“How are things with your new roommate? Is it working out all right?”
Jack hadn’t told his mother about his relationship with Bridget. He hadn’t wanted to jinx it. “Fine, Mom. Bridget’s easy to live with.”
“It was so good of you to move in with her to help her out.”
“It came as a surprise to both of us when Hal and Tanya got married so suddenly.”
His mother murmured in agreement. “That’s what I’m calling about. I haven’t received your RSVP for the party.”
“What party?”
“Hal and Tanya’s of course. This Saturday. Don’t tell me your brother didn’t pass on your invitation.”
“I haven’t seen Hal since I moved out.” Jack wasn’t surprised. Hal had been so caught up in Tanya that he’d barely seen him even when they were living together.
She tutted. “Well, you must come. It’s six o’clock at my house. Bring a date if you like.”
“How many have been invited?” Bridget hadn’t mentioned anything about the party. Didn’t she know about it either?
“About a hundred. Tanya sure does know some people.” It was said in a half affectionate, half exasperated tone.
“Do you need any help setting up?”
“That would be wonderful. Your father is going to come over a little early to help with tables and such. Perhaps you could come at three and help him. I’ve hired caterers but I need to decorate the garden.”
“Sure thing. I’ll be there.”
He’d talk to Bridget when she got out of the bath. He didn’t want to interrupt her or upset her. She’d been angry with Tanya, and they’d had words, but surely Tanya would invite her best friend to the party? Though with what little he knew about his new sister-in-law, he wasn’t so certain.
* * *
The water was almost cold when Bridget got out of the tub. She’d had a long soak while she’d reflected on the day. The team-building session had been well worth it. Getting away from the plant and having some time to bond had been good all around. And the fact they’d been able to brainstorm and plan their projects for next year uninterrupted was also a boon. The only blip in the entire two days had been Dirk’s outburst. All her doubts and insecurities had flooded in, though Sally and Trish had done a lot to relieve her anxiety. After she’d spoken with the team she’d settled for a ‘screw Dirk’ attitude. The most important thing was to have the respect of her department. As long as they believed she was capable and competent, it didn’t matter what others said.
Or at least that’s what she tried to convince herself. That nasty little worm kept squirming and whispering doubts in her mind. Could she survive another Lionel affair? Could she ignore the insinuations? Would her career be over if there was another incident? She squeezed her eyes shut and ignored the voice.
After drying herself, Bridget slipped on a pair of pajamas and padded barefoot out to the kitchen. Jack was sitting on the couch watching television.
“I’m making some toast,” she said. “Do you want some?”
“No, thanks. I had a sandwich. Did you have a nice soak?”
“Yeah. It was just what I needed.” She made peanut butter and jelly toast and brought it with her to the couch, where she sat down next to Jack. “What are you watching?”
“It’s some renovation show,” Jack said, reaching for the remote and turning it off.
“You don’t need to turn it off on my account.”
“It wasn’t very interesting,” he said. “My mom called earlier.”
“How is she?”
Jack hadn’t told his parents about their relationship and Bridget was fine with that. They hadn’t really defined it properly themselves.
“Great. She wanted to know if I was going to Hal and Tanya’s wedding party on Saturday.”
She stopped chewing and swallowed. “This Saturday?”
He nodded. She hadn’t spoken to Tanya since she’d hung up on her, but Bridget had figured it was Tanya being Tanya – too caught up in her newlywed excitement to call.
“I take it you didn’t know about it either.”
She shook her head and acknowledged the stab of hurt from being so easily cast aside.
Jack took her hand. “Do you want to be my date?”
Did she want to turn up when Tanya hadn’t invited her? Hell no. She obviously wasn’t wanted there. “No, I don’t think so.”
She caught the flicker of hurt as he withdrew his hand and she hurried to clarify. “I would love to be your date, but I’m not going to my best friend’s party when she didn’t invite me. Tanya might cause a scene.” She shrugged. “I’d hate to ruin her day.”
