Wes plopped down in the chair Lauren vacated and gave me a shit-eating grin.
“What’s this I hear about the best man and the maid of honor hooking up at weddings?” he asked.
“It’s news to me,” I said, focusing on my plate and mentally composing the rant that would be directed at Lauren later for leaving me here alone with him.
“You want to meet up for a drink later, after we all go out?” Wes asked.
I narrowed my eyes and gave him a skeptical look. “I think we’re already going out for drinks after dinner.”
“Yeah, but I mean after that…you know, just you and me.”
I couldn’t stand men like him. He didn’t care who I was or what I was about—he just wanted to get laid later.
“I think I’ll be pretty tired after we all go out,” I said.
“Tired?” He laughed. “I think you need to loosen up.”
“I’m good.”
He shook his head like he couldn’t understand why I turned him down and exhaled hard. “Come on, Hadley. We’re both single, might as well live a little. Give it a chance and you might even end up liking me.”
I laughed, unamused. “You don’t even know me.”
“I know enough.”
I rolled my eyes. “I have too much self-respect for your taste, trust me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I have no interest in having sex with you.”
He put his hands up in mock surrender. “Hey, I wasn’t asking you to. We’re all going out tonight. I just thought you and I could spend some time together after.”
“Yeah, while already drunk,” I said sarcastically.
“Nothing wrong with having some fun.”
“You seem like the type of guy who likes to have some fun with a different woman every night.”
He shrugged and looked down at his left hand, holding it up and meeting my eyes. “Ring finger looks empty to me.”
“Ugh. Do you still live in a fraternity house?”
“I would if I could.”
“Living in filth, partying every night and being irresponsible. I bet you’d love it.”
He grinned. “You’d love having some fun, too, if you’d…you know, unclench a little bit.”
I balked at that. “Unclench? Did you seriously just say that to me?”
“I think I like you better when you have a wiener in your mouth, just saying.”
“How are you and Ben friends?”
“How are you and Lauren friends? She’s about the sweetest, coolest girl I’ve ever met.”
“Woman, actually.”
Wes cringed. “Whatever. You’re one of those people who corrects everyone’s grammar, aren’t you? And alphabetizes their shit. Are your spices alphabetized?”
My cheeks warmed, because yes my spice cabinet was alphabetized, but I wasn’t giving him the satisfaction of admitting it.
“Clearly we aren’t compatible,” I said.
“Yeah, clearly.” He widened his eyes and took a bite of his burger.
“Hey, how’s it going, guys?” Ben asked as he and Lauren approached.
“Fantastic,” Wes said sarcastically, standing up.
Lauren gave me a sympathetic look, and Ben cleared his throat, looking sheepish.
“Well, maybe you guys got off on the wrong foot,” he said diplomatically. “Let’s start over tonight.”
“Pass,” I said, shaking my head and getting up from my chair. “Wes might have better luck trolling college freshmen. I think I’m a little too old for him, intellectually speaking.”
“Fucking ballbuster,” Wes muttered.
“Asshole,” I fired back, taking a step closer to him.
“Why don’t you go label some shit? Or iron your power suits?”
“Go play with yourself, frat boy.”
“Okay, guys.” Lauren moved to stand between us. “Let’s go our separate ways and not turn our best friends’ engagement party into an episode of Jerry Springer, okay?”
I nodded, immediately remorseful for acting childish. There was no one close by, but still. Today was about Lauren and Ben.
“I’m sorry, guys,” I said softly.
“Yeah, me too,” Wes said. “I’m gonna…” He gestured to the other side of the back yard.
“I’ll come with you,” Ben said.
Lauren put an arm around me once they were gone. “Hadley, I’m so sorry. I never would have tried to set you guys up if I’d thought it would go like that.”
“I know. I just can’t see why Ben would be friends with him. He’s unbearable.”
“Why? What happened? He’s usually such a nice guy.” Her eyes were filled with worry.
“You know what?” I forced a smile. “It doesn’t matter. It’s your engagement party and we can talk about it another time.”
“Yeah, but what about tonight? Do you think you can maybe…ignore him?”
“Absolutely.”
She looked relieved. “Good. Because you’re our maid of honor and he’s our best man. You’ll have to see each other for wedding stuff. And later on, maybe during holidays and at baby showers and such.”
I gave my best friend a serious look. “Don’t worry, Lo. I don’t plan to ever speak to Wes again.”
She bit her lip and gave me an uncertain look.
“What?” I asked her.
“I didn’t want to say anything, but…you spilled macaroni and cheese on your shirt.”
“What?” I looked down and saw a smear of yellow cheese sauce on my light pink shirt, a single elbow noodle still stuck there. Perfect. Wes must have been laughing on the inside as I acted indignant toward him with food plastered to my shirt.
“Fuck,” I whispered.
“It’s okay,” Lauren said. “I have extra clothes in the house. Let’s find you something to change into.”
I followed her into her parents’ house, keeping my gaze on the back of her head. Not only did I not plan on speaking to Wes ever again, I also didn’t plan on so much as looking at him.
What a dick. Nothing would ever change my feelings about him—not just tonight, but ever.
Chapter One
Wes
Present Day
* * *
“Wes…more!” The tall brunette, whose name I couldn’t remember, was pushing her tongue into my mouth as I slid my hands under her short black skirt. She was grinding on my lap, her long hair draped all over my chest as we kissed. “Please, Wes, I need you inside of me.”
“Easy, doll. We have all night.” I kissed her again, trying to remember if I had a condom in my wallet because I’d left my wallet and phone on the counter when we’d gotten to her place.
Somewhere in the distance, I heard my ringtone playing Queen’s “We Are The Champions” and the vixen in my lap momentarily pulled away. “Do you need to get that?”
“Nope.”
Who the hell could be calling me at midnight on a Tuesday night?