“Jesse, give me a hand with the dishes, would you?” I asked, keeping my tone light.
“Why would I?” He recoiled, his expression one of genuine confusion.
“Because they’re having a laugh,” I said, gesturing toward Kendra and True, “and because I asked nicely.”
I headed for the kitchen with a stack of dirty plates. A few moments later, Jesse wandered in with a single glass and fork.
“Here you go.” He dropped them in the sink with a clatter.
“Go get the rest of the dishes and silverware we’re done with,” I said evenly.
“Why are you so bossy? I’m sure Kendra’s a sure thing with this much wine,” he said with another smirk, making my blood boil. “You don’t need to put on this show of doing the dishes.”
I set the dishes in the sink with deliberate care and turned slowly. Grabbing a handful of his shirt, I pressed him against the cabin wall, my voice low and deadly. “Listen, arsehole. You need to get Kendra’s name out your mouth like that.”
His smirk faltered, his confidence wavering. He clenched his jaw and lifted his chin. “Or what? You’ll punch me?”
I narrowed my eyes, leaning in until he paled.
“You wouldn’t do that. I’m Kendra’s oldest friend.”
“Second oldest,” I reminded him coldly.
“Whatever, man. Why are you being such a bitch? Cooking dinner and cleaning up. Where’s your vagina, man?”
I let him go with a sharp slap to his chest, satisfaction curling in my gut when he winced. “Cooking and cleaning isn’t women’s work. It’s household labor. We both eat. We both clean. If youknew Kendra as well as you say you do, you’d know that about her.”
Jesse rolled his eyes. “Kendra always did that stuff for me. Maybe she doesn’t love you as much as she loves me.”
A cold wave swept down my spine, and my left knee began to itch. It took everything I had not to blink or move. He was right, of course. Kendra didn’t love me as much as she loved Jesse. She didn’t love me, period. This was simply a ruse.
A ruse that was working.
But I wasn’t ready to stand aside and let that man-child get ahold of the sweet Kendra and ruin her.
“You have a skewed viewpoint of love, my friend,” I said, turning my back to him and flipping on the hot water for washing. “It’s not a scorecard. And this kitchen is not big enough for both of us. Get out.”
“Gladly, man. Maybe you need to get some gummies or something. Chill the fuck out.” He tried to shove me in the back as he left, but I could barely feel it.
What did Kendra ever see in that guy?
And how on Earth would I keep it together for an entire week of wedding festivities?
Fuck my life.
Chapter 15
Captain Kendra’s Log: When ruining a wedding, improvisation is key.
Eight o’clock was toofreaking early to be meeting someone at a bakery. Well, for me, it was too early. I’m sure for other people who had real jobs, eight o’clock in the morning was fine as wine.
Ugh. Let’s maybe not think of wine.
I got a little thrill as I turned off Eros Street onto Venus Avenue. I was meeting Jesse at the Early Riser Bakery, which was right next to the bed and breakfast. Jesse said it would be a great place to go over my Best Ma’am duties.Alone. He stressed that last part in his text message, asking me to leave Rowan at home.
My face heated as I thought about the dirty words Rowan whispered in my ear at my home before Jesse and True arrived last night, and I got another thrill as I imagined Rowan doing precisely what he told me he would do.
His words echoed around my brain as I tried to sleep off the copious amounts of wine from the dinner party. I couldn’t even eat breakfast at the table this morning without thinking about the different ways he promised to pleasure me there.
