by Lexy Timms
“I’m happy for you. You deserve it,” I said, as the server brought me my beer.
“Thank you,” she answered and lowered her voice. “Carter just found out about it last night. Our engagement.”
“He must be happy for you,” I said, glancing toward Carter, who was now talking to Drew on the far side of the table.
Great.
I hadn’t even noticed him when I’d walked in. He looked thinner and his hairline was beginning to recede. That made me grin.
Drew must have thought I was grinning at him and smiled back. I looked away.
“He’s… worried. He thinks we’re rushing things,” she said, staring at her wine glass.
“Are you?” I asked, still feeling as if marriage was a complete waste of time. This would be Mitzy’s second time at the altar, and she obviously hadn’t learned her lesson after marrying Charles.
“When you get to be my age and you find someone who makes life worth living again, timing isn’t as important. Besides, he wants to get married and I don’t want to lose him.”
“He’s in a rush to get married?” I asked, surprised. I thought that it might have been Mitzy.
“He’s a very passionate man,” she replied. “And has never been married.”
“How old is he?” I asked, curious.
“Forty-two,” she replied. “Close to my age.”
Charles snorted on his drink.
Mitzy turned and glared at him. “Just because I’m not half his age, doesn’t mean that he finds me less desirable,” she said coldly.
His face turned red. “Don’t start, Mitz.”
I quickly placed my hand over hers and leaned close. “Hey, as far as I’m concerned, you’re the most desirable woman at the table. Charles is obviously an idiot and maybe even a little blind, by the looks of his date,” I whispered.
It was true. Charles’s date might have been much younger than him, but she wasn’t a very attractive woman. Not only did she use too much makeup, but her teeth were yellow and she looked anorexic.
She relaxed and chuckled. “You lie but I still adore you,” said Mitzy, looking delighted.
“I think I’ve already proven that statement wrong a while back,” I reminded her. “Hell, if you weren’t happily engaged, I’d show you again…”
Giggling, Mitzy elbowed me playfully in the ribcage. “Oh, you!”
I looked over and noticed Lauren staring at us, her eyebrows raised. I winked at her and she quickly looked away.
“Lauren looks beautiful tonight, doesn’t she?” asked Mitzy, noticing the exchange.
“She certainly does.”
“The two of you will look amazing together when you walk down the aisle.”
“She’s my partner?” I asked, smiling in spite of myself.
She grinned. “I knew you’d approve.”
“I’m definitely not complaining.”
“I didn’t think you would,” she replied and then smiled. “Oh, here comes Drew.”
I turned and found myself staring up at Carter’s older brother.
“Hello, Taylor. Can we talk?”
I wanted to tell him to fuck off, but reminded myself to be civil. “Sure,” I said, wanting to get it over with.
“Let’s go to the bar. I’ll buy you a drink,” he replied as I stood up.
Mitzy looked at her watch. “It’s getting late. Taylor, what would you like for dinner? If the waitress comes back, I’ll order for you.”
“I’m a steak and salad kind-of-guy. Surprise me,” I replied, even though my appetite was beginning to wane now that Drew was near.
She picked up the small menu. “Okay.”
I followed Drew to the bar and he bought a round of Lemon Drop shots.
“I remember these used to be your favorite,” he said.
I shrugged.
“Listen,” he said, as we waited for the bartender to pour the shots. “I know you probably still want to kick my ass all the way to Canada…”
“What do you mean?” I asked, feeling my right eye begin to twitch.
Drew studied my face. “You’re not sore about Amber anymore?”
“To tell you the truth, I’m over it,” I lied.
He frowned. “No you’re not. You’re still pissed and I don’t blame you. I was an insensitive piece of shit. I should have realized that even if you two were broken up, she was off limits.”
“See, now that was the problem. We weren’t broken up.”
“Unfortunately, I found that out afterward. But, she lied and said that you dumped her.”
The bartender put the shots in front of us. Nodding at the girl, I grabbed one of them.
“Taylor,” he said, grabbing the other one. “I swear to God, she told me that you two were done. Then she came on to me strong. I was tipsy and she basically grabbed me by the balls and dragged me upstairs to my room. I know it sounds like a lame excuse, but that’s exactly what happened.”
“Fuck it. It doesn’t matter anymore,” I replied, before slamming back the shot.
He downed his and then wiped his mouth. “Maybe not to you, but it matters to me. I fucked up, man. I should have known better,” he said, his voice hoarse.
Things were beginning to feel a little awkward. I almost felt like I was the asshole who’d done him wrong. “Hey, no worries. Let’s just drop it.”
“I just want to make sure you’re not holding any grudges… but if you are, I get it,” he said, his eyes growing misty.
Surprised to find him getting so emotional, I decided to let it go. It was done and over with anyway. I held out my hand. “I’m fine. No grudges, man.”
He shook it. “I appreciate it. I truly am remorseful about the entire ordeal. I’ve even lost sleep over it.”
“Well, don’t anymore. It’s forgotten.”
“You have no idea how much of a relief that is.”
“Glad to hear I’m able to provide it to you,” I replied, amused.
