Page 47 of Love to Prove You Wrong

A shiny white limousine came into view and stopped right next to us. A girl jumped out and yelled, “Who’s ready to party?”

The others – except for me, Suzie, and Olive – jumped up and down, all screaming in delight.

“And guess what I brought with me,” the limo girl shouted.

She waved around a giant inflatable red guitar that looked like a crooked penis. What was she planning on doing with that? For a second, I thought about feigning some rare illness, but I couldn’t do that to the others. Everything had been planned and I didn’t want to be a party pooper.

We all climbed into the limo and Stella proposed an introductory round, as we didn’t all know each other yet.

The inflatable guitar girl was called Ashley. She’d met Layla in college. The short brunette was Brianna, one of Layla’s colleagues, and the other girl was called Jess. She worked as a sales rep for organic food for farm chickens, ducks, and geese. What that meant, I didn’t know, but she was extremely passionate about it. When I told her I had a duck and was planning on opening a petting zoo next to the inn, she shoved a business card in my hands, telling me to call her as soon as the deal to buy the land was done. Then she got out a bottle of hand sanitizer and squirted some of the liquid on her hands.

“The eight of us are going to have so much fun today,” Ashley said, the inflatable toy now at her feet.

I hoped she was right.

“If I ever meet someone and get married, I’ll make you regret it if you dare bring me something like that,” I said to Suzie, pointing at the inflatable toy. “It looks like a faulty penis.”

“You have to admit, it’s a bit funny,” Suzie whispered.

I giggled. “Maybe a little bit, yes. As long as I don’t have to touch it, I’m good.”

The limo stopped once again, this time to pick up Layla. The girls ordered her to strap the penis guitar around her body and popped a bottle of champagne.

Oh boy. At least Layla didn’t look uncomfortable, or she was good at pretending. There was no way to tell.

“So, where are we headed first?” Olive asked. “Or is that a secret?”

Ashley wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “You’ll see. But I can promise you girls it’s something good.”

The limo exited Old Pine Cove, and my thoughts swiveled back to that night when Justin and I left town. I felt dizzy thinking about the look he had given me when he played me that song. Damn, why hadn’t I stayed and listened to it?

“Addy over here partied with celebs a few days ago,” Olive said.

“What?” Brianna called out. “Who? Do you have pictures? Tell us everything!”

She grabbed my shoulders and pleaded with me as if I was a drug dealer and she was running low on heroine.

“It was just a birthday party,” I said.

I didn’t feel like sharing details about my night with Justin. It was something between him and me, and now the world knew about it. Well, maybe not the world, but several other girls. Everyone knew that meant it was only a matter of time before word spread far and wide.

“We need more details than that,” Ashley said.

Layla shot me a smile. “You went with Justin, right?”

I nodded. “That’s right. He’s an old friend.”

“I almost forgot you guys share a hometown with Justin Miller,” Ashley said. “He’s so gorgeous. Is he going to be at the wedding?”

“He’s Asher’s best man,” Layla said, adjusting the inflatable instrument that was strapped around her body.

The others got all dreamy-eyed. Ashley even had to fan herself. “I wonder if he’s still single. I would kill to go out with a guy like that.” Then she turned to me. “Addy, since Justin’s an old friend, why don’t you introduce us?”

She wanted me to do what now?

“Err… I don’t know. We’re not that close.”

Brianna frowned. “But you went to a party with him?”

---