Before long, we had all ordered and gotten our dinners. Conversation traveled smoothly around the table. I couldn't help but watch my dad joking with Jackson and the way my mom adored him. What a piece of work, I thought. He could get anyone to fall in love with him in seconds. That hadn't changed since high school. There was always a girl falling at his feet. In the case of the rehearsal dinner, it was Bridget. I could tell the way Renee and my brother kept looking between Jackson and Bridget with smiles on their faces. They had it all planned out. Somehow they thought she was going to bring Jackson to his knees as he fell deeply in love with her. It made me want to puke. I was so glad that nobody could read my thoughts at that moment. I was being a child, and I knew it.
Over the course of dinner Bridget moved closer and closer to Jackson. She was playing with her hair and smiling over at him. When she rubbed her elbow against his, I caught myself cracking my knuckles. Of course his ass had to look across the table at me. He looked over at her and smiled. If either of their hands moved beneath that table, I knew I would have lost it. She asked him if he could reach the pepper for her in the sweetest whisper, with her face close to his. To close for me. He handed it to her with a huge smile.
“Anything for a beautiful woman,” he said.
Without thinking, my foot moved under the table right in his direction. I felt the heel of my shoe connect.
“Ouch,” he snapped.
“Oh,” I giggled. “Sorry about that. I didn't realize your leg was so long, Jackie. Did I get you with my heel?”
He let out a growl but didn't say a word. I looked back down at my food and continued eating. His ass turned up the heat on his flirting. He had no idea who he was messing with. I turned toward Chris and leaned in close to his ear. When he turned his head, I ran my fingers through the back of his hair and kissed him hard. He didn't hold back and kissed me in return. I was surprised and thrilled. Then I heard another growl from across the table. Take that, punk, I thought. When Bridget touched his arm and asked if he was okay, I stood up from the table and excused myself. I had to get away for a moment. It was all too much. I couldn't jump Chris at the table, and I couldn't reach out and snatch her hand off of Jackson. The restroom would be fine, so I headed in that direction.
There was a small sitting area around the corner just next to the restroom, so I sat down for a minute. When I heard his voice, I peeked around the corner. Jackson was standing to the side with the waiter from our table. He was out of vision of my parents and everyone else. I watched Jackson hand the guy a credit card. He stood and waited for the man to come back. I watched him sign the receipt and heard him say something about not telling them. Then Jackson stuck the card and receipt back in his wallet, put the wallet in his back pocket, and walked back to the table. What the heck was that, I wondered?
I waited a moment before returning to the table. He didn't know that I had seen him, and I was going to figure out what he was upto.
Chapter 8
Jackson
I watched Tina as she walked back to take her place at the table. That dress fit her perfectly. Did she know how beautiful she was, I wondered? There was something in her expression. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, but I wanted to figure it out.
Everyone seemed like they were getting restless. I knew I was ready to get out of there. Tim's mom and dad sat waiting. When the waiter walked up, their dad asked him for the check. The poor waiter looked nervous as he spoke. I'd tipped him way more than enough and knew he wouldn't let me down.
“The bill's already been taken care of,” the waiter said.
“How can that be?” my dad asked.
“Someone called earlier today and paid it,” the man said.
“Who?” my dad asked.
“I'm not sure, sir. I was just told it was taken care of,” he said. “You all have a great night.”
The waiter hurried to get the hell out of there. I was in the clear. Tina looked up at me, and our eyes connected. She opened her mouth and all she got out was the J sound of my name when I returned the favor from earlier and kicked her under the table.
“Ouch,” she yelped.
I narrowed my eyes at her for just a second before smiling.
“Oh, sorry,” I said. “It's those long legs. I didn't realize my foot was on your side of the table.”
She glared at me, and I knew her mouth was about to explode. I stood from the table quickly.
“You ready, Tim,” I said.
“Of course,” Tim said, as he stood from his chair.
“Take care of my man,” Renee said. “You promised to have him to the church on time.”
“I promise,” I said with a smile. “I just want my boy to have a night of fun before signing his life away.”
“Very funny, Jackson,” Renee said.
“I'd do anything for him,” I said. “He'll be there.”
Tim hugged his woman and parents before moving around the table to Tina. He wrapped his arms around her and held her so tight. You couldn't help but see the love he had for his sister.
“You look so beautiful,” he told her. “I want to talk to you tomorrow. You're not flying home until Sunday night, right?”
“Yes,” she said. “Sunday night.”
“We will talk,” he said, as he looked up at Chris. “You two have a great night.”
Bridget stepped in front of me. I smiled down at her before stepping around her and hugging Tim's mom. When I rounded the table, it took all I had not to pull Tina away from that guy. I nodded at her as if he wasn't there.
“See you tomorrow, Jackie,” she said with a smile.
There was something there, but I couldn't tell what she was thinking. She was different than she used to be.
“Tomorrow, Tiny,” I said.
Tim looked at me with a smile, and I threw him the keys.
“Go for it,” I said. “Since it's your wedding, I'll let you drive my baby.”
