by Paula Ridge
These things make most people jealous and look to drown their sorrows of the bottom of a bottle, but that isn’t me.
I am successful as one of the few women in the construction trade, after my father saw fit to pass down his legacy to me. Nobody blinked when I was handed the reins. They didn’t have to worry about their jobs; I had no intention of making any cuts. They are my family and I have grown up with most of them.
The green dress was slinky, almost like silk, with just a hint of cleavage. I’m not afraid of my sexuality and have become quite proficient at making my fair share of mistakes when it comes to bedroom partners, but living with regrets is for fools.
“I’m sorry,” a man so hot he could be mistaken for a dark-haired Brad Pitt decides to take a shot with me.
“I’ll bite. What are you sorry about?” I ask, already knowing it is going to be some kind of lame come-on.
“I’m sorry that heaven had to lose an angel when they let you go,” he says with this disarming smile, but I am in no mood for his games.
I clap my hands slowly to mock his attempt to make this wedding his hunting ground. Amber and Shane have already committed themselves to a lifetime of misery. The very idea of staying with one man for the rest of my life makes me break out in hives.
“How long have you been rehearsing that one? It was a good one,” I tease with my finger running around the rim of my champagne glass.
My first move would normally have been to cut him off at the knees, but I am enjoying his attempt to make idle chitchat. Nobody is immune to this atmosphere of romance. It’s easy to see people pairing off after drinking a little bit too much during the festivities.
The party has extended to the beach house, just a few feet away from where they joined in holy matrimony.
“It just came to me when I saw you over here drinking alone. I know most of Amber’s friends through Shane, but I think I would remember somebody like you. Those long, lean legs had my attention from the moment I saw them across the room. I was compelled to come over here by your silent siren song.” He does know how to talk the talk and is probably well-versed in how to seduce a woman with very few words.
It is rather amusing, and I wonder how far he is willing to go to seal the deal. It could be fun to put him in his place. Give him an inch and then take it away, only to tease him with the possibility of something happening between us.
“I bet you say that to all the ladies. I know what kind of man you are, despite your heroics and bravery. Shane has learned to be a different man. I see the love he has for Amber. It’s always in the eyes. I wish I could find something like that,” I hint with a sigh of regret to give him the indication that there is a small chance to be with me during this milestone in my former best friend’s life.
Reconnecting after all this time is a little awkward.
My profession is quite lucrative, and I don’t need a man to complete me. That isn’t what my mother thinks, though. She is constantly putting the screws on me about getting married and having a few children. It didn’t help that my older sister is having her second child and celebrating her ten-year anniversary.
There is no denying this man trying to pick me up is dressed to impress. The classic black and white tuxedo was a throwback to a different era of style and sophistication. He does wear it well. Those boyish dimples and hypnotic blue eyes could be the downfall for any discriminating woman.
“You never know what you might find when you’re not looking for it. The one thing I have learned from crawling in the mud and living a life of danger is that you have to take advantage of every opportunity. Life is about living it to its fullest.” That smile on his face is making me want to wipe it off with the back of my hand, but I have a far better idea.
“As much as I am enjoying this verbal sparring match, I’m not sure you are what I’m looking for. I hope you don’t take any offense. These things always play out the same way. I should know since I’ve been a bridesmaid three times, not including today. I remember drinking my ass off and then waking up in a stranger’s bed. It’s a pattern with me,” I reveal, with that dangling bit of information for him to digest and the sway of my hips luring him into my trap.
He catches up with me, but it wasn’t like I was trying to lose him. This is my game and he is going to play by my rules. The touch of his hand on my shoulder is electric; it must have been static electricity.
Love at first sight never happens, right?
“Where are my manners? I lost my train of thought when I saw you. My name is Zac Cameron. It is a pleasure to meet you, Emma.” I don’t know how he could know my name until I remember it was announced when the wedding party entered the reception.
I look down and then back at him before placing my finger on his chest. I make sure to linger just a little bit on his skin through his shirt, with my nail scratching slightly to give him an indication of what could be waiting for him in the bedroom.
“I’m not drunk enough for this. You should have waited until I’d had a few more cocktails. This is my first, but it won’t be my last,” I refer to the glass in my hand before polishing it off.
There is no way for him to know that I was a tomboy growing up. They treated me like I was one of the boys. Riding bikes and climbing trees was how I got to know a man’s mind. It really isn’t that complicated. Sports and sex predominately occupy their brains.
I snatch another glass from one of the waiters walking by. They are the unsung heroes of the wedding party. Nobody notices them but they are always there, ready to offer liquid encouragement.
The food is primarily appetizers, including pigs in blankets.
“You’re worth waiting for. I’m not suggesting a happily ever after where we fall hopelessly in love with one another, but I see nothing wrong with enjoying the moment without expecting anything after. Why do people have to put labels on these things? I want to spend some time with you. Is there a crime in that?” he questions, and for just a moment he catches me off-guard with those blue eyes of persuasion.
