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We both laughed again, and I wanted to grill her for all the juicy details, but it was time for the bride and her prince to leave. I had a feeling Jenny’s wedding would be placed on my social calendar soon enough. I really would end up being the old maid of the group. That wasn’t something I wanted to add to my resume.
Katie was beaming, her face glowing with happiness. She beckoned us closer, and I knew better than to attempt to shy away from being in the semi-circle. So I stood stoically while the other girls giggled like schoolgirls. I hated the strange tradition, but the catered affair had been all about what Katie had wanted.
The lucky dog.
She was marrying an actual prince, for God’s sake. How did that happen in modern day life? Even after turning around, she glanced over her shoulder, pouting her passion pink lips as the drummer in the small orchestra did the practiced drum roll.
“Come on, girl! You ready?” I yelled on cue. “One,” I shouted.
“Two!” the entire group of women bellowed.
“Three!” This time, the room got in on it.
Katie pitched the gorgeous bouquet of two dozen long stem red roses over her shoulder, which was exactly what her mother had carried in her fairytale wedding.
And straight into my arms.
What. The. Fuck?
CHAPTER 3
Sedona
The betrayal stung.
I hated to admit it but that was the truth. I hadn’t believed Matt was the one by any means, but I’d enjoyed being a couple for the most part. With my hectic schedule, it had been nice to know on a Friday night I could enjoy a few precious hours exploring the countryside or having a fabulous dinner, grabbing a weekend getaway or staying in watching old movies.
And I’d caught the bouquet of all gruesome things. It appeared karma had it in for me. The bitch.
“You will give me all the juicy details. Won’t you?” Jenny said from the other end of the phone. Her purr was laughable.
Juicy details? She had the evening all planned out for me. I doubted I’d find a rough and tumble hunk in a fashionable hotel bar.
“Go enjoy a rough night of sex with Brad. I’m just fine all by myself, thank you very much.” I raked my hand through my hair, chewing on my lower lip, which meant I was very frustrated. Since planting the idea in my head, I hadn’t been able to lose the sinful images.
“Hot man. Sizzling round of rough sex. It will do the mind and body good. It certainly does mine.”
“Ugh. A little TMI. Good night,” I said in a singsong voice before ending the call. She would never leave me alone until I’d complied with her request. I was certain of it.
As I headed into the hotel bar, I realized suddenly that Matt had never slipped under a cozy throw, settling in to watch a single movie with me. Not only did he hate what he called ‘chick flicks,’ which to me were action and adventure movies, but he hadn’t been able to sit still long enough. The single time I’d bothered to suggest something so pathetically girlie, he’d made six phone calls during the movie. I’d counted every one of them.
Then he’d stormed out when I’d challenged him.
Okay, so the match hadn’t been made in heaven by a long shot, but we had enjoyed some time together. Right? Or was I just dreaming, ignoring all the signs?
I moved to the bar, still shaking the ugliness out of my head. At least the place wasn’t packed, which didn’t surprise me. I’d purposely selected a hotel off the beaten path yet close to the wedding venue. It allowed me to be close to my favorite place in the city, the waterfront. I adored everything about rivers and lakes, but especially oceans. While I hadn’t decided to move to a beach community was beyond me, other than I’d grown up in Louisville and loved the people.
And the food.
While I lived just outside of town, spending the weekend in a posh hotel had been a gift I’d given to myself. A few drinks. A massage. A bubble bath. Plus, I hadn’t needed to worry about driving after the reception.
Now I was regretting not being able to crawl under my own covers, ignoring the world for an entire day before returning the practiced smile to my face.
I eased onto a barstool, twisting around to gather a glance at the limited crowd in the darkened space. The few people inside were obviously on business, stopping by the bar for a quick nightcap before heading to their expensive suites for the night. I was shocked almost every male was dressed as if they’d stepped out of aGQmagazine. It was Saturday night, for God’s sake. Then again, maybe they’d all attended weddings for family or friends, forced to doll themselves up when they preferred to be sitting cross-legged in front of a television.
Maybe I’d hoped for a person of interest to appear out of the shadows, sweeping me off my feet just like Jenny had suggested could happen. He’d be dressed in all black, maybe in tight-fitting jeans and a tee shirt that accentuated rippling muscles. I envisioned tattoos adorning his muscular arms, his watch the only indication that he was rich and powerful. Sadly, it seemed I wouldn’t fulfill my bestie’s wish for me on the star-filled night. The suits were tailored but the few watches I could see were cheap.
So much for the perfect alpha male.
