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I dropped my hand. “You know what? I’m not hungry anymore.” I turned to my date. “Tanner? I’ll pick you up tomorrow before the wedding. And I’ll text you later.” My stomach scrambling, I turned to Josh. “Josh? You walked out of my life five years ago. Now just stay out.”
I ignored the stares as I wove through the tables. I made my way to the subway thinking about how I’d always wanted to be the kind of woman two gorgeous, intelligent men would fight over. Now I was, and I found the achievement hollow. The man I wanted might be willing to fight for me, but he’d never be willing to stay for me.
Chapter Twenty
On Lindsay’s wedding day, I picked up Tanner at Bainbridge’s. It was also Christmas Day, so of course the store was closed. Tanner was waiting for me outside the front doors looking breathtakingly gorgeous in his tuxedo.
“Well, you look nice,” I said in an extreme example of understatement.
“And you look beautiful, as always.” He kissed my cheek. Before I could feel too disappointed at the bland general compliment, he added, “But today you look particularly ravishing. So ravishing, in fact, I think we should skip the wedding altogether and run away to the Bahamas.”
I laughed. “The Bahamas? Nice.”
“Or Fiji. Or Finland. I’m not picky.”
I absorbed his praise like sunshine, but even before he’d said anything, I’d already felt like this was the best I’d ever looked. Lindsay had managed to do right by me. My maid of honor dress was a silky floor-length mermaid-style number that skimmed my narrow waistline and fell in a sweep to the floor. Soft folds of fabric pooled in my cleavage between the thin spaghetti straps that revealed a lot of skin including the top of my bosom. The dress was a beautiful shade of burgundy, my favorite color.
I took Tanner’s arm, careful not to hold on too hard and wrinkle my dress or his suit.
“You’ve got to be freezing, though,” Tanner said, his bottom lip pulling down in concern.
I put on the coat I’d been carrying and wriggled my hands out before taking his arm again. Yes, I’d been freezing, but I’d wanted him to see me before I was bundled up and as puffy as a marshmallow.
Tanner glanced down the street. “Subway?”
“Not today, my friend.” I smiled. “Everyone’s going to Lindsay’s wedding in style. Including us. I have a car. The driver’s just circling the block. Ah! Here he is now.”
The black town car pulled over in front of us, and the driver got out to open our door. I felt like a celebrity at a red-carpet event. At the beginning of the week I probably would’ve been fuming at another indulgent extravagance Lindsay had perpetrated for her blessed union, but at the moment I just felt grateful to be part of it and willing to enjoy the special moment to the fullest.
Tanner squeezed my hand as I got into the back of the limo. Another moment to cherish. Even if I did think back to Josh’s hand on my arm last night. And his urgent intensity when he’d had no idea if the danger was my date or my sister but was concerned most of all about me.
It was a short trip to the wedding venue, which was a shame since I could’ve ridden around NYC for hours just looking at everything. I fingered the delicate Manhattan skyline at my throat, the part of the city Josh had given me to keep for my own. It would probably take a lot of hours too. NYC traffic was too congested to move fast.
We finally arrived at the Rainbow Room. Tanner and I went inside the opulent building and rode the elevator up to the luxurious restaurant. Swathes of pale pink and cream satin and roses with petals tinged the barest blush and sunset-orange decorated the large room.
Although we were early enough that none of the wedding guests had arrived yet, I wanted to get Tanner settled in his seat before I went to find my sister and help her with whatever maid of honor duties she needed me to perform. Since her kind speech to me yesterday, she’d made zero demands on me as her maid of honor, but I didn’t want to miss out on the backstage action. Lindsay getting married was a big deal. She really was getting her happily ever after. And I wanted to be there for her.
As Tanner and I strolled into the room where the wedding would be held, a burly man carrying a large box came through the door without looking. I managed to sidestep him in time, but Tanner took the brunt of the collision and was slammed sideways into the doorjamb.
“Ow!” He grabbed his arm and rubbed it with a stricken expression.
The large man carrying the box paused. “Sorry, ma’am,” he said with a glance at me before continuing on.
“Are you okay?” I asked Tanner who was still rubbing his shoulder. I hoped he hadn’t been seriously injured. I especially hoped it wasn’t an injury to his rotator cuff. Those were very painful and took forever to heal.
“I’m…fine, thanks.” He grimaced as he moved his arm. “Or I will be. Don’t worry.”
“I’m so sorry about that. What was that guy thinking? Apologizing to me and not you? You were the one he ran into. You’d think he’d at least stop and ask if you were okay.”
He shook his head. “Really, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”
I felt a tug on my dress from behind. I turned to see the ring bearer, Troy’s little cousin Finn, holding a handkerchief out to me.
“Your boyfriend’s arm fell off.” He pointed to Tanner and handed me the handkerchief that had dropped from Tanner’s pocket.
I was too confused to laugh at his adorableness, but I bent down and accepted the handkerchief from him. “Thank you, Finn.”
“Welcome.” He turned and ran off.
