FRIDAY, 9 A.M.
"Look how cute they are!! I can't miss this wedding!!" I'm panicking at JFK, showing Louis from the TSA pictures of my outrageously attractive friends who will walk down the aisle in roughly 36 hours...on the other side of the country. And I've lost my driver's license.
As you may recall, I already had to amend my RSVP from plus-one to minus-one to account for my newly single status. I can't hit this couple with a day-of minus-another-plus, I'm a bridesmaid, Louis! He checks my health care card, credit card, nail salon rewards card, and work ID and by the grace of some god lets me through. I just make my flight. Hooray for Louis.
FRIDAY, 6 P.M.
I meet Owen, the best man the bride wants to set me up with. On vibes alone, it's an immediate no. He strikes me as the type of guy who likes to have sex facing a mirror but only watches himself. Besides, there are plenty of other hot surfer bros in this sea of guests. Which is great because, honestly, being slow-faded by Sean, my last guy with real potential, was so prolongedly painful that I think I've expedited my emotional refractory period. This weekend, I'm in the market for some flirtatious energy.
SATURDAY, 4 P.M.
Standing alongside the other bridesmaids in front of a lush California vineyard, I am bawling listening to my friends Olivia and Sean (yes, yet another Sean) exchange the most incredible vows. Without having coordinated beforehand, they share the same anecdotes and inside jokes. Hearing about the way this muchbetter-than-my-Sean Sean supports, values, and appreciates his partner underlines how many glaring red flags I had somehow ignored in my situation.
As we exit behind the newlyweds, a fellow bridesmaid grimaces, "Oh no, Zara, your arm." In addition to beautiful memories, I will also be taking home the most awkwardly shaped sunburn from my halter-neck dress.
This story is from the Issue 07, 2022 edition of Cosmopolitan US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Issue 07, 2022 edition of Cosmopolitan US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
the venuture
One summer 2009 night, Julia's manager pulled her aside. A silver-haired gentleman's date was being kind of loud and messy-Julia should intervene, be extra nice to him. She got the okay to take the man up to the roof for a quiet smoke. This guy must be a big deal, she thought.
VICTORIA
Monét fans are having a thrilling 2024. Almost perfect, really, thanks to the artist's seven Grammy nominations, including Best R&B Song, Best R&B Album, and Best R&B Performance.
SOUND OF NOW
Thanks to our three cover stars-Kim Petras, Victoria Monét, and Kali Uchis-the future of music looks like something entirely new. More original, more exciting, more f*ck-yesput-this-on-my-playlistright-now. Which is exactly what each of them has been manifesting all along.
You Deserve to Take a Dating Sabbatical
And dare we say...you probably should?
The Chicest Places to Elope Right Now (Sorry, Mom)
An unforgettable vow-filled vacation with your soulmate vs. a lukewarm catered dinner with people you were forced to invite. Yeah, you get it too.
We Need to Talk About the Fentanyl in Your Party Pills
The potentially deadly substance is virtually impossible to see, smell, or taste and it's creeping into drugs you might have once considered \"safe.\"
I Hooked Up With My Friend's Dad on Vacation in Spain
It was an accident. It was also inevitable.
Black-Owned Is for Everyone
A friendly and very important-reminder from beauty editor-at-large Julee Wilson.
Becoming a Surrogate Impacted Every. Single. One.of My Relationships
It looks great on The Kardashians. But the reality can be...messy.
We Need to Talk About Perimenopause
It's a milestone health experience that may come for us all...so why are we so clueless?
