It was never even close to that. I was thinking clearly now and still slightly annoyed I was headed to a wedding with strangers as a thank you for my dad who wasn’t feeling well enough to make the trip.
So many things associated with this trip were going through my mind. Number one, dad was going back to his doctor when I got home. Being this tired all of the time couldn’t be a good sign for the sixty-five-year-old heartbreaker, and sneaking a fast-food breakfast with his classic car buddies every chance he got lately could be another issue affecting his health. He wasn’t a healthy eater, no matter how hard I tried, and my so-called friends bringing up mom losing her battle to cancer had me thinking about the fact that I wasn’t going to lose my dad too. The fact that I was here without him was a good enough reason for me to force him to see a doctor for an overdue check-up. The stubborn man owed me, and now I knew how to make him pay up.
Number two, I thought it was funny how I met up with friends and ended up leaving early after not being able to find them, and after checking my phone this morning, there was still nothing from any of them.
Ping.
I looked at my phone that displayed Liz’s name as if I’d summoned the text.
“A million hours later,” I said, putting down my mascara and opening the message.
Liz: Hey. I couldn’t find you last night. I’m so sorry we ditched you. I was so wasted and woke up in bed with a stranger! Did you see who I was with? Plz god, tell me WTF I did last night.
I looked at the phone and covered my smile. Maybe I had been out of the real world for too long. Now, I go out of town for a random wedding, and it is turning into the Twilight Zone.
Ash: Hey. No, I couldn’t find you guys after you hit the dance floor. Are you okay?
Liz: I need to get tested. Fuck. I was so messed up last night.
I ran my fingernail over my bottom teeth. How the hell was I supposed to respond to this? I felt horrible for her, but if I was honest, my brain was all twisted up after meeting the same attractive guy twice in a day and then him hinting at me to get my ass into the same position as Liz. I wasn’t going to dare judge her. I just felt terrible that she got so hammered she wasn’t sure if she’d even had protected sex with some random guy.
Ash: You’ll be fine. Get tested, though. Did the others see you go off with him? Do you think someone put something in your drink?
Liz: No. This was all on me. Everyone said that I was so shit-faced that I just grabbed some guy off the dance floor and told everyone I was going to fuck him. I feel like such an idiot. He’s in the shower. I think I’m going to get out of here.
What the fuck am I supposed to say? They took off on the dance floor, and after my small talk with Mr. Gorgeous—Mr. G.—I couldn’t find them to say I was leaving. What a fucking weird night, and now this text?
Ash: Sorry, I couldn’t find you guys, so I just took off. I have the wedding to go to today. Keep me updated if you can.
Liz: Sorry for ditching out on you. It was nice catching up. I’ll get through this. Take it easy, Ashley.
Ash: You too. Thanks for the invite out. I hope everything works itself out.
Liz: Well, it’s not the first time I slept with a random guy. It just sucks waking up hungover and not knowing how it all went down. See ya.
I didn’t have time for this. I was fake-texting a friend about her shitty morning hangover and guilt from screwing a guy she couldn’t remember. This wasn’t my game. I was trying to put that entire weird day behind me and move into this one.
I was determined to show up at this wedding and do my best to show my distant cousins—the Johnsons—the appreciation my dad and I had for their help when my mom was sick. I had no idea of the relationship my parents had with these people. Still, I was going to put my best foot forward and enjoy them celebrating the marriage of a cousin I used to play Barbie with when I was three.
I left my phone in the vanity area on the charger, music still playing, and danced my way over to my closet. I pulled out the short, slip dress I got for the wedding. It was more costly than the heels, but after slipping it on, I felt refreshed and beautiful.
I ran my hand over my stomach, thankful I wasn’t bloated, and the dress hugged my frame perfectly. The burgundy color held a soft shimmer under the light of my hotel room and made my skin look like I’d just laid out and enjoyed the sun’s rays.
Nice one, Clay! I internally thanked my best guy friend who had fashion down to a science. He and his boyfriend, Joe, were the best guys I knew. Joe wouldn’t let me head up to San Francisco unless I received his favorable touch to my hair. Thank God for that, too—the soft red highlights and layers he added to my chestnut hair was perfect.
I covered my chest when my Uber pulled up to the same hotel I was just at the previous night. WTF. I laughed at the fact that I was probably going to be on that rooftop again for the reception. It made sense, though. This was the hot spot for the wealthy people, and the Johnsons were definitely that.
After paying the driver, I stepped out. I instinctively covered the deep V in the front of the dress after seeing a few guys taking notice of the cleavage Clay was practically forcing me to put on display for everyone with this dress he was determined was made just for me!
I walked through the hotel entrance and followed the crowd through the vast and luxurious hotel lobby. The intoxicating fragrances of lilies alerted me to the massively decorated and immaculately designed wedding ballroom.
God-dang! This had the touch of an artist to create an atmosphere of love and make a single fool like myself wish I were on the arm of my one true love to enjoy such splendor. I loved every ounce of this décor. It was more than décor—it was art. It was all fashioned with candles, flowers arched along the walls, some diamond-like vases holding greenery that glistened under lights placed above them. It was flawless, and a smile spread across my face, feeling the serenity of true love wrapping itself around me.
“Third time is a charm.”
A familiar voice snapped me out of my daze as I stood at the entrance, waiting to be ushered to my seat. Holy fuck! Am I still asleep and dreaming this man into being at the wedding with me?
I looked at Mr. Gorgeous, sucked in a breath, and placed my hand in his arm when he reached out to me. He was transformed into a model from a wedding magazine. The silver vest under his black tuxedo and his smile completed the atmosphere of intoxicating love this place was exuding.
He leaned into me. “You don’t have to say anything. I was quite speechless after noticing you in the doorway. You look…”
He paused, and the sexiest smile lit his ocean-blue eyes. “Yeah,” I swallowed hard, “What are the odds we meet here?” I laughed.
“Perhaps it’s fate,” he said, standing tall and resuming his walk down the aisle where the ushers were seating guests. “Maybe you and I will find out later?”
I smiled at him, lost in his beautiful face, but resuming my walk, or he’d be pulling me from falling on my face in these heels. “Um, I’m with the bride’s guests,” I informed him when he led me to a seat to the right.
“That’s all fine and good,” he answered. “However, I will have the best view of you during the wedding if you are seated with the groom’s guests.”