“It’s probably a mistake,” Jack said. “Hal was supposed to give me my invite but I haven’t seen him. Mom was the one who invited me.”
It may easily have been an oversight for Hal, but Bridget knew it wasn’t for Tanya. Bridget had always been the first person Tanya turned to to share exciting news, or to help plan things. Should she make the first move toward reconciliation? Did she want to stay friends with Tanya?
Yeah, she did. As impulsive as Tanya could be at times, Bridget still loved her. Tanya had brought sparkle into Bridget’s life when she’d needed it and had been doing so ever since. “I’ll give her a call.” She picked up her phone and dialed. It went straight to voice mail. “Hey, Tanya. It’s Bridget. I’m calling to find out how wedded bliss is. Talk to you later.” She kept it light and friendly. The ball was in Tanya’s court now.
She finished her toast and placed the plate on the coffee table. The urge to cuddle up to Jack was strong so she gave into it, smiling as his arm came around her.
“I’m sure she’ll call you soon,” Jack said.
“Mmm.” If Tanya didn’t call by Friday, she’d drop by. It didn’t matter whether she was invited to the party, what mattered was she made an effort to get their friendship back together. And if it didn’t work, there wasn’t a lot she could do about it. Her heart was heavy at the thought.
Her phone rang. Tanya. She grinned.
“Oh, Bridget. I’m so glad you called. I thought you were going to stay mad at me forever,” Tanya gushed.
Bridget blinked. So it was her fault they hadn’t spoken. She shook her head, bemused. “Of course not.”
“Great! You have to come to our wedding party on Saturday. You and Jack, of course. I need you to be my maid of honor.”
“Tanya, you’re already married. You don’t need a maid of honor.”
“I know, but it’s kind of going to be like a wedding. There are going to be flowers and cake and everyone’s going to be there. Oh and speeches of course. You have to give a speech.”
Sometimes it was hard to keep up with her best friend. “You want me to give a speech?”
“Yes. We’re doing hair and makeup at three and you need to wear something fancy, a cocktail dress or something.”
She had nothing in her wardrobe that was suitable and now she had all of two days to find something. She sighed. “Anything else?”
“Lots. You and Jack should come over for dinner tomorrow night. Are you free?”
She checked with Jack. “Tomorrow’s fine.”
“Great. See you at six.”
Bridget hung up and stared at her phone.
“Sounds like Tanya’s being Tanya,” said Jack.
She nodded. “Yeah, she was waiting for me to call.”
“Well it’s good you did then. That means you can be my date.”
She smiled and snuggled back into him. “All right. I’d like that.”
Chapter 17
Jack arrived at his mother’s place at the designated time on Saturday afternoon.
“Jackson! Thanks for coming to help.” His mother hugged him.
“Any time, Mom.”
He followed her out to her large backyard where a white tent had already been set up at the rear. Its sides were open to let the small amount of breeze pass through. His father was already at work, setting up tab
les underneath. Jack was pleased his parents had remained civil with each other after they split up. It made things so much easier, and allowed family celebrations like this to happen without potential issues.
“You help your father set up the tables and chairs and I’ll continue hanging the lanterns.”
“Where’s Hal?” He knew Tanya was having her hair done with Bridget but his brother should be helping out.
“He’ll be here shortly, I’m sure.”
Jack wasn’t as certain, knowing how bad Hal was at keeping time, but he didn’t say anything. He just went to help his father.
* * *
When they had set up the tables and chairs, they stopped for a drink. Hal hadn’t turned up yet.
“So have you met Tanya?” Jack asked his father.
“Sure. Hal brought her over when they got engaged. She seems like a nice girl, though how they’ll organize anything between them I have no idea. They’re both as bad as each other.” Eric’s smile was affectionate, but his eyes were worried.
“They’ll manage.” Though they’d rushed into marriage, Jack thought their enthusiasm would make anything work.
