I didn’t want to go home.

I hadn’t exactly been dreading the wedding, but I was annoyed that Rick had railroaded me into going. We had no mutual friends I could talk to, despite being together for eight years. Which should have been a warning sign something was wrong between us. My friends had never liked Rick. And Rick had no friends. Just acquaintances. People he used to move his way up the corporate ladder. His lack of real friendships had never seemed to bother him, if he’d even noticed. His family had always been nice enough when we’d been together, but ever since he’d left me, his family had given me the cold shoulder. As if being married to their son for the past seven years, not to mention the mother of his child, meant nothing. Which was incredibly disappointing. I was doing everything in my power to make this separation amicable, because Nathan deserved parents who could speak civilly to each other. He deserved to have birthday parties with both his parents present. He deserved to get school awards without worrying about whether his parents would run into each other and make a scene in front of his friends. I was managing to put aside my feelings over Rick’s unfaithfulness. The fact his family couldn’t look at me made me wonder what he’d told them.

I may not have wanted to be there, but I’d had Nathan to look after, so I’d come here with a purpose. But Nathan had ditched me in favour of following his older cousin around all night, leaving me with nothing to do.

Nothing to do but talk to the hottest guy I’d laid eyes on in years.

A little voice in my head cautioned that maybe I was only finding Jamison so attractive because I’d had two glasses of wine and he was the first man to pay any attention to me since high school. Since I’d been married to Rick, I’d changed. Stopped being interesting to people. Even to myself. So, being the centre of someone’s attention tonight had been different and exciting.

But it was nine o’clock, and I was about to turn into a pumpkin. I sighed as I noticed my mother wave from the doorway of the ballroom and then make her way over to where I was sitting. I waved back, and Jamison gave a low whistle. “Who’s the silver fox?”

I elbowed him in the ribs while I laughed. “Stop. That’s my mother.” Her hair was magnificent under the low ballroom lighting. She’d stopped dying it years ago and it was now a complete silvery grey I had always thought suited her better than the dark brown she’d once sported. She’d permed it recently and the curls bounced around her cheerful face.

“She’s late. She missed dinner.”

I snorted, then covered my mouth with my hand, my eyes widening as he chuckled. He’d been making me laugh all night, making fun of Rick and Bree, telling me bad jokes and stories about the bar where he worked. “She’s not a guest. She’s here to pick me up.”

His smile fell. “What? You aren’t leaving?”

I nodded. “It’s late for Nathan. I need to get him home and into bed.”

Truthfully, I’d asked Mum to come pick us up so I would have an excuse to leave. I knew by nine Rick would have had enough of Nathan’s presence, and I’d have had more than enough of Rick and Bree. But now, after sitting with Jamison all evening, I regretted asking her to come at all. It shocked me to realise I’d actually been having fun.

Jamison clutched my hand, pulling it to his chest. “You can’t leave me alone at table thirty-three!”

Not for the first time, my skin buzzed when he touched me and feelings I hadn’t felt in a long time stirred within me. Pleasant, warm sensations that made me crave more. Earlier in the night, he’d passed me a tray of butter and when our fingers had brushed, I’d felt it like a jolt of electricity. We’d inched closer together as we’d talked, since we’d mostly been making fun of the couple and didn’t want people to overhear, and every so often, his leg touched mine beneath the table. I’d been surprised at how much I’d focussed on it happening again. And by how many times I’d been the one to make it happen.

I tilted my head and smiled apologetically. I didn’t move my hand though, liking the way it felt enclosed between his. “Sorry.”

There was a lull in the eighties tune playing and Mum cleared her throat behind me. When I glanced over my shoulder, she smiled.

“Jamison, this is my mother, Barbara. Mum, this is Jamison. He’s Bree’s ex.”

Why did I add that? Mum raised her eyebrow, taking in my hand still clutched within Jamison’s. I pulled it back slowly.

“You don’t have to come home yet if you’re having a good time, sweetheart. I can take Nathan with me.”

