Stan’s large hands, which had so gently cradled the microphone only minutes ago, were now balled into dangerous fists that looked like they could smash rocks.
And Grant was… well, it was hard to describe what he looked like except that he looked like he was about to shit his pants. He pulled at his tie like it was choking him.
Brynn looked like she was having the time of her life, having pulled out a handheld laser pointer from somewhere, flashing the parts of the screen where she wanted guests to focus.
On the next slide, various bar charts broke down Grant’s success with women on the app.
“I wanted to keep it simple, so I only used a sample size from this year, though he’s had a profile since the age of twenty-two. Our boy was busy,” Brynn added with an airy laugh before continuing on to say, “Within this year, he’s matched with sixty-five women. Messaged forty-three of them. Gone on dates with a lucky dozen and, for the big reveal, and what we’ve all been waiting for…”
Brynn paused for effect, and it worked.
The whole room was absolutely silent until Reese’s dad stood up and bellowed, “You stop this right now. I will not have you embarrassing my family at a party that we paid, for no less.”
Of course. Because those would be Tripp Devereux’s two biggest problems with what was playing out before them.
Not that Grant was an absolute coward of a human being or a serial philanderer, but that Brynn had had the audacity to bring it into the light.
Reese was positively gleeful, and as she chanced a glance at Sydney, she found they wore the same expression, shock mingled with awe at what Brynn was doing.
It was poetic, how Brynn turned toward Tripp and lifted the microphone back to her lips. “I’d like to be clear to all the guests here—and especially to the rest of the Devereux family—that I’m only embarrassing Grant. And you.”
Tripp took a menacing step toward Brynn, and Stan moved far more deftly than she’d expected a man of his size could. He looked her dad dead in the eye. “Sit down, Tripp. You will let her speak, and you will not say another word about it.”
“I’m not staying to listen to this,” her father said with the strength of a newborn baby in the face of Stan’s ire, and Reese thought she heard his voice crack. She didn’t have much time to question it because, within seconds, he’d fled out the door and into another part of the restaurant.
“I thought this part might be a showstopper,” Brynn said, glee radiating from her tone. “So anyway.” She flashed the last slide onto the screen, which was blank. Slowly, she walked over to where Grant still sat, and she placed her hand on his shoulder. “The big reveal isn’t how many women Grant’s slept with this year because all you need to know is that it’s more than one. But the great news, ladies, is that he’s back on the market, and what a catch he is.”
That was apparently Grant’s last straw, as he stood up quickly and followed the escape route his father had also taken.
“With my presentation concluded, I anticipate there won’t be any other speeches tonight, but the bar is open and the main course will be coming soon. I’d encourage everyone to stick around and have some fun on Tripp Devereux’s dime, and if it wasn’t clear already, there’s no need to show up for the wedding tomorrow.”
And with that, Brynn literally dropped her microphone on the ground and sat back down at the table.
“Holy shit,” Reese said, unable to keep the words inside any longer. She’d gone through every emotion possible in the last seven minutes, and she now felt both wrung out and exhilarated, wondering what would happen next.
“I cannot believe you just did that,” Sydney said from beside her, both of them clearly still processing what had just played out.
Brynn shrugged. “He shouldn’t have lied to me. All I did was tell the truth.”
“Understatement of the century.” And when they locked stares across the table, for the first time, Reese was desperately curious to know what her almost sister-in-law would do next.
Sydney walked a half step ahead and pulled Reese along, Sydney slightly tipsy as she galavanted down the sidewalk. They’d decided to take a walk around the city, the early fall evening a little balmy but still refreshing.
“I cannot believe it,” Sydney repeated, astonished.
Reese, too, was struggling to accept that the events of only a few hours ago were real. “Brynn went scorched earth.”
Suddenly, Sydney stopped, her eyes going wide as she was clearly realizing something. “Didn’t I tell you! Didn’t I tell you that it was the quiet ones that you have to worry about!” And then, she did the most adorable little dance that made Reese want to throw out her arms and steady Sydney, given that she was wearing heels on cobblestone.
But her girlfriend was completely unaware, and Reese took a moment to enjoy the view. The way Sydney smiled, light and free and like she didn’t have a care in the world.
Reese walked faster to match Sydney’s stride, and they fell into step together.
They’d wandered over to a more residential neighborhood, beautiful brownstones stacked next to one another, but Reese missed the smell of the ocean, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. It was hard to believe that she’d spent most of her adult life living in cities. Now, she felt more at home than anywhere else when she walked out onto the ground-floor patio of Sydney’s room, starting her morning with the sun rising above the clouds and glittering across the expanse of water.
She sighed deeply, inhaling the warm air.
Sydney looked over at her, a curious look on her face. “A penny for your thoughts?”
