Marty
“THE SPA HERE IS AMAZING. You’ve got to get a couple’s massage with me. The hot stones will change your life!” Rowan announced as she walked back into the suite that my brother and Shay had booked for me. I didn’t need a suite, but damned if they’d take my advice and save money on this wedding shit.
I glanced up from the book I was reading at the redheaded beauty I had brought with me. Rowan was sweet, kind, funny, and I enjoyed her company. We had met three years ago when I moved from Savannah to Nashville where I’d managed to get a job at the fire department. At the time, I had needed a change. Nashville had given me an offer that was hard to turn down, so I went.
Rowan was my first friend in Nashville. Her stunning appearance was what first caught my attention. My thoughts had immediately gone to wondering if it was off limits to date colleagues. What man wouldn’t wonder that?
Then Rowan’s girlfriend at the time, Genesis, arrived and after I accepted that blow, we found our friendship. Rowan was unique, and although her beauty was never lost on me, I no longer saw her in a sexual way. I even found amusement when men hit on her because I too had been there.
“I doubt I get time to do massages. Mack is high maintenance,” I finally replied.
She sank into the sofa in the living area of the suite. Scrunching her nose, she propped her feet up on the table in front of her and crossed her ankles. “Aren’t twins normally opposites?” she asked, looking perplexed.
“Yes. And we are.” I had already told her how different Mack and I were.
“I can’t imagine a man being any higher maintenance than you,” she said with a hint of humor.
“Whatever. I’m not fucking high maintenance.”
Both her perfectly arched eyebrows lifted. “Seriously? You trash a kitchen when you cook and leave every cabinet open expecting someone to walk behind you cleaning up. You won’t take a shower if anyone has used the hot water within the hour claiming all the hot water is gone. Your shaving supplies arrive in the mail monthly. And you brought me to a wedding so you wouldn’t have to deal with relationship questions.”
She didn’t know what high maintenance was. “That isn’t what I’m talking about. Mack is needy. He likes all the attention on him.”
Rowan laid her head back and returned to my book. If this turned into an argument, I would point out that Rowan had a serious case of OCD and she expected more out of people than was fair. She wasn’t cruel, she just had high standards often out of reach for the average person. Which was why Genesis ended up breaking it off. Genesis was flighty and disorganized. She also didn’t have the same goals in life as Rowan.
Who was I to give relationship advice? I’d had many fuckups. One I wasn’t sure I would get over. Which if I admitted it that was the real reason Rowan was here.
“She’s here you know. I saw Shay with her. She’s appears exactly like you described. Except she was ranting about a key.”
My head snapped back up and Rowan turned to look at me. Sometimes it was as if she could read my thoughts. She claimed it was my expressions that were easy to read. Her dark green eyes looked concerned. On more than one drunken night I’d told her about all my mistakes with Fiona.
“Those legs were incredible. You’re an idiot to let legs like those go.”
A smile curled the corner of my mouth as I shook my head. “Don’t go there.”
Rowan sighed. “Well damn, Marty. You just ruined all my fun. I wanted to get her naked.”
“Shut up,” I shot back at her.
“What?” she asked innocently. “You normally don’t mind when I go on and on about the things I want to do to whatever woman catches my attention. Don’t tell me there’s a rule against it with your ex.”
I closed my book and set it beside the chair. “Fiona is off limits in general. I’d prefer we act like the past never happened. I intend to keep as much distance from her as possible. We’ll get through this weekend and then get out of this town.”
“You think you’ll easily ignore her when the two of you are thrown together for everything at this wedding?”
Shrugging, I stood up. “Shay and Mack know our past. They won’t throw us together.”
Rowan laughed. It wasn’t a fake one. She was sincerely amused. Glancing down at her, I scowled. She was about to piss me off. Bringing up Fiona always put me in a foul mood.
“You’re the best man. She’s the maid of honor,” Rowan said matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, so?” I didn’t see how this was an issue.
Rowan grinned at me. “Have you ever been in a wedding before?”
“No. My friends are either married or sluts. And then there is you.”
“The two of you will responsible for a lot of things this weekend. Starting tonight. And it will require talking.”
Mack didn’t say anything about all that. He only said that Shay would of course ask Fiona and he hoped I could deal with it. He said there was no one else he wanted as his best man and had gone on and on about Fiona being a long time ago. How we had both moved on.
Motherfucker.
Had he assumed I knew this? The doing things together shit? Was that why he’d gone on and on about it for thirty minutes after I said it was fine with me?
Dammit! “I’ll be back later,” I said not wanting to explain myself to her.
“Don’t be mad at Mack! Be nice when you talk to him! It’s his wedding!” Rowan called out as I left the suite experiencing a slow building panic. Rowan was probably wrong. I just needed Mack to confirm it. He would tell me no and maybe laugh at me. No reason to get worked up.
The door down the hall opened, and the first thing I saw was long blonde hair. The head turned and I stalled. Chantel. Fiona’s former roommate and best friend. Until I once again messed up. I made a mistake. One that ruined them.
Her face looked unsure. Nervous. We stood there not moving and I could honestly say that looking at her now all I felt was regret. I had hated her the last time I saw her. I had gotten so damn drunk I didn’t know my name or Chantel’s. I was good at being stupid back then. Standing here in the hallway like two long lost lovers—which we had never been—was awkward, so I smiled and walked her direction.
“Long time. How’s life?” I asked her. I was surprised she was here. She was here and that meant she and Fiona must have made amends. I could let go of that guilt.
“Go-od,” she stammered. “I uh,” she glanced down the hall behind me. “Just got here. You’re the first . . . ah. . first one I’ve seen.” Even as she said it Chantel looked as if she was about to throw up right there on my feet. Being here wasn’t something she was comfortable with.
“It’s a nice place.” I wasn’t sure what else to say because talking to me was making her physically ill. Having some sympathy for her, I gave a parting nod. “See you around.” I headed on past her toward the elevators.
Why had Shay and Mack thought this was a good idea? Why did they think it was a good idea to get all of us together under one roof again? They were there when it all went down. Friendships had ended. Plans had changed. We all had fled in opposite directions. All of us but Mack and Shay.
Which led us here.
Quite possibly the world’s worst idea was brining all of us together again. Those two should have run off to Vegas. It would have been safer. Easier. And a fucking lot more fun.