Page 18 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

“Who the hell is Josh?”The question didn’t come from Paisley though.It was from Andrew.

Tori looked up at her friend.“A guy I met last year.”

“Last year?”Andrew frowned.

“When I was here.In New Orleans.”

“He’s from here?”

She nodded.“Yes.Well, near here.Autre.”She said it as if she’d known that prior to asking the bartender a few minutes ago.

“You just randomly met him last year and now you’re here thinking about kissing him?”

“We spent time together last year,” she said.“And—” She shrugged.“Yeah, Ireallywanted to be kissing him tonight.”

“What kind oftimedid you spend with him?”Andrew asked, looking annoyed and worried.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.Tori looked at Paisley, who was still crying.She was now surrounded by her bridesmaids—which meant there were eight other women also shooting I-wish-you-were-dead looks at Tori—then back to Andrew.She raised her eyebrows.The look was supposed to indicate that he should probably be comforting Paisley.But he was still frowning at Tori.

“Just…time,” she said, exasperated.“Talking.Laughing.Getting to know each other.And he was supposed to meet me here tonight.”

“You never said anything about meeting a guy here last year,” Andrew said.

No, she hadn’t told her best friend about Josh.Because…there hadn’t been much to tell.

But that wasn’t really it.

Andrew had been so wrapped up in Paisley that Tori honestly hadn’t thought he’d care.

And she’d wanted to keep the memories to herself.

That sounded silly, even in her mind, but it was true.It had all felt a little magical, almost dream-like, and she’d been afraid that if she talked about it out loud, and had someone say something likedo you really think this guy just fell head over heels for you in a night or two?,she’d start thinking about it too hard and doubting and the magic would be gone.

“Just because I didn’t tell you, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” she said.Then she frowned.“Wait a second.Do you think I’m lying about him?”

Andrew shrugged.“I’m just saying that I haven’t heard anything about this guy.And he’s not here.”

Paisley stepped closer to them, her eyes shooting daggers.“And youkissed Andrewand then got caught.It definitely sounds a little suspicious.”

“If I wanted Andrew, why would I be trying to convince him that there’s another guy?”Tori asked her.

“Because you thought that you’d have time to tell him how you really feel and to convince him to run off with you, but then I showed up and ruined your plan.Now you’re embarrassed.”

Tori rolled her eyes at that.

Wrong move.

Paisley sucked in a gasp loud enough to be heard over the people around them who had returned to their conversations.Of course, ninety percent of the people around them were still watching this confrontation avidly.

“Look,” Tori said before Paisley could speak.“Josh and Andrew are built a lot alike.I haven’t seen Josh in a long time.I saw a guy who looked familiar and who’s wearing amask—” she added in her defense.“It was just a mistake.There’s nothing going on with Andrew and me.We’re friends.That’s it.I wouldneverkiss him.”

“Hey,” Andrew, the idiot, protested.“It’s not like we’veneverkissed.”

“You’vekissedbefore?”Paisley said, her sobs forgotten in her outrage.

“That was eighth grade!”Tori said to Andrew.What was he doing?

“And tenth,” he reminded her.

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