Shelby rubbed at her temples where I imagined a mariachi band was currently playing their greatest hits. "Sort of. I think Brad had poured himself one drink from it."
"You could have got soused on half this amount," I said, placing the bottle back down. "Now let's go through this again, okay? Where is Brad?"
"I told you. Las Vegas," Shelby said with a loud sigh. "I'm not making this up."
"We don't think you are," Ashley replied, patting her on the shoulder. "We just aren't clear on all of the details."
"And he went there with his assistant Kimberly?" I asked. "For a business trip or specifically to get married?"
Maybe Brad and Kimberly had a little too much to drink and ended up getting married as a joke.
"To get married, I guess," she shrugged. "At that point in the conversation I didn't really give a fuck about the minute details. If you know what I mean."
I did, but they were kind of important now.
"So you talked to him?" Ashlyn prompted. "What did he exactly say?"
Shelby was rubbing her temples again but I had a feeling that this time it was our fault.
"Of course, I talked to him. He came here to get his suitcase after work on Friday. That's when he told me that he'd fallen in love with Kim and they were flying off to get married. He said he was sorry."
"Sorry?" Ashlyn said, wide-eyed. "The little prick is sorry? Well...it's all okay, then. I didn't realize he was sorry."
"If I ever see Brad again in Arborville, even just walking down the sidewalk, I'm going to dick punch him so hard his grandchildren will feel it," I vowed. "Did he say anything else?"
Shelby shrugged. "He said a bunch of things about how we hadn't been truly happy for a long time and it would be a mistake to get married. How she makes him feel young and active again and how they worship each other. Oh, and he said that he always wore a condom so I don't need to go get tested or anything. He said it like he'd done me a big favor. Son of a fucking bitch. I should have smacked him in the head with his cell phone."
Thank heavens for small favors. Shelby could be looking at an STD along with a philandering fiancé.
"That's something...I guess," I replied awkwardly. "Does his family know? Not about the condom thing but about Kimberly."
If you look up the word snooty in the dictionary, you'll see a photo of Brad's family. They were proud of it, too.
"He said he would tell them when he got back. They're going to be livid. They don't think anyone is good enough for him and then to elope? His mother is going to take to her bed and maybe never get out of it."
Holy crap on a cracker, Shelby and Brad had been together forever. Years. I'll admit that I wasn't Brad's biggest fan but they'd seemed happy. If this could happen to Shelby of all people, no one was safe from having the rug pulled out from under them. No one.
Certainly not me.
But this current situation wasn't about me. This was about Shelby and her terrible, no good man who had absconded to Vegas, leaving her with a broken heart.
"Do you know for sure that they got married last night?" Ashlyn asked. "Brad might have come to his senses by now."
Shelby's lips firmed into a thin line. "I wouldn't take him back if he was the last man on earth. Not if he begged me on his hands and knees wearing a dog collar."
That was an image I didn't need.
"But I know that they did get married," Shelby continued. "Because I'm in a Facebook group with a bunch of his friends and they were all talking about it. There were even photos they shared from Brad's account."
"That was insensitive," Ashlyn sniffed disdainfully. "With friends like that, who needs enemies?"
"I think they'd forgotten that I was a member," Shelby explained. "But yeah, it's still a shitty thing to do. They were all happy for him and no one asked about me."
The last part was said with a sob, and I wrapped my arm around her shaking shoulders as she went on a crying jag that she wholeheartedly deserved. I might even give her back the rest of the whiskey bottle. In fact, I might go out and buy her some tequila and limes to go with it. My friend had a damn good reason to drink and feel sorry for herself.
"I wonder what he told them about the end of your relationship," Ashlyn said out loud. "I bet he blamed you. What a pussy."
I shook my head. "Don't call him a pussy. Pussies are strong. Call him a ball sac. Those things can't take a hit for shit."
"He's a ball sac," Ashlyn declared. "A shriveled-up ball sac."
