Page 1 of Married to the Devil

1

JUNE

SIX YEARS AGO

June Ashworth, 22

Rafe Corvino, 36

The stripper’s late.

That’s not something I ever thought I’d worry about, but Party Bill’s Wild Boys promised to send their best-looking male dancer and I need my best friend’s bachelorette weekend to go off without a hitch.

However, the entertainment isn’t here yet.

And the ladies were promised sexy man meat.

“They’re starting to get feral,” Beth whispers as another champagne bottle cracks open to a loud screaming chorus of dump it down my throat, bitchhhhh. “Seriously, where is that guy?”

“I tried calling but Party Bill isn’t picking up.”

“Big shock there. Who ever thought a guy named Party Bill would be reliable?”

“I did! They’re charging five hundred dollars per hour!”

Beth’s jaw drops. Her round cheeks turn slightly pink. We’ve known each other since college at West Chester and I think she’s the most easily embarrassed person I’ve ever met. “Wait, seriously?! That’s like, extortion. That’s sexy man extortion. Sextortion? It’s wrong!”

“You know how Marnie can be.” We both gaze at our best friend as she laughs loudly and knocks over a glass of wine. It rolls along the carpet and ends up under the couch. I’ll be cleaning that up later, like always. “But she’s been going through a lot lately.”

“Yeah, like being the biggest bridal asshole ever.” Beth bites absently at her knuckle. “This guy’s gotta be really hot if he’s five hundred for an hour, right?”

“God, I hope so.” I flinch at another shriek. “At least Marn’s paying for everything.”

“Yeah, and she’s going to be bankrupt if we don’t get this shitshow under control.” Beth tugs at her hair. “Do you know anyone who can step in last second?”

I snort at the thought. “I’ve dated one guy in the last five years and you remember how that ended.”

Dave. The infamous Dave.

Things had been going well. He was a nice guy I’d met in school and only really started dating after graduation. I thought we were hitting it off and I was happy.

Until one afternoon, he straight up vanished, like he’d never been in my life at all. Moved out of his apartment, changed his number, ignored my emails. It was the most clinical and efficient dumping I’ve ever experienced.

Really messed me up.

I haven’t been able to look at another man since, not seriously anyway.

Beth’s nose wrinkles. “Yeah, okay, good point. I’m not exactly swimming in dick either.”

“Beth! Terrible image!”

She laughs but it gets cut short at another shriek, followed by a squeal, followed by the drunken chanting of ten sorority sisters out for blood and straight tequila shots.

“I’ll handle it,” Beth says quickly, moving to intercept the ladies before they get too sloshed. “I’ll make them weak drinks. Just please, find that dancer!”

I curse to myself as Beth wades into the nightmare of twerking asses and cheering. Marnie’s already glassy-eyed and it’s barely past nine at night.

This is going to be really, really bad.