Colin stowed my bags in the back, and we got on the road.
“I’m sorry about Macon.”
“I get that the guy cares about you, but what does he have against me?”
“Nothing. He’s rooting for you.”
“Really? He doesn’t act that way.”
“He is. He set me up on a blind date from hell just to make his point.”
“Wait, he’s the one who set you up with that married couple?”
“No. God no. That was all me being stupid. He just told a guy at the shop I liked everything I can’t stand.”
“Two bad dates? I guess it made me look good in comparison.”
Didn’t I know it. “Maybe a little.”
He laughed. “I’m okay with it since it worked in my favor, but I hope you won’t need to go on any more disaster dates to realize I’m worth your time.”
“To realize it? You make it sound like a fact.”
“It is. I am completely worth your time.” His hand settled on my leg again. He kept it on top of the fabric of my dress, but if he moved it at all, it would be inching up my bare thigh.
Did he have any idea what that did to me? How much I wanted him to move his hand higher? “How many hours is this drive?”
“About three.”
“Oh, that’s not too bad.”
“Not at all. Especially not with good company.”
“I wish I had some then.” I don’t know why he brought out such a snide side of me, but the teasing insults rolled off my tongue. Maybe it was my sexual frustration rising to the surface, or spending too much time around Macon. I tended to blame a lot on the later.
“I’m going to let that one go.”
“Sorry. You just make me say things like that.”
“I guess we can twist this and say I bring out your sense of humor.”
“Absolutely.” I shifted in my seat to get comfortable. His hand moved slightly up my dress. He didn’t move. “So what can I expect tonight?” I assumed he’d know I was talking about the rehearsal, but what I really wanted to know about involved our hotel room.
“The rehearsal itself should be pretty short. Dinner should be casual, but it’s going to be big—way more than the wedding party.”
“A lot of your friends from home?”
“And my family.”
“Your family?”
“Yeah. It’s my cousin’s wedding.”
“You never told me that.” My chest clenched slightly as a thought hit me. “Your parents aren’t going to be there, are they?”
“They will be. And unlike yours, they are not under the impression that we’re just friends.”
“Oh. Great.” What the hell had I gotten myself into?
Chapter Eleven
Going as the date of someone in a wedding is never fun. It’s especially bad when you don’t know anyone else. I waited in the pleasant seventy degree weather as Colin went through the rehearsal.
Although technically in the Raleigh area, the wedding was in the countryside. The venue was beautiful, and though the gardens would have been even prettier in the spring, there was something simple and romantic about the carefully manicured grounds. After a few minutes of checking out the gardens, I gratefully found a stone bench to sit on. I’d settled on a pair of two-inch heels that looked cute, but left me begging for flip-flops.
I passed the time by watching the bride. She seemed more terrified than excited, constantly playing with her light brown hair. I hoped when, or if, I got married I’d at least be excited. Fear isn’t a fun emotion.
“Fun night, huh?” A girl sat down on the garden bench next to me. Her reddish-brown hair was pulled up into a bun with several tendrils falling around her face. I wasn’t sure if the tendrils were intentional, but it worked for her. If I hadn’t recognized her, I might have complimented her, but I was in no mood for small talk with the girl I’d seen Colin with at the ice cream shop back at the beach.
“Tons of fun,” I said as politely as possible, returning my gaze to the bride. Hopefully, she’d take the hint. The wedding weekend just got better.
“You’re Maddy, aren’t you?”
I turned to look at her again. “Yeah, how’d you know?”
She smiled so sweetly I felt a little bit of my jealousy slipping away. “My brother said he was bringing you, and you’re the only one here I don’t recognize who fits the description.”
“Brother? You’re Colin’s sister?”
“I’m one of them. Our sister Kim couldn’t make it.”
“So that means you’re Carly?” Relief flooded me. Relief I shouldn’t have felt considering the newness of our relationship.
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “So he has mentioned me.”
“Yeah, he has.”
“So? How are things with you guys? Colin’s not the most talkative.”
“Oh. They’re going fine.” I left it as vague as possible. Discussing our relationship with his little sister didn’t seem like the best idea. I was also surprised Colin hadn’t mentioned that his sister had been in town. I’d never asked him about the mystery girl, but why blame it all on work?
She sat back again. “Fine? That’s a little disappointing.”
“Things are going well.”
“I know he’s not the most romantic guy ever, but I can tell he’s really into you. He wouldn’t have invited you here if he wasn’t.”
“To be honest, I was surprised he did.” It was often the girl pushing the guy to go to a wedding. Colin seemed intent on having me there though.
Carly moved her tiny lavender purse from her lap to the bench beside her. “I’m not.”
“Why not? You said he doesn’t talk about me much.”
“No. I said he isn’t talkative. You’re a large portion of what he does talk about anymore.”
“We haven’t been dating long.” Talk about an understatement.
“Really?” She pulled out her bun, shaking out her hair. Her long tresses fell down her back perfectly, reminding me of a shampoo commercial.
“Yeah, a few weeks.”