I gave Shelby a little shake. "And you can do a hell of a lot better than a ball sac. Aren't you glad that you found out what a little douchebag he was now instead of after the wedding?"
Shelby buried her head in hands and groaned. "Oh my God, I'm going to have to explain to three hundred people what happened and everyone one of them will feel sorry for me. The old maid left at the altar."
I didn't want to minimize what Shelby was going through but I'd actually had a few couples that were literally left at the altar. This sucked, but if he hadn't shown up at the church while she was in a white gown and veil that would have been much worse.
"It's none of their business why the wedding is cancelled," I said firmly. "I have an electronic guest list and we can send out a small note that simply says that the nuptials are cancelled and any gifts will be returned. If anyone is gauche enough to ask questions, they'll get the answers they deserve."
More groans from Shelby. "The gifts, the flowers, the cake, the band. It will all have to be cancelled."
"I'll take care of it. You don't need to worry about a thing. That's what I'm here for. This isn't my first rodeo. I've got your back."
This was my specialty. Organization. Putting out fires. Dealing with crying brides.
"I want to hate him," Shelby murmured. "But I don't."
"Really?" Ashlyn drawled, rolling her eyes. "I'll give you some of mine because I hate him enough for all three of us. I always knew he was a loser."
With a quick indrawn breath, she smacked her hand over her mouth. She'd said too much. We'd all decided long ago never to tell Shelby that we didn't like Brad. But in the heat of the moment, the truth had come tumbling out.
Shelby's gaze darted back and forth between Ashlyn and me, understanding dawning on her eyes. "You never liked Brad. Why didn't you say something? All this time I thought you liked him."
"Because it was none of our business," I replied crisply. "None at all. If you were happy, then we were happy."
"I'm not happy now," Shelby declared. "So are you happy that you were right?"
"No," Ashlyn said instantly. "We never wanted to be right. Ever. Put that out of your mind."
Shelby fell back against the overstuffed cushions of the couch. "How does Mia feel about Brad?"
We were not going there. "You need to ask Mia, but honestly, does it really matter now? You need to stop thinking about him and put yourself first."
"Put myself first," she repeated. "I don't remember the last time I did that."
"Then it should feel great to do it," I said. "For example, name something that you didn't get to do because of Brad."
"One thing? Fuck, I could name a dozen. Follow me."
Shelby hopped up from the sofa and marched toward the bedroom. Ashlyn and I exchanged a worried look but stood and followed. If it made our friend feel better then we'd listen to her all night long.
Owen
Back at my own place, I took a quick shower and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before padding downstairs in bare feet to grab a beer. I was bummed about my evening with Emmy being interrupted but I was also worried about Shelby. I'd known her for several years - albeit casually - and she wasn't the type to fall off the earth and not return her calls.
I was settling down in bed to watch some television when my phone rang. Dan, of all people. I hadn't expected to hear from him for awhile.
"Hey, man. How are you doing?"
"We're doing better," Dan laughed. "All healthy and back home. Damn, i
t feels good to sleep in my own bed. We flew in late last night. I meant to call you all day today but it got away from me. I wanted to touch base and let you know that we're home."
"I thought you had another week on the island."
"Frankly, after everything that happened we just wanted to come home. Lisa and I discussed it and we've decided to have our second chance honeymoon later in the year. It felt like a different location might have better luck."
"Maybe something the opposite of tropical. You might want to try skiing."
"That's not a bad idea. So now that we're home, we want to get together with you and catch up. How about we schedule a dinner?"
"That sounds like a great idea. Can I bring a date?"
There was a short silence before Dan spoke again.
"Fuck yes, you can bring a date. I didn't realize you were even seeing anyone. That's why you came to the wedding alone."
"Things have changed since then."
For the better. I still couldn't believe that Emmy and I were a couple. Dammit, love hit me over the head without warning.
"So who's the lucky lady? Anyone we know?"
