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I groaned. “Yes, and I don’t want to feel like everyone is looking at the poor, fragile, single girl all week, so let’s just pretend this conversation never happened, okay?”
Michael nodded curtly. “You got it. But you should know, all the bridesmaids are single, so you shouldn’t feel self-conscious about that.”
I doubted that they were having their emotional health questioned every ten minutes like I was, but I appreciated his attempts to make me feel better.
When we walked into the banquet hall, it looked like we were the last to arrive. I knew that it wasn’t just the wedding party here. There were also family members and other close friends that were going to be here for the activities leading up to the actual wedding. The banquet hall seemed to be full of people, and I recognized a lot of familiar faces, but not everyone.
There was a long table set up with appetizers and that was the first place I went, hungry after my long flight. My next stop would be the bar on the other side of the room. I wanted something strong and sweet that fit the island vibe. If it had an umbrella in it and fresh fruit, even better.
“Tatum, there you are,” Faith said, appearing at my side. “Come here, there’s someone I want you to meet.”
I turned, licking barbecue sauce off my finger from a chicken wing that I had just eaten. “Who?”
Faith gestured to the gorgeous man standing behind her, “This is Michael’s best man, Ben.”
I froze, unable to fully believe what I was seeing as Ben stepped forward. It was the man from the plane. This couldn’t be real. I thought that I was never going to see him again. I hadhopedI wouldn’t after I’d fallen asleep and drooled on him. My eyes were wide, like a deer caught in headlights, and I couldn’t think of what to say as Ben flashed me a smirk.
“So, this is what you meant when you said you’d be busy,” he said, amusement making his brown eyes shine.
“You two know each other?” Faith asked, surprise in her voice as she glanced between the two of us.
“I had the privilege of sitting next to Tatum on the plane ride here,” he explained, since I’d been rendered completely mute.
I watched as Faith’s eyes grew as wide as saucers as she realized what that meant. I was just cursing my bad luck as I stood there, trying to grasp what was happening myself. I was going to see this sexy man every single day while on the island. There was no escaping it.
“Wow,” Faith said, not even trying to disguise the laughter in her voice. “Small world, isn’t it?”
“Faith! Your grandmother just arrived,” Faith’s mom called out from near the entrance of the room, beckoning her over.
“Oh, I better go,” she said, her eyes meeting mine.
I didn’t want to be left with Ben, but I nodded to let her know that it was no big deal. I didn’t need her to stick around. She was the life of this party, after all.
When we were finally alone, Ben stepped closer to me, and I felt my heart quicken.
“You have a little food on your face…” he gestured to his own cheek.
My heart lurched. Jesus, was there no escaping embarrassing encounters with this man?
I used my napkin to swipe at my cheek, pulling it away to find more barbecue sauce.Great. Real classy.
Ben grabbed a small plate and piled on a few Swedish meatballs and stuffed mushrooms. “You know, I thought it would be more difficult than this to track you down, even on a small island like this.”
He was perfectly relaxed as he spoke, letting me know that this heavy, awkward feeling was all one-sided.
“Why would you want to do that?” I asked.
His sexy smile just got wider. “I just so happen to like girls that talk in their sleep.”
I visibly winced. “I wish you’d tell me what I said.”
Actually, I wasn’t sure if Ididwant to know. It would probably just bring along more mortification. God, I was such a hot mess.
“Some things are better left a mystery,” he replied, and I couldn’t tell if he was making fun of me or not.
“Tatum, I’ve been looking all over for you,” Sage, Faith’s cousin and one of the bridesmaids, came rushing over. She stopped in front of us, eyeing how close Ben and I were standing. The look in her eyes was full of surprise. “Is this your date for the week?”
“No,” I replied quickly. “No date for me.”
