EJ snorts into his drink.
“For what?” I can’t help but ask, looking over my shoulder at them.
“Give it ten minutes,” Declan tells me, biting back a smile. He shakes his head, but in that love-sick kind of way. “You’ll see.”
“Enough testosterone!” Arden demands, scrambling off my brother without ever taking her hands off me. “Up!”
I hop over my brother, since Arden doesn’t give him enough time to move before she’s dragging me out of the booth by my hands. I am only given half a second to swipe my martini off the table as she tugs me away. She says a bright and cheery hello to Callum Saltzman as he returns to the table.
He blinks like human interaction is as painful as chewing glass, murmurs something, and awkwardly pushes himself into the booth.
I meet Boston’s green, unreadable eyes, lift my martini and mouth a ‘thank you’ to him as she hauls me across the room.
His lips pull back into a small smile, and he dips his chin.
My god, is he pretty.
I’m dragged to the bar and have half a second of respite before Penny spots me and runs over. She flings herself into my arms, rocking me back and forth quick enough to make me dizzy.
A girl with big, curly dark hair takes my full martini from my hand before it spills all over the floor. She flashes me a knowing smile and holds it until Penny’s greeting is over. She hands it back to me with a wink but without a word.
Then the introductions begin.
“This is my best friend, Avery,” Penny says. The small brunette with a perfect bob pulls me into a hug. “This is Tiffany and Lauren, my other best friends and bridesmaids. They are the best people you will ever meet, in addition to Arden, who you already know and love like the rest of us.”
I glance at Arden, my heart flooding with warmth that she managed to find a home with my brother’s people.
“Avery, Tiffany, and Lauren. Got it,” I say, studying their faces to remember. All gorgeous girls. All vastly different. I’m good with names. I won’t forget theirs. “I hear we’re dancing to Def Leppard?”
Avery throws her head back and groans. She glances at the bartender, who grins at the mention ofthatband from the mouths ofthisgroup of women. “If Wesley would everplay it for us.”
“Not until eleven, gorgeous.”
Her eyes narrow. “It’s not even ten.”
“You can wait an hour.” He smirks, meeting the fire in her eyes as he spins on his heel to serve the other end of the bar.
Avery glares after him and then turns to us, letting out a huff of defeat.
I gesture in his direction. “Cute bartender is flirting with you.”
Avery lifts her hand, showing me her ring as she wiggles her fingers. “Cute bartender has nothing on my cute husband.”
I smile, wondering which man in that booth belongs to her. If I were to do some logical deduction, I’d guess it’s the guy who came prepared with ice packs in case these girls cause too much trouble. Seems like a husbandly move.
Avery sighs and declares that she’s about to order another round of tequila shots when the unmistakable sound of a Def Leppard song blasts through the speakers. She and Penny gasp, freezing in place. There’s this half-second of stillness, like the earth’s tectonic plates just shifted, but it doesn’t last long.
It’s a blur of limbs, screams, and laughter after that.
I take a sip of my martini and glance at Arden, who shrugs like this is normal. This is clearly a friendship that goes back years and years, and we are just the lucky observers.
When Penny climbs half onto the seat of a barstool to start to toss her hair and raise her glass to Wesley, I realize what the medication and the ice packs were for.
Smart men. Thinking ahead.
Avery climbs onto the back of the same chair, scrambling toward the bar. She points at Mr. Cute Bartender, who is still at the other end of the room, smiling knowingly at the group of women who are acting like this song has healing properties.
And hell, maybe it does for them.