"Emmy," I said, holding my breath. We'd gone public with her friends but not mine. This was the first step. "We sort of hit it off on the island. Spent a lot of time together that weekend."
"Emmy," Dan breathed. "Wow, she's...fantastic. That's great."
His hesitation wasn't lost on me.
"You don't seem sure."
There was some coughing and then Dan cleared his throat. "Shit, Emmy is wonderful. Gorgeous, smart, funny. She's the whole package."
That was half a sentence.
"But," I prompted impatiently. "Spit it out, my friend."
"It's just she seems really career-focused, that's all. Very dedicated."
"I'm career-focused, too. So are you. So is Lisa."
We were beyond all of that. Emmy was in this relationship all the way.
"You're right. Don't fucking listen to me, man. I'm sleep deprived and don't know what I'm talking about. It sounds like you're happy. So let's schedule dinner, okay? We can't wait to see you. And Emmy."
"Let me check with her and see when she's free. I'll text you. And give my love to Lisa, okay? I'm glad she's on the mend."
"You and me both."
We both signed off and I set my phone on the bedside table. Just in case Emmy called. In the meantime, I had about ten thousand emails I needed to read. The work simply never ended. At least I had a woman that understood.
Emmy
We followed Shelby to her bedroom where she stopped at the foot of the bed and pointed to it accusingly.
"We can start with this. I wanted a white comforter but Brad said that it was impractical and it would get too dirty. We'd spend all our time washing it." She threw up her hands and made an impatient sound. "As if Brad was ever going to do a fucking load of laundry. I was the one that was going to wash it if it got dirty so if I was okay with it, why did he throw a fucking fit? Why, I ask you?"
I didn't have an answer but I sort of agreed with Brad. Keeping a white comforter clean sounded like a daily nightmare even in the absence of pets.
Swinging her attention from the comforter, Shelby shook her finger directly at me. "And don't tell me that white isn't practical. I know it's not practical. I just want it. Is that too much to ask? Is it?"
Her voice had gone up precipitously at the end and I immediately shook my head at her query. "No, it's not. If you want that, then you should have it."
But it was going to need washing pretty much every single week.
I didn't have time to dwell on that though as Shelby marched into the ensuite bathroom, Ashlyn and I on her heels.
"And look at this," she said, pointing to the standup shower. "I wanted a big bathtub with jets but instead I have this enormous shower cubicle. We could fit the entire Arborville police force in here and still have room to spare. I don't want to shower with friends, I want to soak in a gigantic tub with jets pointed at the sore spots on my back."
"Honey," Ashlyn said in a gentle tone. "Then why did you agree to the large shower? It's not like you to not get what you want."
That was an understatement.
"Because I thought I was compromising, and that's important in any relationship. A person can't have everything their own way."
The words popped out of my mouth before I could stop them. "That's the most depressing thing I've ever heard."
Ashlyn scowled and Shelby looked at me as if I had two heads.
I shrugged and leaned against the bathroom doorway. "What? Well, it is. Wouldn't it be great if we could have it all just the way we wanted it?"
"It's not realistic," Shelby snapped back at me. "This is why you're single."
"You're probably right."
I didn't want to argue with my friend, not when she was feeling like shit.
"Actually, Emmy has a–" Ashlyn began, but I cut her off.
"That's not important right now. What's important is Shelby getting all this anger and resentment off her chest. She needs to express that."
Shelby nodded, standing taller. "Damn skippy, I need to express it. Follow me. There's more. I swear from this day forward I'm not going to be so easy to get along with. I'm going to fight for what I really want. If I want white cabinets, then I'm fucking going to get white kitchen cabinets, and he can shove his cherry cabinets up his ass. I wonder if Kimberly likes cherry cabinets?"
I preferred a dark wood in the kitchen to cover fingerprints, maybe an espresso stain on the wood. Shelby really liked white furnishings and fixtures, but then she liked to clean. She said it cleared her mind of all the cobwebs. Tequila could do that, too.
