"Grandma, I wanted to introduce you to my date. This is Joelle Delvaux."
Grandma clasps the florist's hands, beaming up at her.
"I figured this was your date, the way you kept ogling her during the ceremony," my grandmother teases, and I feel my cheeks set on fire.
But my fake girlfriend just smiles and squeezes Grandma's hands back.
"I'm so happy to finally meet you," Joelle says.
"She's gorgeous," Grandma says, looking at me before reaching up to fix my boutonniere.
"Yeah. She is," I can't help but respond.
I nervously glance at Joelle and find her blushing beside me.
After the couple'sfirst dance, the bridal party joins them on the dance floor. I'm paired with Alyssa's maid of honor, Kathy, whoI've known ever since Tanner and Alyssa started dating several years ago.
We dance in silence for a minute before she looks up at me with an imploring expression.
"So, did something change? Because I thought your date was supposed to be, like, a fake girlfriend or something," she asks.
"What do you mean? No, nothing changed."
"That doesn't make any sense because it's obvious you're wicked into Joelle," she says, smiling at me knowingly.
"I barely know the woman."
"Well, I've known you for five years, and I've never once seen you look at a woman the way you keep looking at that florist."
My eyes wander over to Joelle, who is sitting at her table chatting with another guest. My stomach flips at the sight of her.
Kathy may be right.
After the dance, I go to check on Grandma Blanche. She grabs my hand and pulls me into the empty seat beside her.
"That Joelle is just wonderful. You didn't tell me she is a florist. She just fixed my corsage by simply talking to it. What on earth?" she says, lifting her wrist corsage and showing it off to me.
"She's very talented with flowers, isn't she, Grandma?"
Suddenly sensing a heated energy beside me, I look up to see Joelle standing next to us.
"You two need to go and dance," Grandma Blanche says.
"Yes, ma'am," I say, giving her a goofy salute.
A minute later, the Righteous Brothers are crooning as I hold Joelle in my arms, swaying to the music and trying not to get too lost in the way her touch makes my body feel. She looks up at me with her hazel eyes, clearing her throat.
"Uh, so, your grandma told me that she can't wait until she sees us kiss," she whispers with an apologetic look in her eyes.
The curvy florist's cheeks are bright pink in the dim light.
My stomach flips at her words, and it takes every ounce of willpower not to kiss her right then and there.
"That would probably bother you, though. Right? I don't want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable," I say, my insides squirming.
Joelle gives me a shy smile and says, "Who would ever say no to kissing a firefighter?"
I can't help but chuckle. I slide my hand under her chin, lifting it toward me as I lean down. Our lips brush together for a quick moment, and then we both open our mouths, our tongues greeting each other. My entire body feels like it was doused in gasoline and set on fire.
