Page 79 of Follow Your Bliss

“Forgive me,” Mrs. Betty said. “I’m a terrible co-hostess. This way.”

Mom and Lily followed Mrs. Betty while Misty walked away calling someone else’s name.

I turned to Abby. “How have you been?”

Abby took a breath, but a voice beside us spoke first.

“Hi ladies. Friends of the bride, or friends of the groom?”

We turned toward the voice. A kind-faced man not far from our age approached us.

“Bridesmaid, dressmaker, and…close friend of Jason’s,” I said.

“Plus-one of a friend of the bride,” Abby said. “How about you?”

“I’m a friend of Jason’s too.” He stuck out his hand. “Antoine.”

“Abby. Nice to meet you.”

“Hi. I’m Rose.”

He took a sip of his beer. “Actually, I was invited by the daughter of the family giving the party. I’m in her singles’ group at church.”

“Oh, the prudish, ‘sex is evil’ group?” I blurted it out then felt my face go hot as Abby murmuredRose!“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”

But Antoine was laughing. “Yeah, that’s them. Jason and I both got suckered into it—well, he stopped going before the hurricane. We joined a group to build some stuff for old folks and then Misty engulfed our group with her singles’ group.” He scratched his forehead between his glasses and pushed them up. “Jason must love his sister a whole lot to be here tonight.”

Abby and I exchanged glances. “Oh really? Why’s that?” I asked.

“Are y’all friends with Misty?”

“I barely know her,” I said as Abby shook her head no.

“Between you and me, no matter what that girl says on Sundays, she doesn’t know the meaning of the word no, especially when it comes from Jason.” He looked into the bottom of his bottle, as if judging how much he had left, then turned his head to look at the partygoers. “Look at her ogling him.”

Abby and I searched the crowd. Misty was by the bar drinking wine, and her eyes traveled up and down my boyfriend’s body where he stood laughing with Alex and taking no notice of her. Was she the reason for his rough night at that meeting? Super looking forward to working on her dress, now. Maybe I’d leave some pins in it or sprinkle itching powder into the seams.

Antoine shook his head. “She’s barking up the wrong damn tree.”

“Why do you say that?” Abby asked.

Jason’s eyes met mine. He winked, and my vibrator went off again. My whole body went rigid, and my cheeks went hot. I tested this fucker to make sure it was quiet, but was it my imagination, or could I hear it?

Antoine finished out a long drink of his beer and grimaced. “Jason isn’t interested in a relationship.”

The vibration ended, and I looked at Antoine sideways. Earnest, I-love-you Jason not interested in a relationship? Antoine had to be mistaken. Or maybe things had changed?

Abby’s hand snuck into mine, squeezing in apparent solidarity.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Well—he tell you about his ex?”

I nodded. “Yeah. She was a real asshole.”

He pointed at me with his beer-holding hand. “Precisely. He’s been working so hard to make it up to his family—especially his mom—after being away for so long. I think things are finally turning around for them, but his mom’s got him walking over hot coals trying to please her. It’s gonna be a while before he wants to be in a serious relationship again. And I’ll tell you what else. Whoever Jason does end up with is gonna have an uphill battle unless she comes mom-approved. And that’s the God’s honest truth, there.”

I blinked at him. Was Jason keeping me a secret from his family…on purpose?

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