Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
There’s no assigned seating and the elegant food is served buffet style, which is fortunate for my band of merry co-conspirators. We perfectly fit at a table of eight, nabbing flutes of champagne from passing waiters.
The clink of glasses and the murmur of laughter surround us, but now the real test begins—surviving the reception with Tansy lurking somewhere nearby. I glance around, ensuring she isn’t making a beeline for us yet.
“So, that was quite the ceremony, huh?” I start, trying to keep the mood light. Tempe nods, her eyes bright, still captivated by the ambiance of this place transformed into a winter wonderland.
“It was beautiful,” she agrees before sipping her champagne. “Harlow looks amazing.”
“Yeah, those vows were something else,” Atlas chimes in, shaking his head with a wry smile. “Makes a guy reconsider the whole marriage gig.”
King, sitting next to his girlfriend Willa, laughs. “You? Married? I’ll believe it when I see it, dude.”
Willa rests her chin in the palm of her hand. “It was a fairy-tale ceremony. Every girl’s dream.”
King brushes hair back from her face. “Your dream?”
“Maybe once upon a time but I think I’m over that now.”
I assume Willa’s referencing the fact she was married to a real douchebag before. Still, I know King would give her whatever type of wedding she wanted and I have no doubt that’s where they’re headed. He fell hard for Willa and had to work to convince her to give him a chance. He’d offer her the world.
Foster raises his glass, a smirk playing on his lips. “To Stone and Harlow, may they have better luck than Rafferty avoiding crazy.”
Laughter bursts from the group, and even I can’t help but join in. It’s good to have friends who can make light of your miseries.
“Speaking of, has anyone seen Tansy yet?” Mazzy asks, scanning the crowd. “I thought she’d have crashed this table by now.”
“I saw her during the ceremony,” I say with distaste. “She was staring daggers at Tempe.”
“I noticed it too,” Tempe says, and I’m surprised by that. She seems completely unfazed though, and she nods off to the left. We all look that way and I spot Tansy across the room, who is, in fact, right now staring at us.
“Great,” I mutter, and then twist in my chair to face Tempe. “This was a bad idea. I don’t like that her attention is on you.”
“That’s probably thanks to your stellar acting at the photo shoot, Tempe,” North adds, giving her a teasing nudge. “Got her questioning her own sanity.”
“I think we should go,” I say, suddenly feeling uneasy, but Tempe blows it off.
Shaking her head, she puts her hand on my arm. “We’re doing no such thing. We’re not going to let that nutjob run you off from your friend’s wedding. Besides, you and I are surrounded by friends. She won’t do anything stupid.”
Tempe sure has a lot of faith in a woman who is, by all accounts, unhinged.
“Maybe not right now, but we’re leaving tomorrow for a quick in-and-out game in Florida.” I don’t like that Tempe will be here in Pittsburgh, as will Tansy. She doesn’t travel with the team, but maybe I’m being paranoid.
Tempe doesn’t respond to my worry, instead saying, “That must be exhausting. Traveling there, playing a game, then flying back?”
“It’s all about routine,” King explains. “You get used to it. The real challenge is keeping the energy up for the games, especially these quick turnarounds, but our team plane is surprisingly comfortable and we’ll all sleep as much as we can while in the air.”
“Oh shit,” Mazzy says under her breath. Tansy heads toward our table, stride assured, her chin lifted in defiance.
Involuntarily, I drape my arm over the back of Tempe’s chair, the tips of my fingers brushing against her shoulder. She doesn’t flinch at either my touch or Tansy’s approach.
It’s funny how there was a day I once thought Tansy was smoking hot… the type of beauty that most women dream of and men can’t resist. But her ludicrous behavior and vanity has made her completely unattractive and sadly, she doesn’t get it.
She offers a fake smile as she comes up on my left, looking back and forth. “Rafferty, Tempe,” she begins, her tone sugary sweet. “Still playing house, I see?”
I can actually feel my friends tense around me, a circle of solidarity forming as they prepare to defend our lie.
“Yes, Tansy,” I reply, my arm moving to drape over Tempe’s shoulders. “We’re very happy together.”
Atlas is the first to jump in, to stake his position at our backs. “Give it a rest, Tansy. They’re great together. You’re just jealous.”
Tansy’s eyes narrow, and she scans the faces around the table, each of my friends nodding and murmuring their agreement.
“It’s really none of your business, Tansy,” North adds. “Let them be.”
Tempe doesn’t say a word but she does lean into me, her hand coming to rest on my thigh, which Tansy can clearly see.