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We turn at Mina’s voice, but instead of the photo I expect her to snap, she smashes a handful of the vanilla cake into each of our faces, smearing it around for good measure. The sound that comes out of Timothy is half-animal as he grabs his bride, hauling her in for a messy tangle of mouths and buttercream. It sends the crowd into wild applause.
“Here.” Amanda laughs as she hands me a wet wipe from her purse. I take it gratefully, wiping what must have been a buttercream rose off my face. Amanda looks at the cake and shakes her head. “Pretty sure no one had money on ‘Jessie murders Nic for destroying the cake before she gets a piece.’”
My gaze jerks up to where I’d last seen her, but instead of barreling toward me, she’s gone.
Amanda hands out wet wipes to Timothy and Mina when they come up for air, and when the venue manager appears and stares at the broken table in horror, Amanda nudges her brother, and the two of them move to intercept him.
“I’m sorry about the cake,” I say to Mina.
She brushes a few crumbs off her shoulder. “I don’t like cake.” For a moment she scans the crowd—most are still keeping an eye on us. “I think I know where Jessie’s gone. Come on.”
I follow her through the crowd, but when she moves to open the door to the ladies’ room, I grab her arm. “I can’t go in there.”
She looks at me like I’m trying her patience. “Jessie’s in here.”
“Maybe you should go in, make sure she’s okay.”
She rests her hands on her hips. “Or you can go in and explain why you’re having such a good time with your date when up until now you and Jessie have been banging.”
My body goes cold all over. “We haven’t.”
“But you want to.”
Mina doesn’t know. I shake my head, but she rolls her eyes, grabs my arm, and hauls me inside.
Jessie’s standing in front of the mirror, lip gloss poised but forgotten as she turns toward us, eyes wide.
“Nic has something to say,” Mina says, elbowing me right in the kidney.
I wince and cover my side with my hand. “I’m not sorry I broke your date’s nose. That guy’s a prick.”
Jessie snorts and goes back to her reflection, swiping the rosy pink applicator over her lips.
“Not that,” Mina says, but at least this time she doesn’t elbow me.
I can’t say what I need to in front of Mina, so I catch Jessie’s eyes in the mirror. “Can we talk? Alone?”
She turns, glancing at Mina and back at me, uncertainty in her eyes.
“Please?”
“I think you should hear him out,” Mina says as she takes a step toward the door.
Jessie puts her lip gloss in a hidden pocket in her skirt, her expression carefully blank. “Fine.”
“I’ll stand outside, make sure you have privacy,” Mina says with a diabolical grin. “Can you get it done in two minutes?”
“Thirty seconds will be enough,” Jessie says.
Shit. I’m going to have to make every second count.
Mina scoffs. “No way is he that good.”
Jessie laughs and I silently thank Mina for the tension breaker.
The door shuts and I close the distance between us. It’s hard to keep my hands to myself, but I manage, leaning forward to whisper in Jessie’s ear—in case Mina’s eavesdropping. “You’re the only one I want.”
Jessie shivers and I take that as a good sign, so I reach out to brush a loose curl from her face.