I’m not opposed to a strictly physical altercation in my room at the beach house.
It is actually quite charming for them to pick a spot like this, right on the beach, to cement their relationship with vows they had written themselves. There is nothing cold or empty about their declaration of love.
I lightly slap his face. “I’m staying all weekend. This is supposed to be a party to celebrate their union. I’m sure you have heard this before, but what happens at a wedding party, stays at a wedding party.” That same hand moves around until I am grazing my fingernails over the back of his neck.
Zac swallows hard and I lick my lips to encourage him to come a little closer.
He comes in for the kiss and I deny him by turning away at the last second. “I didn’t say you would be the lucky one to spend the night with me in bed. It’s an ugly trait when you get ahead of yourself, thinking you’re that irresistible.” I purposely throw metaphorical cold water in his face to freeze him in his tracks.
“I don’t think you know this about me, but I love a challenge. The more you resist, the more I become fixated on being the only man you think about this weekend. I could offer references. The one thing I’m good at is pleasing a woman...it’s actually what I call my superpower,” he says while fluttering his tongue playfully, which summarily makes my legs tremble at the prospect of him spending some time using that agile oral digit.
The last time somebody was good enough to make me melt in their arms was three years ago. Thinking about him often made me realize how stupid I was to let him go. We had one night together, and the rose was off the bloom by morning.
I snap my fingers. “I want you to remember what could happen if I decide to give you a chance. I’m the one that has the power. Don’t forget that,” I reply with my head on a swivel and my sunglasses keeping him from seeing how I was undressing him with my eyes.
“Are you sure about that? Just because you say it doesn’t make it true. I’m
pretty easy on the eyes. This is how I show you what you might be missing out on,” He spins around, giving me a panoramic view of his delicious body.
I don’t want to hand him my heart at the risk of him breaking it, as many have done in the past. However, it is fun to lead him on. The easiest thing would have been to turn him around and point him in the direction of another woman, but I just can’t do that; it would be unfair to subject somebody else to his callous disregard.
“I’m not going to say that you are not in great shape and quite handsome. That would’ve been more than enough a couple of years ago. I’ve evolved and I need more than the pretty packaging. It’s also possible that after a couple more drinks things will change. It’s up to you if you want to stick around to find out.” I sit down at a vacant table with a blue and white umbrella blowing in the breeze.
It is a little chilly with the smell of the salt air wafting in from the water, lapping against the shore. There is suddenly warmth from his hands on my shoulders followed by his tuxedo jacket. It is a nice gesture, but I automatically assume this is another ploy to get into my panties.
For some reason beyond me, I reach up with my fingers to touch his hands.
There is a silent moment with only his physical touch to change my mind about him. It was only this brief weakness until I come to my senses. It isn’t like I am going to slap his hands from metaphorically getting his fingers caught in the cookie jar.
“I always know what a woman is thinking. There are many ways this weekend can go. I was only planning to stay for the wedding, but you have convinced me to stick around. I have to leave on Sunday, however, as there’s a security consulting job in Tampa going on. They have expressly asked for me by name. I guess my reputation precedes me.” He makes me look at him with the sun temporarily blinding me, but I can still see what he is about to do.
I stop him again from getting too close, by bringing the champagne glass to my lips to satisfy my thirst. My lips are dry, and I can’t stop staring at his immense chest and the jaded heart underneath making his chest rise and fall with a little incentive to bring him into my gravity.
I have to be very careful, and the trap I have set for rejection is slowly slipping through my fingers. He is a playboy looking to score at the wedding. I consider him the male counterpart of me. Why is it that I want to kiss him? It has to be something to do with his eyes. I have to wonder if he knows the power he has with just one stare.
“You are a bit of a tease. I like it,’ he whispers.
My attempt to give him a dose of his own medicine is having an unforeseen side effect. I am getting excited by the prospect of spending some time alone with him with my nimble fingers taking off his clothes.
If I’m not careful, the plan I have for him is going to go up in smoke when we burn the sheets around us.
Ch 2 –Zac
The day has come, and I am looking forward to spending it with some lonely bridesmaid. Shane has warned me against making any sort of scene, but he isn’t going to be around 24 hours a day to police my actions.
The tuxedo is a nice touch of class to make me look like catnip for the ladies. Standing with Shane at the altar has me scanning the crowd for any sign of some available flesh to be pressed. I zero in on a young lady coming up to the stage wearing a bridesmaid’s dress. She looks bored, like she doesn’t want to be here or maybe she feels like a third wheel.
Coming on to her is easy but she is fighting me. It is a testament to her strength of character, but I’m determined to have her dress bundled up on the floor while we are doing obscene things to one another. It means watching for the signs, including the flush of her cheeks and a little smile of innocence that can’t be mistaken for anything else.
