I didn’t see Sabrina anywhere, but Sean was waiting outside to greet everyone. There was a local rock band set up on the side of the building doing a sound check. Their amplifiers allowed the sound of the guitars and drums to fill the space.
Everyone started socializing, including the Outlaw Souls members, while Sean passed out the final playing cards to give everyone a full hand. I could see flickers of disappointment as well as satisfied smirks. Some of these people needed to work on their poker faces.
Movement near the door drew my eye, and I saw Sabrina step out with three other volunteers. They were all carrying boxes, and when they reached a long white table set up in front of the building, they started to unload a variety of sweet treats in plastic bags. I recognized Sabrina’s brownies as well as every kind of cookie I could think of and something yellow that I would guess was a lemon bar.
They’d gone all out for this.
The band finished their sound check and started up with an original tune, the hard rock music fitting for the event. I started to weave through the crowd of people, having short interactions with those that I knew, but not lingering to get sucked into long conversation.
I had almost reached the table where all the desserts had been laid out and Sabrina was organizing them, but there were too many people crowded around the sweets, taking everything they could get their hands on.
My eyes were trained on Sabrina, and I felt like there was a tugging in the center of my chest, urging me to go to her. It was something I was becoming familiar with. and I was starting to realize I was helpless against the feeling.
“Damn, they got some hot chicks working this thing,” a thin man I didn’t know said, looking my way. Then, he nodded in Sabrina’s direction. “I’d like to take this one back to my place, show her a good time.”
Anger surged at the thought of this man hitting on Sabrina. I didn’t know him, but I didn’t want him anywhere near her.
She’s mine.
No sooner had that thought crossed my mind than another man, one that I recognized, spoke up from behind us.
“Actually, that woman is taken.”
Hunter Albrecht II. Sabrina’s fiancé. I had stared at their engagement photo long enough to be sure. Besides, he stuck out here like a sore thumb in his business suit.
“You’re fucking her?” the man asked.
“He’s her fiancé,” I replied, and Hunter looked at me with mild surprise.
“You’re a friend of Sabrina’s?” he asked. Then he continued before I could respond, “I’m Hunter.”
He held his hand out to me while the thin man slipped away from us without another word. I thought about refusing to shake his hand, just out of spite. But the guy looked clueless about who I was. That shouldn’t be a surprise. Sabrina wasn’t likely to tell her future hubby about her side piece.
For the first time, that was what I felt like. Looking into this man’s eyes as I shook his hand, I knew that I was her dirty little secret.
“Butch,” I introduced myself.
A group of people in front of us shifted, and when I turned my head, still clasping Hunter’s hand, my eyes latched onto Sabrina watching us with shock and guilt printed across her face. This was going to be awkward.
Sabrina
I could not be seeing this right now. Butch and Hunter. The man I was falling for more and more every day was shaking hands with the man I was destined to marry.
Why was Hunter here? I hadn’t invited him.
Then the door of the soup kitchen opened and my parents came out talking to one of the reporters and I realized...my mom had invited Hunter. Of course she had. It was a chance to get the two of us on camera again.
Damn it, Mom.
I turned my attention back to Hunter and Butch, my eyes widening when I saw the two of them approaching me side by side. I tried to get an idea of what was going on inside of each man’s mind. Hunter looked clueless about who was beside him. There was open friendliness in his expression. But Butch was harder to read. He wasn’t looking directly at Hunter, and there was tension in the lines of his body.
He knew who Hunter was. I was sure of it.
How he felt about it was harder to figure out. His features formed a neutral mask and that caused my anxiety to spike. Was he angry? Hurt?
I should have called him when we made the engagement official. Looking down at the ring on my finger, I regretted my decision to wait to talk to him more than anything. Suddenly, both men were standing in front of me with just the table between us.
“Surprised to see me?” Hunter asked with a grin.
