peppermint schnapps, ouzo, Jagermeister, Goldschlager and blue curacao, I think. Oh, that’s right you don’t like black licorice.”
“Yes, because the black licorice was the problem and not the million other ingredients of liquor,” she said coughing.
Sangi inspected her empty glass. “I thought it was pretty fucking good. Okay, I’ll make you a martini.”
“A regular martini.”
Once her mouth was no longer screaming at her, they walked into the dining room. Chelsea brushed a pile of clothes onto the floor before she sunk into the worn, brown couch. No matter how much Chelsea begged her to get a new one, she refused. It looked out of place against the vibrant colors filling the house. Still, Chelsea knew it was the last thing her mom had purchased before she passed so she didn’t push her too hard.
“What’s the news on meeting Matthew’s parents? Did you ask him if I could come?”
“He said of course you can.”
Sangi laughed before taking a sip of her drink. “Bullshit. He said no and you either batted your eyelashes or shook your ass so he’d say yes,”
Chelsea swatted at Sangi. “Forget you. I’m going to tell him I changed my mind.”
Sangi shook her head. “No, no, no! I want to go,” she said as she bounced on the couch a little.
Chelsea shook her head. “So mature. Hey, I found something out today.”
“What’s that?”
“Matthew has a brother.”
Sangi’s brown eyes went wide. “A brother. Is he hot? Is he older or younger? What’s he do for a living?”
“I guess. I don’t know. I don’t know. Matthew won’t tell me anything about him. I just found a picture of him online with his dad. It bothers me that he wouldn’t tell me anything about his family. I mean, what if he’s hiding something?”
Sangi shrugged. “Matthew may be an asshole, but I doubt he tortured small animals as a child or anything else horrible. He’s probably just not on great terms with them.”
“He talks to his mother like five times a day.”
“That’s obsessive.”
Chelsea sighed. “Oh, yeah.”
After they’d finished their second drinks, Chelsea went back out to the car and grabbed her wedding binder. She sat the heavy book down on the cluttered coffee table as Sangi began to straighten it up. It was late, already ten, so they couldn’t call anywhere, but they still spent their time pouring over the details of the wedding. Chelsea pointed out the bridesmaids dresses she’d finally decided on. They were soft lilac with white lace flowers designs on the top, lilac tulle on the bottom and tied at the waist with a satiny lilac bow.
“I love them! They’re so pretty.” Sangi fawned over the pictures.
“Yeah and everyone will finally be satisfied,” Chelsea said with a laugh.
Sangi rested a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, just remember this is your wedding. If anyone doesn’t like any part of it, they can fuck off. It’s your day. That goes for Matthew’s parents too,” she said smiling.
Chelsea reached up a hand and squeezed Sangi’s. She could still feel a nervous fluttering in her stomach. More than she wanted to admit, she cared what Matthew’s parents thought. Without saying a word, Sangi picked up Chelsea’s glass and disappeared into the kitchen. Chelsea smiled. There was a reason they were best friends.