“Oh. He started talking about you when I came to visit for Labor Day.”
“Seriously? We’d only gone on two dates and then he never called me.”
“That’s so Colin.”
“Is he usually hot and cold with girls?”
She didn’t hesitate with her answer. “No. He’s usually cold.”
“You’re not making a great case for him.”
“What?” She appeared legitimately upset at the thought. “What does that have to do with him being a good guy for you?”
“Guys don’t suddenly change. The last thing I want is a guy who gets bored.”
“It’s not that he gets bored, but that he isn’t that into relationships. He’s more concerned with work and life.”
“How is that any different? Any better?”
“Because he never would have invited any of his other girlfriends to something like this.”
“Girlfriend? I don’t think we’re on those terms yet.”
She laughed. “You have a great sense of humor.”
I decided not to correct her. There was no need to make things any more awkward than they already were.
She quickly changed the topic. “Do you want to get out of here? They’re going to be a while, and this is seriously boring.”
I glanced over at Colin. He was laughing and having a good time with his cousin and friends. “Sure, I’m guessing Colin won’t mind.”
“Are you kidding? He’ll be relieved you found something fun to do.” She grabbed my arm, and we walked back through the gardens toward the main hotel. No one seemed to notice our departure.
Styled as a French Tudor mansion, the hotel stood out on the landscape. I wondered when the building was constructed. Had it always been a hotel? Then I shook myself. We were on the search for alcohol, not architectural history.
Carly held open the door, and we walked in
to the lobby. The bar was off to one side and nearly empty. We easily found two stools.
“I never know what to order.” Carly tapped her foot on the leg of the stool.
“Well, what do you like?” I couldn’t deny a spark of excitement that came over me at her comment.
“That’s the problem. I like fruity, sweet drinks, but I feel weird ordering them.” She glanced at the cocktail menu, but I could tell she wasn’t paying attention to the list.
“You don’t have to feel weird. You should order what you like.” If she knew half the weird drinks people ordered from me, she wouldn’t be so concerned. I decided not to tell her about the sixty-year-old guy who ordered a blow job shot from me the night before. I wasn’t sure who it was more awkward for.
She set down the menu. “I want to pick something more sophisticated.”
“Sophisticated but still a little on the sweet side? Are you into tart?”
“I like tart. Do you have a suggestion? Is it possible to have both sophisticated and sweet?” She looked hopeful. She was kind of naive for twenty-one, but who was I to pass judgment?
“Sure…do you ever drink cosmos?”
“One of my friends gets them out a lot. Are they good?”
“I think you’ll like it.”
“Is that what you’re going to get?” She tapped her French-manicured fingernails on the bar top.
“No, but that shouldn’t stop you.”
“Oh? What are you getting?”
“Probably just a Jack and Coke.” Normally I’d hold off on the Coke, but I wanted the sugar.
“I always thought that was a guy drink.” She flipped through the menu again.
I laughed. “A lot of men drink it, but I wouldn’t call it a guy’s drink.”
“Maybe I’ll get one too then.”
“You sure? I think you should try a cosmo. I have a feeling it’s perfect for you.” I wanted to steer her away from the overly sweet drinks, and if prepared well, the lime juice usually did a good job of masking the vodka taste.
“All right. I’ll trust you on it.”
After a few minutes we were able to get the bartender’s attention away from a football game he was watching on his phone. Despite his preoccupation with the game, he was quick to get our drinks once we ordered them. He was a guy in his mid-thirties with a deep tan, and a slight accent I couldn’t place, but it was from somewhere up north. He smiled as he set down the drinks—a cosmo for Carly and my Jack and Coke. “Are you here for the wedding?”
I sipped my drink, trying to relax. “Yeah.”
“Are you girls in the wedding party?”
“No, but her date is.” I didn’t miss the way Carly emphasized “date.” It’s like she was afraid I was going to leave her brother for this guy.
“Oh, yeah? That’s never fun.”
I nodded. “Definitely not.”
As soon as the bartender walked off, Carly jumped back in to conversation. “What did you think of your room? I heard Colin got a suite.”
“It’s nice.” I thought about the two-room suite. Colin made a big deal emphasizing how I got the bed and he’d sleep on the pull-out couch. I didn’t get it. We’d have to sleep together eventually, right? Apparently I was his girlfriend already, didn’t that imply sex?
“I made sure my room is super far from yours. I don’t want to hear you guys.”
I coughed on my drink. “I wouldn’t worry about that.”
“Why not? This is an old place. The walls are thin.”
I looked at her half-full glass. Was she this open when she wasn’t even drunk yet? “This is your brother we’re talking about…”
“I know. That’s why I didn’t want a room next to yours.”
I figured telling his sister we hadn’t even slept together yet would be kind of weird, so I only smiled.
“I wish I had a date. I never have a date to these things.”
“He’d just be bored.”
“No, he wouldn’t be if he were hanging out with us.”
She seemed so convinced about it that I wondered if she had anyone in mind. “Are you dating anyone?”
“Nope. I can’t seem to keep a decent relationship alive.”
