Chapter 34
Cole
Thanks to the fact that Lydia is in the bridal party and I am not, I don’t see her again until after dinner. Instead, I spend the meal at a table filled with people from their church. I don’t mind making small talk, at least until John, the pastor who performed the ceremony, turns to me and asks why he’s never seen me at church with Lydia before. I fumble through an excuse about it being a busy season at work and with my campaign before he pats me on the back and tells me he looks forward to seeing me there someday soon.
Having a pastor’s attention fixed solely on me makes me start sweating, and I have to remove my suit coat and gulp my water down to cool off. The funny thing is though, there’s a part of me that actually wants to maybe go with Lydia sometime. Like on a regular Sunday. Not just Christmas and Easter.
After dinner, the dancing starts up, and I watch with everyone else as the bridal party takes the floor. Lydia is dancing with Luke’s brother, and she throws her head back and laughs as he whispers something in her ear. I consider marching over and cutting in, then tell myself to calm down. It’s just a dance. Lydia and I don’t even have a real marriage, so what am I getting bent out of shape about?
The DJ invites the rest of the guests to join the bridal party on the dance floor, and I let out the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding as a young woman comes over and takes Lydia’s place with Luke’s brother. Lydia smiles and steps back, ready to make her way off the dance floor, but before I can second guess myself, I stand and bolt over to the dance floor.
“Can I have this dance?” The words come out in an embarrassing squeak, but Lydia doesn’t laugh. Instead she just nods, and I watch in satisfaction as a blush of pleasure creeps up her neck. As her hand settles into mine, I pull her close, inhaling the scent of her.
We’re silent for a few beats, then Lydia speaks.
“So, you cut it a little close today.”
“Yeah.” Somehow in the chaos of things I’d forgotten all about my late arrival. “Sorry about that. Let’s just say Ashley wasn’t too happy to have me duck out on her. Then when I got here the parking situation was a bit of a mess. I ended up four blocks away.”
“Oh gosh, I’m sorry. I should’ve reserved a spot for you.”
“It’s fine.” I’m taken aback by her apologetic tone. Usually, she’d just tell me it served me right for cutting things so close. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Okay.” Lydia sounds nervous as she goes on, “So, uh, do you and Ashley always handle clients together?”
“Well, she and I started at the firm together, so we landed a lot of our clients together. Plus, our boss really likes the way we work as partners, so he tends to pair us off a lot.”
“Oh…right.” Lydia nods a few too many times for it to be natural, and instead of looking at me her eyes dart around the dance floor.
“Does it bother you that Ashley and I work together so much?” I venture.
“What?” Her voice is shrill. “No, of course not. Why would it bother me?” She lets out a little laugh.
The song we’ve been dancing to comes to an end, and the DJ announces it’s time to pack the dance floor and get our Cha Cha Slide on. As the first few notes of the song play, Lydia laughs, breaking the tension between us, and I can’t help but laugh too as all around us people settle into the groove of the song. Directly in front of us an older woman, who I recognize from the rehearsal dinner as Jamie’s grandmother, sings along to the opening, “We’re going to get funky,” and Lydia and I laugh even harder. Then everyone takes off to the left, and we hurry up and join in.
The DJ keeps us busy over the next thirty minutes, following up the Cha Cha Slide with a conga line, then instructing everyone to grab a partner and form a dance tunnel as he plays Chris Browns’ “Forever.” Together couples dance through the tunnel, showing off their best moves. Even Jamie’s grandma goes through, this time joined by her husband who’s got on a top hat and tails like he’s Fred Astaire.
When it gets to Lydia and me, she grins at me, before leading me into the center and breaking into the twist with a confidence I’ve never had on the dance floor. Everyone is cheering her on, and I’m overcome with the desire to impress her. So, when she turns to face me, I impulsively grab the top hat off the old man’s head and place it on my head, garnering wild cheers from the crowd. Feeling ridiculously stupid, but also buoyed by the response I’m getting, I tug her towards me, then put my arm around her waist and dip her down to the floor. As we come up, I twirl her around until she ends up folded in my arms. I forget about the people watching as I hold her close. Her eyes are shining with mirth, but as they meet mine her laughter fades, and her lips part in invitation.
But then a second later, she clamps her mouth shut and gently pushes herself off me. We’ve reached the end of the tunnel and she looks up at me sheepishly. “I have to go,” she stutters, “to the bathroom, I mean.” She indicates her belly. “Pregnancy is fun like that.” Without waiting for my reply, she dashes away, leaving me feeling like Prince Charming when the clock struck midnight.
Lydia
I stay in the bathroom for longer than necessary, shaken up by what just happened. I almost kissed Cole. Worse, I almost kissed Cole in front of a hundred cheering people. I cannot kiss Cole. No matter how much I want to.
The memory of our conversation about Ashley and work is fresh in my mind, and it grounds me in reality. I have to protect my heart. Sure, he told me he thinks I’m gorgeous, and he really showed up for me today, helping me handle all the awkward questions during the receiving line and letting us use the backyard for the wedding. But none of that proves he’s over Ashley.
I set my hands on my bump and try to keep my tears in check. What I need to do, I remind myself, is start our prank war up again. I wrack my brain for ideas. I could steal his phone and change all the contact info, so when Ashley calls it says Maleficent is calling instead. Because she’s evil. Obviously.
No. That’s stupid. And too easy to fix. Maybe I’ll just start showing up to their office all the time and act all lovey-dovey with Cole in front of Ashley. Which, okay, isn’t really a prank per say, but I can make it one. Like maybe every time I go, I take something from Cole’s office until he thinks he’s going crazy because all of his knick-knacks and wall art are disappearing. And then, I’ll frame Ashley for it. Yeah, I’ll make it look like she’s some sort of vindictive, crazy ex. Meanwhile, I’m actually the crazy one.
Oh. My. Gosh! I have problems.
My phone chirps, and I look down at the screen to see a text from Cole.
Hey, you okay? You’ve been gone a while.
A second later another one pops up, then three more right after it.
The DJ switched to slow songs.
I’ve never asked a girl to dance via text.
But for you I’ll make an exception.
Come dance with me?
My phone shakes in my hand as my stomach swoops in response to his words. It’s just dancing, I tell myself, as I fix my mascara and head back out to the ceremony. I’m totally in control of all of my emotions. And also, my hormones.
I spot Cole standing at the edge of the dance floor chatting with our pastor, he glances at his phone as if checking for my reply and something that looks like disappointment flickers across his face. Then he spots me, and his face lights up in a smile. He touches John on the arm, and I see him gesture towards me, excusing himself.
As he walks towards me, I stop moving, rooted to the spot. Just waiting for him .
“There’s my wife,” he says as he approaches. “I missed you.”
As I accept his hand and he leads me onto the dance floor, I tell myself I’m still in control. But as his hand finds the small of my back, I tell myself being in control is overrated.