Page 20 of The Sweet Part
Mackenzie turns me slightly and gestures with her elbow at the best man, Nathan, a man with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. “See the way Nathan’s looking at Harper?”
I nod. His gaze can only be described as longing.
“He is not,” Harper says, checking for herself and turning back to us. “It was a coincidence. He looked over here because we looked over.”
Mackenzie continues, “That moon-eyed look that Nathan gave to Harper, that’s the way Mason looks at you.”
Harper crosses her arms. “A guy can look at someone without it meaning anything. May, I get it. You and Mason are just friends, like me and Nathan are longtime acquaintances.”
Mackenzie laughs. “Come on. You—”
Harper huddles in close. “He’s coming over here.”
A slow song starts.
Harper looks for escape. “Shit, shit, shit. Let’s go to the ladies’ room and freshen up.” Before she can pull Mackenzie away, Nathan’s arrived. The man could be a model.
He flashes a smile. “Hello, ladies. Harper.”
She glares at him.
“That’s better than your dead-to-me stare,” he says. “Dance with me.”
Harper lifts her chin. “Is that an order?”
“Please.”
Mackenzie pushes her. “Go ahead; dance with your longtime acquaintance.”
Harper sighs. “Fine. I’ll dance with you.”
They walk to the dance floor with Harper in the lead. Mackenzie points to the bar. “That’s our cue. Want to get a drink?”
“Sure.”
We walk toward the bar. “It’s a miracle she’s dancing with him,” Mackenzie says. “After we get our drinks, I’ve got to get a picture.”
“What’s their deal?”
“They were best friends when we were little. He’s a neighbor of hers, so they grew up together. Something happened at prom that made her despise him. I have no idea what. I’m guessing she made a move, and he rejected her.”
“Life’s too short to hold a grudge,” I say.
“Right? Though when it comes to the heart, I get it. I still want my ex to burn in hell.” We reach the bar. “Champagne?”
“Sure.”
We get our drinks and head toward the side of the room. I catch Mason’s eye. His dad looks serious, talking to him. Mason looks away, frowning. Hope it’s not bad news.
Mackenzie leads us to a table by the edge of the dance floor.
“Oh, the picture,” Mackenzie says, putting her drink down. “Where are they?”
I point toward the left, where Nathan and Harper are now standing still in dance position, having a heated exchange of angry words.
“Oh no,” Mackenzie mutters.
Harper jerks away and stalks off the dance floor, heading toward the bar. Nathan goes after her. She stops dead in her tracks, turns and says something that makes him back off with his palms in the air.
