"No! Jesus, Dad, please no. We're sorting it, I promise. And he did kind of apologize," I half lied.
I just wanted them off my back, which is partially why I didn't tell my parents when it was happening. I could just about imagine them dragging Harrison, Jessica, and the like to Principal Hughes's office for a meeting and demanding that they all apologize to their baby girl. Yeah, I'm sure that would've gone down well with them.
"Well, that's good, I suppose." My mom picked up her own utensils and started to eat. "You two will be spending a lot of time together, so maybe you can get to know him now. Judge the man he is today, not the young, clearly immature boy he was."
"Sure," I quickly agreed, taking a bite out of my toast. I wassogoing to judge him, but I wanted this conversation over with.
"Well then," my dad started, "let's enjoy our meal. Gracie, how's work going?"
"I'm sorry," Teddy interrupted. "But who the hell has a high school reunion after seven years?"
"Right?!"
CHAPTER 4
Isippedmyfirstdrink of the night, sighing in quiet satisfaction as I surveyed the room. The sound system was blaring old-school party tunes, hors d'oeuvres were being circulated by black-and-white uniformed waiters, and the guests were merry and taking full advantage of the open bar. Most importantly, though, Amelia and Liam were happy.
Maybe a little too happy, I thought as my chest gave a rumble of amusement watching Amelia try and twirl her soon-to-be hubby on the dancefloor. She came up to his armpit yet she was actively trying to get him to duck under her short arms.
I didn'thaveto flit around making sure everything was perfect and that Liam's Uncle Max stayed away from the brown liquor. But I was happy to take charge so that Amelia and Liam could relax for the night.
They had decided to throw a small party before the wedding so friends and families could mix and mingle. Since everyone already knew each other, I had a sneaky suspicion that Amelia just wanted to get away with milking her wedding month out. Although, to be fair, Liam's grandparents on his dad's side did move back to Ireland over twenty years ago, so a small handful of international guests were present.
I arrived extra early to supervise the setup and even spent the first hour of the party making dreaded small talk. I tolerated it for my two friends. I also ensured the music would be a mix of tunes that all generations would enjoy and that the buffet dinner served later in the night would be on time and hot.
I would need at least two days of peace and quiet to recover from tonight and once I left Ashburton I would need a vacation from my vacation. It's good that I had tacked on two weeks at the end to unwind before clocking back into work.
"Gracie!" Amelia rushed towards me, engulfing me in a tight hug that almost had me toppling over. "Thank you so much for helping out tonight. Best Maid of Honor ever!"
I laughed as I returned her embrace. Amelia's eyes were glassy, and her face wore a sappy grin. Since the night was still young and I didn't want one of the guests of honor snoring away in the corner, I subtly signaled a mingling waiter to bring over their platter.
Taking four bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers, I passed them on to my swaying friend, who stuffed two in her mouth. I grinned as I took another sip of the bubbly champagne and sighed again in delight. Amelia and Liam did not skimp out on the top-shelf stuff.
"You look so gorgeous, Gracie. I've never seen this dress before; it looks stunning on you!"
I smiled and smoothed down my navy blue lace dress. It was sleeveless, high-necked, and ended just above the knee. My mom had complimented it on being conservative yet sexy. Before I could reply, a deep voice interrupted our conversation.
"I agree, Amelia; she looks absolutely gorgeous."
I froze as Amelia tried and failed to hide a smile. "Oh, Uncle George seems to be stuck in a conversation with Mabel. You know how she likes to badger him. Must go!" And with that, my former best friend scurried away, leaving me with the last person I wanted to talk to.
I had spotted Harrison as soon as he had arrived. He wasn't hard to miss in his tight, fitted navy blue polo shirt and stone-washed pants with a brown belt. His biceps were cut and defined, and his hair was long and styled fashionably.
As soon as he came through the door, he immediately started working the room, flashing that fake dimpled smile and chatting with each group. Young, old, male, female, middle-aged, he left no one out. When he high-fived Liam's six-year-old niece, I promptly swung on my heel to the other side of the room, determinedly ignoring my singing ovaries.
I caught him glancing over at me a few times, his piercing eyes following me as I moved about the room. I, too, was keenly aware of Harrison; even when I couldn't see him, I could sense his presence tracing my movements. I purposely kept busy and avoided his corner of the room wherever possible. I knew it would only be a matter of time before I would be forced to speak with him.
I downed another big gulp of champagne, the bubbly taste turning to ash in my mouth. Great, now he's ruined champagne for me.
"Harrison." My lips curved up at him with what I hoped looked like a genuine smile. "When did you get here?" I knew down to the minute when he arrived, and by the look on his face, he knew it too.
"About an hour ago," he murmured, amusement dancing in his eyes. His gaze moved down me from head to toe. "You look fantastic, Grace. But you always do."
"Really?" I arched a brow. "Even when you called me an ugly nerd who would die alone?" I couldn't resist goading him.
Harrison stared into my icy blue eyes unflinchingly. "Yes," he simply stated.
Well.
