Page 108 of Hard to Get

“I can go find him,” I offer.

The others all nod, so I head back into the ballroom and skirt around the perimeter looking for him. He’s not at our table, not at the bar, not on the dance floor. I even make a quick trip into the men’s room, but he’s not there either.

Fuck. This is going to go over like a skydiving walrus. I shove a hand into my hair as I return to the lobby. I meet Stella’s eyes and give my head a tiny jerk.

Her eyes widen. Then close.

“I can’t find Jason,” I tell the others.

They all stare at me.

I shrug. “Unless he went out for a smoke…?”

“He doesn’t smoke,” Cheryl says. Her mouth sinks into a sad curve. “Did he… leave?”

We’re thinking the same thing: we wouldn’t blame him if he did.

The vibe around us is painfully miserable. Cheryl’s woebegone expression makes me more sympathetic to her.

Stella links her arm with her mom’s. “Let’s go to the ladies’ room for a few minutes.”

She leads Cheryl away.

I look at Harrison and Meredith, who I barely know. “It’s not a wedding without family drama.”

“You’re not wrong.” Harrison sets a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s get a drink.”

I give Meredith a sympathetic smile and she smiles back. She’s okay.

Cheryl doesn’t want to stay after Jason’s disappearance, so we put her in an Uber.

“Would you like us to come with you?” I ask Cheryl.

She gazes at me a moment, then smiles and shakes her head. “You’re a nice young man. No. You stay and have fun.”

Stella and I are both unsettled by what’s just happened but after a little more champagne and more dancing, we start to relax and enjoy ourselves. I even get to impress Stella with my Wobble.

When we’re finally back at Stella’s place, we’re both a little toasted and a lot tired. After saying hi to our ecstatic dogs, Stella kicks off her heels and says, “Aaaaah.”

“Those must be torture for your feet.”

“They are. But they’re pretty.”

“Hot as hell,” I agree. I hover near the door.

“Come in.” Stella flops onto the couch, the sheer layers of her skirt spreading around her. She yawns. “I’m beat.”

“Yeah.” I sit next to her, moving her dress out of the way.

“Did you have fun?”

“I did. Other than that small drama. Didn’t know a soul except you but I got to dance with you.”

She smiles. “Do you want to stay here tonight?”

“Yes.” Fuck, yes.

She nods, eyes going hazy. “Let’s go to bed, then.”