“Sounds great.”
Inside meant moving to the left, where she did her best not to be distracted by the gorgeous living and dining rooms and focus on the people instead.Most of whom were standing around the dining room table where food had been laid out.David rejoined them, sticking close to her side as he introduced her to his boss, Lincoln, and Lincoln’s wife, Ashley.
There was a pretty big age difference between them, but it was clear from the way they looked at each other that the love was real.Audrey was used to seeing some big age gaps with her parents’ set; what she wasn’t used to was thinking that the couple looked completely in love.She was used to more transactional relationships.Which she didn’t judge anyone for, but it wasn’t what she wanted for herself.
It was nice to see that love still existed and not just for David and Cassidy.
Drew, another member of David’s team, and his wife, Naomi, were also clear examples of a couple who were happily married and in love.The moment after Drew shook Audrey’s hand, his arm went immediately around Naomi’s waist again, tucking her close against him, and she leaned into him.Good grief.Audrey was surrounded by happy couples.
Thank goodness for Jensen and his brother, who came out of the kitchen with trays bearing the treats Audrey had made for the party, so she didn’t feel so alone in her singledom.She and her grandma.
After being introduced to Mick, Audrey was given the promised tour by Jensen.The house was truly amazing.The stained glass went through all the upstairs rooms, the bathrooms had clawfoot tubs, and the wallpaper was constantly changing, yet somehow always fitting the space.Whoever had designed the place had a real talent.The decor was overwhelming in the best way possible.
“This is amazing, thank you for showing me around,” she said as they made their way back down the main staircase.She absolutely understood what Cassidy meant about sweeping up and down it in a dramatic robe.Heck, she wanted to run around the whole damn house in one.
“Absolutely.I enjoy showing it off, even though I had nothing to do with it, other than having the good sense to buy it.”Jensen grinned at her, his head cocking to the side as the noise from downstairs increased again.They’d heard several people arriving while he’d been giving the tour.“Sounds like another one has arrived.I think that must be everyone.”
They turned the corner, heading from the second floor down to the first.There was a landing on the staircase before the final set into the foyer, with a bench seat and a massive stained-glass window.It looked like the perfect place to sit and read, and Audrey was wildly jealous.
Not as jealous as she was a moment later when they turned the corner and started down the stairs, and she saw who had just come in.
Mason.
And his arm was around a beautiful woman.
Anincrediblybeautiful woman.One who looked like a model.
A woman who was the opposite of Audrey in every way.
Tall.Not quite as tall as Mason, but only an inch or two shorter.Slim with perky breasts that would probably never sag, even as she aged.Pointed cheekbones that were definitely not from Maybelline.Long silky black hair that flowed over her shoulders and down her back and probably never experienced a moment of frizz.Tanned skin that had probably never turned lobster red under the sun.Her eyelashes looked too long to be real, yet Audrey was willing to bet good money they weren’t fake.
It's not fair.
Of course, Mason wasn’t single.Of course, his girlfriend was a goddess.
And yet, when his gaze lifted and met hers, her heart still skipped a beat.
“Jensen.Audrey.”He hesitated as the woman next to him smiled, which made her even more beautiful, as impossible as that should be.“Audrey, this is my fiancée, Yasmine.Yasmine, this is David’s sister, Audrey.”
Audrey forced an answering smile onto her face even though the inside of her chest suddenly hurt so much, it felt hard to breathe.
“Hi!”She hurried forward, reaching out with her hand to greet Mason’s fiancée, and managed to trip on something because she wasn’t looking where she was going.Instead of a calm, collected handshake and welcome, she face-planted right at the golden couple’s feet.
I hate my life.
ChapterThree
Mason
“Holy shit, Audrey, are you okay?”The words burst out of him as he let go of Yasmine’s waist, both of them immediately bending down to help her up.Was she hurt?Why wasn’t she moving?
“Nope.”Her muffled answer made his blood run cold, but then he relaxed at her next words.“Just leave me here to die, please.”
Yasmine laughed, sliding her hands under one of Audrey’s arms as he did the other.Jensen was already hurrying up, too, a horrified and slightly guilty expression on his face.
“Shit, Audrey, please tell me you’re not hurt,” Jensen said as Mason and Yasmine got her up.Mason tried to ignore the way his palms felt warmer where he touched her and how his pulse started racing as he felt the softness of her skin.
He’d thought the weird reaction to her would have already dissipated, but apparently, it was going to take a little longer.Maybe after he and Yasmine made their announcement and his brain accepted that yes, he really was getting married and committing himself to one person for the rest of his life.This was just an early, unexpected version of cold feet.
