“What’s with you tonight?” I ask, trying to deflect this attention from him.
“Nothing. Just glad that you decided to come out with me tonight. I miss my mate.”
“You’ll have me all to yourself once we get back to London.”
He laughs as we make our way through the crowd. Blake and a group of guys, some of whom I recognize, are gathered around a group of tables on one side of the bar.
“Simon. Glad you could join us.” Blake holds out a hand to me.
“Thanks, mate.”
“Who would want to miss celebrating you tonight?” Pierce wraps an arm around his shoulder. This man is comfortable no matter where he goes.
Blake holds his glass up in cheers. “Thanks guys for being here. And hey, soon enough we’ll be celebrating Simon.”
“Made any plans for that?” Pierce elbows me in the side.
“Plans for what?” I sip on my beer.
“Plans for what, he asks?” Pierce laughs. “Have you and Layla set a date yet?”
I shrug a shoulder, trying to stay casual. “We haven’t talked about it.”
“Really?” Blake chimes in. “Gemma had a date within a week.”
“Isn’t your schedule insane though?” I ask him. “You’re directing a TV show.”
“Writing,” he corrects, “and it does make for a crazy schedule. We didn’t want to wait.”
“So why are you waiting? Don’t you want to marry my sister?” Mason gives me a look that might tear down a lesser man.
If he knew the truth, he’d probably kill me.
“Like I said,”—I gulp down the rest of my beer—“we didn’t want to take away from Blake and Gemma’s big day, so we decided to wait.”
“Will you get married here or in London?” Blake asks.
“I need a refill. Can I get anyone anything else?”
I don’t wait for anyone to respond, cutting through the growing crowd to make it to the bar.
“What’s with you tonight?”
Of course Pierce followed me over to the bar.
“Why all the third degree? Is it really necessary?” I flag down the bartender to order another beer.
“Maybe if you weren’t being so dodgy.”
“Can you just let it be?” I’m ready to snap.
“Alright, chill out. Not sure why questions about your fiancée are getting you so riled up. It’s not like you, mate.”
It’s the final straw. “Because it’s not real!” I snap at him.
Pierce’s eyes go wide at my outburst. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Of all the things to make me break, that did it.
