“That guy? The one who made you cry? I’m guessing he was your boyfriend or something, but whoever he was, he was wrong about you.”
Stepping back toward him, Becca wasn’t sure if she should graciously thank him or if she should be pissed at how he’d been listening.
She opted for pissed—with a hint of embarrassment.
“You were eavesdropping?” she asked incredulously.
He at least had the good sense to look embarrassed too. “It was kind of hard not to. You were standing right there.”
Even though she knew he had a point, it still irked her. “Yeah, well…you shouldn’t have. And you didn’t need to let me know that you did.”
This time he took a step toward her. “Look, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. But I stood here and watched you cry and I knew it was because of what he said and I…I just couldn’t let you leave here believing anything he said.”
“What difference does it make to you?” she snapped. “You don’t even know me! How could you possibly say Danny was wrong?”
“Because I have eyes!” There was a hint of amusement in his tone. “I don’t have to know you to see that you’re a beautiful woman. And I highly doubt Mrs. James would let anyone model in her shows just because she felt an obligation!” He took a steadying breath before continuing. “Look, guys like that, they get off on putting other people down and it just ticks me off. There was no way I could just stand here and let you go home and cry some more because of that jerk. You were going to blow off the show and probably fake being sick or something and that’s not fair. Not to you. And not to Mrs. James.”
“How…how did you know that was what I was doing?”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “Really?”
She sighed and avoided meeting his gaze. “Okay, fine. That’s what I was doing. But can you blame me? I was just dumped by my boyfriend in the middle of a parking lot after being insulted in every possible way! I think I kind of deserve a little time off to lick my wounds.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. But that’s just giving him the power back. It’s letting him win. And believe me, guys like him do not deserve to win.”
Now it was Becca’s turn to chuckle. “You sound as wounded as I am. Did some jerk dump you today too?” He smiled. And Becca almost sighed at the sight of it.
“I’m Max, by the way,” he said, holding out his hand to her.
“Becca.” She put her hand in his and liked how big and firm his hand was. She smiled and gently took her hand back. “I think I’m still gonna bail. I’m not feeling very festive and I’m really not in the mood for any more witnesses to my humiliating night.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Thanks.” She paused. “How do you know Mrs. James?”
“I don’t. I mean I do. Sort of. We just met a couple of days ago.”
Becca looked at him in confusion. “But…just a minute ago you said…”
“I’ve heard a lot about her. And I still firmly believe she wouldn’t have you in her shows, representing her business, if she didn’t want you there.”
“Oh.” With a sigh of resignation, Becca was just about to wish him a goodnight when she heard voices behind her. A quick glance showed her it was too late to run and hide. When she looked back at Max, she saw the knowing grin on his face. “Dammit,” she murmured.
“Don’t look at it as a bad thing. No one’s going to know what happened here unless you want to tell them.”
While she knew he was right, she knew that as soon as everyone was here, they were going to talk about it—because it’s what they always did. She had no secrets from her friends. Never had. And while she hated how Max had witnessed the entire scene with Danny, there wasn’t anything she could do about it. The only upside was that she’d most likely never see him again.
“I should go,” Becca said quietly. “The girls are all pulling up.”
Max nodded. “I hope you have a good night, Becca. Go out there and have fun and don’t let anything that jerk said ruin it for you.”
“Thanks, Max,” she said. “Have a good night, too.”
This time when she turned and walked away, she did make it across the parking lot. Angie was the first to arrive and, as usual, Becca couldn’t help but feel a little inferior to her friend. She was tall and curvy and confident and had a take-no-prisoners attitude toward everything.
Becca only dreamed of being so brave.
“Oh my God,” Angie said as she climbed out of her sporty convertible. “I swear, the traffic gets crazier and crazier all the time. What’s the point of having a convertible that lets the wind blow through your hair when you can’t drive at a speed that creates a damn breeze?” She reached out and hugged Becca. “I almost did donuts in the parking lot just to get out my frustration.”
“That would have been something.”
They were about to walk toward the building when Angie stopped and put her hand on Becca’s arm. “What’s going on? What’s the matter with you?”
Busted.
“What are you talking about?”
Leaning in a little closer, Angie scanned her face. “Something happened. You’ve been crying. Come on, out with it.”
“Dammit, Ange…”
“We could wait for the girls but it might help to vent a little out here first.”
It was a blessing and a curse when people knew you so well, Becca thought. With a shaky breath she went into detail about how things had gone with Danny. When she was done she looked up at Angie—expecting to see some sympathy.
“And you’re surprised by this…why?”
Okay, not sympathy. Becca’s eyes went wide. “What do you mean why? Not only did he refuse to come to the show but he pretty much told me that I wasn’t even attractive enough to be here! I’m surprised he never asked me to put a paper bag over my face while we were having sex!”
Angie chuckled but after seeing the annoyance on Becca’s face, she sobered. “Look, I get why you’re upset—no girl wants to hear her boyfriend tell her she’s not attractive—but Danny’s always been kind of clueless. And an asshole. This isn’t the first time you’ve mentioned it.”