We drove around for a bit before going to the hotel. Tim loved the car. He was just as into them as I was. He had a huge smile on his face, as he pulled into the lot of the hotel and parked the car. We got his bag out and turned to walk toward the front door when Tina pulled in next to us.
She was out of the car before Chris. Her eyes were open wide, and she had to pick her mouth up from the ground. It was actually a great moment. I loved the shocked look on her face. She came around the car. Chris ruined the moment when he walked up next to her. I looked over to see Tim surprised that she was there.
“You're staying at this hotel?” Tim asked.
“Of course I am,” she said. “They have an awesome club here. Where else would I stay?”
“I didn't realize you were the club kind of girl,” Tim said.
Chris let out a snort but hurried to cover his mouth. Tim shot him a dirty look at the same time as me.
“There's a lot you don't know about me,” she said. “Enough about that. What the hell? You're driving this, Jackson?”
“Yes,” I answered. “You find that to be shocking why?”
I was actually kind of offended that she didn't think I could get a car like that. She really knew nothing about me.
“How much are you paying to rent this?” she asked. “It's pretty crazy that you would do that for my brother's wedding. We saw this car here earlier. Chris said it cost more than a million. I can't imagine what you're paying right now just to drive it. I bet it drives so damn good.”
“It does,” Tim said with a huge smile on his face.
“You let him drive it?” she asked.
“I did,” I said. “Who knows, maybe I'll let you drive it before I return it. That is, if you can keep your mouth closed long enough tomorrow.”
She grunted at me and grabbed Chris' hand.
“It's not that big of a deal,” she said in a snappy tone.
“You know you can't keep quiet,” I said.
She started to walk away, pulling Chris behind her. They didn't get far before she sto
pped and turned back to us.
“Are you staying here?” she asked.
“Yep,” I said with a smile.
“It's just like old times,” Tim interrupted. “The only difference is, you have him with you instead of a bunch of girls. Maybe you two could come down and hang out with us later.”
“I don't think so,” she said. “You're only missing some of the guys. I can guarantee you this is nothing like when we were eighteen. I wouldn't be that stupid a second time.”
Something was coming out of that smart mouth of hers. I could feel it. She looked at me and then back to Tim. Then she looked at Chris. She held his hand tight and started walking. Then she yelled back over her shoulder.
“There's one huge difference this time. When I get laid, he'll still be there when I wake up.”
All I could hear was Tim yelling her name over and over.
“That better be a fucking joke,” he yelled after her. “You better not have.”
I felt like someone had punched me as hard as they could in the stomach.
“Did you hear her?” Tim asked.
It took everything inside of me to pull myself together enough to look over at him.
“I did,” was all I could say.
Chapter 9
Tina
“What was that?” Chris asked.
“Nothing,” I said with a shake of my head. “I'm going to change and then go down and have a drink or ten. Want to go?”
I didn't wait for an answer before going to my part of the suite to change back into my jeans and a t-shirt.
“You okay?” Chris asked as soon as I came out of the room.
“Yep,” I answered. “Thanks for being here with me. I couldn't have done this without you.”
“I'm here when you're ready to talk,” he said.
“I'm good,” I said. “I'll be back later.”
“You're not going down there without me,” he said. “I'm coming with you.”
“It's fine,” I said. “You go and have some fun. I brought you here to have a good time, and look at what it's turned into. I'm just going to the bar. I'll be fine on my own.”
“I don't think so,” he said. “I have a feeling I'm going to be carrying you back up here. Come on.”
Chris opened the door and held it for me. We were both quiet on the way down in the elevator. I found a booth in the hotel bar and sat down. He got us each a drink and then walked over to join me. I was charging everything to my room and figured I'd take care of it when I got home and saw the bill. There was no way I was holding back. I deserved it after the day we'd had. It wasn't going to be any better at the wedding either.
We talked about work, life, Chris' daughter, and normal everyday stuff. One drink flowed into the next for me. I couldn't get my mind off of Jackson. He was in the same hotel at that very moment. I couldn't help but wonder where he was. He hadn't walked into the bar that I had seen. Was he at the club? Was there a woman on his arm already? There had never been any lack of them in high school and college. I didn't follow him once I left. Anytime Tim brought him up, I changed the subject. I made sure never to look for him on social media, and I definitely never looked his name up in any search engines. I didn't even know what he did for a living. What did he do, I wondered? How could he afford to rent that car? The restaurant popped into my mind. I watched him give that waiter a card and then sign the receipt. The waiter told my parents someone had called and paid the bill earlier in the day. That was total bullshit. How could Jackson afford to pay for that dinner? The bill was huge. There was no expense spared. Everyone had drinks, appetizers, meals that were out of hand, and desserts. Who was he, I thought?
“Earth to Tina,” Chris said from next to me. “Where are you?”
“Sorry,” I said. “I was just thinking about something. I'll be back in a minute. I need to use the restroom.”
“You've drank more than I've seen you drink in a long time,” he said.
