The Fastest Way to Fall(76)

I tried to describe it, walking him through the steps, but he still looked confused.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.”

“You have,” I said.

“Don’t think so,” he said, brows knit.

I stood, tucking my hands to my chest, and flapped my arms like in the dance. I realized my mistake immediately, because his face cracked into a grin. I stepped forward, and he held up his palms defensively.

“Oh, now I recognize it.” He tried to hold in his laugh, but his shoulders shook.

“You’re such a jerk.” I swatted at his chest, but he dropped his hands to my hips, holding me in place defensively, though it didn’t feel defensive. The way his palms settled on me, I imagined him pulling me into his lap and kissing my neck and his hands running up my thigh and how his stubble would feel against my skin. Goose bumps rose on the back of my neck, and I looked down at Wes, whose own gaze had darkened.

His fingers flexed, and I jerked back when I let myself realize how good it felt. Enough.

“Britt,” he said, brow furrowed.

I shook my head as a voice boomed from the sound system, interrupting our moment of connection. It was accompanied by a knife tapping a glass, and the room hushed as the groom paused on the stage. Wes gave me another searching look, but I slipped from his grasp and took my seat, facing the couple and avoiding his gaze.

“Thank you,” the groom said from the stage. “We’re so glad you could be here. It means the world to have everyone we love with us, but the only person I need here today, or any day, is Naya.” The room fell into an aww, and I caught myself placing my hand to my heart when he turned to her. “You’re the strongest, most beautiful, and most amazing woman I’ve ever known, and I feel lucky every day to spend my life with you.”

She swiped a tear from her face.

“I never knew life could be like this. You’re the only one I want to conquer fears with, the only one who can match me pun for pun.” A rumble of laughter rolled through the room. “And definitely the only one who could teach me to make a free throw.” A cheer erupted from across the room, along with a few hoots from other guests, including Wes. The bride laughed with them, and I caught a quick glance of Wes’s smile, joining in on the joke, the uncomplicated affection he had for the couple clear on his face.

The bride smiled, her eyes bright, even from our spot far from the stage.

“Simply put, you are my only, my everything, and my forever, and I’ll try my best to be the man you deserve every day.”

She made a check mark in the air with her finger before they kissed, to the applause and cheers from all their guests.

I dabbed at my face with a napkin. That had felt like a speech from a movie, something fictional, but it was real, right in front of me, and my heart lodged in my throat.

Wes’s arm rested on the back of my chair, the tips of his fingers brushing my shoulder. “Don’t cry,” he whispered into my ear.

I laughed at myself and pushed away from the table. “I don’t even know them, but that speech was so moving. Made me think, you know, I’d want someone to say something like that to me.” I shook my head. “Sorry, I’m fine,” I said, sitting up straighter.

The DJ announced dancing, and the opening beats of the music filled the hall as Felicia and a tall man approached our table. “My husband will not dance with me,” she called out over the music. “Will you two?”

Eager to escape the awkwardness between us, I stood. “I’m in. Who can resist ‘The Electric Slide’?”

“It’s electric.” Felicia’s smile broadened, and she took my hand, pulling me to the dance floor. I didn’t look back at Wes.

Enough.





46





BRITTA MOVED TO the beat of the song with Felicia, dipping and twisting, and it took monumental effort to shift my focus to Aaron. “How’s it going? Work good?”

“All right.” He shrugged. “Your PR people called me this week to arrange some magazine article about the company and the mentoring program.”

Another check in the positive column for Mason. “I think it’s supposed to be kind of a puff piece, but maybe it will get some donations.”

Aaron laughed. “Oh yeah. Just a small piece in a national magazine. What’s it like being such a god among us mere mortals?” Aaron took a swig from his beer.

“Fuck off,” I shot back with a wry smile.

“I’m just giving you shit. I know you love doing the CEO thing.”

“It’s a good gig,” I conceded with another glance to the dance floor. “It’s how I met Britta.”

“She works for you?”

“Client.”

He blew out a slow breath and cut his gaze to the dance floor. “So that’s the elusive Ms. Complicated, huh?”

I laughed. “You could say that.”

Jake approached the table. “Save me.”

“Man of the hour,” Aaron exclaimed as Jake joined the table. “You made the rest of us look like slobs with that speech. Thanks for that.”

Jake brushed his shoulders with a flourish and took the seat next to Aaron, loosening his tie. “Promise to not ask me about flowers, rings, proposals, or babies.”