Page 11 of Off Camera
“Poor girl,” I say, and he sticks out his tongue. “She should’ve run when she had the chance. There’s still time to save Emmy.”
Dallas opens the suite door and steps into the hall. “Y’all can argue about this later. Can you let me marry my girl first?”
“Of course we can.” Maverick gives him a salute. “Ready, Plant Daddy?”
“I’ll catch up with you in a second. There are smudges on my glasses from when you pretended to be Clark Kent, and I can’t fucking see.” I wave them off. “Go ahead. I’ll be right down.”
The door slams shut behind them and I walk to the bathroom, rinsing the lenses and rubbing them dry. I hold them up to the light and squint, making sure they’re clean enough so I don’t trip down the aisle.
I double check I have the rings one more time and leave the room, heading for the elevators. As I turn the corner, I run straight into something.
A warm, soft something that pulls on my tuxedo jacket and sends me tumbling to the ground.
“What the hell?” I blink and put a hand on the floor, looking at the person underneath me. Brown hair and brown eyes. A dimple on her left cheek and red lipstick on her mouth. “Claire?”
FOUR
AVERY
I’ve been thinkingabout Reid since I met him last weekend. I wasn’t sure I’d be lucky enough to see him again, and now he’s on top of me. Close enough so I can smell his cologne and see the flecks of gold in his eyes.
His mouth parts and his hips press into mine. I recognize chest muscles. Lean, long limbs and pure man.
My back arches, desperate to feel more of him. His sharp gaze sweeps over my face, and my cheeks burn when he stares at me and refuses to look away.
I’m clutching the lapels of his jacket like my life depends on it. His right hand grips my shoulder. My leg is almost wrapped around his waist, and one of us has to be the first to break the silence.
“Hi,” I say feebly.
“What are you doing here?” he asks, his voice pitched rough and low.
“I’m here for a wedding. I’m friends with the bride.”
“What wedding?”
“Dallas Lansfield and Maven Wood. He’s a football player and?—”
“How the hell do you know Maven?”
“We play on the same recreational soccer team,” I say. “Well, played. Life got too busy for both of us, and we aren’t coming back this season.”
“Holy shit. Iknewyou looked familiar.” He’s still hovering above me. I’m still touching him. “I went to her first game years ago, and I haven’t been back.”
I sort through the hazy memories of that afternoon.
The grand gesture Dallas pulled off for Maven. All her friends being there, includingReid, who only looked away from his phone long enough to cheer for one of her goals. The way he didn’t pay attention to anyone, detached and off in another world.
We didn’t speak that day. After, when it was time to celebrate our victory, he disappeared without an introduction, and I forgot all about him. I hadn’t given the mystery man a thought until right now.
“Is this one of those Missed Connections on Craigslist?” I ask.
“Probably a lot less creepy,” he says. “Our eyes didn’t meet while we were both reaching for the soup in the grocery store.”
“But what a story that would be. I’m assuming that means you’re here for the same wedding. There can’t be too many other ceremonies in the same spot.”
“I’m Dallas’s best man. I won the honors.”
“You did? What game?”
