Jaydon’s gaze shifted back to his nearly finished sub, when he noticed a clear bag with another sandwich still wrapped inside next to where Gina had been eating. He should probably go take that bag to her. And if it gave him an excuse to see her again, well, that wasn’t all bad, was it?
The school grounds were eerily quiet. Usually there was a buzz of energy just walking on to a campus. It being spring break, the only sounds came from the north end where a cluster of portables was situated between the pristine, but aging, main building and a fairly new turf field.
Jaydon followed the sound of children’s shouts out to the back of the field. From a good distance, he distinguished Gina’s tall profile on the edge of the field, her mahogany hair floating behind her in the breeze. She looked like a dark-haired warrior angel standing guard.
Really, man? Where in the world had that thought come from?
He shook it from his mind and strolled over to her. She turned when she saw him in her periphery and gave him a confused look.
“Jaydon? What are you doing here?”
He held up the bag with the sandwich inside.
“You left this on the table. Figured you might want it later.”
She smiled at him as she reached for the bag, and the breath in his lungs nearly choked him. With that smile, she was less warrior, more angel.
“Thanks,” she said, diverting her attention back to the kids on the field.
Jaydon just stood there, unable to really move for a second. She glanced back up at him a heartbeat later with a perplexed look. There was humor in her eyes, but also wariness. She raised an eyebrow that asked what are you still here for? He shook himself out of it and grinned.
“Uh, sorry. Guess I better let you get back to work. Enjoy your sandwich.”
She shook her head with a smile that was clearly meant to let him know she thought he was a total goober. Which, of course, he was. What is wrong with you, man? He forced his feet to back away. Before he turned, he tossed her one last goofy grin. He couldn’t help it.
“See you around, Gina,” he called out as turned toward the parking lot.
“Adíos, Jaydon,” she called back.
“Hasta la vista, baby!” he shouted in a terrible Arnold impression and his laugh echoed along the field.
From a hundred yards or so, he heard her yell, “BYE, you weirdo!”
Her laughter was a great sound, even from a distance. Oh, that girl could be trouble, he just bet. It had been a long, long time since any woman had made him feel like an idiot in a good way. Kelly used to make him feel like an idiot, all right, but this was different. Thank God.
Chapter 5
Gina
“Gina? Gina Hernandez, is that really you?”
Gina whirled around in the middle of the frozen foods section, searching for the face attached to the sugary sweet voice that reminded her of Effie Trinket in the Hunger Games movies. She half expected to see someone with the same crazy gold lashes and outrageous get up.
Huh, not too far off, actually. She recognized the model lookalike that strutted her way in ridiculously high heels and a pencil skirt with matching jacket. Great. The Queen Bee.
“Oh my goodness, it is you! If I hadn’t just been looking online trying to find people we went to school with, I’d never have recognized you!”
Like she’d changed that much.
“Ariana Castillo. How nice to see you. You look amazing. But then, you always have.” Wow, G. Laying it on a little thick, aren’t we? But Gina remembered from high school it was always best to keep things smooth and shiny where this chick was concerned.
Ariana waved her left hand toward Gina, who was nearly blinded by the gaudy diamond. “It’s Voorhees now. Got married a few years back. Can you believe it’s almost been ten years since high school? I’ve been working on the reunion with some of the old gang and I’m so excited to see how everyone is doing these days. We’ve reserved the Laboratory lounge! It’s going to be incredible!”
Her voice actually rose in pitch the more excited she got. It took nearly everything Gina had not to puke all over the pointy toes of Ariana’s stilettos. Gina hadn’t heard about the reunion yet, mostly because she had zero intention of attending and pretty much despised social media.
The Laboratory, which all the hoity toities pronounced la-BOR-uh-tory, was a swanky little roof top lounge in a recently renovated old hotel downtown, but the cool factor would never be enough to tempt Gina to show up. She’d given up on high school, its drama, and her concern for status a long time ago. Like, ten years and a number of pounds ago.
Not that high school itself had been bad or anything. In fact, Gina had been a fairly popular girl those last couple of years. Judging from the way Ariana was examining her from head to toe, she hadn’t forgotten that fact. Her cool look of disdain spoke volumes of her impression of Gina’s heavier, less put-together appearance. But who was she, anyway? Gina had never cared what girls like Ariana Castillo—Voorhees, whatever—thought of her.
So, why was she so against going to the reunion again? Oh, right. Because it was stupid.
“Well, that sounds like so much fun. I guess I’ll have to check online for the info and see if I can make it.” Hardly, but Gina didn’t mind the lie. Not like Ariana genuinely cared, anyway.
“Oh, you definitely should.” With a look at her dainty bracelet style designer watch, Ariana added, “Well, I better run. Time to pick up my son from Grandma’s!”
She gave a saccharine smile to Gina, who returned it with a syrupy one of her own and stifled the overwhelming desire to barf from all the pseudo-sweetness.
As she watched Ariana trot off in her fancy heels, Gina caught a glimpse of herself in the freezer door. She shook her head and made squinty eyes at herself before looking away fast. Thankfully, she’d been having a decent hair day, even though her only plan had been to run to the store for this week’s groceries and go home.
