Just Friends With Benefits (41 page)

Ryan raised his eyebrows.

“Just kidding! You’re way cuter—no contest,” I said.

A few minutes later, Eric announced he wanted to make a toast. “I’ll just be a few minutes, folks,” he said. Directing his attention to Paul, he added, “And I promise to bring out the karaoke machine when I’m done.”

After everyone gathered around, Eric continued. “I want to thank everyone for being here at our unisex baby shower. It wouldn’t be a celebration without your drunk, I mean, smiling faces. I’d like to start out by expressing my love for my beautiful wife, Jess. Come here, honey.” Eric paused until Jess made her way through the crowd to his side. He took her hand and resumed speaking. “The first time I saw you, when I was bartending and you ordered a slow gin fizz, I decided you were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen and I vowed to make you my wife.”

Wiping away tears, Jess laughed and said, “Really now?”

Eric chuckled and said, “Okay, so maybe I wasn’t thinking that far ahead, but it wasn’t long before I was convinced you were the one. And standing here today, carrying our child, you’ve never been more beautiful to me.” After he bent down to kiss her, he turned his attention to the crowd. “Both Jess and I are well aware that the blessed arrival of our son Aidan wouldn’t be nearly as blessed without our friends and family. I’m the luckiest man in the world to have Jess as my wife and the mother of my child but even luckier to have such amazing friends to share in our happiness. Anyone who says you can’t have it all doesn’t know shit! So, please raise your glasses. To having it all!”

We all repeated, “To having it all” and took a sip of our drinks.

After Eric finished his toast, I glanced around the room. Among the friends and relatives of Jess and Eric, I observed the smiling faces of the people who made up my world: Paul, my first boyfriend who was now like a brother to me—sibling rivalry and all; Hope, the little sister I never had who managed to make love out of a drunken hook-up with Paul; Corky, who initially frightened me but later proved to be about as scary as a newborn puppy; Jess, the only woman I could ever deem worthy of Eric; Eric, my best friend, voice of reason, hero and father figure rolled into one; even Hille—the guy I thought was the man of my dreams but wasn’t. And finally Ryan, the real man of my dreams—my adorable boyfriend Ryan who
I was convinced was created by God just for me. Ryan, who had immediately taken to my friends just like I knew he would. Ryan, who was currently looking at me like he couldn’t wait to go home and do The Hustle, our new code word for getting it on.

Eric was right. It
was
possible to have it all.

Meredith Schorr lives in New York City and works as a trademark paralegal at a prestigious law firm.  In addition to writing, her passions include running, spending time with friends and family and rooting for the New York Yankees.  Meredith is a member of Romance Writers of America and Chick Lit Writers of The World

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