Page 103 of Storm in a Teacup
Well, that is what I’m here for, so I can’t say that I’m surprised, but my focus droops toward her hand in disappointment.
It doesn’t matter. I place my hand on top of hers, entwining our fingers. Linny doesn’t falter for a moment as she speaks to her sister, like this was the most natural thing I could have done.
She turns to me to ask, “It was Yosemite, right?”
“Huh?”
Her hand squeezes mine. “Where you almost fell into the waterfall.”
She and Sarah were talking about me. I had zoned out, concentrating too much on someone who she perhaps didn’t realize was watching us after all. “Right. Yosemite. Got a little too close and slipped on a wet rock. Nearly busted my head along with my arse.”
“I’m glad it was just your ass.”
I bring her hand to my mouth, kissing it gently, making her lips quirk up. She turns back to her sister, but her hand stays in mine.
The speeches start before dinner is taken away. First, Paul, the best man, then Kensie, the maid of honor, get up there to give their speeches. Then Mel’s father. We clap and hoot and holler for them. Finally, Mel takes the microphone and says, “Please, everyone, for the love of god, start drinking and dancing!”
Most people don’t have to be told twice. I get Linny and I each another drink, and then I drag her somewhat reluctantly to the dance floor.
“I am not wearing the right shoes for this,” she argues.
“Take them off,” I say.
“No!” she laughs out. She takes a sip of her drink, soon finding the rhythm of the music and moving with it. We dance togetheruntil our drinks are gone. I get rid of the glasses and rejoin her on the dance floor for another song. After that one finishes, she complains, “My feet hurt!”
“Take off your shoes,” I suggest again. “Kensie’s not wearing shoes anymore. You won’t be the only one.”
She looks around suspiciously but does not move to take them off. I drop to my knees before her, grabbing her ankle and lifting her foot in the air to remove the shoe. I repeat the action with the other foot, then stand back up, using the back straps to loop the heels around my wrist.
With her feet now flat on the floor, I ask, “Better?”
“Better,” she grumbles, annoyed that I was right.
However, she soon gets past it, and we’re dancing again. At one point, I go fetch her another drink and me a water since I’m driving us home. Then another drink for her, by her request. I’m glad she’s taking advantage of the opportunity to have a good time. She’s been so stressed. By the time we make it off the floor, she is more than a little tipsy, the lightweight.
We both sit down heavily in chairs at our empty table, though Chelsea soon joins us. She’s on her phone talking to her two-year-old and her husband, who are still back in New York, leaving us in our own little bubble.
Linny props her foot up on my legs and whines, “My feet still hurt.”
I chuckle to myself and proceed to massage her foot as she makes adorable, happy little whimpers.
Out of nowhere, Atti walks up to us and says, “I heard a rumor.”
Linny groans and says to me, “If we’re really still, he may not be able to see us.”
Atti does not take that hard and instead says, “I heard yourmother say to your father that you two are not really dating. Who would do that? Pretend to date? Seems a little sad.”
I stiffen, ready to say something in retort of that, but Chelsea beats me to it, holding her phone away from her ear. “Atticus, he is literally massaging her feet. People don’t do that for people they’re not in a relationship with.”
I figure that may settle it, but Linny laughs. “Ben would. Ben’s the nicest person ever.” Okay, maybe she’s a little more drunk than I thought. I figure she’ll end it there, but she keeps talking after she takes another sip of her drink. “We’re not dating!” she pronounces. “Weliedbecause we’re liars. But I don’t care because Ben is my friend and I like Ben.”
Atti tsks like he’s going to scold her. The absolute wanker. “Why would you lie, Linny? Like I said, it’s sad.”
She snorts. “We’re not sad. You’re sad. You’re pathetic. You let little bullshitty things embarrass you. Like blind people. Who’s embarrassed by blind people? You, that’s who. Ableist garbage face.” She leans back in her chair and says, “I don’t know. I wanted a friend, and I wanted to show you I was lovable. Not because I wanted you to love me again, ’cause no way, but because I wanted to prove it to myself, and Ben did that. Ben made me know I’m lovable. And I am. I am so goddamn loveable.”
I smile, pressing a kiss to her toes because that’s all I can reach. “Damn right you are, sugar.” To Atti, I say, “It might be time to walk away.”
He stands there, stunned. But he does not walk away. And because he does not walk away, Linny keeps talking. “And even though we’re not dating, his dick was in my mouth last night.”
