by Golden Angel
He was getting dressed when Sharon returned to the room, her hair curled and pinned in an elaborate updo and her make-up done. Turning his head as she entered the room, he grinned at her.
"You look good," he said, kind of enjoying the casual jeans and button-down shirt she was wearing in comparison to how formal she looked from the neck up.
"You do too," she replied, giving him a saucy wink.
"I'm half dressed."
"That's how I like you."
He laughed as she leered at him. Unfortunately, they couldn't keep the teasing going to its natural conclusion. He wasn't sure Sharon would even let him try when she was all done up. They both quickly got dressed rather than playing around.
Jake had borrowed his dad's tux so that he didn't have to rent one and it fit almost perfectly. Somehow Sharon managed to get dressed even faster than he did.
Her dress was the fanciest he'd ever seen anyone wear for a wedding - floor length and made out of a shimmery material that couldn't seem to decide whether it was blue or purple, the low-cut neckline was edged with sparkling black jewels. To go with it, she put on a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet that sparkled with the same jewels. Jake had no idea what they were or if they were real (honestly, he didn’t want to think about that) but she looked incredible.
The dark jewels made her eyes seem to sparkle brighter, her hair shimmered under the lights, and the color of the dress was perfect with her complexion.
If only they didn’t have a wedding to go to...
The look she gave him once he was in his tux said she felt the same way.
******
Jake in jeans and a t-shirt?
Hot.
Jake in a suit?
Hot.
Jake in just pajama pants with sweat dripping down his chest?
Super-hot.
But somehow Jake in a tux beat all of them.
Sharon really didn’t like to consider herself a snob, she liked men wearing all sorts of clothes, but there was something about a man that wore a tux well that just flat out did it for her. Maybe it had something to do with the monumental crush she’d had on the various James Bonds over the years...
Yeesh, she was going to have to keep Jake away from any martini glasses tonight or she was not going to be responsible for her behavior.
She couldn’t help but preen a little bit as woman after woman checked him out while they headed down to the wedding. Especially because they happened to walk past Rina, who was hustling down the hallway with her hands full of several bouquets, and she looked practically green with envy when she saw Jake.
Suck it, twatwaffle! He’s all mine!
“What are you thinking about?” Jake murmured the question as they stepped into the hall where the ceremony was happening. Two of Sharon’s cousins were standing at the door passing out programs and they each took one.
“Nothing,” she said immediately.
Jake gave her a look as he escorted her down the aisle towards the front few rows where her parents were already sitting.
“Nothing put that smile on your face?”
She smirked up at him, although she felt a little nervous about what his reaction would be. But hey, he’d asked. “Fine. I was thinking that you make fantastic arm candy.”
To her surprise, he laughed. She’d thought he’d be insulted, to be honest, but she really was telling the truth and not just saying it to try and get under his skin.
"So do you," he said, winking down at her.
Pleased, Sharon smoothed her free hand down over her thigh. She loved this dress and black opal jewels that decorated it and the matching jewelry. Although her parents could be total pains in the ass, they were great when it came to presents. Even more impressive was that they didn't just leave choosing gifts to their assistants, the way she knew her Aunt Lorraine did. Her mom had picked out this dress specifically for Sharon's birthday a few years ago and her father had provided the jewelry.
In some ways, she could see Jake's arguments for them. They did care. They just sucked at showing it in a way that didn't involve trying to control her.
Speaking of, both of her parents looked pleased when they saw her and Jake arriving at their row. Her mother stood to give her air kisses before Sharon sat down next to her, and her father leaned over to shake Jake's hand in greeting, even though they'd all seen each other this morning over breakfast. There was no sign that they'd spent that meal pretending Jake didn't exist. Her mom leaned over to greet him too.
Jake appeared bemused and a little uncertain about their sudden and seemingly positive, display of attention.
Appearances, appearances.
He'd get used to it.
Sitting down, Sharon found herself feeling flustered.
