“Sure.” I nod. I might as well get right to it. “You seen Matilda anywhere?” I look left and right again in the hopes she’ll appear.
“Aw, you just missed her. She left.”
“She left?” I frown. “Why?”She rode with me. Why wouldn’t she ask me to take her home?
“You heard her speech, right?” I half expect her dad to laugh, but he doesn’t. “She’s not the most social person. This was a lot for her. And for Bobby.”
“She left?” She didn’t say goodbye. Why that bothers me, I can’t say. “I’m flying out tomorrow night.” He doesn’t need to know that so why am I volunteering that information?
“Welp”—Buck pats me on the back—“it was sure nice meeting you, son.” As he turns away, I’m tempted to stop him, but I don’t have to. He looks back. “We really do appreciate your service, Alec.”
“We?”
“Me and Matilda.”
“Right.” She said that the first time we met.
“She does a lot for the veterans.”
“What?” I’m frowning, but it’s only because his statement confuses me. “What do you––”
“Alec?” A pretty blonde woman has sidled up to me, wrapping her arm through mine.
“Yeah?”
“I’m Brandy.” She smiles. Jesus, her teeth are so white they glow in the dim ballroom.
She already knows my name. Am I supposed to expand on something? “Okay.”
“I heard your favorite food was pizza.”
Jesus. I’m going to kill Adrian. He’s made it his mission to send a number of women my way tonight. Each one knows some little tidbit about me that makes them think we’re fucking soulmates or some bullshit.
I search the crowd and spot him near the bar, sipping something short and golden. Eyes back on the beauty, I ask, “And?”
She places her hand over her cleavage. Her nails are red and about three inches long. Something about it rubs me the wrong way. In a voice that is both high-pitched and fake, she giggles before saying, “Pizza ismyfavorite too.”
I glare at her because I’m annoyed. “Who the fuck doesn’t like pizza, Brenda?” Am I right? “You can literally get it any way you want it. Breakfast, lunch, and goddamn dinner.”
Her mouth is in a full-blown pout. In a voice that matches the expression, I swear to you she stomps one of her red-heeled feet before snapping, “I’m Brandy,notBrenda.”
Jesus. That’s the part that upset her?
I pull away from the blonde and stomp over to Adrian, who’s bent over from laughing so hard. “Stop sending those women over. I’m not interested.”
That gets him to stop laughing. He’s shocked. “Why the hell not, man?”
Truth? I’m not sure. Ordinarily, I’m not averse to a one-night stand, especially one that wouldonlybe one night since my plane leaves at six tomorrow night. It doesn’t matter why not. I don’t have to explain myself to anyone. “Just stop sending them over.”
“Fine.” He shrugs. “More for me.”
“You can have ’em.”
* * *
I’ve saidmy goodbyes to my family and the few old friends who attended this morning’s bridal brunch. I’m over all this wedding bullshit, but I’m happy for Anthony. He’s never looked happier than he did last night and even this morning, with him being extremely hung over. Still, if I ever get married, I’ll bypass all this crap and elope somewhere far, far away. Don’t ask me where, just know that it’ll be too far for guests to travel.
I decided on my run this morning, I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to Matilda. She did a lot to help me this last week. It’s the least I can do. Pulling up in front of her house, I grab the little gift I found for her in the hotel gift shop. Sure, it’s probably dumb, but it was an impulse buy. Sue me.