“Drew!” called a man’s voice from across the bar.
We both turned to see a well-dressed guy, in his twenties, making his way toward us.
“Steven! You made it,” said Drew, pulling him into his arms. I stared in shock as the two men kissed each other on the lips.
“I caught a last minute flight and arrived here as quickly as I could,” said the man, as they released each other.
“That’s wonderful. I’m so glad you were able to make the wedding,” replied Drew, staring up at Steven like he was the sunlight in his day.
Steven glanced my way, a questioning look on his face. “And who is this good-looking, guy?”
“Oh, forgive me. This is one of Carter’s best friends, Taylor Adams. And Taylor, this is my husband, Steven Litchfield,” said Drew, smiling proudly up at the other man.
“Your husband?” I repeated, trying to digest everything. To say that I was shocked was an understatement.
“Yes,” said Steven. “We tied the knot last month.”
“Oh, wow. Congratulations,” I replied, not knowing what else to say.
“Thank you,” replied Steven.
“Yes. Thank you,” said Drew.
“What about you?” asked Steven.
“What about me?” I asked.
“Did you bring a significant other with you this evening?”
Hoping that he didn’t think I was gay, I forced a smile. “No. I didn’t bring a girl. I should have, though. I suppose. Maybe two.”
“Taylor is one-hundred-percent heterosexual,” said Drew, amused at my discomfort.
“Good, then I don’t have to be jealous,” joked Steven.
Drew laughed. “You’re such a goose.” He looked at me. “Isn’t he such a goose?”
“Uh, sure. I should probably get back to the table,” I said, looking back toward the table.
Mitzy was watching us, an amused expression on her face.
“Wait one moment, Taylor. Steven, could you please give us a moment?” asked Drew, putting his hand on
his husband’s chest. “I need to talk to him for a couple more seconds.”
“Sure,” he said.
“Why don’t you wait for me at the table? Mother is here. She’ll find a seat for you,” Drew said, pointing to Mitzy.
“Sounds good,” he said. “It was nice meeting you, Taylor.”
“You too,” I said.
He walked away and Drew turned back to me, waiting for a response.
“So, when did this happen?” I asked him.
“You mean when did I know that I was gay?”
“Yes. But, don’t you mean bi-sexual?” I asked, not really knowing if one could be both.
“I’m definitely gay. I prefer men,” he replied matter-of-factly. “Women? Not so much.”
The bartender approached us, asked if we wanted another shot, and this time, I paid.
“But, what about all those girls you had sex with?” I asked when she walked away.
He sighed. “In all honesty, there weren’t that many. I exaggerated quite a bit about my sex life.”
My eyes widened. He used to brag about how much pussy he was getting in college. “But, you liked girls at one point, right? Enough to get in bed with them.”
His eyes glimmered with amusement. “Apparently, I’ve always liked boys a lot more.”
The bartender set our Lemon Drops down and we tossed them back.
“So, were you able to get it up with them?” I asked, licking my lips.
Blushing he lowered his voice. “Most of the time, I couldn’t and,” he nodded toward the empty shot glass, “I usually blamed it on alcohol.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t sure how to feel about his confession. It was so mind-blowing.
“Just like with Amber,” he confessed, a small smile on his face. “I tried having sex with the girl but, I must confess – it didn’t really work out the way she’d planned. Obviously, I couldn’t tell you at the time, and not just because you wanted to kill me. I just wasn’t very comfortable with my sexuality at that point in my life.”
“And now look. You’re married and obviously happy.”
He grinned. “I am.”
“Another shot?” I asked.
“Not for me,” he said. “In fact, Carter is waving us over.”
I looked over at Carter, who had an amused expression on his face.
Fucker could have told me, I thought.
I forced myself not to flip him off and walked back to the table.
“So,” said Mitzy, staring at me as I sat down. “How did that go?”
“How do you think?”
“It looked like it went well. I saw that you met his husband.”
“Yeah. Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, putting my napkin on my lap.
“It wasn’t my place. Nor was it Carter’s,” she added. “He wanted to tell you himself. When the time was right. I ordered for you, by the way. A ribeye steak, baked-potato, and Caesar salad. Hope you approve.”
“It sounds great. Thanks,” I said, noticing that she’d also gotten me another beer.
“You’re welcome.”
Thinking that it was much too quiet, I stood up and tapped my beer bottle with a spoon. “Excuse me, I would really like to make a toast,” I called.
Everyone stopped talking and looked up at me.
“Carter, when you first told me you were getting married, I was pretty stunned and frankly, not exactly excited about the idea. Hell, I thought that maybe you were even making a mistake.”
Barbara’s eyes grew hard.
I went on. “But, watching the two of you together, and knowing that you’re not the kind of guy who falls in love every day, I can honestly say that I’m thrilled for you. For both of you,” I said, nodding toward Barbara. “Good luck on your future, and if you ever need anything from me, brother, know that I will always be there for you.”
“Thanks, man,” said Carter, beaming at me. “That goes both ways. I hope that when the time comes, you’ll consider letting me be your Best Man, as well.”
