Truth or Date(16)

She winked at Henry who grinned back at her and this is where things started to get very emotional. Ellen and Henry were getting married. Such an epic moment in their lives, committing themselves to one another, and we had the privilege to witness this beautiful ceremony. The music faded and after a short pause, a string quartet rendition of Here Comes the Bride began playing. Everybody stood, pivoting toward the back of the room.

Seconds later, Ellen appeared in her strapless white gown, elegant and stunning. With her mother at her side, they held hands as they drifted down the aisle together toward Henry. It wasn’t until her mom lifted her veil that my eyes welled. Her mom dabbed a handkerchief to her eyes as she told Ellen how beautiful she looked, gave her a kiss on the cheek, then placed Ellen’s hand in Henry’s.

As the minister began speaking, I gazed out into the audience at the sea of friends and family here to celebrate this special union  . My eyes swept across the room, then jerked to a stop on baby blues staring right at me. My body went on red alert. Chris? The way his lips turned up in the corners told me he knew I’d spotted him. But, what was he doing here? I’d seen the guest list and his name wasn’t on it.

Although it was obvious he’d caught me practically gaping at him, I moved my eyes around the rest of the room as I pretended his stare hadn’t affected every part of me. Then I spotted Ethan. What the . . . ? Ethan looked hot in his suit and he watched the bride and groom with a serious expression as they exchanged their vows.

I swallowed the bundle of nerves creeping up my throat and turned my attention to Ellen as she placed a ring on Henry’s finger. I hadn’t invited Chris or Ethan. So what in the world were they doing here? Since I was a bridesmaid, it’s not like I could slip out of here and avoid whatever confrontation they surely wanted. Maybe I could hide in a corner. Nobody would miss me in a corner and I could pop out if Ellen needed me. . . .

“You may now kiss your bride,” the minister said.

Henry gazed into Ellen’s eyes with a look that seemed to come from his soul, then he leaned down and kissed her. The room erupted in clapping and everyone stood, the minister wrapped up with a few sentences, and suddenly they were announced as Mr. and Mrs. Henry Holbrook III.

Loud organ music blasted for the recessional and Ellen retrieved her rose-filled bouquet from Rach before heading down the aisle with her husband. Rach and Mike followed, then Kristen and Adam, and Josh and I brought up the rear.

As I passed by where Chris was sitting, it was all I could do to keep my eyes focused straight ahead. Especially when I could physically feel his gaze on me.

My heart raced and I had a feeling all my bad decisions were about to catch up with me.

****

While we were sitting at the head table, I found out that Kristen had invited Ethan to be her date to the wedding. Anxiety built inside me every time I caught a glimpse of him. And Chris too, for that matter. One would’ve been tough enough to take, but both here together?

I narrowed my eyes at Kristen. “How could you?”

It didn’t appear that this catastrophic problem she’d created had fazed her in the slightest. “You had your chance with him.” She shrugged. “And I needed a date.”

I shook my head, unable to believe her callous attitude toward the misery she’d caused.

She lifted her wine glass. “Did Rach give you your Dare yet? Or is she still leaving you hanging?”

Way to change the subject. “Payback, Kristen. It will come.”

“I’m sure it’ll be worth it. Who wants to dance alone?” With a tilt of her head and a smile, she sipped her Chardonnay. “I guess Rach didn’t want to dance alone either.”

With that, I followed to where she’d fixated her sights, then I gasped. Rach had her arm around Chris as she leaned down to tell him something at his table. “She invited Chris to be her date tonight? She said she was going stag!”

“You’re the one who left the extra spot in the headcount that needed to be filled.” Kristen’s tone was way too amused.

Rach got up to make her way back to the head table so I lifted my wine glass and approached her. “You’re supposed to be my friend.”

“You’re shooting lasers with your eyes, babe.” Rach smirked, then reached around her groomsman for her own wine. “Something up?”

“Nothing.” I stepped back a couple feet and lowered my voice so the entire wedding party wouldn’t hear us. “Just thought there wasn’t anything going on between you and Chris?”