Unfortunately, Angie was right. “I just…” She paused. “I just thought he’d change eventually.”
“You mean grow up,” Angie corrected and then pulled Becca in for a hug. “That’s what we all think. But there are some guys you just can’t change, baby doll. Danny was a jerk from elementary school through high school. Trust me, I’ve known him since the second grade. You’re too good for him and I told you so from the get-go.”
“I know you did and I know I should have listened but…”
“But nothing. You don’t need him and you totally deserve someone better.” Looking around the parking lot, she sighed. “At least he didn’t do it some place public. He’s the type who wouldn’t think twice about spewing that crap in the middle of a crowded room.”
It was on the tip of Becca’s tongue to tell Angie about the lone witness to the whole scene but decided to keep it to herself. “I was hoping to leave before anyone got here,” she said quietly.
“What? Are you kidding me? Why?”
With a massive eye roll, Becca sighed. “Seriously? I just told you what happened and you’re asking me why I want to go and be alone?”
“Don’t be such a drama queen. Being alone is the last thing you need right now. You need to be here for the show and the party afterwards. You know Mrs. James always has the best parties. We’ll go and play dress-up for a few hours and then kick back with some top-notch food and champagne. It will be great. Trust me.”
It was true. Judith James had the Midas touch where her events and business were concerned. Tonight’s event was the sort of thing Becca normally looked forward to. With a little bit of effort, she could probably get into that mindset and forget about the last thirty minutes of her life. Maybe this would be the perfect distraction. And maybe—just maybe—it would be enough of one to keep her from going
after Danny and giving him another chance.
****
There were few things that Hailey James loved more than the weekend.
Wedding fashion shows were one of them.
True, it was her family’s business so technically they were one in the same, but her reason for loving the show—especially lately—was because of this season’s “groom.”
Logan Baxter III.
Sigh.
Being the daughter of the owner and coordinator of the bridal show came with certain perks. And as soon as Hailey had gotten a glimpse of the male models for this wedding season’s shows, she had pretty much called dibs on Logan. He was perfect. Beautiful, almost. With blond hair that was always impeccably cut and styled, an amazing smile and a body that should be illegal. Yup, Hailey wanted to weep with gratitude that he came into her life.
Climbing from her car she spotted Becca and Angie heading into the store. She knew she was on time and could sprint to catch up with them, but she decided to take an extra minute to fix her hair and makeup and maybe—just maybe—see if Logan arrived before she went in. She smiled. Maybe they could walk in together and have a few minutes alone before all of the chaos of the show started.
A loud banging on her window had her lipstick flying out of her hands and small scream coming from her lips. Sighing with annoyance, she reached for the door handle and almost fell out of the car when the door opened from the outside.
“What is the matter with you?” she demanded angrily as she came to her feet. “Are you trying to kill me?”
Unfortunately, she had to look up at him and knew he could probably kill her with his thumb if he wanted to. He was that big. Jack…something. Seriously, she had no idea what his last name was and it was perfectly fine with her. Hailey was beyond annoyed. He had a tendency to do that to her. He was one of the models—normally a groomsman—and yet he always seemed to find a way to do something to get under her skin.
He was the exact opposite of Logan. He was big and…burly wasn’t quite the right word but every time she looked at him, all Hailey could think was…big…and imposing and just not the kind of guy you wanted to run into in a dark alley or something. He had jet black hair that was always messed up—some called it playfully tousled but Hailey often wanted to ask him if he even owned a brush. And then there were the tattoos. Lots and lots of tattoos.
Jack looked down at her and smirked. “Why are you sitting out here doing your makeup, Princess? You have an entire glamour studio inside.”
Hailey rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t doing my makeup,” she snapped defensively. “I was simply checking it while I waited for my friends.”
“Becca and Angie already went in.”
She sighed. “I’m waiting for Ella.”
“You’re waiting for Logan,” he corrected, crossing his arms across his massive chest.
Hailey glared up at him. “Shouldn’t you be getting inside? I know my mother could use a hand moving the chairs and getting set up.” She seriously hoped he would take the bait and leave. There was no way she wanted Jack to see that he was right, that she was waiting for Logan.
“She pays a crew to come in and do that and you know it,” he said with a smile. Then he leaned in, ducking his head a little to bring himself somewhat eye-level to her five-foot-five frame. “I think you’re just trying to get rid of me.”
Turning away from him, Hailey reached back into her car and grabbed her purse, supply bag and keys before she faced him again. With a smug smile of her own, she slammed the car door shut and hit the remote key to lock it.
Jack chuckled and the sound only irritated her more. “Now what?” she snapped.
“You’re just predictable,” he said, smiling. “And cute as hell.”
With a huff, Hailey turned on her heel and walked away—almost stomping across the parking lot. She hated being called cute. She wasn’t cute. She was…stylish. Elegant. Classically beautiful. Everyone said so. He was the only one who would dare to call her cute—and it sounded like an insult.
It took all of five seconds before she heard him come up beside her. “Now what did I do?”
