Page 18 of Another Shot At Forever
I smiled, pulling her frail body in for a hug. “I’ve missed you, Noni.” I pulled away after giving her a peck on the cheek. “No one else pinches my cheeks or calls meTesorolike you do.”
She giggled, brushing her palm over her face. “And no one else makes me blush like you do.”
Giana hugged her grandmother, and the two became a bundle of giggles and whispers before Noni excused herself to chat with more guests. “I’ll catch up with youlovebirdslater.” She emphasized lovebirds as though her all-knowing self could sense our ruse had become a ruse.
My gorgeous fake fiancée pointed out the bride and groom sitting at a round table to the side of the room. “Maybe we should get this over with. Say our hellos and announce it to them now?”
I nodded, resting my hand on the small of her back as we slowly snaked our way through the crowd over to their table. “Yes, of course. Anything to make this easier on you.”
She leaned into me and whispered, “Noni says you look even more handsome and muscular than before.” She paused, biting her lower lip. “I couldn’t agree more.”
See? Royally. Fucked.
As we closed in on their table, Sofie’s mouth fell open, eyes wide as the sky. “Ohmigosh, Reed Cortez?” She shot to her feet, jetted around the table, and threw her arms around me. “What the H-E-Double L areyoudoing here?”
I pulled back and took Giana’s right hand in mine, our fingers interlocked. “I’m Gigi’s plus-one.”
Hands on hips, Sofie eyeballed her sister. “You didn’t tell meReedwas your date.”
Giana shrugged. “Guess I’d been so busy planning your bachelorette party and the menu for this dinner, telling you slipped my mind.” She ran her left hand through her hair in one smooth, highly impressive move.
“Wait.” Sofie gasped. “Is that a ring?” She practically yanked her sister’s hand. “WTF, Giana, are you two…engaged?”
“Yep.” I pulled Giana into me. “Popped the question last weekend while we were in the Hamptons.”
The douchebag sitting at the table, who I assumed was Sofie’s fiancé, stood and said, “Well, that’s kinda cool.”
Sofie released what sounded like a disgruntled sigh. “When did you two even get back together?”
“Six months ago.”
“After she showed me a house,” I said, adding fluff to Giana’s clipped reply. “I didn’t expect she’d be the real estate agent meeting me there.”Factual scenario.“Before I knew it, one thing led to another.”Factual scenario in the making if all the stars align.
Giana and I added more hot air, further blowing up the story, and by the time we’d finished, her sister and soon-to-be-brother-in-law-slash-ex seemingly ate up the entire sham.
Sofie plastered on what had all the earmarks of a signature resting-bitch face. “Congratulations. You both seem very happy.”
* * *
Guests quickly spilled into the room as Giana and I claimed our seats at a table, flickering tea lights and rose petals scattered about.
In the background, a string quartet played melodic versions of timeless love songs as black-tied servers pranced from table to table, balancing trays along their forearms. Glancing down at the table, I perused menu-card choices.
I leaned over and said softly in Giana’s ear, “Everything on the menu sounds delicious,” remembering that she’d been responsible for tonight’s meal. Personally, I would have blown this shit off, not even attended. I couldn’t comprehend how Sofie could act so annoyed with Giana when she’d been the one who took a sharp knife to her little sister’s back. They say guilt makes one lash out at those they’ve wronged.
“Thank you.” Giana’s smile was fleeting, and she couldn’t mask the hurt filling her eyes. I wanted to erase her pain, be the hero who saved her, just like that night at the college party years ago.
* * *
Dinner and dessert dragged by, guests making long-winded speeches about Sofie and Chad.
Giana remained pretty quiet most of the evening, barely touching her meal.
Playing more upbeat tunes, the band invited everyone onto the dance floor.
When I tugged Giana’s elbow and asked her to join me for a dance, she said, “Fuck, here comes Sofie.” She gestured to the right, and when I flicked my gaze in that direction, I watched Sofie make a narrow-eyed beeline straight for our table.
“Just wanted to come by and congratulate you two on your engagement again.” The smile on Sofie’s face looked more plastic than a Barbie doll’s ass. “So amazing how you’ve reconnected.” She slid into one of the seats across from ours. “It’s like that movieSerendipity, only better.”
