May 22nd #5
I’m rooted in my spot. Feeling like I’m gazing into the eyes of my destiny.
Damon puts his hand up to my face, pushing away a piece of hair and tucking it behind my ear.
Oh my goodness. Sammy was right. It’s been way too long.
I pull my gaze back toward the stage .
Phillip says, “We thought we’d kick off our time here with a celebration. The way we always have done—with fried chicken and champagne. So, everyone, raise your glasses in the air.”
Damon clinks his glass against mine as he and the people around us say the words with them. “Here’s to the good life! And all the fixings.”
“That’s really cute,” I mutter.
“You’re cute,” Damon says to me.
Tripp interrupts by speaking. “As you might have noticed on your invitations, we asked you to spend the weekend with the Mackenzie, Diamond, and Archibald families as we celebrate life and love. Three years ago, a couple you all know fell in love at this very resort. And I’m excited to announce that not only did they get engaged last night, but …
well, Chase and Devaney, maybe you should tell us what’s really happening this weekend. ”
A microphone is shoved in their direction, and Chase stands, pulling Dani up with him.
They yell out, “We’re getting married! On Sunday! And you’re all invited!”
I’m completely shocked.
“They’re getting married?” I mutter, thinking if I had married Brad before my freshman year in college, I would have been divorced just months later.
“Oh, here come the girls,” Damon says to me. “Were you in a sorority?”
“Uh, no. Notre Dame didn’t have them. ”
“Good, that means you can stay here with me and watch.”
“Watch what?” I ask as I notice a bunch of girls jumping up around Dani and then forming a circle.
“My sister is going to pass her candle to announce her engagement, and her sisters are going to serenade her. It’s a sorority tradition.”
We stand up to take in the candle passing. Damon joins the guys for the serenading. But despite there being a bunch of his friends around, he comes back over to me.
“Is it just me, or do you think they are a little young to get married?” I ask him.
“I think when you meet the person you’re supposed to be with, you know. Like, love transcends time.”
“You use that line to get girls into bed, don’t you?” I let out a laugh, but he looks offended, his smile turning downward.
“I don’t need lines for that,” he says, just as a girl comes sauntering up, seemingly on cue to prove his point.
“Hey, Damon,” she coos. And this girl is gorgeous. Possibly famous. She looks familiar as she drapes herself around him and completely ignores me. “It’s been a while.”
He smiles at her and politely says, “Darci, good to see you. I was just getting ready to share a meal with my future wife, Ainsley, here, but let’s catch up soon.”
The girl studies me, looks back at Damon, and seems very confused. Probably as confused as I am because did he really just call me his future wife?
He holds out his hand to me.
And for some reason, I take it.
“How old is Darci?” I ask him.
“Like, twenty, I think,” he says.
“And you’ve slept with her?” I ask, causing him to turn and face me.
We’re so close that our bodies almost touch.
A large grin immediately comes to his handsome face, and his eyes sparkle. “Why? You jealous?”
“What? No,” I say, like it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. When, in reality, I wanted to claw her sparkly eye-shadowed eyes out. “She just … seems a little old for you.”
“Only a couple years older than me. And, yes, if you must know, I have slept with her.”
“That’s, like, illegal,” I say, scrunching up my face.
“She was seventeen to my fifteen, so it wasn’t.”
“Did you date?” I ask, wishing I would learn to just keep my mouth shut.
“Nah.” He shrugs. “It was just a thing.”
But my mind refuses to listen because I suddenly need to know. “For how long?”
“Off and on for a bit,” he says vaguely.
“How long is a bit?” I ask, starting to feel testy. And jealous.
“I don’t know. Maybe for a few months. It’s been a minute.”
“And you’re still friends?” I ask, wanting to know how it all ended.
“Yeah, she’s a great girl. Our families are friends. Her dad used to play for KC. They moved to Miami, but we stayed in touch. Now, do you wanna eat, or shall we go somewhere private and have a more in-depth conversation?”
“And by in-depth , you mean …”
He smiles adorably, then shrugs. “All I asked is for us to share a meal.”
“At least you’re legal now,” I tease.
“Eh, well, not technically,” he says.
“What does that mean?” I wonder. Because how is this hunk of a man not legal? Still?
“I’m young for my grade. But don’t you worry. My birthday is coming up. June first. We’re having a party. Hope you will come.”
My sex drought.
Ainsley
We eat in silence, mostly because he’s chowing down on food. And, really, so am I. I’m starving.
