body as if picturing what it would look like on。 She mouthed; ?Sorry;? smiling weakly。 ?I mean; so
totallylame ;? she said into the phone; wiping her thighs with a ratty brown kitchen towel。
Ruby laughed; and Vanessa could hear her mumbling to
Piotr in the background in some insane language she couldn?t understand。 Probably Martian。
?Don?t worry about that。 The ceremony is a week from Saturday; a picnic kind of thing at
Prospect Park?so it?s totally casual。 Everyone?s bringing some food and wearing their own
clothes anyway。? Vanessa could hear the click of her sister?s lighter and then the sound of her
exhaling as she blew out the first drag。 Ruby never smoked before she met Piotr。Was ?Eurotrash?
a contagious disease?
And is there a vaccine?
?Thank God。? Vanessa held the coffee up to her lips; letting the steam float over her skin。 ?You
really had me worried there for a second。? ?Listen; the bachelorette party is on Thursday。 You?re
kind of supposed to plan it。 I?ve got some ideas though; so don?t worry too much。? Bachelorette
party?Plan it? ?Yeah;? Vanessa managed to mumble while taking another sip of her coffee; which
tasted like ass。 ?I guess。? Was there some unwritten rule that all coffee in the Humphreys?
apartment had to be terrible?
?Of course you?re going to film the whole wedding; too。 And before I forget; listen?can you ask
Dan if he?ll write a poem to read at the reception? You know; something about love; that kind of
thing。 Piotr?s friends are planning some performance art; but we?d like someone to read
something and don?t know any other poets。 It would mean a lot to us。? Vanessa snorted into the
phone。 Straight love poems weren?t exactly Dan?s thing。
?Anyway; listen; I have to run?I have a dress fitting at Kleinfeld first thing in the morning and I
gotta get some sleep。 Oh; and my last gig as a single woman is on Monday at the Galapagos Art
Space?if you?re free; e check it out!? There was a click; and then the dial tone began buzzing
rudely in Vanessa?s ear。 Waking up early for adress fitting? Ruby reallyhad been abducted by
aliens。
?My sister?s getting married;? Vanessa intoned flatly; staring at a postcard of some really old
building in Prague that Jenny had sent。 The building was so pletely covered in pigeon shit it
looked like it was made of wax。
?Are youserious ?? Ruby was the last person Dan ever thought would get married?except for
maybe Vanessa。 Vanessa had told him once that she thought marriage was all about money and
status and that it always had been; all throughout history?in the Middle Ages it was practically a
form of slavery。 Still; Dan had always believed that someday he would get to watch Vanessa walk
moodily down the aisle in a long black dress; carrying a bunch of brilliant white daisies。 He?d
even written a poem about it。 But now he was gay; and gay marriage wasn?t evenlegal in New