Despite the fact that Shelby had said the word cabinets about fifty times in the last two minutes, this wasn't about cabinets at all. This was about Brad being a whiner and getting his own way. He didn't even live here full-time. He had his own condo a few miles away, although he spent four or five nights a week with Shelby.
It appeared that he'd been a busy boy on those other nights with Kimberly. How long had that been going on?
Shelby was a trained relationship psychologist and she'd picked the wrong man. What chance did a regular person have? What chance did I have?
Slim to none, that's what. I was doomed.
Chapter 23
Owen
Friday night, Emmy and I were meeting Dan and Lisa for dinner at the barbecue place downtown. I hadn't seen much of her during the week. Between her work commitments and Shelby's wrecked love life, she was booked up.
We had managed a quick lunch on Tuesday - a shared bag of takeout eaten on Emmy's desk - and a dinner on Wednesday night with her friends. Shelby had dominated that evening, discussing her breakup, her ex, and weighing her options going forward. I encouraged her to do things she would have never done with Brad, and Emmy had agreed enthusiastically. Ashlyn had suggested that Shelby call another one of their friends named Gibson, who was a contractor, and get an estimate for making renovations to her home. From what Shelby had said, she'd made several compromises for Brad when she'd purchased the house. Now she could customize it any way she'd like.
That wasn't much alone time and even though we were having dinner with friends I was hoping that later Emmy and I could spend some quality time together.
No, I don't mean sex.
Okay, I kind of mean sex.
Except that it would be fine if we didn't have sex. I'm not a maniac or anything. I can go without if I need to and trying to persuade an exhausted woman to fuck me didn't sound romantic or fun. I still owed her a back rub, after all.
I just wanted to have some time with Emmy that was just us. Cuddling, talking, whatever. I was in love with her so it only made sense. It's just that this week I hadn't felt close to her at all. She hadn't wanted to talk except about work or Shelby. Even when I hugged or kissed her, she hadn't melted into my arms. She'd been...distant. I didn't want to push, though. She, Shelby, and Ashlyn we
re as close as sisters and if one was hurting that meant they all were.
I simply wanted to let her know that I was here for her. With Shelby demanding every bit of Emmy's time and attention I didn't want to be the guy that was demanding shit, too.
Dan and Lisa arrived at the restaurant before us so they already had a table and were waving at us when we walked in. Emmy's face lit up with a smile when she saw how healthy that Lisa looked.
"She bounced back fast," Emmy said. "She's a marvel of modern medicine."
Placing my arm around her waist, I pulled her close to my side. She always smelled amazing and tonight was no exception - the delicate scent of vanilla with a hint of floral that made my heart beat faster. "She's a newlywed and in love."
"The magic of love?"
The way Emmy said it didn't sound positive.
"Yes, but then you know my opinion about that."
I'd been pretty damn vocal back in the Caribbean. Emmy wasn't completely on board but I'd hoped that recent events might have softened her stance.
Like falling in love.
She hadn't said it out loud but I swear I could see it in her eyes when we made love. It was only then that she seemed to lower that emotional fortress she'd built and simply let herself be.
Dinner with Dan and Lisa was fun and we all laughed at their story about traveling back to Illinois. They'd had a hell of a time, first a delay due to a mechanical malfunction and then being rerouted to Dallas because of weather. They'd been happy and grateful to arrive home in one piece.
"The night is young," I said after we took care of the check and headed out into the cool night air. Not cold anymore, but still chilly. "There's a karaoke bar just around the corner. Who's game?"
Dan's face instantly lit up as I knew it would. Lisa rolled her eyes at her husband but was smiling, so she was in as well. Emmy? She was wearing a dubious expression and describing it that way was being kind.
She actually looked scared as hell.
"You don't like karaoke? It really is fun." Lisa elbowed me in the ribs. "This guy is crazy for it."
Touch Him (ManTrap Book 3) Page 16