If he stuck around, he'd get used to it. He did seem interested in sticking around. Right? She eyed him, but he was looking down at the program and there was no way she was going to question him while her mom was right next to her. Sighing inwardly, she settled into her chair.
She was so discombobulated that she immediately obeyed her mother's hissed direction to sit up straight. Which, of course, led to her mom trying to demand she also cross her ankles and rest her hands a certain way. So she could look more 'ladylike' - at least, how ladies should look according to her mom. Rolling her eyes, Sharon slumped back down again and ignored her mother's exasperated sigh as well as Jake's questioning look.
The ceremony went off without a hitch. Mark and Melinda were practically glowing as they stared lovingly at each other, making Sharon sniffle. Her purse was well stocked with tissues. Weddings where the couple truly loved each other always made her emotional, so she'd come prepared. Sadly, it was something that was only necessary with about half the family weddings she attended.
Then came the cocktail hour, which Sharon could never decide whether she enjoyed or hated when it came to her family’s weddings.
At anyone else’s weddings she usually loved them. Little delicious bits of food, some booze, and talking about the lovely ceremony and happy couple with her friends? Yup, she was totally down for that.
But with her family, the cocktail hour usually meant a lot of gossip, backbiting, and business with a few genuine interactions sprinkled in between.
On the plus side – plenty of high-quality booze to numb the pain of all the fake interactions.
******
"They don't have beer?" Jake asked, a little dumbfounded. Not that he objected to the well-made old-fashioned Sharon had just handed him, but he had planned to keep his drinking light so he could be on his toes.
Sharon smirked at him. "I thought you wanted me to try and get along with my parents."
"I mean, I guess, but... Are you saying beer would upset them?" He knew he sounded dubious.
"You could always try it and find out," she teased. Something in her eyes told him she was being completely sincere though, which was mind-boggling. He also had started to see what she meant about her parents being worse when she was cooperative. Not just at breakfast, either. He hadn't missed her little interaction with her mom before the ceremony.
It seemed like making one small correction just invited several more. Sharon's attitude was making more sense to him now. It was impossible to compromise with people who didn't want to meet halfway. Instead of just being happy she'd done one thing, they immediately asked for the next thing they wanted from her. Demanded it, really.
Not a fun way to live.
Last night he'd been exasperated by her unwillingness to give even a little.
Today, he kind of wanted to bundle her away and protect her from the demands of her family. Even though she obviously didn't need his protection.
Turning away from the bar, Sharon ground to a halt as a very pale old woman with red hair stopped in front of her. Dressed in a vibrant green dress that showed off quite a bit of cleavage, she looked Sharon up and down with a frown.
"Hi, Aunt Meg," Sharon said blithely, ignoring the look of disapproval on t
he woman's face. "This is my date, Jake. Jake, this is my Aunt Meg."
Jake was going under the assumption that Aunt Meg must have married into the family, because she didn't look like any of the other relatives he’d met.
Turning her expression of disapproval to Jake, Aunt Meg looked him up and down. "You're the construction worker?"
"Ah..." Jake had absolutely no idea how to respond to the disdainful statement. She didn't sound like she required an answer.
To his utter shock, it wasn't Sharon who stepped into the breach.
"Construction worker?" The lilting tones of Mrs. Bianchi were full of genteel amusement as she appeared at his elbow, but she was speaking just a little more softly than Aunt Meg had. Her arm tucked into her husband's, they presented an unexpectedly united front with Sharon and Jake. "Why Meg, who on Earth was filling your ear with that drivel?"
Meg sniffed as Sharon leaned into Jake's side. He looked down at her to see what her reaction was, and to his surprise, she grinned and winked up at him as if she was sharing a secret. Which just confused him even more.
"Everyone's talking about it," Meg said haughtily, turning her nose up in the air. "We all know Sharon can be a little unusual but... a construction worker? Really?"