And between the champagne toasts back at the house and now here, I was starting to feel a little tipsy.
Probably because I haven’t eaten anything since this morning .
Once most of our food is gone, he smiles at me, pats his belly, and says, “With everything that went on today to plan the wedding, I didn’t have time to eat much. So, what did ya think? A celebration-worthy meal?”
“It was outstanding. And same for me. I left Manhattan early, stopped in KC to pick up my mom, then drove straight here. She was kind of in a bad mood, so sadly, I didn’t get any road-trip snacks.”
“I love road-trip snacks,” Damon says, his eyes connecting with mine. “Speaking of snacks.”
“You want to get more to eat?”
He grins. “Actually, I was thinking that you look like a snack.”
I roll my eyes. “You never turn it off, do you?”
“Turn what off?” he asks, leaning closer to me.
“The flirting.”
“Oh, you think I’m flirting with you, do you?” he says with a charming grin.
He totally knows he is.
“Yes, you are.”
“And?”
“I will admit, you have a certain charm,” I say noncommittally.
“Perfect. Let’s go dance.”
“Oh, no thanks. I don’t really feel like dancing,” I lie.
I love to dance, and there’s nothing I would like more than to be wrapped up in his arms, but no. Just no.
“Well then, we had better stay right here.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders and scoots closer. When his face is mere inches from mine, he adds, “Because we have to get to the bottom of your dancing aversion.”
“I don’t have an—” I start to say.
“So, you do enjoy dancing?” he questions.
“Well, yeah.”
“And you can line dance?”
“Of course,” I reply.
He puts his hand to his chest, like he’s been hurt, and hangs his head in mock sorrow. “So, I can surmise that your aversion isn’t to dancing in general, but to dancing with me specifically.”
Aversion, surmise? It sounds like he’s giving the closing statement in a courtroom.
“But since I am one who believes the word no is just a starting point, I would like to counter.”
“All right, counselor, whatcha got?”
I love this guy. Seriously. He’s funny. Bold. Freaking adorable really.
But he’s too young.
So, stop grinning.
But I can’t.
He pours me another glass of champagne, then sets the bottle down. “Not dancing tonight, of all nights, is not just a slam against me. It’s really against everyone in attendance—with us needing to celebrate the news of the wedding. Of families joining together,” he goes on.
“To us joining together?” I blurt out. Oh shit. Where did that just come from?
He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I think I shocked the poor guy.
I need to save this conversation. Get back on track. So, I pretend like I didn’t just say something inappropriate and go, “All right, counselor, but that wasn’t a counterargument. It was emotional blackmail. Using my family against me. Shame on you.”
His eyes sparkle. “One dance then, and if you have a bad time, I’ll let you leave, no questions asked.”
But as we go out onto the dance floor, I notice some of the girls we pass give him flirty little waves.
“Have you slept with every girl here?” I stupidly wonder out loud.
He takes me in his arms, looks down at me, and says seriously, “I’ve yet to sleep with the one who I desire most.”
“And who’s that?”
“You.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh goodness, you have all the right answers, huh?”
“As I said before, I believe love transcends time. I believe when you know, you know. And the second you walked into my life, I knew I was looking at my future wife.”
And I don’t even know what to say to that, so I decide to shut up and dance with him.
Of course, the band chooses just this moment to slow things down. Which causes Damon to wrap his strong arms around me and pull me close .
His hands are appropriately placed.
His voice is deep as he sings softly along to the music. And because his mouth is near my ear, his lips occasionally brush against it.
And it’s very sensual.
Damn Sammy . If it hadn’t been for him, I would still be blissfully unaware of how long my sex drought has been.
And it doesn’t help that Damon has charisma. He’s really funny and sweet, and I can see how he could charm the pants off anyone.
Including me, if I’m being honest.
“How long are you staying?” he asks, and it takes me a second to process what he said.
“Oh, uh, I’m here for the whole family reunion. I was told by both my family and Jadyn Mackenzie that it was required.”
“Auntie Jay told you that? Why?”
“Because I’m doing a project internship with her this summer.”
“That’s cool,” he says. “Congratulations.”
“Yeah, I’m super excited.”
“And when do you graduate?”
“December. I lost some credits when I transferred schools and changed majors, but I’m almost through it. And you get to start college this fall. I bet you’re excited for the whole collegiate experience.”
“I just want to go play football,” he says. “I want to win a lot, do well, then get drafted. I’ve been lobbying for the league to change one of their rules though.”
“And what rule is that?”