“I know,” I said, as I scooted out of the booth and walked toward the hallway.
I stood against the wall in the restroom. It seemed like the alcohol hit me all at once. Maybe I needed to call it a night, I thought. When I opened the door and walked into the hallway, Chris was leaning up against the wall waiting for me. I walked over to him.
“You okay?” he asked. “You look sad.”
“I'm going back to the room,” I said.
He reached out and grabbed my hands to hold them in his.
“What's wrong?” he asked.
I looked into his eyes and couldn't help reacting to the feeling of emotion that was washing over me.
“What is it, babe?” he asked.
He had a sincere look of concern on his face when he asked me. Why didn't Jackson look at me like that, I wondered? Why wasn't I good enough?
Chapter 10
Jackson
I put on a fake smile while I was still at my car with Tim. We went up to my suite to put his bag away before going to the club. He was very impressed with my room and couldn't believe I had gotten such a big one if I wasn't even going to be in it that much. I could tell he was pissed about Tina's comment and wanted to get his mind off of her as quickly as I could. If he found out I was the one she'd had sex with, his ass would kill me before he walked down the aisle.
“Ready to have some drinks?” I asked.
“Yes,” he answered immediately. “There are definitely a few things I could wipe from my mind right now.”
We went down to club, got some drinks, and moments later had ladies trying to get us to dance. I pulled him out there with me. There was no way I was letting him stew about what his sister had said to him. He was getting married. I wanted him to cut loose and have some fun. We were both dancing and laughing. It was driving me crazy knowing Tina and Chris were somewhere else in the same building. We left the dance floor several times to get new drinks. I could tell by how quickly Chris had gotten drunk that he hadn't drank in a long while. He pulled me over so he could sit down. I made sure he was okay before telling him I needed to find a restroom and would be right back.
I walked out of the club and down a hallway. Just as I went to turn the corner, I heard someone speak.
“What is it, babe?” a voice said.
“Do you ever feel like you're never good enough?” another voice asked.
That was a voice I would never be able to get out of my head. It was her. I stopped in my tracks and leaned in as far as I could to hear her.
“What do you mean?” Chris asked.
“Do you ever feel like no matter what you do, you're not good enough for someone?”
“No,” he answered her. “If someone feels I'm not good enough, then I don't need them. Why?”
“My whole life my brother tried to chase everyone away, but its okay for him to have Renee. My parents love me, but I bet they would much rather I do something more exciting with my life. I never come home, and I'm not sure they really mind,” Tina said in a sad voice.
How could she think she wasn't good enough? Tim loved her so damn much. He'd do anything to protect her and keep her safe. It wasn't that it was okay for him to be with someone and not her. He just didn't want her to be with a man that didn't deserve her. No man would ever be good enough for his sister. Even I knew that. Her mom was absolutely devastated that she was never home. I'd heard her talk about it many times. She thought Tina was embarrassed by them or didn't think they were good enough to be around. How could she think they wouldn't want her there?
“You're just tired from the long day. I could see your moms love for you. She's proud of the woman you are. Your brother loves you so much. I don't think any man would be good enough in his eyes. He worries about you. Your family loves you. Even that damn guy you have to stand up with in the wedding couldn't stop looking at you. You're so much better than you give yourself credit for, Tina,” Chris said.
That was the smartest thing that ass had said all day. It was driving me crazy that he was the one c
omforting her and telling her how great she was. He didn't know her like I did. I knew how special she was.
“I'm not good enough, Chris,” she said through trembling lips. “I never have been.”
“That is total bullshit,” he snapped. “Do you hear me? I will never hear you say that again. You are better than everyone at that wedding, including me. If anyone has ever done or said anything to make you feel that way, it's because they weren't good enough for you. You are the most amazing, beautiful, sweet, and caring woman I know. You are the best, Tina. You deserve the best. It's them that are not good enough for you. I wish I knew where all of this was coming from. I knew you stayed away, and I knew you were going to have a hard time coming here, but there is something going on. I wish you would talk to me.”
She burst into tears, and I heard her crying muffle. He must have been hugging her.
“I'm taking you back to the room,” Chris said.
I wanted her in my arms. That was where she belonged. She wasn't supposed to be with him. I wanted to throw her over my shoulder, carry her to my suite, and tell her all of the things I had been thinking about all those years. There was no way I could leave Tim drunk in the club. His new wife would kill me. I waited until Tina and Chris were gone before continuing to the bathroom like originally planned.
All I could think about as I walked back to Tim was what Tina had said in the parking lot about not being there when she woke up. It was for the best. I had to do it. Why didn't she see that?
Chapter 11
Tina
I felt horrible for the meltdown I had in the hallway with Chris. It wasn't like me. I kept that shit inside, even around him. He'd seen a side of me my other friends hadn't, but I'd just given him a display like no other. He was great about it and let me know I was good enough. I wasn't sure I believed him, but he did his best. Being around Jackson brought back feelings I had tried so hard to push down into my deepest depths. Maybe coming home wasn't such a good idea after all.
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