“You’re living with Tanya’s roommate?”
Jack nodded. “Bridget. You’ll meet her tonight.”
“That was real nice of you, but if it doesn’t work out, you’ve always got a place to stay with me.”
Jack clapped a hand over his father’s back. “Thanks, Dad. Bridget and I are just fine.”
Hal arrived then, coming out through the bi-fold doors and looking around at what had been done. He spotted Jack and his father. “If you two have stopped slacking off, there’s work to do.”
Jack swapped a grin with his father. “Tell us what you need.”
* * *
Bridget wasn’t very good at sitting still and doing nothing, so being at the hairdressers having her hair and makeup done was her idea of torture, but at least she was off her feet.
Tanya had picked her up at nine so they could find her something suitable to wear. Tanya’s younger sister had come along, and between the two of them Bridget was dragged into what felt like every dress shop in Houston.
Finally they had all agreed on a deep red satin dress with spaghetti straps that showed a hint of cleavage and a split that revealed a lot of leg. Tanya had insisted she buy a pair of matching heels which were far higher than Bridget was comfortable with. She kept reminding herself this was Tanya’s day, and if it truly had been a wedding, then she wouldn’t have had a choice in what she wore at all.
They’d eaten a late lunch at Eat, Drink, Read and then walked down the street to the salon where Tanya worked to get their hair and makeup done. Tanya’s sister went into the chair first and Bridget made small talk with Tanya. She was already exhausted and the evening hadn’t even begun.
“We should straighten your hair,” Tanya said.
Bridget groaned. She hadn’t straightened her hair since the time in high school when it had gone so badly she’d had to have it cut into a short bob to remove all the burnt bits. It had been Tanya’s idea then as well.
“Can’t we just put it up?”
Tanya laughed. “With all your curls we’d have more pins than hair.”
The hairdresser nodded. “It will have to be straightened if we’re going to do anything with it.”
Bridget sighed. At least the chances of her hair burning should be less with a professional.
When it was Bridget’s turn she did her best not to fidget. “Who’s coming tonight?” she asked Tanya, hoping some conversation would distract her.
“Oh, everyone. All Hal’s family and my family, of course. Some friends from work, and Sally and Trish of course.”
Bridget’s stomach clenched. “From my work?”
“Yep.” Tanya nodded.
Bridget huffed out a breath. Sally and Trish might not care about their relationship but still her gut clenched. After the fuss Dirk made, she was reluctant to confirm Trish’s suspicions. Was she ready for further gossip?
Tanya was watching her. “What’s wrong?”
“No one at work knows about me and Jack. They think he moved in to help me out.”
“Are you still worried about that? No one cares, Bridge. You can date whoever you want.”
For Tanya the whole Lionel affair was so far in the past it was ancient history, but for Bridget it was still too raw. She couldn’t forget everything she’d gone through. And she couldn’t forget Dirk’s accusations during the week.
“I need to call Jack.”
“Not until your hair is finished,” Tanya ordered.
Bridget waited impatiently for her hair to be straightened and some kind of product to be added and then got to her feet.
“Don’t go outside. The less humidity you expose your hair to, the better.”
It was getting near closing time and the other side of the salon was empty so Bridget crossed the floor and called Jack.
“How are things?” he said as he answered.
“Hair’s done, makeup is next,” she said quickly. “Listen, Jack, Tanya’s invited Sally and Trish tonight.”
“From work?”
“Yeah. I can’t be your date.”
“Why not?”
She hissed out a breath. “Because they will be there.”
“There’s nothing to say roommates can’t accompany each other to the same event, is there?” He was being rational.
She didn’t like it. “But I’m meeting you there.”
“And I’m taking you home.” His tone brought all kinds of ideas springing to Bridget’s mind.
She pushed them away. “They’re work colleagues.”
“And you said Trish thinks there’s something between us anyway. They’re not going to care.”
