by Mia Ford
Chapter 4
Reese
The wedding was absolutely gorgeous, and I couldn’t help but shed a small tear for Caroline. We hadn’t been super close in years, but she was a really sweet girl, and I was happy for her that she had found her happily ever after. I, on the other hand, was seated at a table with the older people, and I had to come up with an excuse as to why I didn’t have a date. After about twenty minutes of polite conversation, I excused myself, meandering over to the edge of the dancefloor where I pretended to take pictures of Caroline and Troy dancing the night away.
There were barely any people there that I knew, and the ones that were familiar were all my father’s friends. The last thing I wanted to do was stand around talking with my parents’ friends just so they could report back to him on how much fun I was not having, and how I had come without a date. My father had married my mother when she was just twenty years old, so in his eyes, at twenty-three, I was way behind the curve. Personally, I thought my age was just fine, and didn’t see any hurry in just grabbing some guy to make my parents happy. They had attempted to set me up a couple of times, but they all ended up being spoiled rich boys with trust funds and huge egos, something that I knew would not interest me in the least.
Just the thought of being stuck with one of those assholes at a wedding made me perfectly happy with being there alone. However, being an already awkward person, it did not make it any better that I was wandering around the banquet hall on my own, trying to not look weird, but still have somewhat of a good time. I thought I had found someone to talk to for a second when one of Troy’s groomsman approached me, but that went south really fast when he hit on me with his horrible whiskey breath and then slurred out the word bitch before stumbling away. They must have been hitting it hard before the wedding because we hadn’t even been there long enough to get wasted yet. Speaking of alcohol, maybe a couple of glasses of wine would loosen me up enough to have a conversation with someone.
“Reese,” Caroline said from over my shoulder.
“Caroline,” I replied with a smile as I turned around. “How are you? You look so freaking amazing.”
“I am exhausted,” she sighed. “And starving. They wouldn’t leave us behind long enough to actually eat the food that I had ordered.”
“I’ve heard that’s how it always is with these kinds of things.” I smiled. “But really, you did an amazing job with all of this. My mom told me that you insisted on working side by side with the planner so it could be absolutely perfect. I saw that you have the lilies you wanted since we were little, gossiping to each other about our future husbands.”
“I did get them!” she said, gushing. “I have planned this day my whole life.”
“Where did you get that gorgeous dress?”
“I had it made,” she said proudly. “I knew exactly what I wanted, I made sure I was exactly the right size, which is probably why I’m so hungry, and I had a seamstress make the whole thing from sketches I did. The sketches are framed on the back table with our pictures. You should check them out when you have a chance.”
“Oh my gosh, I definitely will,” I said, impressed. “You were always really artistic, where I couldn’t even draw a stick figure if I needed to.”
“You look amazing, too,” she said, looking down at the dress I was wearing.
“Thank you. It’s a bit more daring than I’m used to, but I figured why not, right?”
“You know how I feel about that,” she said, smiling at me. “Wear what you want to wear, when you want to wear it. Are you here alone?”
“Yeah,” I said happily, not minding at all that she was asking.
“Well, let me just give you the rundown on the men here,” she said, walking closer and whispering. “Stay away from Charlie, the tall guy that is a groomsman.”
“I think I already had a run in with Charlie.” I laughed. “He’s wasted.”
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” she said, completely embarrassed.
“It’s fine,” I whispered. “I’m pretty sure he left after that, and I haven’t seen him since, so I think the rest of the women are safe.”
“No wonder you are single,” she said, shaking her head. “Men are so weird these days. I’m not going to sit here and say my new husband was some Godsend at first. He was difficult, just like the rest of them, but then he fell in love, and that changed everything for him and me.”
“I know,” I sighed. “I’m so glad that you guys made it. So many of us are living the single life.”
“Hang in there,” she said, smiling. “You will find yours when you are least expecting it.”
“I know.” I smiled back. “I’m not worried in the least. I have plenty of time.”
“Yes, you do, and you deserve someone amazing,” she said, kissing me on the cheek. “Okay, I’m going to find some food before I pass out.”
“Of course.” I laughed. “We don’t need you passing out. We should have lunch when you get back from your honeymoon.”
“Yes, let’s,” she said, hugging me tightly. “Thank you for coming out.”
I watched as she smiled brightly at the other guests and picked up the sides of her gown, walking around like a princess. All of this was beautiful, but I knew it wasn’t my style. I was definitely not the princess in a carriage kind of girl. I had much simpler tastes.
I walked off into the crowd and over to the table at the front with all the pictures. I smiled as I looked down at her sketches, surrounded by adorable candids of her and Troy. They really did love each other. As I stood there, I caught a glimpse of someone walk up beside me, but I didn’t look up, figuring they were more interested in the pictures than me.
“Hi,” a deep voice said.
“Hi,” I replied, looking up and freezing.
