I was called for another photo and may have growled as Jack released me and took my glass. He continued to laugh in short bursts that made me giggle crazily.
I faked my smile in one photo, ruined two others out of sheer spite, kicked the happy bride in the shin when no one was looking, hissed in her face, and returned to my seat.
He had a fresh drink for me when I returned to his side.
“Was it terrible for you, Petra?”
“Less than you’d think and directed more at my sister. I mean, come on.” I watched Ava slap away Kevin’s hands as they posed again. “I get his motivation but didn’t get hers.”
“How can you not? She wanted to do one thing before you did. Wanted to be better than you in some way.”
I took a long sip of my much-needed alcoholic beverage. “Eventually, I probably would have married him because I was bored and tired of getting the questions about a husband. Witnessing my sister give it to him in the ass saved me from myself.”
Jack choked on his drink and I slapped him on the back.
My mother appeared at my side. “Darling, come with me for five minutes. I apologize, Jack.”
“No need.” He stood with a small bow. “I see where Petra gets her exceptional beauty, Ms. Andreadis.”
“You charming man,” my mother murmured.
It was a rare feat for a man to make me speechless. “Thanks. I-I guess I’ll see you later, Jack.”
“I’ll wait.”
My eyes widened and I gestured to the party. “Shouldn’t you mingle or something?”
“Absolutely not.”
When he said nothing else, I gave him a smile and followed my mom. “Is something wrong?”
“Yes, Petra. I know your sister snipped off your straps and I couldn’t get the seamstress here until a few minutes ago.”
An older woman smiled as we entered the bridal suite. “Hello, miss. I’m going to quickly sew in a halter for you. It will give you a lot more confidence.” She made a face. “There’s nothing I can do about that color or cut.”
“Keeping my boobs inside the bodice is a huge plus. Thanks.”
It took her ten minutes to affix a life-saving bit of fabric that looped around my neck and attached to either side of the top seam. The moment I stepped back in the dress, I felt better.
Mom pressed her cheek to mine. “We’ll try not to return the favor when you marry one day.”
“No promises,” I murmured.
“Understood.” She smoothed my black hair that the stylist twisted into a complicated up-do earlier. “You’re striking no matter what you’re wearing. Go have some fun.”
I tilted my head. “Have you talked to Jack before?”
“Briefly. Don’t keep him waiting, darling.”
Stepping back into the ridiculously high heels I loved, I returned to the main floor. Jack sat a few feet from where I left him at a small table.
He stood with a smile when I approached. “Ah. A precaution against wardrobe malfunction. Not one I’m certain I prefer if my male lizard brain is being entirely honest.”
He pulled out a chair and bent to say at my ear, “I’ve bribed the wait staff to keep them coming. You were in the middle of telling me your reaction to our siblings’ dreadful behavior.”
More than a little flustered, I watched him settle in the other chair. We were close enough to speak privately.
“Where was I?” I smiled as the waiter placed fresh drinks between us and sipped mine gratefully.
“That you’d have married my prat of a brother out of boredom but watching your sister peg him saved you from choosing a life of supporting his worthless ass.”
It was my turn to choke on my drink. I blotted my eyes as I laughed. It felt wickedly good.
“The entire ordeal made my already antagonistic relationship with my sister worse. I’m not angry, hurt, or otherwise unstable. You know, unless you count what I was born with.”
“It’s the same between Kevin and I.”
“I can imagine.”
“Does it make you nervous about future relationships?”
“Oddly, no.” I shrugged. “I didn’t love him and the moron was incapable of listening in bed. Last time I’ll do that.”
A long silence ensued that gave me time to replay what I’d said in my brain. Yeah, you just referred to your sex life with his brother.
Finally, he leaned closer and whispered, “Last time you’ll consider marriage or last time you’ll have sex?”
I lost it again because I’m she who possesses no dignity in public. From the corner of my eye, I watched Ava pull an irate Kevin to the second floor.
“Bad sex but marriage is likely a no-go, too. My aunts worry I’m not wife material because I’m incapable of dealing with a man’s stupid shit.” I lifted my glass. “I have to agree.”
Twinkling gray eyes roamed my body from head to toe. “I like you, Petra. You’re the most honest person I’ve ever met. How the fuck did you get suckered into being maid of honor?”
“My mother’s homemade yogurt. It might sound crazy but I can’t live without it.”
As if the statement made perfect sense, he nodded. “Moms. Mine threatened to share stories from my childhood on Facebook. When she showed me the pictures she planned to upload with her posts, I caved like a little bitch.”
“I really need to buddy up to your mom and get the dirt.”
Over his glass, he winked. “That’s what I did.”
“My mom sold me out?” I asked jokingly. “I don’t believe it.”
“Believe it. Moms like me.”
“They don’t like me. I tend to break their fragile sons.”
“Sounds ominous but I’m a hardy sort so I’m sure my mother will adore you. It’s strange that you didn’t meet her in all the time you dated Kevin.”
I tapped the side of my glass with my nail. Clearing my throat, I tried to figure out how to respond.
A big smile spread over his face. “You had no intentions of staying with him. Therefore, no desire to meet our mother.” He laughed. “It’s a shame since you’d probably be the only woman one of her sons brought home that she liked.”
“Oh,” I groaned. “I highly doubt that. I’m inappropriate at the best of times.” I lifted one shoulder. “He didn’t offer and I avoided the subject.”
“We weren’t introduced either,” he reminded me.
The observation made me laugh. “Why in the hell would he put himself in the same room with you? I barely tolerated him without such a comparison. In fact, I’m fairly certain my sister is currently kicking herself.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Oh, you’re welcome.”
“Ava is vapid, greedy, and silly. Everything about her is surface and easy to pick apart.” I was shocked at the keen observation. Jack shook his head. “When my mother blackmailed me to be part of this train wreck, I agreed on one condition.”
“I’m breathless with anticipation.”
“I’d stand up as best man for the weasel if,” his eyes locked with mine, “she didn’t say one word about me scooping up the only woman he ever dated who made me envy him.”
Unusually flustered at the thought of being scooped up by someone like Jack, I tried to come up with a witty response and failed. “Thank you.”
“You showed true class appearing here today, Petra.” He held out his glass and we toasted. “To shitty siblings and being forced as the oldest and smartest to make excuses for them.”
“Preach.”
We released long-suffering sighs at the same time and eventually worked ourselves into another round of laughter.
“You’re gonna ignore the fact that I attended this wedding to get you in my clutches, aren’t you?”
“Yup.”
“I can work with that.”
The waiter arrived with more drinks and we settled into a comfortable silence as the deejay for the reception started upstairs.
I had an internal shudder. “Let’s wait to go up. I have no interest in faking another smile during their first dance and I know Mom will be watching me.”
“She knows you’ll trip the assholes if they get too close.”
“Accurate.”
“I’m glad you didn’t marry the little shit. My mom stalked you just in case you turned out to be a serial killer.”
“Still a possible career choice. I waffle between that and Ultimate Fighting.”
“Damn it. You’re in marketing? What are you waiting for? Get in the ring and lose some teeth or start taking out the stupid people. We can pool our lists and I’ll drive.”
The two of us talked and laughed until we couldn’t hold our glasses or remain upright.
Bent over our knees, clutching our stomachs, we laughed.