I paused. Wasn’t that idea appealing. Appealing, but not possible. Ugh. Regretfully, I shook my head. “I should be there to tuck him in.”

“Pfft.” Mum waved away my concerns. “It’s after nine p.m. and he’s been running around all day. He’ll be asleep before I even pull out of the hotel driveway. All I’ll be doing is carrying him to his bed.” She gave me an intentional look, her eyes shifting to Jamison. “Stay, have a good time. You deserve a night off.”

I felt a blush heat my cheeks. Just like my friends, Mum had never liked Rick. She’d barely been able to contain her excitement when we’d split. But she could go easy on the apparent matchmaking she was trying to pull here.

Still, I did want to stay. One night off from my life. One night off from trying to be perfect all the time.

I hesitated, but as I took in Jamison’s pleading face, I felt my resolve disintegrate. “Don’t leave me, El. I can’t very well dance with Nanna June over there, can I?” He tilted his head to the old woman who’d drifted off to sleep about half an hour earlier.

El? I’d always hated people shortening my name, but for some reason, it didn’t bother me now. I kind of liked the way it sounded on his lips. My eyes dropped to said lips and my tongue ran over my own. I lifted my eyes to Jamison’s, just in time to see something in his gaze change. It was so subtle I wasn’t sure I actually saw it. But a warmth curled through me anyway.

“Stay,” he said again. Emotions warred within me. If I stayed to hang out with Jamison, at some point, Rick would notice. Would he care? Would he flip out or somehow punish me for it later by making my life difficult? We’d been together for years, but I no longer felt like I knew him. As much as I hated it, our lives were forever interconnected, and right now, our relationship was very civil. Despite the way he’d left us, I’d been cool and calm and level-headed. Nathan needed that from me. I’d already failed at giving him parents who loved each other; the very least I could do was to stay on friendly terms with his father.

But the alcohol, watching Rick with Bree, and flirting with Jamison—one or more of those made me want to agree. We hadn’t even danced yet, and I’d be lying if I said a huge part of me wasn’t wondering what moving in his arms would feel like. Running my hands up his biceps, snaking them around his neck as he pulled me close and whispered in my ear… My toes curled just thinking about being that close to him.

My gaze travelled the room for Nathan and found him sitting on Rick’s lap. Nathan’s blond hair was sweaty and his eyelids were drooping from exhaustion. Rick smoothed his hair back, then leant in and kissed Bree over the top of his head. Something within me hardened. Why was Rick allowed to move on while I sat at home alone?

I’d turned into a wallflower, I realised with a start. Rick was opinionated about everything, and we’d once spent hours debating over the things we both believed in. But as we’d grown up, those debates had turned into arguments I didn’t enjoy, and so I’d avoided them. I’d barely noticed myself fading further and further into his shadow, until suddenly he wasn’t there anymore. I didn’t like the person I’d become. Sitting here, at Rick’s wedding, talking to a hot guy who had to be at least five years younger than I was… It felt good. I felt noticed and like a little of the old me had emerged from the shadows.

“Are you sure?” I met my mother’s eyes and she gave me a triumphant smile and a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Positive. Just come get him from my place in the morning.”

Jamison gave a triumphant whoop. Mum’s gaze slid over to him. “And I trust you’ll get my daughter home safe, young man.”

“Jesus Christ,” I muttered, standing up and tucking my arm beneath my mother’s before I tugged her across the room toward Nathan. “She’s going now. I’ll be back in a minute,” I called back to Jamison.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Why did those words make my stomach flip in anticipation?

Jamison

Somewhere around my third beer I’d started finding Elodie incredibly attractive. Not that I needed beer to see how pretty she was, but she wasn’t my normal type. Elodie was the complete and utter opposite of Bree. She was soft where Bree was hard. She had curves where Bree was so skinny her bones stuck out. She was quiet and gentle, where Bree was loud and obnoxious. And she was real, where Bree was fake. Bree was everything that normally caught my eye, but Elodie sparked my interest in a way my ex never had. I’d started up the conversation to be friendly, but somewhere along the line I’d gone past being friendly into being genuinely interested. I needed to know her better.