"Sergeant Standish is not only a decorated veteran who served for our country, he is now a contractor for a highly successful remodeling company, as well," Mr. Bianchi said, his voice carrying even more than his wife's had. Jake winced a little at being referred to as ‘sergeant.’ He wasn’t high-ranking enough and hadn’t been in long the service enough for anyone who was actually military to refer to him by his rank now that he was out. Sharon’s dad was just using it as a way to make Jake sound more important. "They just did Everett's new office building recently. It's top quality work."
Mr. Bianchi nodded towards a dark-haired man across the room; Jake guessed he must be Everett. The name did sound familiar. Jake was pretty sure that was the guy who had the penthouse above his office that his crew had been working on when he’d first started up with Sharon.
"I think it's so admirable that after everything Jake has done for our country, he's come home and jumped right into learning new skills, which so many of us are lacking in nowadays," Mrs. Bianchi said and Jake had to work overtime to keep his expression neutral. She did? Beside him, Sharon was shaking slightly with silent laughter, but no one was paying attention to her. "It's really quite admirable. And, I'm sure, a relief to him that he'll never need to pay someone for something as simple as changing a light bulb or an air filter."
Both Mr. and Mrs. Bianchi laughed.
Aunt Meg didn't.
Sharon snorted she was giggling so hard.
Jake still had no idea what was going on.
Sniffing, Aunt Meg turned away from Mr. and Mrs. Bianchi, focusing on Jake. "Thank you for your service."
"Oh um, you're welcome," Jake said, stumbling over his words, but he needn't have bothered. She had turned and started walking away as soon as she'd finished speaking.
"Loathsome woman," Mr. Bianchi muttered. "Still can't believe Richard married her."
"There, there, dear, they'll divorce soon enough and then we can steer him towards someone more suitable," Mrs. Bianchi said, patting his arm. They didn't even glance at Sharon and Jake as they moved away, still talking in low tones.
Completely flummoxed, Jake turned to Sharon. "What. The hell. Was that?"
Mirth danced in her dark eyes. "That was my Aunt Meg. She's my Uncle Richard's fourth wife. Her son, my uncle’s step-son, called an electrician to come change out his lightbulbs last year. Apparently half his house had finally gone dark because he didn’t know how to change any of the bulbs and he hadn’t known what else to do."
That was both sad and hilarious, but not what Jake was most interested in.
"No but... your parents... Why did they come to defend me like that?"
She smiled at him, but there was a little bit of sadness in her eyes too. "They can pick at me all they want, but it's something else entirely if someone else finds me lacking. Then they're the best defenders a daughter could ask for."
He shook his head. "I don't understand your family at all."
"Keep drinking," she advised.
"That will help me understand them?"
"No, it just means it won't bother you anymore."
He laughed.
Yeah, he didn't get her family. He didn't entirely get her. But in moments like this, he couldn't deny... he really liked her.
Chapter 16
Somehow, they managed to get through the cocktail hour and then into the reception, which was a huge relief. The first dance went off without a hitch and then everyone found their seats.
Melinda had put her and Jake at the same table as Courtney and Joseph along with several of Mark's cousins. Other than Joseph everyone was pretty awesome, and Joseph seemed a lot more subdued than he had yesterday while Courtney seemed more confident. Sharon doubted they'd last long after this wedding, but she was glad to see Courtney looking less unhappy.
Even more entertaining was the way Mark's cousin Riley was eyeing Courtney throughout dinner.
Courtney was too polite to eye him back with her boyfriend sitting next to her, but there was definitely an attraction there.
Yeah. When she happened to catch Courtney's eye, Sharon pointed at Riley and gave her younger cousin a thumbs up. Courtney's eyes widened, and she blushed and looked away, making Sharon snicker.
Hot breath washed over her ear as Jake leaned in to whisper. "What trouble are you getting into now?"
