A Thin Line (23 page)

"Like the ones where they used to make you go against Preston."

"Exactly And I only won against him once, and that was because he gave up. And he only did that because he was quitting Perry."

"Yeah, what was up with that? He won't tell anyone what he's doing now or what he plans on doing. He's always been wide open, bragging about a great case he's working on or a huge bonus he got for a settlement. He's so secretive right now. Kind of scary. Makes me wonder what's up his sleeve."

"Well, he's resourceful," I comment, and stifle a yawn. "I'm sure he's got something worked out. We'll find out eventually." 

"What about you though? You can't stay at Flanning forever. You're good enough to move up, move out. You should be a Partner by now. You're the best attorney they have there."

I smile at my friend, who really knows nothing about the legal field past what she's seen on Law and & Order and its various iterations. When I first met Jackie, she was dating a fellow law student at Barry. The relationship didn't work out, but our friendship did. She's still only managed to soak up a minute amount of information about the law and what it's like to be an attorney.

"Thanks for the compliment, Jacks. I'm far from the best. I'm good... but I'm not that good. Makes me think, though."  I heave my body up onto my elbows. I'm so relaxed, I could seep right off the table and onto the floor.

"About?"

"Going out on my own. Or going to another firm." I smile. "You know Perry recruited me?"

Her mouth drops and her eyes widen. "Shut up! When?"

"A few years ago. Preston must have told them all about how we'd known each other forever. They said they thought we'd make a great Dream Team. We could try cases together. Why, with my smarts-"

"And his charm–"

"We'd make a great Power Couple! Obviously I turned them down. The offer was lucrative, though. And I think if I could get an offer like that from Perry, I should be able to move on to another firm."

"You should really think about it. It might change your life."

Jackie pushes herself up from the chair and hands me my champagne flute before waddling out of the room. I lift the crystal to my lips and sip while watching the view of the beach and the surf outside the windows.

After my massage, I am fluid, floating from one station on the first floor to the next station upstairs on the second floor. I enjoy my salt scrub, practically purring at the sensation of coarse granules sloughing off surface skin and revealing supple skin underneath. From there I head to the Paraffin dip area and am seated in a spa chair. As soon as I slide into the chair, I hear a muffled gasp.

The patron next to me is wearing a green clay mask over her face but I recognize the twists with golden highlights and the generous chest.

"Oh. Hey," I toss over at her, and return my attention to the technician who is stirring paraffin dip in the seat in front of me.

"Hey," she returns. But she doesn't face front. Instead she continues to stare at the side of my face until I give her the attention she seems to be demanding.

"Something you need to say to me?"

"I was going to ask you the same question."

"Why would I have anything to say to you?"

"Well you might tell me why you're being such a bitch. I don't even know you and I'm not here with Preston."

"That's right. You don't know me. All the more reason for us to not really have to talk. I know you're here with Troy but that doesn't mean we have to be best friends."

I lift my foot, as directed by the technician, so she can brush the thick wax on to my feet. It feels so decadent, in direct contrast to the conversation I'm having.

"I'm not asking to be your best friend. I don't want Troy in the middle of anything. I said I didn't know they were brothers when I met him and I meant that. I never knew Preston's last name. We didn't get that far."

I'm trying hard not to smart at her comment. Preston said he never slept with her and I have to believe that.

"Look... I don't really care about what's going on between you and Troy. If he's happy, I'm happy. But he'd be really upset if you had any kind of ulterior motive for being here. And I think it's funny that you and he just met and you've already managed to get yourself invited to an island in the Caribbean. Where his brother also happens to be."

"After dating his brother and basically getting put out on my ass?" My answer is a curt nod and a glare before looking away.  "And you think I'm here with Troy to get close to Preston."

"I didn't say that–"

"But you think it. Troy already told me all about it."

My heart skips a beat and I feel my face flush. Troy told her all about what? "Troy should concentrate on his own issues. Whatever your deal is, don't hurt him in the process."

Jade huffs a frustrated breath and sits up in her salon seat, her shoulders pivoted toward me so I don't miss a word.  "I don't have a
deal
. I'm here to have a good time with a guy I like and that's it. I paid for my own ticket and I offered to reimburse Morgan and Nate for the room. I don't know what more I can do to prove to you that I'm not here to take your boyfriend."

The word
boyfriend
sticks in my brain and causes a pileup of words behind it. Why does she think Preston is my boyfriend? I mean, he is... but no one is supposed to know that.

"First of all," I utter, trying to recover. "Troy left out the part where Preston isn't my boyfriend. We dated a long time ago and broke up in high school and he's been stalking me ever since. Him being my boyfriend is this wedding party's wet dream.”

"That much is obvious," she says, relaxing into the leather seat again. "Ya’ll are all anyone talks about."

Incredulous, I turn to face her. "What, really?"

"Girl, yes. You'd think you two were the guests of honor. Yesterday everyone was wondering if you were getting along or if you'd have to chuck him over the balcony before the end of the first day."

I laugh, more at the thought of everyone talking about us than the imagery of throwing Preston off the balcony, though a month or so ago it would have been a good option.

"I'm here to have fun. Relax on a beach, swim in the ocean, get to know this lawyer I met. Troy's a cool guy. His brother is an asshole who doesn't want me. There's no bigger turn off than a guy who isn't into you. I'm not trying to conquer him. Besides..."

She pauses, and the tone and octave in her voice goes lower, softer.  "Preston is all about you. I can't compete, seeing how he looks at you."

I don't know how to respond. Indignance? Disbelief? Quiet humility?

