"Oh my God. I'm sorry to hear that. Sounds like you dodged a bullet if he couldn't even tell you before the ceremony." I grab more paper towels to clean off my ankle boots.
"That's what everyone keeps sayin’ but he was the love of my life—or so I thought. I gave him seven years of my youth!"
My eyes widen as the plot thickens. "Seven years, huh? How long did it take for him to propose?"
"Five! But then we needed to save money and time to plan everything. Bastard had two years to tell me he changed his mind!" She washes her hands and then gargles her mouth with water. "That's what angers me the most. He wasted so much of my time and all the money we invested wasmine! Pretty sure he was having an affair with his stepsister."
"Hiswhat?" Ain't no way this isn't the plot of some Lifetime movie. I’m trying to keep up with the storyline and then she hits me withthat? "What makes you think that?"
She follows me out of the bathroom, and I apologize to everyone for cutting. I walk to the end of the line since I still need to pee, but I didn't want to butt in front of anyone.
"My little sister swears she saw them hugging a little too closely, if ya know what I mean..." She crosses her arms, waiting with me. "And they kiss on the mouth when they say goodbye. That's weird, right?"
I shrug, not sure what to think. "I'm from the South, so being overly friendly is normal where I'm from. But I'd never kiss my adult stepbrother on the mouth, especially if they were engaged."
"That's what I'm saying! It's suspicious at the very least. Anyway...my sister suggested we go on a girl's trip to Vegas, and well, here I am. Drinking my sorrows and apparently throwing up on complete strangers."
"I'm here with my sister, too. Well, she’s not here but she’s datin’ my ex-boyfriend. So that’s been…interestin’.”
Her mouth falls open, and I laugh at her reaction. “Nah, it’s not as weird as it sounds. We broke up years ago. But anyway, I came with a bunch of other people for the NFR. We decided to go out and explore since we're only here a few nights. My, uh...friend, came with me here while the rest went to the after parties."
"You mean that sexy-looking cowboy who couldn't keep his hands and eyes off you? I saw you two earlier. You're telling me he's afriend?" She pins me with a disbelief stare.
I chuckle and step closer toward the stalls. "Okay yeah, we're datin'. But it's new and we haven't told anyone."
After all this time, calling itdatingfeels weird.
"Well, good luck. I hope it works out better than mine did."
"You're gonna find someone who'll treat you so well, you're gonna be grateful your engagement ended. Even if it's not right away or it ends up being the last person you expected, I have a really good feelin' about you."
"I think that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me." She smiles appreciatively, and I notice the color coming back in her cheeks.
Even though the bathroom is loud and chaotic, it was nice meeting a stranger who I could make feel better, even if temporary.
Once I finish in the bathroom and wash my hands, I make my way back to the table where Wilder's sitting. He has another Long Island Iced Tea waiting for me and two shot glasses.
"What're these?" I ask, deciding to sit on his lap.
He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me closer to his chest. "Tequila...thought we could play a little drinkin' game."
"You tryin' to get us wasted?" I grab my iced tea and take a sip, already well on my way there. If you told me these didn’t have alcohol in them, I’d believe you, but considering I feel light as a feather, I know there has to be. “What’s the game?”
"We take a shot everytime someone comes over and asks if mywifewould like another. I've already been asked twice."
"Why would they assume I'm your wife?"
"Beats me, but two separate cocktail waitresses have asked while you were in the bathroom."
I snort, inhaling more of my sweet beverage. "Are you sure they weren't sayin' that so they could find out if you’re single or not? They saywifeand then wait for you to correct them so they know if you're available."
He brings his mouth to my ear. "Is it bad that I didn't wanna correct them?"
The vibration of his words against my earlobe make me shiver. "I think you've had too much to drink."
"Nah, I liked them assumin' I was your husband. Made me feel worthy of you."
“You already are,” I reassure him, bringing my other hand up to his cheek. “Never thought otherwise.”