Page 2 of Third Time Lucky

‘How are you?’ she asks as I set her back on her feet.

‘Eh,’ I mumble, stepping away from her and shoving my hands in my pockets. She’s caught me on one of those self-deprecating days where I’ve convinced myself my best days are over. ‘Turning thirty tomorrow. So?—’

‘He’s depressed,’ Aaron speaks for me, frowning dramatically and then tapping the side of his left eye like he’s pointing out a tear.

‘And he’s douchey,’ I say, shoving him an arm’s length away from me.

‘Thirty, flirty and thriving! That’s how you say it,’ Lucy remarks, lifting me up instead of beating me down. ‘You’re in your best years!’

I chuckle at her positivity. ‘Says the twenty-nine-year-old bride-to-be standing before me,’ I comment, looking her up and down. ‘Looks like you’re in your best years for sure. I had no idea you were getting married. Congratulations. When’s the big day?’

‘Tomorrow our Lucy becomes Mrs Kruzie, trophy wife,’ one of the women in pink says proudly, lifting her drink to cheer the most ridiculous name ever.

‘Lucy Kruzie?’ I ask, thankful Aaron is preoccupied with someone else. He would have a hay day with this.

She smirks, biting her bottom lip. ‘I’m not taking his name, obviously. I’m smarter than that.’

‘Good.’

‘Who cares about last names when your Prince Charming rides in?’ the woman who spoke for her previously says.

Wow. That’s big. ‘He’s your prince?’

‘My prince?’ she asks it as if she’s confused. ‘I du— well, he’s?—’

Another of the women overhears her stumbling over her answer and grabs Lucy’s left hand, flashing me a rock so big he either loves her an enormous amount or knows her family wouldn’t settle for a carat less.

‘What she means to say is she ishisqueen.’

Lucy blushes as I take her hand, inspecting the rock. ‘Looks as flawless as the woman wearing it.’

‘Stop,’ she says with a slight giggle, waving a hand my way and then admiring her ring. ‘You were always such a sweetheart.’

‘Not really, just telling the truth. So, you ran off to Vegas to get married and brought a dozen of your closest friends?’ I ask, glancing around at the women surrounding her.

‘Oh, no, everyone is here. You know my family, they spared no expense.’

‘I can imagine they wouldn’t.’

Honestly, I don’t know a lot about her family, but I do know her grandmother is beyond loaded. Yet Lucy never acted like a spoiled brat like some of the other rich kids I’ve met in my lifetime.

‘Anyway, back to why we’re here – old man turns thirty tomorrow and wants to lose his virginity,’ Aaron butts in, his arm now around a gorgeous blonde in pink. ‘Any of your ladies-in-waiting interested?’ He glances at the girl hanging off him. ‘Not you, sugar, you’re mine.’

She beams back at him.

‘Congratulations,’ I say to his top-choice woman. ‘You’ve just won the fuckboy lottery.’

‘Dude!’ Aaron moans as if he can argue it. ‘I’m trying to get you laid,’ he grumbles towards me under his breath.

I punch him playfully in the shoulder, causing him to grimace and rub at it.

‘Luce and I are old friends. We go way back.’

‘Waaay back,’ she says. She then furrows her brows. ‘Gosh, how long ago was it I last saw you?’

‘Twelve years,’ I remind her.

Aaron was too young to have ever met Lucy. My siblings and I are all five years apart, so we didn’t really keep up with one another’s friends. He and I weren’t more than average brothers until after he graduated high school and neither of our parents showed up to watch. That’s when I stepped in. I doubt he remembers anything about Lucy.

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