She sunk back into her seat, just as the lights dimmed and the MC called the newly married couple onto the floor for their first dance.

She dropped her voice to a whisper as the opening strains of Bree and Rick’s wedding song started up. “They’re gone.”

I raised my eyebrows at her suggestively, unable to hide my grin. Nathan was a bloody cute kid, but knowing I had Elodie all to myself now made me a happy man. She laughed before turning to face the dance floor. I loved that she found me funny. Bree never had.

We both watched as Rick and Bree waltzed awkwardly around the centre of the room. Rick stepped on Bree’s dress and she lurched forward, shooting him a dirty look before she remembered her fake smile. I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me. “It’s like a train wreck I can’t look away from.” I shook my head. “Good luck to the poor bugger.”

“Oh, don’t feel sorry for him. He’s as high maintenance as she is. This is likely all one big show to him. He would have designed all this to impress his business partners and associates. That’s the only reason he ever threw a party when we were together anyway.”

As the song ended, Rick spun Bree around and dipped her, the split on her dress revealing almost too much as she pointed her foot in the air. I rolled my eyes and Elodie snorted before coughing to cover it, glancing around as if she were worried somebody would think she was laughing at them. I pushed the glass of wine toward her that I’d bought while she was with her mum.

“You were drinking red, right?”

She nodded as she pulled the glass toward her. “I’m not a fan of champagne; it gives me a headache. But the red is good.” She took a swallow, her tongue running over her lips, before she placed the glass back on the table.

“Well, drink up. I figure we’ll need to be more than slightly buzzed to make it through this spectacle…” I trailed off as Bree and Rick moved to the cake-cutting table. They cut a piece together then Rick picked it up and fed it carefully into Bree’s mouth. “I bet she warned him not to ruin her makeup by shoving it into her face.”

“Probably. I would have liked to have seen that though—ugh, I know it’s their wedding, but do they have to keep doing that?”

“There’s so much tongue in that kiss I’m questioning if either of them might have been a giraffe in a past life.”

Elodie snorted and took a large gulp of her wine. “We need way more alcohol to deal with this. I haven’t had a night away from Nathan in forever, so I’ll risk the hangover.”

“Cheers then,” I toasted, clinking my glass together with hers.

Her eyes met mine. “Cheers to you for making this night fun.”

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, kid.” I drained the last of my drink and held my hand out to her. The DJ had started up dance music, with LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” blaring through the speakers. “It’s dancing time, and I do a mean Running Man.”

She slapped her hand in mine, grinning as she stood. She was above average height in her heels, but she still seemed tiny from my 6'3" vantage point. She tipped her head back. “Your Running Man ain’t got nothin’ on my Sprinkler with a twist!”

“With a twist? Well, if I wasn’t interested before, I am now.” I led her through the crowd, until we were right in the middle of the floor, and broke out my best Running Man moves, pumping my arms and sliding my feet back and forth. Elodie stuck one arm in the air, her other arm bent so she could rest her hand behind her head, and her hips jerked to the beat as she spun back and forth. She only lasted a moment before she doubled over laughing.

“What? That all you got?” I panted out. Who knew a few minutes of Running Man would be so exhausting?

“Your Running Man looks more like the funky chicken!” She burst into a fresh round of laughter and my heart flipped. There was nothing girl next door about her when she laughed like that. Her eyes, bright with amusement, lit up her whole face.

“Oh yeah? What about your Sprinkler!” I imitated her moves, thrilled that she had to wipe her eyes from laughing so hard.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me closer, gasping around her laughs and clutching her stomach. “Stop, before I pee myself. We’re already making a scene.”

I glanced around, my gaze eventually settling on Bree. She was back at the bridal table shooting me death looks. Whatever. The people next to us had moved back to avoid our flailing limbs, but the only other people watching us were smiling. Everyone else was too busy dancing and having a good time to pay attention to us. The song changed to “Love Shack” by the B-52’s and Elodie gasped. “Yes! I love this song!”

