1
ROSIE
The wine bottleon the table is almost empty but I give it a helpless shake as if there’s more to come. I put it back on the white tablecloth with a thud and slump in my seat. I reach up to adjust my glasses but remember I’m wearing my contacts and instead end up poking myself in the eye. The contacts weren’t even worth it as I ended up crying so much during the ceremony that they just became irritated and foggy.
I cross my legs and swing my foot, my nude heel resting on the tips of my aching feet. Anya and her brand new husband are still dancing across the room, the dance floor empty as the night winds down. Well, it’s less dancing and more drunken swaying whilst sticking their tongues down each other’s throats. In a classy, bridal, way of course.
I hide my grin behind a sip of wine at the sight. I’ve dated men before but I’ve never laughed the way Anya does when Danny says something funny, or been looked at like I hung the moon.
My Maid of Honor duties are officially done for the night. I reminded her to take the hair tie off her wrist, fluffedher lacy dress at the altar, held her bouquet whilst she shared her vows, and cried until my reusable contacts practically disintegrated. And I even finished off the final bottle of white wine at the head table.
I smother a yawn with my hand and brush the hair that’s fallen from my half-up half-down hairdo back into place. My foot keeps swaying to the music, and I almost don’t notice when the shoe I’ve been balancing precariously on my toes falls onto the hardwood floor.
I do, however, notice the man kneeling down to pick it up.
Jackson Harper.
We’ve met a few times, usually in the presence of our joint best friends. When we first met, I’ll admit I was a little starstruck. It’s not every day you meet a man who you’ve only ever seen in IMAX. But, by result of being best friends with Anya Bonnet, who managed to get one of the most famous men in the world to fall in love with her by bossing him around on set, I’ve inadvertently brushed shoulders with Hollywood’s elite enough times now that the excitement has definitely faded.
They’re all the same as us, just with more money, more clout and easier access to class A drugs. As evidenced thesecondtime I met Jackson Harper, when I accidentally walked in on him in Anya’s bathroom snorting a line of coke off the porcelain toilet.
There is something about Jackson though. He’s effortlessly charming, his pearly white smirk usually accompanied by a wink from dark brown eyes that just ooze sex appeal. His white dress shirt barely fits around his rippling biceps, though he’s not as dehydrated as he must be when he appears on screen as Starseeker–the superhero characterthat catapulted him to global fame and aroused every man and woman with a pulse.
I haven’t spoken to him since bathroom-gate, embarrassment and plain awkwardness causing me to avoid any kind of contact with him whenever we’re in the same room. Of course, I had to respond to his messages in the wedding group chat when he asked dumb questions like ‘can I wear jandals with the tux?’ or ‘what pocket should I keep the rings in?’, but I’ve so far managed to avoid a face to face conversation with the man.
Until he kneels at my feet and slips my shoe back on my foot.
His finger traces the arch of my foot, sending a shiver up my body like lightning and I clench my thighs together. Now is not the time to be turned on by this man. It’s been too long, nearly a year, since the last time I’ve been touched by hands that aren’t my own and I’d be lying if I thought there wasn’t a small part of me that was thrilled at the prospect of a wedding hook up, but even I’m sober enough to accept that there’s no way in hell that Jackson Harper would be interested inme.
“Thanks,” I say, quietly.
He stands to his full height, towering over me. He’s got at least seven inches on me and I’ve always been tall enough that the height information on dating apps has come in very handy. Sometimes a girl likes to lookup. It’s good for your neck muscles.
He pulls out the chair next to me, spinning it around and straddling it. I think I almost swoon. The move was smooth and my ovaries are well aware. I tuck my swinging leg closer to my chair before it autonomously gets any crazy ideas about running along the inseam of his tuxedo leg.
“You’re welcome, pretty girl,” he says with a wink.
I shift, the lust that was fizzling under my skin dissolving to unease. Right. Echoes of cruel laughter ring in my ears and I glance away, willing myself to breathe through my nose like a normal human.
“You having a nice night?” Jackson asks.
I almost swallow my tongue. Am I dreaming? I’ve never said more than twenty words to this man face to face. I assumed that after today I would only have to see him once or twice a year at most.
He’s probably only talking to me because we’re both in the wedding party. I’m reading way too much into this.
My stomach twists, reminding me of when I was a teenager and Jake Jones asked me out after school. I’d spent the whole weekend giddy at the prospect of going out with my crush, until I walked in on Monday morning to see him wrapped around my sister, Cleo. He’d laughed when I confronted him.
“Yeah—uh, yeah it’s been beautiful.” I dart my eyes around the room, taking in the elegant French chateau and glittering decorations. Danny’s sister Pip took over the role of wedding planner, much to Anya and I’s relief, so the whole venue is perfectly designed. I use the opportunity to take another sip of wine.
Get it together Rosie, he isnotflirting with you.
“Would have been just as beautiful in a Californian Winery, I’ll tell you that much. Better than making us all slog it out here to France.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s closer to me than you.”
Jackson licks his lip, “London, right?”
I nod. Since Anya moved to LA, I’ve had a significantly smaller social circle. As in I don’t have one. The guys at the post production house where I work are always more interested in talking to each other about the latest anime or RPGgame. One time I tried to join the conversation and talk about the new game I downloaded and they blinked at me as if hearing a girl talking about video games was like finding a penguin in a chicken shop trying to order fries.
