Taking Shots (Assassins, #1)(50)
Divorce? Harper didn’t tell her that.
“He’s bringin’ someone tonight; someone he says is ‘the one’. Bless his heart, but he could fall in love with a rock, but he seems pretty sure of this one.”
It took everything for Elli not to laugh because she knew for a fact that Harper would never get married, or even consider it, but then again Elli never thought Harper would see the same guy more than once.
So what the hell did she know?
“Ooo, she is super pretty!” Elli turned seeing Harper and Jakob make their way towards Mary Ann. Mary Ann wrapped herself around Jakob, kissing his cheek loudly as Harper stood by with the what-the-hell-is-this-chick-doing look. Elli shook her head, but Harper was getting madder by the minute.
“Harper Allen, Mary Ann Welch, she’s married to Alex, they’re the ones I was telling you about. I’m the kids’ godfather.”
Harper faced went from mad to understanding in two seconds flat. “Oh, yes, I have heard a lot about y’all,” she said, and then Mary Ann hugged her tightly.
“I’m sorry, Elli!” Mary Ann said turning around, and grabbing Elli’s hand, “This is Elli Fisher, she’s Shea’s date.”
“We know each other, Mary Ann. Harper is my best friend and my assistant photographer,” Elli said with a grin as Harper smiled at Mary Ann, basically wrapped around Jakob. He was beaming and Elli had to admit, Harper was just as happy. Maybe things were different for her and Jakob, maybe Jakob was her person. Elli smiled at the thought; she didn’t want anything more than for Harper to find her happily ever after.
The four talked for a little longer before Jakob walked off, leaving the girls with Mary Ann. Elli could see that Mary Ann was testing Harper out, but Harper didn’t seem to mind. She answered any question Mary Ann had, with not so much as a blush. Harper always amazed Elli; she was so fearless, so beautiful.
After a while, dinner was called to be served, and luckily the three couples were at a table together, so they were able to keep the conversation going. The food was divine. Elli knew it would be, but gosh, Mary Ann had great taste. The pork loin was spectacular, but the potatoes were the most amazing potatoes she had ever put in her mouth. Elli almost moaned every time she ate one, they were so delicious. She took another bite and saw Shea staring at her from the corner of her eye. She blushed as she covered her mouth, looking over at him.
“Stop staring at me!” she whispered. He just smiled, leaning closer to her to place a kiss on the side of her mouth.
“I can’t help it; you’re so hot when you eat.” Elli giggled and everyone looked over at them, smiling.
“Y’all are too stinkin’ cute! Aren’t they, Alex?” Mary Ann gushed as she drank her wine.
“Yes, honey, yes,” Alex teased in a fake country accent that had everyone laughing.
Elli loved Mary Ann and Alex; they were funny and real. They got into a fight right in front of everyone about the seasoning on the meat, but two seconds after it, they kissed like two teenagers that couldn’t get enough of each other.
It was the second time that Elli had seen Harper with Jakob and it still blew her mind how Harper acted towards him. She wasn’t cold like she was with other guys and she wasn’t hateful either. She was nice, not lovey-dovey like Jakob was, always touching her face, or holding her hand, but she was nice to him, smiling and kissing him whenever she had the chance. It was weird, but a good weird.
As for her and Shea, they were perfect. That was the only way Elli could put it, he would move her hair off her shoulder, or kiss her neck, or hold her hand, kissing her knuckles. He didn’t care that they were sitting with four other people; all he cared about was her. It was weird, but an amazing, over the top, awesome weird.
As desert was served (a three layer chocolate cake with a white chocolate sauce…yum!), Mary Ann and Alex excused themselves, to go thank people, Elli guessed, but all she cared about was the cake. It was fantastic! She knew Shea was watching her, but she was too busy stuffing her face to care.
“My goodness, this is wonderful” she muttered as she ate.
“It really is,” Shea agreed. She smiled at him, and looked over at Harper, who was also stuffing her face.
“It’s amazin’,” she gushed as Jakob laughed. That when Elli noticed that his plate was still full of a cake and it hadn’t been touched.
“Why aren’t you eating?” Elli asked pointing her spoon at his plate.
“I don’t like chocolate.” Elli dropped her spoon.
“Say what?” Shea chose that moment to drink his beer and started choking on it at Elli’s complete and utter shock. “What do you mean you don’t like chocolate? I’ll have to run 5 miles tomorrow, but I don’t care, this is God’s gift to me.” Jakob smiled and he shook his head while Harper and Shea laughed.
“It's not my thing, and Mary Ann knows this, that’s probably why she skipped out,” he said with a laugh. Shea nodded his head, chuckling as he said, “Probably.”
Elli just shook her head, didn’t like chocolate? That was a sin, she thought as she took another huge bite. A microphone was bumped and Mary Ann’s voice filled the room.
“Hey, everyone! We just wanted to thank everyone for coming out, and bringing your dates out. I have met so many new people this year, and that is just awesome to me!” she gushed. Alex took the mic then and smiled at the crowd.