Bree sliced the air beneath her chin with flattened fingers, telling me to cut it out. God she was a bitch. She’d invited me here and she’d done nothing but glare at me all night. We were just having fun, yet every time I looked over, Bree was glaring.

“Do you know all the words?” I yelled in Elodie’s ear.

She grinned and nodded as her hips swivelled and she danced closer.

“Come on, then.” I grabbed her arm and pulled her to the stage next to the little DJ booth where two microphones stood on stands.

Her eyes grew wide. “Wait. What are you doing?”

I shrugged. “Having fun?” I gave the DJ a questioning thumbs up and he laughed, gesturing for me to go ahead. I passed Elodie a mic and she shook her head.

“Jesus Christ.”

I winked at her before flicking the microphone on and belting out the next line of the song.

Elodie

Jamison was not only delicious to look at, but he could sing too. Shame about his dancing skills. Still, I grinned at him as he sang out the chorus of “Love Shack.” He strutted around the tiny stage like he owned it, people on the dance floor crowding him and singing along. He even held the mic out for Rick’s aunty to sing a line like a full-fledged rock star. He was owning this impromptu karaoke while I stood, slightly terrified, at the back of the stage.

My eyes met Rick’s across the room. He was sitting next to Bree at the bridal table. She had a face like thunder and looked ready to kill Jamison, while Rick’s eyes bored into mine. I knew that look. I’d seen it time and time again over the years. It was a cold, creeping expression that said “Shut up, Elodie. You’re embarrassing yourself.” I dropped my gaze to the floor. But then Jamison’s shoes appeared in my line of vision and his fingers tipped my chin up as he said into the microphone, “Don’t be shy now, Elodie. Your fans are waiting to hear you sing.”

His enthusiasm was contagious, energy radiating from him like sunshine. And the crowd were feeling it. They cheered, a sea of happy, smiling faces below me. My eyes met Rick’s again, as Jamison moved his mic away from his mouth and said in my ear, “Fuck them. Sing with me.”

And when I looked back into his hazel eyes, he flicked his head toward the centre of the stage. A smile spread across my face as I let his sunshine fill me and I lifted the microphone to my mouth and sang the last chorus like I was Madonna performing at Madison Square Garden.

Tomorrow, I’d blame the wine for this. I’d blame it even more for what happened next.

The song finished, and I glanced at Jamison. His grin stretched ear to ear. “That. Was. Epic.” His gaze dropped to my lips.

My already racing heart picked up another notch. I stepped toward him feeling confident and free after standing up to Rick, even in such a small, indirect way. “Yeah, it was.”

He closed the gap between us, or maybe I did, but his hand grabbed the back of my head as his lips crashed down onto mine. My brain shut down as lust mixed with excitement swirled through me. My hands slid up his chest, and I kissed him back. His tongue moved against my lips and I opened for him, wanting more of the way he felt, and enjoying the sudden heat rising everywhere our bodies touched. Our tongues moved together, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been kissed like this. Had Rick ever kissed me with this much passion? Jamison kissed as if he was thinking about throwing me down on the bridal table and taking me right here in front of three hundred people. And a large part of me would have been totally down for that.

“What the hell are you two doing?!” Bree’s voice shrieked in my ear.

I jerked away from Jamison’s mouth and realised the entire room was now watching us, not just Bree, who stood with her arms folded beneath her fake boobs, her chest heaving with her anger. I glanced around, my eyes widening as they met Jamison’s. Holy shit. We’d made a really big scene.

A laugh twitched at his lips, and instantly, my rising panic disappeared. My own laugh bubbled in my throat.

“Want to get out of here?” he whispered in my ear.

“Hell yes.”

He slid his fingers between mine.

“Well, uh. Thanks for having us, Bree.”

“Get out!” she screeched, pointing one long, red talon at the door. Jamison and I both stifled laughs as we stumbled off the stage and ran for the door.