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Of course, those were mostly Claire’s ideas, which is why I’m very proud of her, but I did throw my support behind each one. And book the ballroom.
Joel pats my back. “Maybe we should have asked you two to plan our wedding.”
I take a sip from my glass of gin and tonic. “Very funny.”
That would definitely take a lot more work. Then again, I’m quite confident Claire and I could pull it off. If there’s anything I’ve learned these past few weeks, apart from the fact that Claire loves to shave my beard, it’s that she and I work extremely well together. I don’t think there’s anything she and I couldn’t pull off.
“So…” Joel taps his glass. “How are things going with that woman you’ve been sleeping with? You haven’t said much about her.”
The woman I’m sleeping with? Oh, right. He thinks there’s someone else, and I’ve let him believe it so he won’t find out I’m with his sister.
“There still is someone, right?” he asks.
I nod. “Yeah.”
I’ve decided to lie to him as little as possible just so I don’t get confused and slip.
Joel looks around. “Is she here?”
“No.”
I haven’t seen Claire yet.
Joel gives me a puzzled look. “You didn’t invite her?”
“I did. She didn’t want to come. Fancy parties aren’t her thing.”
“I see. That’s too bad. But you get along? Everything’s good?” Joel leans forward. “And I don’t mean just in bed.”
“Yeah,” I answer. “Everything’s good.”
He puts a hand on my shoulder. “Promise you’ll introduce me to her sometime?”
I nod. “I promise.”
I’ve already promised Claire I’ll tell him about us after the wedding.
After the wedding. That means there isn’t much time before Joel stops talking to me. Hopefully, like Ethan said, he’ll come to his senses before long and start talking to me again.
Joel’s eyebrows furrow. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re dying of cancer or something.”
“What?”
I shake my head in disbelief and grab his glass.
“I think maybe that’s enough.”
I chug down the contents.
“Hey!” Joel complains.
I set down the empty glass.
“Do I still look like I’m dying?”
He snorts. “You look like a jerk who stole my drink.”
I laugh. So does he.
“There you are.”
We both stop laughing as Natalie approaches us.
“I was wondering where you two were.” She sniffs Joel’s breath. “You haven’t been drinking already, have you?”
“Just half a glass,” I answer for him.
Joel frowns.
I turn to Natalie. “We can’t have him looking like a fool right next to his beautiful fiancée, can we?”
She smiles. “No, we can’t.”
She turns to Joel.
“You can look like a fool all you want later at your bachelor party, but right now, we are going to make sure our guests enjoy this lovely party that your best man and your sister put together.”
Joel gives her a salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Speaking of your sister, where is she?” Natalie looks around. “I haven’t seen her. I thought she was here before anyone else.”
She looks at me.
“Have you seen her?”
“No,” I answer.
She frowns.
“I’ll go look for her,” Joel offers before I can.
He starts to walk away but Natalie grabs his arm.
“Maybe I should do it. What if she’s in the restroom?”
“Didn’t you go there earlier?” Joel asks.
“Maybe I missed her. Maybe she’s in another restroom.”
Joel takes Natalie’s hand off him and kisses it.
“I’ll find her. I’ll be right back.”
He leaves. Natalie sighs.
“Oh, dear. I sure hope I haven’t gotten sweet Claire in trouble.”
I look at her with creased eyebrows. “Trouble?”
Natalie moves closer to me. “Promise you won’t tell Joel.”
“Promise.”
If Claire’s in trouble, I want to know. I have to.
“Claire is seeing someone,” Natalie whispers. “What if she’s with him now and Joel walks in on them?”
For a moment, I feel confused. Then I realize Claire is playing the same game with Natalie as I am with Joel.
“Don’t worry,” I tell Natalie. “I’m sure that’s not going to happen.”
A hundred percent sure.
Still, she looks anxious. “But what if—?”
Just then, Joel and Claire walk into the ballroom. Natalie places her hand on her chest and breathes out a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness she’s okay.”
“Yup,” I say as I fix my gaze on Claire. “She’s okay.”
She’s more than okay. She’s stunning. She’s wearing a simple sleeveless, sea green dress that goes up to her knees. No beads. No glitter. No lace trimmings. Just two tiny bows on her shoulders and smooth, seamless fabric that hugs her slim waist and her firm breasts. Her hair is combed back, bunched up at the top of her head like a crown she’s wearing. Her lips are scarlet red like the lingerie she wore. Diamonds hang from her ears and a pair of gold bangles gleams around her wrist. Her other hand clutches a pearl-studded purse.
As she walks towards me, I draw in the breath that’s been stolen from me.
Damn it. I want to pull her into my arms, kiss her, and let the whole world know she’s mine. But I can’t. Joel is standing right beside her.