"No trouble," she murmured, turning her head to face him. Their lips were mere centimeters apart and she was sure everyone else thought they were exchanging either sexy or intimate words. "Just hoping my cousin doesn't end up miserably unhappy."
Jake's gaze searched hers. "You've got a little bit of a white knight complex, don't you? Is that because no one ever came and rescued you?"
Immediately she scowled. "I don't need rescuing."
"Doesn't mean you don't want it. Or deserve it." He winked, leaning forward to drop a kiss on her mouth. Part of her bristled, another part of her melted.
Sure, Sharon had imagined more than once that some amazing man would come along and, like the Harlequin heroes she loved, force her family to value her for who she was. When she'd gotten older, she'd gotten over that; the idea that her family would only value her if some man did pissed her right off. She’d rather they never learned to value her than to only do so because of a dude.
There was still a little part of her that wished an amazing guy would come along and introduce her to his family, who would all adore her and think she was awesome and welcome her into the fold. That seemed more fantastical than the previous scenario though. Jake's family liked her...
Pulling away from the kiss slightly, Jake smiled at her. "Wanna dance?"
"Sure," she replied, a little breathlessly. She needed a distraction from the thoughts she was having. Considering that she and Jake didn't exactly have a defined relationship at the moment, she needed to stop thinking about his family like that. They might be more than fuck buddies, but they were still less than boyfriend and girlfriend.
Huh, kind of like their sex life. More than vanilla, less than kinky... They just kept ending up somewhere in the middle, didn't they?
******
Dancing with Sharon again was a little dangerous, because this was about as close to alone as they’d been for hours. She was pressed up against him, and memories of previous dances were running through his head, stirring up all sorts of desires.
It was a good thing she was pressed up against him; he wasn’t sure how well this tux would hide the situation he had going on in the front of his pants. It wasn’t a problem he’d ever had before. Not in a tux and not at a family wedding.
Plus, their current position meant he had a fantastic view right down the front of her dress. Enough that he could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra. Which, of course, mad
e him wonder about her panties or lack thereof. The urge to drag her to a more private arena where he could find out was tantalizing.
Jake had never snuck off during a wedding before, although he’d always been intrigued when hearing other people talking about it. It seemed like a lot of those stories ended with the couple being caught, but then there wouldn’t be people able to talk about the people who didn’t get caught, would there? The idea was even more tempting because he knew Sharon would go along with it.
“Oh crap,” Sharon said, her hands tightening on Jake’s biceps.
“What?” Immediately he looked around, trying to ascertain what was wrong.
“They’re going to do a freaking bouquet toss... We need to get off the dance floor.”
Turning his head, Jake saw the bride standing off to the side of the dance floor with a small grouping of women around her, all of them obviously waiting for the song to end. She was clutching a bouquet – similar to but smaller than the one she’d carried down in the aisle – in her hand.
He couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows. “You don’t want to try and catch the bouquet?”
It figured that most of the women he’d dated loved trying to catch the bouquet, but the attention-hungry Sharon would eschew this particular manner of being the focus.
“Hell no,” Sharon said a little grimly. “I also don’t want to listen to my mom badgering me for the next hour because I didn’t try hard enough or look like I was having fun. If we’re not in here, I can avoid it entirely.”
Steering her towards the side of the floor, Jake couldn’t help but chuckle. “You could always go for it.”
“And spend the rest of the night with everyone trying to hook me up with whoever catches the garter?” she asked dryly. “No thanks.”
“They...” His voice trailed off. He was about to say that they wouldn’t do that, because she’d obviously come with him as her date, but it didn’t sound like she was speaking hypothetically. She sounded pretty sure about the outcome, in fact. Jake changed tactics. “What if I caught the garter?”
She shot him an amused glance as they started making their way past the tables to the doors of the ballroom. “Then we would have to put up with them trying to introduce me to every eligible bachelor in the room for the rest of the night. And by eligible, I mean single and with a job they approve of. Things like age, personality, looks... not worthy of consideration.”