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My cheeks heat and my heart flutters as I think back over the years to all of the beautiful spoons paired with romantic notes. But why would he be the one sending them? All these years …
“Our parents are going to be pissed at you for denying my proposal, by the way. They set this whole thing up.” He rolls his eyes.
“And you went along with it?” I manage to choke out, despite my thoughts still swirling about Brooks. “Why don’t you propose to Trudy instead? You remember her? Your date. Just relight the candles and I’ll send her on up.”
He smirks. “Trudy isn’t marriage material. And my parents offered her a thousand dollars this morning if she’d take the first flight back to Kansas. She was on a plane an hour later.”
I snort. “Classy.” Glancing at the grandfather clock next to my parents’ bed, I move toward the door again. “We really need to go. The wedding is about to start.”
Chapter 26
Brooks
Sitting in my designated seat in the living room-turned-wedding ceremony, I can’t stop craning my head and looking over my shoulder. Molly said she’d meet me at our room before the wedding so we could walk down together, but she never showed.
I’m assuming she just got busy helping her sister or something, but I can’t stop worrying that it was something more. I waited for her until the last possible second before I headed downstairs on my own.
The tiny orchestra assembled at the side of the large living area begins to play elegant music, and Preston appears at the foot of the grand staircase along with his parents and the Vanderbilts. He ushers both sets of parents to their seats in the front rows before taking his place next to the officiant. He has a huge grin on his face, as every groom should.
The music changes and the bridesmaids and groomsmen appear, first Charles and one of the blondes, then Kenneth and the other blonde. Lastly, Molly and Todd come into view. I peruse her slowly from top to bottom. I’m her fake boyfriend after all; what boyfriend wouldn’t appreciate his girl in that dress?
Her dark hair is piled up on top of her head in a twisty updo, and her bangs are pinned to the side with a sparkly pin. The red, silky dress drapes over her body to perfection, like it was poured onto her. It takes everything inside of me not to gape and drool. I’ve seen Molly dressed up, and dressed down. But that dress was made for her. It fits her hot little body perfectly.
How could her mother not see how gorgeous she is?
As Molly draws nearer to me, her eyes meet mine. I wink at her playfully, but her expression stays serious. She looks as if she’s seen a ghost, which makes me even more worried about what kept her from meeting me earlier. Todd is stiff next to her and looks grouchy. Like the other bridesmaids and groomsmen, their arms are linked together as they walk. But they look really awkward, like they’re trying to touch each other as little as possible.
Fine by me.
When they pass by me, I get a view of the back of the dress. I nearly fall to my knees, my legs feeling suddenly weak. I didn’t think it could get any better until I saw the back. She really does have an excellent butt. I wasn't making that up. I’ll have to remind her later.
The music changes again, this time louder and more serious. Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt stand and everyone else follows suit. Mildred makes an appearance at the top of the steps, and glides down them slowly, obviously soaking up the attention of her grand entrance.
While everyone is staring awestruck at the bride. I turn and gaze at Molly again. She looks back at me, her eyes looking teary like she might cry at any second. I give her a reassuring smile, but her serious expression doesn’t change. The way she’s looking at me makes me feel vulnerable, stripped down, naked. Like she’s looking straight through me. Through the jokes, and the playboy facade.
Like she’s really seeing me for the first time.
Mildred finishes her bridal entrance, and Molly’s attention turns toward her sister.
For the rest of the ceremony, all I can do is wonder why Molly was looking at me like that, and why she’s never looked at me that way before.
After the vows are said and Mildred is wifed-up, we’re ushered out row by row. It doesn’t take long since there are probably around seventy-five guests, if I had to guess. We’re herded into the large dining room, which is now lined with standing tables for a cocktail and hors d'oeuvres hour. With the large table removed, the room actually feels quite large.
I make polite small talk while I wait for the wedding party to get done taking photos. I’ve been a wedding date too many times to count. And I’ve always thought I was a fantastic wedding date … but I’ve never been the date of someone in the wedding. And let me tell you, it’s a lonely date indeed. The date of the maid-of-honor.
I sigh and take a drink of my hot-pink cocktail that they’re calling The Mildred. It’s a little sweet for me; I should’ve gotten The Preston instead.
Just as the cocktail hour is almost up, Molly walks, no, floats, into the dining room. Every man in the room looks up from his drink as she walks across the room toward me, but she doesn’t notice.
“Brooks, I’m so sorry I didn’t meet you before the wedding,” she says, sounding slightly out of breath.
I take a step closer to her, unable to help myself. The red dress calls to me like a bull being confronted by a matador. “That’s all right.” I smile. “Is everything okay?”
She hesitates, her eyes meeting mine and not wavering. The same look she gave me during the wedding. “It’s been an informative day.”
I quirk a brow, but she doesn’t offer any more details. Instead, she takes the cocktail glass out of my hand and drains the rest of my drink in one big gulp.
Her shoulders seem to relax a bit. “You look really good,” she says, finally smiling a little as she peruses my black trousers, velvet loafers, matching velvet vest, and red and black plaid bow tie.
