“You’re married!”
“I’m married!” she squeals, eyes sparkling with happiness. She takes her flute back from Jim and tilts her head back to finish it off.
Following Lainey’s lead, I hold onto Jim’s other side and slip off my heels, throwing them as far as I can and hoping they fall into a pit of quicksand, never to return.
Fuck you, Jimmy Choo.
Feeling a lightness take over, I turn back to Jim and raise a hand in question. “What’s the deal Charlie-boy, are you going to stand there all night or get the girl a drink so she can dance?”
“I hate that nickname,” he murmurs. He may say that he hates it, but each time I use it his reaction is the same—cheeky grin, faint blush on his cheeks, slight shake of his head. He loosens his tie and starts taking a few steps backwards while keeping his gaze locked on me. “Whatever you want, Meg.” I can’t help the way my body immediately reacts to his words. A rush of air starts somewhere low and flies up through my chest and out my shoulders, lifting me up and making me feel full, but in the best way.
Lainey watches our interaction with wide eyes, and once Jim turns around she plasters herself to my side, grabbing my elbow to pull me down to her level. “Um…please tell me what that was? Because that little act of foreplay was hot.”
I roll my eyes at her. “That was just two guests having fun at your wedding.”
“Sure…and my husband isn’t the sexiest man alive.”
Ryan approaches from the side and plants a sweet kiss on her cheek as he hands her another glass of champagne. “What about your sexy husband?”
Lainey leans into his touch. “Just noticing how Jim and Meg seem to be having a good time together tonight.”
“Doesn’t surprise me one bit.”
“Oh?” Lainey prompts.
“...and what the hell does that mean?” I say, at the same time.
Ryan looks down at both of us, his eyes bouncing back and forth, before raising his brows a bit and taking a sip of his cocktail. “Jim’s an awesome guy. He’d be good for Meg.”
I hold up a hand to stop him. “Ah, okay stop right there. I don’t need anyone to begoodfor me.”
“Jim might not know what you've been through,” he says, voice softening, “but he’d never jeopardize what you have, Meg.”
“Maybe. But I’m not looking for a relationship, or anything, really.”
Ryan shrugs. “Neither was I, and now we are standing at my wedding reception.” He pulls Lainey in and kisses her roughly, nipping her bottom lip when she tries to pull away.
“Christ, you two. Get a room.”
“Trust me, I’ve already asked but she’s making us stay.” Ryan playfully slaps Lainey’s hip and she giggles.
Jim comes back and hands me my drink as the band returns to the stage for another set. “So you think you can handle another round?”
“Question is, can you handle all of this?” I ask, using both hands to usher up and down my body as I do my best shoulder roll. I mean it in reference to my lack of dance moves, only heightened by my buzzed state, but the look in his eyes says he’s pondering my body in a different way.
I roll my eyes and grab his hand before he can answer. “Never mind, Charlie-Boy, I don’t want to hear any thought that comes out of your mouth right now.”
Chapter Two
“Before everyone leaves, my beautiful bride and I would just like to say a few words.” Ryan has the microphone in one hand, his opposite arm wrapped around Lainey, tucking her into his side. Her body is turned inward, hand placed on his chest, a knee jutting out from the slit in her stunning strapless A-line dress. Her dark locks flow across her shoulders in loose mermaid waves, the exact definition of casual but elegant. They are your quintessential magazine cover couple. Both gorgeous, dark hair, literally glowing from being in love.
Someone could get pregnant just by looking at the two of them.
“Two years ago, if someone would have come to me and whispered that I would go to some dingy country bar one night and meet the absolute love of my life, I would never have believed it.” He pauses, looking down at Lainey. “Now, if you would have said that I’d meet a beautiful girl who was drunk on tequila, who would make a fool of herself by trying to enter a mechanical bull competition? That would have been more believable.” The crowd chuckles as Lainey lovingly slaps his chest.
“Woohoo, Lasso’s!” Jenna whistles loudly over the crowd.
I smile, remembering that night. Lainey, Jenna, and I were out at one of our favorite bars. He’s right about the tequila and the bad decisions we let Jenna talk us into, with all three of us trying to ride a mechanical bull at the same time. My version is a little fuzzy, hence the tequila, but we never would have thought that the guy she flashed at the bar would have ended up being the newest doctor on our unit. They both tried to fight their feelings, but he eventually won her over and they lived happily ever after. Blah. Blah. Blah.