Rach sipped her Chardonnay. “What makes you think something is?”

I hated that she didn’t answer my question. “He’s your date to the wedding. I thought you were going stag.”

“It’s nice to have someone to dance with.” She gave a light shrug. “He told me he asked you out, but you turned him down. Having second thoughts?”

Yes. “No.”

“Gina, you’re being ridiculous. Anyone with half a brain can see you’re jealous that he’s here with me. Even though we just came as friends.”

Friends, right. Where had I heard that before?

Finally, she let out a laugh. “You really don’t know.”

“What?” I bit out, exasperated. “What don’t I know?”

“Why I brought Chris with me.” She shook her head as if I were the most clueless person on the planet. “I’ve worked down the hall from Chris for five years. I even flirted on occasion...albeit, years ago. He had every opportunity to ask me out, to ask any of the girls in the office out. Any guesses why he didn’t?”

“Yes.” I grabbed my neck and pressed down, trying to rub out the stress building up there. “A girl from work broke his heart once. Now he doesn’t date people from the office.”

The look she gave me made me feel two inches tall. “Who do you think that girl was, Gina?”

I pulled my chin back. “You can’t mean me.”

She blew out a breath and threw her hands wide. “Sometimes you are so dense. I was supposed to order his cake.”

“What cake?”

“For his going away party at work. I was next on the rotation. Right?” She waited a second to see if I was following along. “You think I didn’t have ten minutes to call and order his cake and lunch myself?”

Actually, I did think that was odd at the time. . . .

“Chris and I were talking about his new job, then Ellen’s wedding, and somehow it came out that he knew you and George had broken up. He asked me if I thought you were over him yet.”

He’d asked her about me? Really? “What did you tell him?”

“Honestly, I told him I wasn’t sure.” She shrugged. “So, I sent you to order his cake as a nudge. I thought you’d make a great couple. I still do.”

My mouth dropped open. “Why do you guys never tell me these things?”

She groaned. “I did. Repeatedly.”

Oh, right. “I totally messed things up.”

She leveled me with a look. “Then you, my dear, have got some groveling to do.”

Shaking my head, I groaned. “You don’t understand how mean I was yesterday. I don’t think I can talk to him.”

Her hand touched my elbow. “You don’t have to talk with him.”

I let out the breath I’d been holding. “I don’t?”

“No.” Her lips spread into a smile. “When the first song comes on, you have to ask him to dance.”

My heart stopped. “I can’t.”

“You can and you will.” She held her glass up. “I dare you.”



CHAPTER TEN



As Ellen and Henry danced all close and cuddly to Come Away with Me by Norah Jones, I could hear a clock ticking in my head. Ask Chris to dance? Rach was so off my Christmas Card list. She could forget a birthday gift, too.

Every so often I’d steal a quick peek at Chris’s table where he was seated with the select few who’d been invited from work. Whenever our eyes met, I couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking. Did he hate me? Did he think I was a total witch? Did he think I had invited Ethan? Probably not since I hadn’t been to his table at all, but still. I didn’t want him to get the impression that I was interested in anyone else.

Still, when the wedding party was invited to the dance floor, I kept imagining what it would be like if Josh were Chris. Dancing wouldn’t be so bad. If he agreed to dance with me, that is. Oh, man. What if he said no? Not like I could blame him if he did.

After the song ended, Ellen danced with her dad. Although she didn’t have high hopes for much of a relationship with him, since he’d been absent most of her life save for a few milestones like graduation, she’d said it did mean something for him to be at the wedding. So, she would go into it with her eyes open and enjoy the moment with him even if it was all it was.

Halfway through the song, Henry brought his grandmother out to the dance floor. His mom had died when he was little, so his grandma had raised him, and the deep bond between them was obvious as they glided across the floor.

When the song ended, I closed my eyes and swallowed.

“You’re up,” Rach whispered in my ear then took Henry to the dance floor while Ellen went to dance with the best man.