Too bad she’d dressed appropriately for the sole errand on her list, in faded boot leg yoga pants that probably clung too tightly to her big butt and likely revealed the cellulite she was sure overtook most of her thighs. She didn’t know for certain, because she’d stopped examining her naked self in the mirror years ago. At least her baggy t-shirt was loose across her panza. She was happy at this point that her boobs were still bigger than her stomach.
Knock off the negativity, Chica. You’re working on it. It’s about being healthy, not skinny.
Frustrated, she pushed the cart to the next aisle and continued gathering items off her list. Her brain was divided, only half paying attention to the items she selected and tossed into the basket. The other half of her mind was engrossed in unwelcome memories Ariana triggered that Gina couldn’t seem to stop.
Marco Ruiz sauntered down the hall in dark jeans and his baseball jersey. His minions flanked him on each side, dressed similarly in the standard game-day look. The trio was fully aware of the multitude of eyes tracking their every move, but Marco was focused solely on Regina. Uh, Gina.
Regina had come back to school after this winter break, her sophomore year, a new person. Gone was the blend-in-with-the-background girl who wore oversized t-shirts and baggy jeans. The quiet, studious girl with the thick, long raven hair always in a tight braid had disappeared and a well-dressed, sassy chick had taken her place. It had taken a mere three months for people to forget the wallflower she’d been and accept Gina as the new girl in school. A sought after, powerful girl.
No one seemed to remember Reggie Hernandez. No, once she’d shown up in January with a stylish haircut, new, snug fitting clothes that accentuated her slender curves and perky, full-C breasts, everyone had suddenly taken an interest. Especially the boys. It had taken a few weeks to get comfortable with the blatant stares and obvious whispers when she walked into a room, but now in mid-March, Gina felt like she ruled the school. Even junior and senior boys paid her attention. And that attention? It was glorious. Why had she wasted so much time hiding away?
The attention from the boys gave her a sense of power she’d never felt when she was younger and her body’s changes were just beginning. She’d hated the way her mother’s boyfriends’ eyes had grazed over her new developments, so she’d covered them up with baggier and baggier clothes. Now, the power of her figure was intoxicating. And knowing Marco Ruiz was looking at her was even more so, because it gave her power over the girls, too. All the girls wanted Marco. But he wanted her.
“Hey, girl,” he crooned so smooth. “¿Que paso?”
His crooked smile turned her insides to jelly. She struggled to regain control so her nerves wouldn’t show. He’d been tossing her that smile for weeks, saying hi in passing, but this was the first time he’d sought her out. And in front of so many people!
“Nada,” she replied with what she hoped looked like a confident smirk. “You?”
“Not much. A few of us are getting together this weekend at Diego’s house. You should come.” The look in his eyes suggested a hunger that set off a flutter of tiny wings in her belly.
Instead of giving in to the butterflies, she stood a little taller and stuck her chest out confidently, giving her hair a light toss. “I’ll think about it.”
Marco grinned like he knew her game. “Come on, girl, don’t be like that. You know you wanna come hang with us.”
“Maybe, I haven’t decided. Ask me again after school.” She lowered her chin and looked up at him through her lashes, a coy smile on her face. She could totally work this to her advantage. She’d watched Tonya play enough games, not to mention the what-not-to-do-example set by Mami.
She already knew she’d go to the party. She could totally handle this. Come on, like she’d say no to Marco Ruiz, the hottest boy in school? A soccer and baseball star? High school royalty? Ha!
Gina continued through the store, tossing the now-familiar healthier items she was growing used to buying into her cart. It was hard not to get sucked in to the memories of her teenage self. Thanks a lot, Ariana, for bringing all that stuff back. Her jaw tensed and she realized she’d been squeezing the handles of the cart so hard her fingers were red, white, and cramping.
That stupid party had set the course for the rest of her high school experiences. Without a decent example to follow, she hadn’t known what to do with her newfound power. That day she’d vowed at fifteen that she would no longer hide, afraid in the shadows, she hadn’t been prepared for the ramifications of her string of misguided decisions.
It had taken all of two months with Marco pursuing her and making her feel special and sexy and in control before she gave in to his pressure and allowed him to explore her body completely. Though part of her had been terrified, she’d felt like it had been her decision, and that had been a heady temptation. But what does a fifteen-year-old, scared little girl who’d seen entirely too much of the world in her short life, know about love and sex? Nada.
Shoot. At 28, Gina still felt like she knew nada.
Chapter 6
Last year, Gina would have loaded her arms down with every last grocery bag so she could make it from the car to the kitchen all in one trip. This year, after her resolution to get healthy, eat better, and squeeze in exercise whenever she could, she allowed herself to take four trips back and forth. Hey, more steps on her fitness band to better her chances of beating some of her friends’ step counts.
During the fourth trip, Gina’s phone chimed with a reminder. Puzzled, she reached to see what she’d forgotten. Her dress fitting? She groaned. How could she have forgotten this afternoon was the appointment at the dress shop with Brynn and all of the other bridesmaids? Great. She set the phone down on the counter harder than she meant to and put away all of the spoilable items so she’d have time to change.