I cringed. “On that note – I’d like to quote this sexy blonde my father used to watch on television. Mae West. I think it went something like – ‘Marriage is a great institution. Right now, I’m just not ready for an institution’.”
Everyone laughed.
“Tail!” whooped a couple of guys on the other end of the table.
Smiling and shaking my head, I continued. “Anyway – To life. To love. And to all that goes along with it. Cheers.”
“Cheers,” everyone called out.
I took a drink of my beer and sat down.
“That was nice,” said Mitzy, patting my arm. “I think there might be hope for you yet.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on now, Taylor. You can’t stay single your entire life.”
“Don’t go worrying about me. I’m happier than I’ve ever been,” I said, taking another swig of beer.
“Wouldn’t you like to fall asleep with a woman in your arms every night? One that you could actually remember her name?”
“Not really.”
“What about kids, don’t you want children?”
“God, no,” I said. “There is no room in my life for rug-rats.”
She sighed. “Don’t you want someone to grow old with?”
“I have my club. My brothers. My friends,” I replied. “Those are the guys I want to grow old with. Just because I don’t want to bang them doesn’t mean they’re any less… special to me.”
“That’s not the same thing and you know it.”
“I love my life and I’m not changing it. I mean, why would I fix something that isn’t broken?”
“You just haven’t found the right woman yet,” she said. “But, you will. I just hope you don’t kick her out of your bed before you realize it.”
“I don’t know… the last time I kicked the ‘right’ woman out of my bed, she ended up getting engaged to a foreign actor. My heart will never recover, Mitzy.” I pretended to wipe the tears from my eyes. “I hope you’re proud of yourself.”
She chuckled. “You’re so full of shit.”
I grinned back and noticed Lauren watching me out of the corner of her eye. My determination to get into her pants was growing with each sip of beer. Hell, she was one girl I probably would let stay the night.
Maybe.
If I knew that she could cook. Honestly, it was the one thing missing from my life – someone to make me breakfast in the morning. Of course, a personal chef could do the same thing and wouldn’t cost me half of everything I owned…
Chapter 4
Taylor
Unfortunately, I didn’t end up going home with Lauren that night. After dinner, everyone scattered and I didn’t have a chance to speak to her, let alone play the seduction card.
The wedding was at one o’clock the following afternoon. After taking a shower, I put my tux on and headed over to the church thirty minutes before the ceremony was to begin, my hair still damp. I was greeted right away by Carter’s mother and her fiancé, who was very polite.
“Nice to meet you, Fernando,” I said, shaking his hand.
“You too, Taylor. Nice motorcycle, by the way,” he said, as we stood at the entrance to the church.
I glanced at my Harley. “Thanks, man. You ride?”
“Occasionally. I haven’t had much of a chance, lately. I’ve been so busy with work,” he replied, his accent thick.
“That’s too bad. You travel a lot, huh?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said as Mitzy’s ex-husband drove into the parking lot in a flashy, red Corvette. We watched as he parked the car and then got out alone.
“I wonder where his girlfriend is?”mused Mitzy. “He certainly doesn’t look happy.”
Charles indeed looked pissed off.
“Maybe she realized what a dick he really is,” I said, louder than I’d meant to.
Mitzy laughed out loud. “Tell us how you really feel, Taylor.”
“You already know,�
�� I said, pasting a phony smile onto my face as Charles walked toward us.
“Where’s Abigail?” asked Mitzy, when he finally made it up the stairs. He was out of shape and panting like a bull.
“Something came up,” he said, trying to catch his breath.
“Oh, that’s too bad. By the way, Charles, this is my fiancé, Fernando.”
Fernando held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Mitzy has spoken so much about you.”
Charles grunted and then shook it. “I’m sure she has. What amazes me is that you’re still willing to shake my hand.”
“Sir, I have to shake the hand of the man who has allowed me the opportunity of marrying the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met,” he said, putting his arm around Mitzy.
“Oh, thank you, Fernando. You’re so sweet,” she said, smiling up at him lovingly.
“Yeah, lucky you,” said Charles, looking a little jealous. “So, you’re in the movies, huh?”
As they continued to talk, I excused myself and went into the church, where I soon found Carter.
“You ready to do this?” I asked, noticing how pale he looked.
He nodded.
“Why do you look like you’re about to pass out then?” I said, amused.
“I didn’t eat much for breakfast and I’m worried that something is going to go wrong at the wedding.”
I chuckled. “Aren’t the brides usually the ones worried about that shit?”
“I know. I’m probably just being paranoid. It’s just that I want Barbara to be happy and I feel like everything has been going so perfect, that a snag has to be waiting around a corner.”
“No, it doesn’t and you’re right. You’re being paranoid,” I said, noticing Lauren and the other bridesmaids walking down the hallway. They were all dressed in mid-length coral dresses, looking sexy. I had to admit she wore it so well that I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.
I whistled.
“Wow, you girls look beautiful,” said Carter, beaming a smile at all of them.
“Sexy. Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Did I mention sexy?” I added, staring at Lauren.
She blushed and looked down.
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” said one of the other bridesmaids. Her name was Ruby and I’d learned that she was the most outspoken of the group.
