The Waiter by Bradleigh Collins (bill gates books recommendations .txt) 📕

gather on the dance floor, eliciting predictable groans from Katie and me.

“We’ll be at the bar,” Josh said. The Waiter winked at me as he and the other guys disappeared.

The wedding planner gathered the group of about fifty women and moved us all into position on the dance floor. Of course, she felt the need to put Katie, Dana and me right on the front row.

“Dana,” Katie said, “This is all you. I can just imagine the look of terror on Josh’s face if I ended up with it.”

“Yeah,” I replied. “Katie and I are just going to lean to the side and you reach out grab it.”

Dana laughed. “Oh, I’m sure there are plenty of ladies here that want it.”

Nobody wanted it. In fact, nobody even attempted to grab it when Lucy threw it over her shoulder. Nobody moved. Rather than let it land on the floor, I reached out and grabbed it at the last minute. Then I immediately tossed it like a hot potato to Katie, who had no choice but to catch it. At that moment, the lights in the reception hall dimmed down to one single spotlight. On Josh. Down on one knee. Directly behind Katie.

“Turn around, Katie,” I said. She did.

“Katie,” Josh said, as her eyes welled up with tears. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me in my entire life. I love you more than anything in the world.” Then he popped open the box containing her final Christmas present. “Will you marry me?”

“Oh my god yes!” she answered. The entire reception crowd cheered. Josh slid the two-carat emerald-cut diamond ring on her finger. Then he stood up and kissed her. By this time, Lucy was standing right next to me and Dana. All three of us were crying.

“You guys knew about this?” Katie asked, looking over at us.

“Knew about it?” Lucy replied, wiping tears away. “Hell, we planned it.”

“I told you I helped pick out your Christmas present,” I said.

Katie ran over and hugged us.

The Waiter, Kyle and Simon all swarmed Josh with masculine hi-fives and bro-hugs.

“Does this mean there will be a karaoke-themed wedding?” Kyle asked.

“Yes!” Josh said.

“No!” Katie yelled.

“Congratulations Josh and Katie,” the DJ announced over the loudspeaker. “Now I’m gonna take a break and we’re gonna get the band back up here. Oh, and they told me to tell you they’re taking requests!”

The Waiter immediately made a beeline for the stage.

“How in the world did you guys pull this off?” Katie asked. We sat back down at our table and I took a sip of champagne.

“Remember that time we had brunch at The Heights,” Lucy said, “and I asked what you would say if Josh asked you to marry him?”

“Yes. Oh my god! You guys were planning this way back then?”

“Well, I was pretty sure you’d say yes,” I replied. “But we needed confirmation.”

“If you’d said no, you would have totally fucked up my wedding,” Lucy said.

Katie took Lucy by the hand. “Thank you for sharing your special day with me, Lucy.”

Lucy hugged her. “This just made it even more special.”

“Stop you guys!” I said. “I swear to god I’ll start crying again.”

The band began playing “On the Street Where You Live.” I looked up to see The Waiter walking towards me with the cutest grin on his face.

“They’re playing our song, Red.”

“I thought ‘Super Freak’ was our song.”

“Well, you are a very kinky girl.” He extended his hand. “Come on, dance with me, freak.”

He led me out onto the dance floor and held me close. It was incredibly romantic.

“You look so handsome in this tux.”

“And I can’t keep my hands off of you in that dress.”

“I’m sure Tom Ford would appreciate the stamp of approval.”

“You know what it reminds me of?”

“What?”

“Our first date. You had on that halter top and long skirt. It was so sexy. I kept finding excuses to touch your back.”

“You didn’t need an excuse. Why do you think I wore it?”

I couldn’t believe we had come so far from that day. Our very first date. Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be in his arms on New Year’s Eve, in the middle of Times Square, in a Gucci dress. It all seemed too good to be true. And it scared the hell out of me.

“So your plan went off without a hitch,” he said. “Katie had no idea Josh was going to propose.”

“Nope! Not a clue.”

“What would you have said if it were you?”

“I would have said, ‘Josh, I know we’re cousins from Georgia and people expect this of hillbillies, but no I won’t marry you.’”

“You know what I meant.” I did know what he meant, but I was deflecting because I didn’t want to answer the question.

“You also know I’m not the marrying type,” I replied.

“Well,” he said. “I would marry you. If you were the marrying type.”

“That was a total non-proposal,” I said.

“Followed by a total non-acceptance,” he replied.

I laughed as we continued to dance cheek-to-cheek.

“Tell you what, Red. If you ever change your mind, you just let me know.”

“Deal.”

“Okay, I’m gonna dip you now,” he said.

“I wouldn’t do that unless you want my boobs to pop out of this dress in front of all these people.”

“Right. We’ll save that for later. I’ll swing you instead.”

“Don’t make me puke!” I screamed as he swung me around. “Or pee!”

He laughed and put me down. Then he kissed me.

“Get a room,’” Josh said, as he and Katie joined us on the dance floor.

“We’ve got one,” The Waiter replied.

“Oh, yeah,” Josh said. “So do we! We’ve all got rooms.”

“That’s a good thing,” Katie stated. “Because I’m already drunk.”

“My fiancé’s drunk!” Josh said.

“I’m a fiancé!” Katie yelled. Seeing her and Josh so happy made me all emotional again.

“Oh god,” The Waiter said, handing me his handkerchief. “Here come the tears again.”

“Dammit!” I wiped my eyes. “I can’t be doing this at midnight! They say that whatever you’re doing at midnight on New Year’s Eve is what you’ll be