“They could mention it to someone.”
“They could say something whether we dance together or not. Bridget, I can’t just turn off the way I feel about you, and that’s going to be reflected in the way I look at you, and the way I behave around you. At work I’m doing my best to remain professional, but this isn’t work. This is family, a celebration between your best friend and my brother. Don’t deny me a dance because you’re afraid of what some people might think.”
There was a plea in his voice. She wanted to say yes, she wanted to dance with him as well. But there was still the little voice in her head that whispered a warning.
“Can we play it by ear?”
He was silent for a moment. “Sure.”
“Bridget, you need to have your makeup done,” Tanya called.
“I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tonight.” She hung up, feeling as if she was being the bad guy in their relationship.
* * *
It was six thirty and Bridget still hadn’t arrived. Jack wasn’t overly concerned because Tanya wasn’t here either, he just wanted to see her and sort things out. He’d already greeted Trish and Sally who had arrived together, and had spent some time catching up with cousins, uncles, and aunts. He wanted to be able to introduce Bridget to everyone, the way Hal was about to do with Tanya.
“Jack, have you seen Hal? Tanya wants to make her entrance with him.”
His heart lightened at Bridget’s voice and he turned, then stared, his mouth open. It was Bridget, yet somehow it wasn’t. Her hair fell straight to her shoulders without the fun bounce it usually had, and her mouth was painted a glossy fire engine red. His groin tightened as he panned down, taking in the dress with its hint of cleavage and the split which started at the top of her thigh and ran all the way down to the matching red stilettos. She looked like a seductress. He couldn’t talk, he could barely breathe. The woman standing in front of him was way out of his league.
“Jack?” She waved her hand in front of his face and he blinked. “Are you all right?”
“You look incredible.”
She blushed and smoothed out the dress. “Thanks. It’s a bit fancier than I’m used to but Tanya insisted.”
He’d h
ave to remember to thank Tanya later.
“Do you know where Hal is?” she repeated.
“He was over by the bar talking to my uncle,” Jack said, taking her hand and searching for the closest nook he could drag her to. Spying the garden shed, he moved in that direction.
Bridget shook him loose. “Where are you going? The bar’s over there.”
“You don’t want to make a scene, so I was trying to find somewhere private I could get you out of that dress.”
Her eyes went dark, her lips smirked into a little grin. “Don’t you like it?”
“I like it very much.”
She glanced around, spotted Trish and Sally and her grin disappeared. “I’ve got to make an entrance with Tanya. I’ll talk to you later.”
Jack gritted his teeth. Every step forward with Bridget seemed to bring a step backward as well. He wasn’t getting anywhere. Watching her walk away he noticed she captured more than one person’s attention.
“Wow, Bridget looks amazing,” Sally said from nearby.
“She won’t have a problem finding someone to take her home,” Trish replied, giving Jack a look.
He ignored them. He couldn’t be expected to hide his emotions. Bridget did look amazing. He wanted to be able to declare to everyone that he was the one taking her home, that she was his, that he loved her.
Patience.
If Dirk hadn’t made a fuss that week she might have been fine to be his date at the party.
His father tapped the microphone and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen. Let me introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs.”
He pointed to the veranda where Hal and Tanya were standing – Hal dressed in a black tuxedo and Tanya in a white lacy dress. They walked down the red carpet, smiling as everyone applauded. Behind them was Tanya’s sister, then Bridget and the two groomsmen. Bridget kept a smile fixed on her face but Jack could tell she wasn’t comfortable. Her steps were small and cautious, her balance not the best on the lumpy carpet and on those killer heels. She grabbed hold of the groomsman next to her and a rush of jealousy flooded Jack as the guy said something to make her laugh.
He was being ridiculous. Bridget wasn’t interested in the groomsman. He waited until she was finished in the receiving line and then he crossed to her and held out his arm. “May I?”
Break the Rules (The Flanagan Sisters Book 1) Page 16