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“Yeah, no problem,” Brooks grumbled. “Now, we have to get going.”
“Where to?” Colter asked.
“We have our final fitting and need to pick up our tuxedos,” Brooks reminded.
“Oh, shit,” Colter said, “I thought that was tomorrow. Just let me find Norah to let her know that I can’t go to the beach with her, and I’ll be right out.”
“I’ll be in the car. Don’t make Joel and I wait too long, or you’re buying the beer after our fitting.”
“Wait, we’re drinking too?” Colter asked.
“Well, we have to do something while we wait for our tuxes to be ready, right?” Brooks asked.
“I like the way you think, man,” Colter praised. “Be right out.” Colter felt as though his plan might finally come together. Now, all he needed was for Norah to say that she’d move in with him, and he’d finally have everything he had been building up to with her this summer.
* * *
He was supposed to be paying attention and waiting for the officiant to ask for the rings, but he couldn’t stop staring across the aisle at Norah. She was gorgeous in the peach-colored sundress that she wore. Her feet were bare, and her toenail polish matched the dress that she wore. All Colter could think about doing was carrying her up the beach to the beach house, taking her back to their room, and stripping her bare so that all she was wearing was that peach toenail polish.
When the officiant finally called for the rings, he stopped staring at Norah long enough to fish them out of his pocket to hand them to Brooks. His friend looked about ready to burst with happiness and Colter wondered what that would feel like. He just hoped that he’d find that out today, when he finally got the chance to ask Norah to move in with him, and she’d hopefully say yes.
By the time the nuptials were exchanged, and the groom got to kiss his new bride, he felt as though he might burst before he’d actually got the chance to ask Norah to move in with him. How he was supposed to wait until the end of the evening to ask her was a mystery, but he needed to come up with something. Everyone cheered as the bride and groom walked down the aisle in the sand to the small white awning that had been set up for the reception. They had even gotten a little dance floor installed and hired a DJ so that they could all dance.
Savannah’s father and his new girlfriend were both there and a few of Brook’s family members attended, but all in all, it was a very small wedding. Honestly, it was a perfect, intimate ceremony and party—just the way Brooks and Savannah wanted it. He couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate his two friends. They all sat around, drinking, and eating, and when it was finally time for the first dance, he knew that he was finally going to be able to have Norah all to himself. After the bride and groom took a spin around the dance floor, the wedding party would pair off and dance alone side of them. Joel and Ginger, and he and Norah had their orders, and this might finally be his chance to feel her out and ask her how she felt about moving in with him. Colter had all his points memorized—the biggest being that his apartment was closer to her work at NASA than hers was. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be the only reason why she’d want to move in with him though.
The DJ called for the wedding party to join in the dance, and he looked across the table at Norah, loving the shy smile she gave him in return. He stood and crossed to where she sat, holding out his hand to her in invitation. “Shall we?” he asked.
“I think that we shall,” Norah agreed. “Because if we don’t, Savannah will kill me, even though she knows how much I hate dancing.”
“You’re a great dancer,” he reminded. “Remember, I took you dancing in New York, so I know the truth.”
“I said that I hate dancing, not that I can’t dance. I always feel like everyone is staring at me and I hate feeling that way,” she admitted.
“Don’t worry,” he assured, “they’ll all be looking at me.” He bobbed his eyebrows at her, making her giggle.
Norah took his hand and stood from her chair. “I’m sure that they will be,” she agreed. He led her out to the dance floor and pulled her into his arms, loving the way she felt against his body. She always felt right there, as if she was right where she belonged.
“It’s a beautiful day for a wedding, isn’t it?” she nervously asked. He liked to believe that they were past all the small talk and nervousness, but Norah didn’t seem to get that memo. “Savannah was so worried that it was going to rain today.”
“You don’t have to do that with me, Norah,” he whispered into her ear.
“Do what?” she asked.
“Make small talk. I’d like to think that the two of us are past small talk,” Colter said.
“Well, then, what would you like to talk about, Colter?” Norah asked. She stood back some from his body and he missed having her pressed up against him. Now was his chance. She wanted to know what he wanted to talk about, and he was just going to tell her.
“I’d like to talk about us,” he said, careful to keep his voice down so that no one around them would be able to hear their conversation.
“I thought that we’ve already discussed this, Colter,” she breathed. “There is no us. We’re just two people having a good time this summer—nothing more.” He could hear the disappointment in her voice even though she was the one making the declaration of them just being fuck buddies. There had to be more to them than that.
“We’re not just two people having sex, Norah,” he loudly whispered. “I know that you don’t want to admit that it means more, but it does.”
“I told you not to do this, Colter. I told you that falling for me would be a mistake, yet here we are,” she spat. They had stopped dancing and she pulled her hand from his. They were going to cause the scene that he had promised Brooks that he’d try to avoid.
“Please, Norah,” he whispered, “don’t do this here.”
“Why not?” she asked. “You were the one who started this here. I think that I should be the one to finish it. I won’t change my mind about us,” she insisted. “I know that might hurt you, and please believe that isn’t my intention, but I was straight with you from the start. I won’t risk my career for a relationship.”