Giving her my jacket isn’t part of the game. I try to convince myself it is, but I feel this need to protect her. Staying close means that no other man will have a chance to monopolize her time.
This place in pure white with the backdrop of the beach and ocean is making my job easier. The bridesmaids are always the easiest targets and there is one already drunk and getting quite loud. Changing tactics and using a few words to persuade her to take a leap of faith has occurred to me.
“I hate to say this, but you might want to offer your friend a cup of coffee before she does something she’s going to regret in the morning. I know the way those guys are buzzing around her. They are just waiting for the right time to swoop in,” I reveal, with my tongue loosening from the way that she is smiling at me.
I am giving away state secrets when it comes to what a man is thinking. This is a battle and I am giving her ammunition to protect one of her flock. This isn’t like me, but I feel empowered by her beauty to say what is on my mind. She somehow makes me want to be a better man with a moral compass pointing true north.
What the hell is happening to me? She isn’t that special, is she? Emma puts her pants on one leg at a time like everybody else and they will come off the same way.
“I appreciate how you are looking out for my friends. Why you are doing it is a bit of a puzzle. Don’t think this is going to change my mind about you. You’re trouble with a capital ‘T’. Nobody is safe when you’re around. Stay here while I take care of this. She’s already been through enough; she doesn’t need a rebound tryst.” She walks away and I lose the will to speak with the shapely form of her body moving to the beat of her own drum.
A shadow is soon covering me. “I’m not sure what your intentions are when it comes to my friend, but we have known each other for many years. I can’t stop you from trying to seduce her, but just remember that she has feelings,” Gage speaks with his words clipped, suggesting that he is a little upset by my attention.
He has been drinking but mostly casually.
I squeeze my fingers into a fist. “She’s a big girl. There’s no reason to worry about somebody with her strength. The one thing I can assure you is that she won’t do anything unless she wants to. That has become painfully clear.”
“She was always a big influence in my life when we went to school together. I just don’t want you to hurt her. Shane has told me about some of your exploits overseas; it’s not much of a secret,” he confesses with his hand on the table in front of me.
“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I do believe she can take care of herself,” I say while spying on her from a distance as she very carefully extracts her friend from the circle of sharks that smell alcohol on her breath.
It is admirable for her to go to the rescue at my suggestion. Emma isn’t like the other girls. She is a little cracked around the edges, but it makes her a fighter. This isn’t like shooting fish in a barrel. I usually know what I’m up against, but she proves to be a breath of fresh air.
“I’m not here to speak for her. Try to be one of the good ones. It might be the wedding talking but I want my friend to be happy. She might be tough, but there is this softness inside of her. She tries to fight it but it’s always there. I don’t want you to give her another reason to put up that shield,” Gage warns with his eyes conveying that he means business.
Gage is a rather big man and stands a few inches taller than me.
The best answer is to tell him what he wants to hear. A few choice words are destined to find Shane when I can get a few moments of his time. It hurts me deeply to hear that my friend is talking smack about me behind my back. Everything he is saying is true, but I still don’t need a spotlight put on me.
Emma is having a frank discussion with the boys. She is giving them a piece of her mind. I can’t hear what is being said but her body language speaks volumes.
She isn’t afraid of anybody, even when those guys are listening to the heads between their legs and not the ones on their shoulders. I think for a moment that I’m going to have to intervene, but she seems to have everything well in hand.
The guys don’t have anything to say and decide to err on the side of caution. Her arms are crossed, and they are foolish to think that they are going t
o have any chance of getting past her to the target in question. She has a tough exterior, but I see something in her eyes.
I start to think it is time to exit stage left discreetly.
“You don’t have to worry about me, Gage. I think I’m going to take my ball and go home. It’s getting a little late and I need to pack for my trip on Sunday night,” I stammer, not quite believing that I’m saying the words coming out of my mouth.
“I hope I didn’t give you the wrong impression about her. She pretends to be a ball buster to bring men to their knees before they have a chance to hurt her. She’s also the warmest person I’ve ever met and will give you the shirt off her back. I just want what is best for her. Take that for what it is. I have to get back to my date.” He stands up and walks away with his shoes kicking up sand.
I drink the rest of my champagne and decide it is time to leave.
“Where do you think you’re going? Give me a hand with her. She’s going to need some time to sleep it off,” she hollers, and it would be rude to ignore her at the expense of making a scene.
I point to me to make sure she is directing her comments in my direction.
“Who do you think I’m looking at? Get over here,” she commands, and I am mildly amused by the tone of her voice.
She isn’t the boss of me.
“I could use your help getting her to one of the rooms before she passes out.” She is having problems holding the dead weight with the woman’s arm around her shoulder and hers around her waist.
It is almost laughable to see her sweating, but I have to admire her tenacity.
I come over and take the woman off of her hands. Putting her over my shoulder with a light smack on her ass makes her squeal with drunken glee from the attention I am giving her.