The maid of honor can’t exactly be late to the dress fitting. Or skip it altogether.
Thirty minutes and three outfit changes later, Gina hoped she looked okay enough in case the girls decided to go somewhere after. She probably should know what the plans were, considering her role in this whole thing, but frankly, this wedding stuff was just too overwhelming.
Besides, Brynn had half a dozen lists plus online and physical planners—an actual 3-ring binder—to remind her and everyone else when to show up for what activity. The crazy chica was working on her list-making proclivity, but she was a self-proclaimed work in progress. Gina shook her head and smiled at the thought.
The dress shop was located right next door to a tux place. They were probably owned by the same people because the signs out front were in the same font and between the logos for each storefront was a couple that looked like a giant cake topper. It was a little goofy for her taste, but what did she know about marketing in the bridal industry? Gina glanced around before going in and realized there were a lot more cars than she’d expected. Luckily, she was a little early and found a decent space.
The inside of the shop was brightly lit and attractively designed. The back of the space had a long, low wall to give it a private feel separate from the rest of the shop. There were a number of mannequins throughout showcasing the latest bridal trends, each display color coordinated with the shades of the season. The number of racks packed with gowns was overwhelming.
Her chest tightened and she made herself breathe slowly in and out. She prayed against the rapid beating of her heart, willing it to return to a normal rhythm. She had no reason to freak out here. She could do this for Brynn.
Praise the Lord, she thought when she spotted the bride-to-be. Brynn’s mother, Marla, reached out first and wrapped her in a sweet hug that felt like a lifeline. The tightness in her chest loosened a little more with each person she greeted. She smiled at the mother of the groom, Josh’s sister Jenna, and two of Brynn’s other friends from school. Why did the store trip her anxiety, but these people calmed her? So weird.
The sales lady approached the group with a wide smile and a gaze that was shrewd and calculating. Gina sensed she was sizing everyone up and already preparing to tell them which dresses to look at first. Maybe she’d help them save some time, because Gina didn’t know how long she could tolerate being here with all this girlishness and satin. It’s for Brynn. Chill out!
Half an hour later, Brynn stood on a platform surrounded by mirrors in the most amazing bridal gown Gina had ever seen. All of the women went silent at once, sucking in their breath with a collective gasp that could have been comical if not for how stunned they all were. All brides are lovely, but Gina nearly lost it when she saw the perfection up there. Reality hit that her best friend was actually getting married. She fought the tears, but it was a lost cause for the whole group once Marla let out a strangled sob and jumped from her chair to embrace her little girl.
“Brynn, you are the most beautiful bride in the whole wide world!” Marla sniffed loudly. “You’re really doing this! My baby is really getting married!” She gratefully accepted a tissue from the saleslady and Gina reached for one as well.
It took every ounce of determination she had to get her emotions back under control. She was so very, very happy for Brynn. She was even happier that her best friend had the ingenious idea to let all of the bridesmaids choose their own dresses. Brynn had settled on a sleek blue-gray color in a matte satin that caught the light in the most stunning way. About an hour later, all of the women had settled on their preferred styles, been fitted, and placed their orders.
Gina hoped everything would come out all right. She’d had the sales girl figure it out and bring the dresses without giving Gina the measurements or sizes. If she knew details, she might get derailed from her eating plan out of discouragement the weight wasn’t dropping fast enough. She thought she’d been doing well so far and wasn’t ready for proof either way.
As the other women chattered they left the store, Gina sighed and tried to work up a genuine smile. She was emotionally drained, though happy for her friend. Oh, she’d known for months now that this was happening. But seeing her friend in The Dress and settling this bi
g task for the bridesmaids, too, everything was so real. In just a few months, her only real friend left was going to become Mrs. Josh Davis.
Jaydon
Jaydon whipped his extended cab super-duty truck into the dated strip mall that housed the tux shop where Josh’s groomsmen were all meeting on this unexpectedly warm Saturday. Their first fitting and he was already ten minutes late. He hated being late.
Scanning the nearly full lot for the right storefront, he quickly parked and strolled inside. The interior of the shop was weirdly modern, considering the exterior of the entire strip mall looked frozen in the 1970s.
The store had recently been remodeled, all sleek lines and honey maple trim. One wall displayed a series of mannequins dressed to the nines with the ties and vests and things in an assortment of colors. A photograph of a blissful couple fleeing through birdseed took up the entire background wall of the display. He shuddered. Standing there looking a little overwhelmed, were Josh’s dad and brother and a few other guys Jaydon had met but didn’t know well.
Josh approached with an extended hand, which Jaydon grasped and they flowed through the familiar motion of morphing from hand clasp to one-armed, back-smacking man-hug.
“Hey, man. How’s it going?” Jaydon gave the other men a hand shake followed by a knocking of fists above, then below, in greeting.
“It’s good,” Josh looked around gave everyone his wide smile with the hole in one side of his face. He looked ridiculously happy. “There’s too many to pick from. Thank God Brynn came in with me last week and showed me which ones she liked. And left notes on the color she wants.” He jutted his chin toward the other guys. “You’ve met these guys already, right?”
Whatever Comes Our Way (Everyday Love Book 2) Page 4