"That day I was at his house and you showed up? Before you came over he'd been talking real easy. Flirty, you know? I thought something was happening. After you left he was different. Distracted. And a little bit... I don't know if I want to say… sad."

She shrugs. "I didn't last another hour. He said he wasn't feeling me, thanked me for coming by and walked me to my car. I'd bragged so much at the bar about catching that fine as hell, rich lawyer. Thank God I got this new job."

That was the start of the countdown for me, the only thing that made planning the wedding with Preston worth it. I marvel at how different things are between us now.

"Jade…I'm sorry. I overreacted. I go all Mama Bear over Troy. That kid is just... he grew up one house down from me. I know him like the back of my hand. He's a sweet guy. I don't want to see him hurt."

Jade smiles, her countenance soft. She nods, slowly and deeply, forgiving. "I get it. And he's lucky to have you. Are you like this with all of his girlfriends?"

I slide my wax covered hands into warm gloves that are then strapped around my wrists and sit immobile, wearing the equivalent of oven mitts on my hands and electric booties on my feet while the wax does its job.

"I've seen girls do all kinds of things–lie, cheat, steal to get close to Preston. Including using Troy. So, when they used to date his older brother? Yeah. The claws come out.”

***

The Bachelorette Brunch is a beautiful affair with more food than we could ever eat, served buffet style. Fresh seafood, sizzling steak and chicken, rich side dishes in delicious cream sauces, crisp vegetables, followed up by cheesecake and endless champagne and wine bar. By the time we stumble out of the event room, we're tipsy, giggly, and swiping tears from makeup stained cheeks.

As bridal gifts, Morgan gave each of us diamond tennis bracelets to wear during the ceremony. It's the most thoughtful gift I've ever received. I heard the men got cufflinks at their post golf lunch. This wedding is turning out to be such a monumental event.

Andrew arrives with a load from the airport, including Morgan and Nate's parents. We all head straight to the site of the wedding, a spanse of beach already cleared of tourists, plants and rocks and smoothed to perfection. The bride and groom, wedding band and guests will be covered by a canopy. A few rows of white seats sit ready for guests.

The officiant reviews the order of the ceremony–recognition of parents, the vows, the rings, the kiss. And then the party. 

"Thanks everybody," Nate calls out as the officiant calls an end to the rehearsal and people begin to disperse. "If you're joining us for the Rehearsal Dinner, it's at six at The Cliff. It should be on your hotel maps and it's within walking distance. Dress is casual, just come on down and celebrate–"

"Your last night as a single man!" Kent interrupts, clapping Nate on the back.

"Well, yeah... that," Nate answers through a cough and a laugh.

It appears that we are free for a few hours. I know what's on my mind. I've not seen Preston all day and I really want to be close to him. Like, skin to skin, cheek to cheek close to him. I catch his eye ever- so- briefly and start to head toward our villa.

Ten minutes after I arrive at my room, kick off my shoes and pull off my cover-up, I hear the swipe of a keycard and a beep as the door opens. Preston saunters into my room.

"Hey."

"Hey? That's all you have for me?"

I laugh and move across the room, stepping into his arms, letting him squeeze me right up against him. I feel his heartbeat pounding through his chest and his lungs sucking in and expelling air. An appreciative groan begins as a rumble in his chest and curls out of his mouth as he wraps himself around me, tucking his head between my neck and shoulder.

"Missed you today," he mumbles between brushes of his lips against my skin.

I reluctantly pull away, but only to move us further into the room. I climb up onto the bed and lay across it, inviting him to sprawl out next to me. He grins as he stretches and yawns, his moves simultaneously cat-like and cute as fuck.

"You're all anyone wanted to talk about today."

"Oh really?"

"Mmm. Girls are gossipy. Brandy was all, ‘
why was Preston in your room when I called?
' and Morgan was all ‘
did you guys get champagne?
' and I wanted to be all ‘
we did it all day yesterday and this morning, are you happy
?'  Bitches."

Preston is laughing, that chesty, gut level laugh that I have always loved, that used to give me heartburn when I heard it across the room because I missed hearing it so much. My days of missing the sound of him laughing are, I hope, long gone.

"Well, no one on the course wanted to talk about you."

"Assholes. Why don't you have to go through seven levels of interrogation about someone you're supposedly not dating?"

He shrugs, leaning on one elbow. "Guys are oblivious to that shit. Don't ask, don't tell. Bro Code. You know the deal."

"I need a Sis Code."

He laughs. "So we're going to spend these hours of free time we have talking about how our friends don't know we're back together?"

I smile and shake my head. "No, we are not. Come here."

He grins and tips toward me, his lips landing on mine in what starts as a funny smooch but turns on a dime into a passionate, sucking-air-through-my-nose, breathtaking kiss. When he comes up for air, he seems pretty proud of himself. I laugh.

"Have a good day?" He asks. I nod, running my fingers through his waves and smiling up at him. He grabs a hand and, brows furrowed, examines it. "What all did you girls have done? Massage and... hey, they waxed the hair off of your fingers!"

"Shut the fuck up, Preston."

He laughs. "You realize that you haven't said that to me in weeks?"

I giggle. "We had massages and a salt scrub and a paraffin dip and manicures and pedicures."

He frowns. "Did you have to stay awake for all that?"

"It's fun if you're a girl. Guys are cavemen. They don't have to do anything."

"Bullshit. Check out my skin." He leans down so his forehead is in my face. "Smooth, tight, blemish free. Right? Look at this hair. My shit is moisturized and texturized." He tips his head up and shoves a finger into my eye line. "These nails…clean, trimmed, buffed to a shine. Don't tell me I'm a caveman."

I'm laughing through tears, so hard I can't breathe. "I'm dating a metrosexual."