Standing in front of me was the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. He had short dark hair and striking, light blue eyes. He stood over six feet tall, and I could see his muscles pressing against his expensive designer suit. He had a five o’clock shadow that normally I would find sloppy, but on him, it was charming, like the guy on the cover of a holiday romance novel. My heart beat quickly in my chest, and I was unsure of what to say.
“I’m Blaine,” he said, sticking out his hand.
“Reese,” I replied, shaking his hand and smiling. “Nice to meet you.”
“It was a beautiful wedding,” he replied, looking down at the pictures.
“Caroline really outdid herself,” I said, chuckling, realizing that may have sounded rude. “I didn’t mean that in a mean way. I meant she has dreamed of this her whole life, and it’s exactly how she imagined it.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know that part,” he said with a big smile. “I was always excluded from the girl parties.”
“Oh.” I laughed nervously. “They weren’t all that fun to begin with, so you didn’t miss anything good.”
“You’ve known her your whole life?”
“Yeah,” I replied, turning to him and grabbing a glass of champagne off the tray of a server passing by. “Our fathers worked together, and we used to keep each other company at the club when they would go golfing. You?”
“Her brother Caleb is my best friend, so I was obligated to come,” he said, flashing another huge, charming smile that made my knees weak.
“Caleb is a nice guy,” I replied, unsure of what to say.
He chuckled. “Yes, he is.”
We continued the conversation. I clutched my glass of champagne and answered him back, thinking about how awkward I knew that I was being. Men like him did not talk to girls like me, not for long anyway. Sure, I took care of myself and had been told many times through my life that I was beautiful, but I couldn’t hold a conversation to save my life. I clammed up in a heartbeat, and from the looks of this guy, he was not your typical everyday Joe. If he was friends with Caleb, that either meant he was a lawyer or he did something pretty important, which made him charming, rich, and able to get any girl he wanted. If he was still single, tha
t meant he was at a wedding trying to pick up a girl, and that girl was most definitely not me. Still, I held my composure and continued my conversation, not wanting to seem rude in the least.
“I’m really happy for the couple, but I’m not a fan of weddings. They are so overblown in my opinion.” He chuckled. “Which probably makes my opinion not very popular.”
“Well, among these women, probably not, but I completely agree with you,” I replied. “When I get married, I just want something simple with my fiancé and my do—”
“There you are, man,” Caleb said, walking over and slapping Blaine on the back. “Come on, we’re doing shots.”
“All right.” He laughed. “I’ll be right over.”
I looked down at the pictures and continued to peruse them, pretending like I wasn’t listening to their conversation. He was definitely another guy like Caleb which was fine for girls like Leena and Caroline, but for me, they weren’t what I was looking for in a serious opportunity. He cleared his throat, and I turned back, smiling.
“You better go before he brings the party to the picture table,” I said, laughing.
“Yeah, he’s a bit strung out right now with work and this wedding,” Blaine explained. “I’m here as his support system.”
“That’s nice of you,” I replied.
“Yeah, well somebody has to keep an eye out for him.” He chuckled. “But anyway, it was really nice talking to you.”
“You too,” I said, perking up at the thought of being done with the awkwardness.
“I’m going to look for you later, maybe steal a dance,” he said as he backed up toward the dancefloor. “Be ready!”
I smiled and laughed, lifting my glass of champagne into the air. When I turned back around and he couldn’t see me, my face sunk and I shook my head, knowing that I had to be the most awkward woman to ever grace his presence. Either way, he was looking for something that I wasn’t, and it would be best if I just left him alone, no matter how drawn I was to his ice blue eyes.
I spent the rest of the reception floating around, talking to Caroline and then resorting to just conversing with the older people that I knew through my father. It was definitely better than staying at home for the night, and it kept me off the radar from Blaine who I would see looking around for me every time a slow song came over the speakers. I knew that if I found my way into his arms, I would melt into a puddle, and that was exactly what I didn’t want to happen.
As the wedding began to mellow out and a lot of the older people decided to call it a night, I took that as my cue to get out of there as well. I wrapped my shawl around my shoulders as I headed out of the building and into the parking lot, trying to remember where I left my car. There were so many people there, it was like parking at a concert.
“Hey,” I heard a familiar voice calling out as I reached my car. I looked up.
Across the parking lot, I could see Blaine waving at me and jogging over to my car. I straightened my dress and unlocked the doors, waiting for him to get to me. He was so handsome in his expensive suit and shiny shoes, and I was having a hard time holding onto my resolve.
“I wanted to see if I could have your number, you know, maybe go out some time,” he said breathlessly.
For a moment, I thought about it. I pictured him and me drifting off together into a happy place, but I stopped it short, remembering what kind of guy he probably was. Slowly, my smile faded away, and I looked down at the door, pulling the handle and opening it up. He stood there staring at me, a confused look on his face.
