Page 27 of Champagne Fizz

I throw my hands up in the air. “Then why the heck did you just ask me out?”

He smiles like he loves how frustrated I am.

“You’re the one who made it a stipulation for knowing what drink you’d order when you’re not trying to be the next Sue Blade,” he says pointedly.

“It’s water,” I hiss.

“Still water?” His eyes narrow at me behind his glasses. “Even if you were trying to get in my pants?”

“I’m not trying to get in your pants!”

“Anyone’s pants,” he clarifies. “They don’t have to be mine. Or skirts, for that matter, maybe you’re into girls.”

Two glasses of water slide onto the bar between us. I grab mine and start gulping it down. Is it three-hundred degrees in here?

“You’re into girls?” Mason asks, catching the last of our conversation and pointing at me. “Sweet. Can I watch?”

“What?!” I practically spit my drink all over the countertop.

Simon laughs and points at his friend. “That’s Mason. Remember, he’s best man number two. He’sinthe wedding party. Ned and Olivia’s wedding is going to be wild.”

“There are two best men at the wedding?” Mason asks, turning his attention to Simon. “Does that mean I get to give a speech?”

“No!” I interject, wiping my mouth and sliding my half-empty glass onto the bar. “You do not get to speak at the wedding. I forbid it.”

“Why not?” Mason asks miffed, before turning to Simon. “Why does your date to the wedding get a say in if I give a speech or not?”

“She’s not my date,” Simon explains. “She’s the wedding planner. This”— Simon motions between us—“is a business meeting.”

“Huh.” Mason looks at me with a frown. “A lesbian wedding planner. That seems—”

“Like a sentence you should probably not finish!” Simon cuts him off.

“You know, this has been charming,” I say sarcastically. “But I don’t think any of this is really going to help me deal with Arie, so—”

I grab my purse and turn to go.

“Wait, you need to control Arie?” Mason asks, jumping in. “That’s easy.”

“Really?” I glare at Mason with a frown. “And what would be your magical words of wisdom? Huh? Seeing that Simon here has been giving me the runaround.”

“Simple,” Masons says. “Connor.”

“Connor?” I throw a hand on my hip. “Ned’s brother?”

“Arie’sboyfriend,” Mason emphasizes. “Control the cock, control the cock-tress. Simple.”

“Control the—” I don’t say the word out loud.

“C-O-C-K,” Simon jets in when I pause, spelling it out. I glare at him, which annoyingly makes my downtown regions heat up even more.

“Whatever you want from Arie,” Mason continues. “Connor can get it for you.”

I turn to Simon with a smug look. “You couldn’t have said ‘Connor’ at the beginning of this conversation?” I ask pointedly.

Simon lifts his glass of water to me with a cheeky grin. “You couldn’t have just said water when I asked what you’d be drinking?” He takes a giant gulp to accentuate his point.

“I thought you were going to be helpful,” I grind out. “But clearly, you’re on Arie’s side.”

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