“You’re still young.”
“You’re only a year older than me.”
“Yeah, and I’m single.”
“Umm, no, you’re not.”
“Oh yeah. Right.” The response had come out automatically. “Like I said, Colin and I are new, we haven’t crossed into real relationship territory.”
“Does he know that? I get the feeling that you guys are on different pages.”
“I don’t see why we would be.”
“Well, he doesn’t think you guys are just hooking up if that’s what you think it is.”
“Uh, yeah, that’s not it.” That would involve us having sex.
“Wait a second.” She grinned. “He hasn’t sealed the deal yet, has he?”
“Sealed the deal?”
“Yeah. That’s why you told me not to worry about having a room near yours. And that’s why you don’t consider you guys serious. You’re the kind of girl who only considers a relationship serious if you’re having sex.” With that statement, our conversation went from strange to horribly uncomfortable.
“Can we not talk about this?”
“Why? It’s just girl talk.”
“Yeah, and we don’t even know each other.”
“We will. You’re going to keep dating my brother.”
“So you’re suddenly confident?”
“Not suddenly.” She finished off her cosmo. “You were right. I love this.”
I smiled. “Good.” I loved when I matched a drink right. After striking out on Lyle’s so often, I was starting to doubt myself.
We ordered another round of drinks, and thankfully the conversation moved far away from my nonexistent sex life with Colin. We talked about how ready she was to be done with college, and how she had no idea what she wanted to do. It turned out we had more in common than I thought.
“Do you like bartending?” Carly attempted to retrieve the last few drops from her third cosmo.
I nursed my second drink. “It’s entertaining and better than anything else I could be doing.”
“Maybe I should try something like that. How’d you even know how to do it?”
“I took a bartending class with my friend senior year. I did it as a joke, but I realized it was more interesting than I thought. I originally planned to waitress at the restaurant I work at, but I make more money bartending.”
“Cool.” She tilted a little and almost fell off her stool. She steadied herself at the last second.
“Are you okay?”
Carly was drunk, and we only had twenty minutes before the rehearsal dinner.
“I’m great.”
“You seem a little out of it.” Great. I was going to meet Colin’s parents after getting their daughter sloshed.
“Want to skip dinner?” She put a hand on my shoulder.
“I don’t think we should.” I tried to imagine explaining that one to Colin.
“Come on, do you want to suffer through it? We can blame it on me. Say I’m sick.”
“And where do I come in? You’re twenty-one years old. You don’t need me to take care of you.”
“I don’t? I can’t even walk straight.” As if to prove her point, she got up. She grabbed my arm.
“You’ll be fine once you get to your room.”
“So do you want to go to this dinner, then?”
“Not particularly, but I suspect Colin wants me there.”
“All right, I need to find some food and sober up. There’s a great burger place down the block. Want to take me?”
“I don’t have a car.”
“You can drive mine.” She pulled a set of car keys from her tight black skirt. I wasn’t quite sure how they even fit in the pocket.
We’d obviously be late for the dinner, but I couldn’t exactly
leave Colin’s sister hung out to dry. Thankfully, I’d never even hit the midpoint in my second drink and could still drive.
I quickly texted Colin, hoping the rehearsal was over and I wouldn’t be interrupting.
Carly and I are going to be a little late for the dinner. See you there.
Carly? You’re with my sister?
Yeah. I have to drive, so I’ll see you soon.
Drive? Who’s car? Where are you going?
Long story. Talk soon.
“Did you just check in with my brother?”
“I wanted him to know where we were.”
She smiled. “You’re sweet and thoughtful. Colin’s lucky to have found you.”
I smiled back and unlocked her Camry. I wasn’t a fan of driving other people’s cars. Every car drove differently, and it always took a while to adjust everything. Getting used to a new car was even worse when it was dark—and after two hours at the bar, the sun was gone. Carly and I were around the same height, so I didn’t have to do much to adjust the mirrors or anything.
I pulled out of the spot.
Carly pointed to the exit. “Just turn right out of here.”
I followed Carly’s instructions, and five minutes later, we were pulling into the parking lot of what looked to be a hole in the wall. “Are you sure this is what you want?” I struggled to read the peeling letters from the old sign. I made out an ‘r’ and a ‘y.’ I gathered the place was called Roy’s.
“Definitely. I’d take it over the fancy food they’re serving at the rehearsal dinner any day.”
I started to like Carly more. There was something so real about her that was refreshing. The fact that she talked about her brother’s sex life aside, we could probably end up becoming good friends.
She walked right up to the counter to order. I waved her on when she asked if I wanted anything. She insisted on ordering me fries.
We settled across from each other in a booth. I sat there nibbling on some surprisingly good curly fries while she ate a cheeseburger. I was way too nervous about Carly’s drunkenness, arriving late, and meeting Colin’s parents to eat much.
When she left to use the restroom I texted Macon. I’m at a burger dive with Colin’s plastered sister. Yay me.
I’m so proud of you, kid. You’re growing up so fast.
Shaken Not Stirred (Mixology) Page 11
