Page 97 of From Wink to Kink

As I follow Tyler and Lucy out of the church, I can't help but feel like this is the beginning of something amazing. Not just for them, but for Chuck and me too.

51

RUBY

The reception isin full swing, the ballroom a swirl of music, laughter, and the occasional tipsy relative attempting to line dance. I'm at my assigned table, the dreaded singles table, nursing a glass of champagne and trying not to stare too obviously at Chuck sitting straight across from me.

He is impossibly handsome in his suit, his hair slightly mussed where it’s falling out of its bun. Our eyes meet for a brief moment, and I have to physically restrain myself from reaching out to touch him.

This semi-secret relationship thing? Harder than I thought.

"So, Ruby," says the guy to my left—I think his name is Brad, or maybe Brett? He's a cousin of Lucy's. "Tyler tells me you're a librarian. That must be... quiet."

I bite back a sigh. If I had a dollar for every time someone assumed being a librarian was boring, I could retire tomorrow. "Oh, you'd be surprised," I say, plastering on a smile. "Just last week, we had a full-on brawl over the last copy of the new Stephen King novel."

Brad (Brett?) laughs, clearly thinking I'm joking. If he only knew.

"Well, I'd love to hear more about it," he says, leaning in closer. "Maybe over drinks later?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Chuck tense, his knuckles white around his champagne flute. I shift slightly, putting a bit more distance between me and Brad-or-Brett.

"Thanks, but I think I'll be pretty busy with bridesmaid duties," I say to let him down gently.

I notice a group of women I recognize as Aftershocks wives and girlfriends milling about until they spot Chuck on his own. A few of them start to cluster around him and one, a statuesque blonde, puts her hand on his arm.

Here we go again.

"Chuck, darling," she purrs, loudly enough for me to hear, "have you met my friend Melissa? She's a model. I think you two would hit it off… if you know what I mean."

A hot surge of jealousy floods me, which is ridiculous because I know Chuck isn't interested. But still, watching these women fawn over him, imagining them thinking they have a shot... it sucks.

Chuck, to his credit, looks supremely uncomfortable. "Thanks, Veronica, but I'm not really looking to meet anyone right now."

She pouts dramatically. "Oh, come now. A handsome, successful man like you shouldn't be single. What are you waiting for, the perfect woman to fall into your lap?"

Chuck's eyes find mine across the table, and I see a mischievous glint in them. "Maybe I already have," he says cryptically, and I have to hide my smile behind my champagne glass.

The next hour passes in a blur of small talk, dodging more singles table matchmaking attempts, and stolen glances withChuck. It's torture being this close to him and not being able to lean into him, to kiss him senseless like I want to.

Finally, it's time for the speeches. Tyler's best friends, Rake and Jonas, take the stage, matching grins on their faces. They've been thick as thieves for years, and I brace myself for what's sure to be a mix of heartfelt sentiment and embarrassing stories.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Rake begins, his voice slightly slurred, "we're here to talk about love."

Oh God. Cheese city.

"More specifically," Jonas chimes in, "we're here to talk about Tyler and Lucy's love. A love so real it makes the rest of us look like emotionally stunted toddlers."

The crowd laughs, and I find myself relaxing a bit. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.

Rake continues, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "You know, when Tyler first told us about Lucy, we thought he was losing it. Our boy Ty, settling down? No way."

"But then we saw them together," Jonas says, "and we got it. Because what they have? It's the real deal."

"Tyler and Lucy," Rake says, raising his glass, "you found your person. The one whose mere presence fixes everything that's wrong inside you without ever making you feel broken."

I feel my breath catch in my throat. Without meaning to, my gaze finds Chuck's across the table. He's looking at me with such intensity it’s physical.

Jonas picks up the thread. "You found the one you can be naked and vulnerable with and never feel awkward. The one who helps draw you out of your shell, who wants to share in all of life's experiences because life is better together than apart."

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