“Look,” I said, sitting down and grabbing the door. “I’m not the girl you’re looking for. But thank you for taking the time to talk to me. Be safe.”
With that, I closed the door, keeping my eyes glued on the steering wheel as I started the car and pulled out of the space. In the rearview mirror, I could see Blaine still standing there, watching me drive off, his hands shoved in his pockets. Maybe I was making a mistake, but I really didn’t want to take a chance.
Chapter 5
Blaine
Getting up on Sunday morning wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be since I managed to watch what I was drinking. I met up with Caleb for brunch at a restaurant in downtown Philly, and I could tell that he hadn’t practiced the same kind of restraint that I had. His eyes were dark, and his hair was slightly messier than normal.
“You okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” he grumbled, drinking his water. “Drank way too much last night, but goddamn, the hottie I took back to my place was perfect.”
“The one in the black dress?” I asked.
“Yeah, that one,” he said proudly.
“Nice.” I laughed.
“What about you? Did you pick up that redhead that was hitting on you?”
“No,” I sighed. “Sadly, I woke up alone in my bed this morning.”
“What? The handsomest man in the room went home alone? What’s up with that?”
“I don’t know,” I said, looking down at my brunch. “I just wasn’t feeling it, and there was this chick on my mind from earlier.”
“Who?” he asked, scrunching his eyebrows. “I didn’t see you with anyone.”
“I only talked to her for a few minutes,” I replied. “But she was freaking perfect and absolutely adorable. Her name was Reese. She said she was friends with your sister. I guess they used to keep each other company when they were younger. Your father and hers work together.”
“Hmm,” he said, lifting his fork to his lips. “I know who you’re talking about, and I do remember seeing you talking to her for a few minutes.”
“So, tell me about her,” I said with excitement brewing in my belly. “What does she do? Does she have a boyfriend? I know she isn’t married because our conversation led to her saying she didn’t want a big wedding like Caroline’s, though she thought it was beautiful.”
“Honestly, man, I really don’t know much about her,” he said. “Her father owns a financial firm and travels back and forth to New York where one of his branches is. My father does work for them, but other than that, I really never spent any time with the girl. Why didn’t you just get her number?”
“That was the weird part,” I said, replaying it over in my head. “I found her before she left and asked her for it, but she blew me off, saying something about her not being the girl I was looking for.”
“That’s weird,” he said with a mouthful of bacon. “You aren’t really the type to go scaring off women.”
“I know man,” I said, shaking my head.
“So why are you looking for her then?”
“I don’t know,” I said, rubbing my hands over my still-unshaven face. “There was just something about her that I couldn’t turn away from. She was on my mind all night.”
“Whoa, that’s heavy, bro,” Caleb said with surprise. “It’s not like you to keep thinking about a girl like that.”
“I know, I just—”
“Hey, guys,” Caroline said as she pulled out a chair and plopped down. “Ugh, I am starving.”
“Hey, sissy,” Caleb said fondly. “Where’s Troy?”
“He’s still sleeping,” she said. “I didn’t want to wake him.”
“Up all night, huh?” Caleb playfully elbowed his sister.
“Stop,” she said with blushed cheeks. “That’s gross. I am not joking with my brother about my sex life.”
“You looked amazing yesterday,” Caleb said. “And everything went off without a hitch. That has to be the first time in wedding history.”
She smiled. “I know, right?”
“When are you guys leaving for the Bahamas?” I asked.
“Not until tomorrow morning,” she said. “We wanted to have a day to relax here in the city before jumping on a plane. Besides, I think Troy knew that he would need a day of rest after like a week straight of celebrating and drinking.”
“Yeah, I feel like I could use a vacation.” Caleb chuckled, handing Caroline a piece of toast
.
Caleb and Caroline had been very close their whole lives, without much of the normal sibling bickering that usually went on. I assumed that with their family being so business oriented, they leaned on each other for support growing up because their mother and father were just too busy with other things. Sure, it wasn’t your typical family with a comforting mother and strong, leading father, but the two of them seemed to turn out really well. Caleb treated all his friends like family, and his sister as a friend, too. It was nice, and I wished that I had that kind of relationship with my family, but alas, I was left to my own devices.
“And how are you this morning, Blaine?” Caroline looked over at me and smiled.
“I’m really good since I watched what I drank last night, unlike some people,” I said, looking over at Caleb.
“Yeah, my brother has an issue with excess.” She laughed and took a sip of coffee.
“No, I don’t,” he said bitterly.
“Oh yeah? What about the time we went to Aunt Eliza’s funeral? You drank so much you passed out, and they almost thought you were another dead body?”
“I don’t like funerals,” he said. “And it wasn’t my fault. Uncle Bernard was drinking with me.”
“Oh, okay,” she said sarcastically. “How about the seven of every type of suit you like hanging in the closet?”
“I work hard so I can have nice things,” he said proudly.
