"The beefcake best man?" Good old Dad, always taking a bad situation and making it gross.
"No. He's a groomsman." She grabbed his arm and tugged him back to the rows of folding chairs still arranged on the beach. With a wink over her shoulder, she shooed me toward the hotel with her other arm.
When I got to the main lobby, I found Becca and Bruce arguing with their photographer. After some soothing pheromones and swift negotiation, they were back to their agreed arrangement. The photographer would take the indoor pictures while we waited for the caterers to set up. After the meal, they would go back to the beach for sunset pictures with the wedding party, which Becca so desperately wanted.
Crisis averted, I returned my attention to ogling Mika, and he continued to ignore me. Frustrating.
It was Becca's day though, so I concentrated more on making sure she was okay. I pulled her aside in the hallway once the photographers finished with pictures. "Do you need anything?" I asked. "Is there anything I can get you?"
"Oh no," she said. "Well, maybe a water."
I took a step toward the ballroom, but she tapped me on the shoulder and leaned in to whisper, "Bruce wants to talk to me, even before we eat."
I tried not to match her look of alarm. "Take a deep breath with me." I breathed in, and she followed my lead.
When we had both exhaled, she nodded and began again. "He wants me to sit down with his family in a conference room. He booked it privately. That's weird right?"
I agreed, but, "It's gonna be okay, I promise." That seemed a little premature, since I didn't know what he wanted to discuss. She opened her mouth to argue, so I blurted, "Do you know what it's about?"
"Why are you so calm?" she asked. "Did he say something to you?"
"I know nothing," I cradled her beautifully manicured fingers in mine. "Do you love him?"
"With my entire heart and against my better judgment," she said.
"There's nothing they can tell you in this meeting that will change that." Well. Only one thing would send Becca running for the hills, wedding dress and all. "He wouldn't admit to cheating in front of his family, right?"
She swatted my arm. "How dare you!" For a moment, I thought she was serious, but then her grimace curved up into a smile and she shook her head, laughing.
"Hey, I'm your bestie. Always gotta be looking out for you."
"You can get that water now, then." She shoved me toward the doorway. "Love you, Bestie!"
She'd splurged on the fancy water in glass bottles. I pulled one from the cooler beneath the gift table and wiped it on the hotel towel I'd set beside it for just this occasion, so I wouldn't wipe it on my pretty pink shirt.
When I returned to the hallway, Bruce stood beside Becca, gazing down at her with all the love and affection he'd built over the last fifteen years they'd known each other. One day, I hoped someone looked at me like that.
I glanced at the alpha standing beside him. My breath lodged in my throat when Mika's gaze caught on mine. Not someone, I amended. I wanted Mika to look at me like that someday, though he already took my breath away. If he looked at me the way Bruce looked at Becca, I might forget to breathe completely.
"Water," I croaked, my throat suddenly dry.
"Thanks." Becca didn't even look at me. With a feat of dexterity, I tucked the bottle into her flailing hand. It was a miracle she didn't drop it.
I realized too late that I'd forgotten an important task. Glass bottles had metal caps, ones that needed to be removed. Shebrought the bottle up to her mouth, and I grimaced at imagined dental bills.
With a quick twist of his wrist, Mika reached in, removed the cap, and pulled away mere inches before Becca would have kissed his knuckles instead of taking a drink.
"My family's waiting," Bruce said once she'd gulped down half the bottle in one go. "We shouldn't be long. Tell the caterers to start serving folks without us."
I nodded, and Mika waved at their backs.
"What's that about?" I asked.
"Family secret. I'll let Becca tell you."
I heaved a sigh and pretzeled my arms over my chest. "Let me guess. You already know."
He grinned. "Perks of growing up next door."
