There was a private room in the back for the party, but Reese pulled Sydney aside, into an alcove that held the coat check during colder months.
Reese interlaced their hands and stepped back from Sydney, eyeing her from head to toe. “You look so beautiful. Have I told you that yet?”
The fact that she had Sydney on her arm as her date, as hergirlfriend—for real—was what truly mattered.
Everything else was just background noise that they’d filter through as needed.
Sydney was dressed in a black, form-fitting dress that had little shapes cut out around the sides. Her long, lean muscles were on display, already making Reese a little crazy whenever she caught sight of them.
“You’ve only told me about a dozen times so far.” Sydney counted off on her fingers. “When you saw me try it on at home. While I was getting ready. On the drive. When you had it hiked up around my waist before we left.”
Heat rolled through Reese, remembering how only a few hours ago, she’d pinned Sydney against the bedroom wall and fucked her right there, needing to watch her come in a dress that her girlfriend had no business looking that good in.
They’d come back from the US Open on Monday, and since then, Reese’s desire had been almost uncontrollable.
In the office at the inn. In the car when they’d been taking a drive. In the shower. In the pool again. Against the wall. She couldn’t get enough.
Sydney had unlocked something inside of her, and it took all the resolve she had not to pull her into the empty coatroom and pick things up again.
“And what about you?” Sydney asked, taking her own leisurely journey up Reese’s body until their eyes met. Heat bloomed on Reese’s cheeks with the intensity of Sydney’s stare.
Reese had opted for high-waisted pants and a fitted dress shirt that hugged her frame, much like the first event they’d attended together this summer.
It felt right, as things came full circle.
Tomorrow, the wedding would be over, and she could officially cut Grant out of her life. Her father, too.
Hand in hand, they walked back to the private room, large enough to hold well over a hundred guests.
“I didn’t even think about having to sit with the wedding party,” Reese said, leaning toward Sydney. She loved the visibleshiver that worked through Sydney’s body, her lips brushing softly against the shell of her ear.
“Let’s get a drink before sitting down.” Sydney led her over to the bar, a faint tinge on her cheeks.
Once they each had a drink in hand, they scoured the room to find Reese’s mom. She was over near the center table, likely where they’d all be sitting. With Reese in the wedding party and as the sister of the groom, she doubted that Grant could find a passable reason they should be exiled to one of the far tables.
But wouldn’t it have been nice.
They meandered around the throngs of people. It looked like most of the guests were already there, and Reese didn’t recognize the majority of them. She knew from her mom that the Fitzpatricks had kept their invite side small, opting for close friends and family. Tripp, however, had probably invited everyone who had ever been in his Rolodex.
When they reached her mom, it was Sydney who spoke first. “Sharon, you look incredible,” she said, letting out a low whistle.
It didn’t bother Reese, mostly, but Sydney clocked the look immediately and flashed her a winsome smile.
“She looks gorgeous. It’s just a statement of fact. And she brought you into this world, so I’d like to give credit where credit is due,” Sydney said, wrapping her arm around Reese and pulling her close. Reese melted into her immediately.
Really, her mom did look incredible. She wore a knee-length red dress; her hair—the same color as Reese’s but a little shorter—was perfectly styled and made her look downright youthful.
Reese leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “You do look beautiful, Mom.”
Her mom leaned conspiratorially close, her eyes playful. “It’s amazing how light dropping a couple hundred pounds of dead weight can make you feel.”
“I’ll cheers to that,” Sydney said, lifting her glass to toast.
“Where’s the happy couple?” Reese asked, and now, it was Sydney who shot her a side-eye as she tried to hold back a grimace.
Her mom and Sydney seemed to be on the same wavelength, a similar stare to the one Sydney had given her crossing her mom’s features. “Reese,” her mom chided, though it did nothing to deter her.
She wasn’t going to put Sydney’s private business on blast, nor would she do anything to stop the train of marital woe from barrelling toward the cliff, but this whole wedding was a farce.
