“Mark,” I say, in a deliberately neutral voice. “How have you been?”
“I’m great.” He steps in close and briefly gives me a one-arm hug. It’s not intimate but still more physical contact than I’m comfortable with, and I stiffen until he steps back. “Kaylee, this is my girlfriend, Shannon.”
She meets my gaze and steps closer to him. I can’t tell if she’s worried about me or just staking her claim. Either way, I’m not jealous and she has nothing to worry about. I ended my relationship with Mark for good reason, but I still felt guilty because we’d been together for two years and I had feelings for him, even if they didn’t run as deep as they should have. But he lost his mind when I broke up with him. For a man too emotionally stunted to sayI love you, he was quick to anger and spit out cruel comments that stung. He pointed out all of my flaws and given how some of them were on point, he accomplished his goal of hurting me.
Forcing myself off that train of thought, I meet Shannon’s gaze. “It’s nice to meet you,” I say honestly.
She blinks, a flicker of surprise in her gaze. Had she expected me to be catty and mean?
Mark takes her hand, intertwining their fingers and treating me to his smug smile. “Shannon might look familiar to you. She’s a weatherwoman,” he says with pride, as if her accomplishments are his.
“Congratulations,” I say. “But I’m afraid I get my weather forecast from an app on my phone. I’ll have to watch. What channel are you on?”
She tells me the station, and I store it in the back of my mind.
“I understand. Thank goodness enough people like the human touch that comes from a real meteorologist,” Shannon says with pride she earned, followed by a glare at Mark.
My eyebrows pop up as I look at his clueless face. He called her aweatherwoman, suggesting she just points at cloud formations on a television screen and looks pretty. But she’s a physical scientist and I’m impressed. My ex is a moron, something confirmed when he listed my flaws and informed me I’d have problems finding another man, as if I should stay with him for that reason alone. I stuck to my decision and informed him I’d have no trouble replacing him. And that’s probably true, but I don’t date for the sake of not being alone. I need to feel a spark, which hasn’t happened since I dumped Mark.
“I’m impressed,” I tell Shannon. “I promise to check out one of your broadcasts.”
Her lips part in surprise. I have no doubt Mark told her I’d be a bitch. I merely look at her and smile. Though our breakup killed any remaining feelings I had for Mark, he wounded my pride and being here alone while he’s shoving his girlfriend in my face is irritating. I just want to get away as cleanly and quickly as possible. Glancing around, I see my mother is talking to someone else. Aunt Joanne has too many responsibilities to talk to one person all evening.
“And what about you, Kaylee?” Mark asks, redirecting my focus to him again. “Where’s your date?”
I take a deep breath and straighten my spine, determined not to let him bother me. I open my mouth to admit I’m here alone when I feel a warm body and an arm brushing against mine. I glance up to see Tristan beside me with a smile on his face.
He hands me a glass of wine and I notice a glint in his eye that I can’t read.
I accept the drink I didn’t ask for as he loops one arm around my waist, gripping my hip and pulling my body flush against his. Every inch of his sculpted form eases against my side and the temptation to melt into him is strong.
What the hell is he doing?
“Mark, it’s good see you, man,” Tristan says. “And to answer your question, I’m right here.” Until this moment, I forgot they even knew each other. Since Mark is the groom’s best friend and Tristan is also in the wedding, of course they’re either friends or acquaintances.
Mark frowns, his eyes darting back and forth between Tristan and me. “Excuse me?”
“You asked where Kaylee’s date is,” Tristan says, pausing to take a sip of his beer. “I’m right here. Right, honey?”
CHAPTER THREE
Tristan
Five minutes ago,I was at the bar, sipping from a glass of beer with a perfect foamy top and trying to avoid the bartender’s roaming eye and blatant interest. She’d been giving methe looksince I walked up to get my drink, but I’m not interested. As I looked around the room, my gaze zeroed in on Kaylee, watching her ex approach with his new girlfriend.
I don’t know the details of Kaylee and Mark’s breakup, but Rainey indicated it wasn’t pretty. Even from a distance, I noticed her straighten her shoulders, her entire body stiff, the opposite of the relaxed, smiling woman I rode down the elevator with.
Mark’s cocky smirk and Kaylee’s discomfort told me all I needed to know.
She could use some backup.
I ordered a glass of red wine, tossed cash onto the bar without taking the napkin with the bartender’s phone number scrawled across it in blue pen, and strode over to Kaylee. I heard Mark’s question and I didn’t stop to think. I slid in next to her, pulled her lush body against mine, and announced myself as her date.
“You?” Mark asks in disbelief. “You’re kidding, right?”
Kaylee makes a noise that sounds like an indignant scoff. “Don’t be rude, Mark. He told you he’s my date. And he is.” She looks up at me with something like adoration in her sparkling gaze, impressing me. I’ve thrown her a curveball and she’s running with it.
Mark’s eyes narrow and I can’t hold back my grin.
