Page 50 of How to Ruin a Wedding

He gives me a performance as he pours my shots, then places them across from me. “What’s your name?” he asks, his gaze trained on my chest.

“Lucy.”

“Lucy,” he repeats, “and what’s your number?”

I gather the drinks close to my chest. “You’ll learn that when I get my second round.” I wink at him and turn, nearly spilling all the drinks on my chest when I bump into Anders.

Before I have the chance to feel embarrassed by being caught in the act, he reaches to help hold the cups. “That,” he says, “was—”

“Manipulative?” I offer.

“—magical,” he counters, “and for some reason”—his hand lingers over mine as he takes the remaining drinks—“incredibly sexy.”

It’s not that I disagree—Iknowit was; it’s why I got the free drinks. But in this moment, I know with full certainty that Anders is attracted to me. More than a general appreciation of acknowledging someone is just conventionally good looking.

But witnessing me charm another man, hike up my breasts, and flirt my way to a deal has made him look at me like he wants to devour me. AndGod, do I want to let him.

Which is exactly why I chose not to drink. I’m going to be clear headed. Focused on Valerie, my actual job, and not what sex-hungry Lucy wants. Though it pains me to, I move away from Anders and give him a friendly shove.

“Well, hope you enjoyed the show,” I say as we weave through couples and rowdy groups. “Now that he sees me with you, he’s not going to offer me another round.”

“Do exactly what you did to him to me,” he says as we reach the table, “I’ll give you my bank account information.”

I laugh so hard it shakes me, and I smack his arm enough some of the drinks spill before he can place them on the table, and we take our spots again.

“What’s so funny?” Valerie asks as we rejoin. “I like to laugh.”

“Lucinda charmed the bartender.”

“Scammed,” I say, though I appreciate the fluffed words. “I could have got several more rounds ifsomebodyhadn’t shown up.”

Anders grabs my hand, presses a kiss at the center of it. “My deepest apologies.”

It is so teenage-like, this night, the way Anders is pulling giggles from me every other minute. The way my cheeks are forcing themselves to keep from smiling. The way I keep catching him watching me, smiling too.

“Gross,” Valerie says, “and cute.” She scans the space behind us, so I turn to find where she’s looking. “No more free drinks from that guy, but look for the redheaded woman. She owns the place and always gives me drinks on the house.” As though the woman hears herself being talked about, she catches our gazes and waves. “I’ll tell her to look out for you.”

“Noted.”

Anders wraps an arm around me, pulling me as close as possible beside him. Though I know he’s playing it up for our lie, I can’t help but notice the inches of distance between John and Valerie. I’m struggling to see the connection, the romance, and I can’t tell if I’m biased by Anders’s wish for them not to be together, or if there’s something off about them in general.

“What’s next for wedding planning?” I ask Valerie, knowing changing subjects is better in the long run. I don’t want to make it obvious I’m prying. “Anything I can help with?”

Valerie groans, hitting her head on the cushion behind her. “Maybe. Probably.” She takes a drink, her manicured nails gripping the glass, and downs it in one gulp. “My maid of honor, the bitch, is in the Peace Corps. Literally. She was supposed to be back this month to help plan, but she’s stuck in Belize with these annoyingly cute kids that want her to stick around for their soccer tournament.”

“So, she’s a generous bitch,” I say.

Valerie laughs. “Yeah, that’s right. Generous to everyone butmeright now. She had one little epiphany about wanting to be a better person after a night out, and now she’s thousands of miles away. So rude.”

“Well, I too am generous, if you need anything while she’s away making the world better than how she found it.”

Valerie narrows her eyes at me, then, at my chest. I blink, and she’s completely over the table, and her hands are feeling my boobs, then my stomach, back to my chest.

All the thoughts written in my mind go blank, a dry-erase board washed clean.

“Christ, Valerie.” Anders shoves her away, and my thoughts slowly write themselves back in my brain.

“Relax.” She sits back in her seat. “I won’t take your girlfriend.” She wiggles her brows at me. “I could if I wanted, I bet, but you know, you and Cierra are around the same size. You’re probably a little taller, but the proportions are almost the same.”