Page 44 of Accepted Precedent
“Evie, this is a joke, right?” Ileah huffs, folding her arms over her chest and leaning back in her chair. “She tolerates Chris, but she looks at him like a woman in love.”
“I’m telling you, that’s Alex! That first dance? Jaclyn told us herself that Chris doesn’t dance and how she was worried about it.”
“I know!” She shakes her head. “At dinner, he had an Old Fashioned, which is Alex’s favorite drink.”
“It’s Andrew’s favorite too. Alex was at our place last week discussing an up-and-coming committee meeting regarding the Livestock Health and Wellness Act. I was making one for eachof us, and he asked for extra cherries in his. He said something about how he typically only drinks them on special occasions, and I’d put money on there being extra cherries in that drink he had with dinner.”
Ileah chews on her lip. “Maybe our husbands are right and we’re reading too much into this. Maybe Chris is turning over a new leaf and went to dance lessons? Maybe he stopped cheating on Jaclyn, and began working out instead?”
“Doubt it,” I laugh, and take out my phone. After a minute or two typing, I announce, “I just searched ‘favorite drink Christopher Blake interview’ and got two different answers: tequila and beer. There’s nothing in here about bourbon or whiskey, and no hint of Old Fashioneds.”
I show her the interviews from earlier this year, and as a server passes by, Ileah stops her. “Excuse me, could you tell me what the bride and groom are drinking tonight?”
She checks her tablet and replies, “The bride is drinking a Napa Valley Pinot Grigio, and the groom is having”—she taps a few times—“an Old Fashioned with extra cherry.”
“Ooh, extra cherry?” I ask a little too enthusiastically. I’m a few gin and tonics in; I need to tamp it down a little. “That sounds delicious. Could we both have one?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Once our server is out of earshot, I whisper-shout, “So, if that’s Alex, where is Chris?”
My phone vibrates with a news alert. Alex being mentioned has me doing a double take.
Senator Alexander Blake injured by suspected drunk driver in accident.
“Maybe Chris was in this accident?” I offer. “Shit, if Alex is pretending to be Chris, what does this mean for her marriage? Who is she married to? Chris or Alex?”
Ileah’s eyes are wide as she scans the article with me. “Better yet, how long do you think their charade will last?”
She takes out her phone to do her own investigative journalism, and I send off a quick text while she’s preoccupied.
Did Jaclyn marry Alex today?
There are dancing bubbles that come and go a few times before he replies.
Mickey
I’ll talk to you about it later.
He didn’t deny it. There’s a chance this is what he had planned to derail the wedding. Andrew and Tim dismissed it when we suggested Alex was at the altar and not Chris. Either they know and are trying to keep it quiet, or they really lack attention to detail and believe Christopher married Jaclyn today.
Our server arrives, dropping off two Old Fashioneds. I clink my glass with Ileah’s and take a long sip, humming as the dark amber liquid tickles my throat. I spot Andrew in the corner of my eye talking on his phone, raking his hand through his hair and brows pinched. I let Ileah know I’ll be back in a few and check on him.
“Hey, Andy, what’s?—”
He pivots too quickly and nearly knocks me over. “Fuck, sorry. I’m… Are you okay?”
“Yeah, what’s wrong?” I adjust my dress and check to ensure no one saw. The last thing I need is someone claiming I’m a stumbling drunk.
“I’ll call you when I’m on my way,” he tells whoever is on the other line and hangs up. “Sorry, we need to go. I have an early meeting with a potential donor Kristin secured.”
With a final glance around, I whisper, “This is a wedding with the children of two former Presidents. We can’t just walk out.”
“This is important. I have to go.”
“Fine,” I groan. “I’ll cover for you and hire a car to drive me home.”
“Just stay with Mickey,” he snaps, his tone is laced with jealousy I’ve never heard before.
