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“She’s a good girl, from what I hear. Down to Earth, even though she’s a Jackson.”
“You read up on her?” I ask. I’m on my third beer—I’ve been taking it much slower than Noah.
“The news can’t seem to talk about anything else,” I say.
“That’s gotta be hard,” Noah says.
I shrug. It’s not all that bad, as long as you behave. Publicity is just like anything else in my life—a game with rules. It makes me think of Marc again.
He’s breaking the rules.
All of them.
I text Marc that he should join us if he wants to. He can make up his mind. He’s not allowed to see Stacey the night before the wedding so I don’t know what else he’s going to do, but he might spend it with his parents, who have been in the background a lot. The Jacksons are loud and take over everything.
Ten minutes later, Marc arrives.
He claps Noah on the back and I watch the little reunion.
“Thanks for stepping in, man. I know it’s a shit move to invite you last minute like that.”
Noah laughs. He’s drunk, so everything seems fine. If I want to tell him about Jenna, I have to tell him now, before he sobers up. He’ll respond much better to it.
“Nah, man. It’s all good. I don’t mind at all. Who’s in for Luke?”
They’re talking football and I don’t listen to the fact about the player who will take Luke’s place. I watch Marc while he talks, and I try to put the two Marcs I know together. There’s the kind, honest Marc I’ve known all my life on the one side—the Marc who didn’t want strippers because he’s ever-faithful. On the other side, there’s the Marc who is willing to fix games. Marc who apparently keeps secrets. Marc who risks his new marriage before it’s even happened, and for what?
When they both look at me, I realize I’ve missed something.
“What?”
“I was just saying how Laura is driving everyone crazy,” Marc says. “You should have been there today to see it. At one point, she and Stacey were screaming at each other so loud, I had to step in and stop it, and Kelsey and Nina grabbed that dress away so fast so that I couldn’t see it.”
“It sounds insane,” Noah says. “You were right to keep me here.”
Marc frowns. He’s not sure what I’m talking about, but I’m so lucky that shit hit the fan at the hotel anyway, and my story checks out even though I lied to save my ass.
“Talking about the crazy bridesmaids,” I start. This is the time to tell Noah. “Jenna is here.”
“Who?”
“Jenna,” I say. “The girl you dated.”
“Oh, Jenna Hall? Really?”
I nod.
“That’s crazy. What are the odds?”
“It’s a small world, huh?” Marc asks and claps Noah on the back.
When Noah orders another round of beers, Marc shakes his head. He’s not going to drink but he’ll party with us. That’s the kind of guy he is.
Or at least…the guy I thought he was.
“Was it weird seeing her again?” Noah asks.
“Cat and fucking dog, these two,” Marc says with a chuckle. “She’s stubborn as hell.”