Hailey instantly stopped and she felt a small sense of satisfaction that he actually looked worried. “Look,” she began with more bravado than she actually felt, “I don’t know why it is you seem to keep trying to start up conversations with me or why you feel the need to be so…so…rude.”
“Rude?” he interrupted incredulously. “Nothing I’ve said so far has been rude, Hailey. Trust me. If I wanted to be rude to you, you’d know it.”
“Oh really?” she asked sarcastically.
Jack went back to his original pose as he stared down at her. “What I was, was truthful with you, and apparently it bothers you. What’s the matter, Princess? You don’t appreciate when people call you out on your actions?”
In that instant she wanted to stamp her foot and scream. Why couldn’t he just leave her alone and go away? But rather than give him an answer, she simply stood her ground and continued to glare at him. Silently.
It was like a standoff. Hailey had no idea how long they stood like that—she sort of got sucked into his green eyes and couldn’t look away. It was the first time she’d noticed the color. They were a deep, jade green. If he wasn’t such a jackass, she’d actually appreciate them.
“Why are you having a staring contest in the middle of the parking lot?” Ella asked as she came up beside them. She was all of five foot three and looked like a pixie with her blond hair and blue eyes. Staring at the two of them, she waited for an answer.
“I was trying to go inside but…” Hailey began.
“Your friend is a little annoyed that I caught her sitting out here waiting for pretty-boy Logan.”
“No, I’m annoyed because you won’t just go away!”
“We’re both going inside,” Jack countered. “I don’t see the harm in…”
Ella let out a surprisingly loud whistle and cut them both off. “I think it’s time everyone went to their corners, okay?” She smiled at Hailey and turned to Jack and said, “Please.”
For a moment, Hailey couldn’t believe her eyes—Jack actually smiled at Ella and walked away.
“How…how did you do that?” she asked. “I’ve been trying to get him to go away for several minutes and it just seemed to spur him on to stay and bug me.”
Looping their arms together, Ella began to lead Hailey toward the shop. “Somehow I don’t think you asked as nicely as I did.”
It was hard to argue with the truth. And honestly, she was done talking about Jack. Looking around, she instead asked, “Where’s Dylan? Don’t you guys normally come together?”
Dylan was Ella’s fiancé. They’d basically been dating since the sixth grade. It still boggled Hailey’s mind how someone could only date one person their entire life and then marry them. They’d often talked about some of the things Ella was missing, but she and Dylan were so in love, it bordered on nauseating.
“He’s coming later for the party,” Ella explained. “He had the opportunity to get some overtime hours at work and decided to take advantage of it.”
“Oh. That’s good.”
Ella nodded. “This wedding is really starting to stress us out. The costs keep rising and our parents are doing all they can, but…they keep adding stuff. Dylan and I really only wanted something small and it just keeps growing and growing. It’s taken on a life of its own.”
Hailey chuckled and bumped shoulders with her friend. “They tend to do that. We’ve met enough brides over the years that you should know that. What made you think yours would be any different?” It was said good-naturedly but Ella still frowned. “Hey,” Hailey said softly, stopping them just outside the door to the shop. “What’s going on?”
Tears welled in Ella’s eyes. “I just don’t understand why everyone thinks they get to dictate what our wedding is supposed to be. They all had their weddings already. Why can’t this be about me and Dylan? Why do our parents get t
o tell us how it’s supposed to be?”
“Well, technically they are paying for part of it…”
“Part,” Ella emphasized. “They wouldn’t have to be if they would’ve let us have the wedding we originally wanted!”
“Ella, you and Dylan wanted to get married in a field of wildflowers on a beach at sunset with a harpist accompanying Justin Timberlake. That was never going to happen.”
Ella chuckled as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “That was my tenth-grade wedding dream. You need to keep up.”
“Fine. The last one was narrowed down to the beach at sunset with only a dozen or so people in attendance. It’s a beautiful idea but you eliminated half of your friends and family. Surely there can be a compromise somewhere.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Every time we sit down with our parents to talk about it, someone throws in another couple of names of people they’re adding to the guest list. It’s exhausting.”
“I can imagine. So what are you going to do?”
“What can I do? We’ll have this big circus show of a wedding and maybe for our ten-year anniversary we’ll actually get to do what we wanted.”
“Well that’s just sad, El,” Hailey said. “I think you and Dylan need to put up a united front and confront the parents. Sure they’ll be disappointed, but you have to tell them how important this is to you.”
“Maybe you can do it for me?” Ella asked hopefully.
“Not a chance.”
“Well…crap.”
“Ella Gilmore! Did you just curse at me?” Hailey laughed.
“Technically, no. But if you give me a few minutes, I’m sure I can force myself to.”
Hailey pulled her in close and hugged her. “Nah. I’ll pass. You’re the sweet and innocent one. I’d hate to be accused of being a bad influence on you.”
“Too late,” Ella teased.
Staring at the door to the shop, Hailey sighed. “Are we ready for the craziness that awaits on the other side of that door?”
Ella nodded. “You?”
Jack’s image instantly came to mind, making Hailey frown. She was going to have to talk to her mother about not using him in any more of the shows. Maybe if she told her…
Friday Night Brides Page 2
