AJ faltered. The person in front of him was a complete stranger. A very big, very terrifying stranger. He was six five, if not taller, with tattoo-covered arms, silver piercings through his lip and both eyebrows, and a body-builder physique that AJ would’ve been scared shitless of if the two men had been in an MMA cage.
“I…think there might be some kind of mistake…” Frowning, he took an uneasy step back, but a hand clapped over his arm to stop him.
“Fuck no,” the stranger exclaimed. “C’mon, join the party. The more the merrier, Blondie.”
AJ had no time to object. He was being dragged into the pub, and the hand on his arm might as well have been a steel vise.
Half a second later, there was no doubt in his mind that he was in the wrong frickin’ place.
Forty or so people crowded the dim-lit room—nearly all male. He spotted maybe four or five females in the mix. None of which were Brett. And of course, who could miss the huge green banner draped across the massive stone fireplace on the other side of the cozy room?
The one that read: Congratulations, Liam and Steve!
The two men’s names were written inside a big red heart.
AJ’s gaze darted from the crowd of men, to the streamers and balloons, to the makeshift dance floor, until finally it landed on the ten-tiered cake sitting on the sleek oak bar counter…which proudly featured two tuxedo-clad figurines on the top layer.
Two grooms.
“Yeah, I’m totally in the wrong place—” he started.
The grip on his arm tightened as the man it belonged to broke out in a smile. “C’mon, Blondie, let’s dance.”
The next thing he knew, the grinning behemoth pulled him onto the dance floor.
Chapter Thirteen
AJ was waiting outside Brett’s door when she reached the top of the staircase. With his back against the wall and his long legs stretched out before him, it appeared as if he’d been sitting there for quite some time.
“Hey,” she said as he hopped to his feet. “Where the hell were you tonight?”
She tried not to convey just how annoyed she was, but jeez, she did not like being stood up. She’d been ready to leave the party an hour after she’d gotten there, but she’d hung around at the pub for two extra hours waiting for AJ to arrive. Two hours of listening to Jessica babble on about makeup and shoes. Two hours of watching Jordan get drunker and drunker, a state that never failed to lead to an argument between him and Jessica. Which it had. A very loud one, too.
And she got home to find AJ hunkered down on her doorstep like a street urchin?
“I waited for hours,” she said accusingly, her annoyance spilling over before she could stop it.
“I’ve been calling for hours,” he shot back. “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
“Because it died right after we talked.” She scowled as she rummaged in her purse for her keys. “Seriously, dude, what the hell happened to you? Jordan was bummed that you didn’t show.”
“Oh, I showed,” he mumbled.
Brett yanked her key ring out of her bag. “You did not. Trust me, I’d know if you did. Unlike you, I was actually there.”
“You sent me to the wrong place,” he said darkly. “I’m still trying to figure out if it was an honest mistake or if you were pulling a prank on me.”
Her irritation dissolved.
Cue: confusion.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She strode inside and flicked the light switch, then kicked off her heels and spun around to face him. “I think you might be pranking me.”
“Ha. Says the prank master.” AJ glared at her. “I went to Donnelly’s, Brett. You weren’t there.”
“Of course I wasn’t.”
“Ha!” he said again. “See?”
“Because Jordan’s thing was at Donaghy’s.”
“You said Donnelly’s.”
“Nuh-uh, I said Donaghy’s. Do-na-ghy’s.” Her victorious smile faded when she noticed the miserable look on his face. “Why? What happened at Donnelly’s?”
“What didn’t happen at Donnelly’s?” was his muttered response.
Without another word, he stalked to the kitchen and rifled through her fridge like he owned it. He pulled out a bottle of Heineken, the last of the six-pack he’d brought over the other night, then twisted off the cap and took a hearty swig.
Brett watched his strong throat as he swallowed. She frowned when a flash of silver winked beneath the overhead light.
“AJ…” She spoke in a cautious tone. “Is that glitter in your hair?”
“Yeah.” He chugged some more beer. “The stripper was throwing it around during his set.”