“I’m going to talk to my photographer about my next close-up. You guys can suck it.” Lance laughs as he walks up to Tamilyn. Whatever he says has her and Ruston laughing and my envy is back. Ruston steps away, but then he heads toward me.
I drink my beer and reach for another shot. “You having a good time so far?” Ruston asks.
“Yeah.”
“Can you help me grab an empty tray for this meat that’s almost done?”
I nod and follow him inside. The women are all talking, so we hurry and try not to pay them any mind. Ruston looks at me and touches my arm. I stop in my tracks and stare back at him. “Hey, man, you okay? You’ve gotten really quiet.”
“I’m fine. I’m just relaxing. I guess I’m still kinda tired from last night.”
“Okay. I’m just checking on you. More people should be arriving soon, so you’ll have a good time, I promise.”
I fake a grin and walk outside with the tray. Once it’s filled with what’s been cooked so far, I volunteer to carry it back in. Aunt Paula stops me in my tracks and begins telling me how proud she is of me for the changes I’ve made. She gives me a hug and tells me she loves me. I excuse myself after our chat, and go back outside with the men. I expect to see Ruston and Tamilyn together, but instead she’s sitting in a patio chair off to the side, soaking in some sun rays. For the first time today, I walk up to her.
“Hey, Tam. I’m sorry about last night.”
She looks up to see me standing there and gives me a slight grin. “It’s okay. I know you were tired.”
I almost spit out what I saw, but I keep telling myself not to bring it up right now. “Yeah. I feel bad because I wanted to see you after. I’m glad Ruston was able to bring you home.”
She takes a sip of her beer and coughs, almost spewing it everywhere. “Sorry, I swallowed that wrong. Yeah, he dropped me off, then went out.”
Something about her cough seems odd, but I ignore it. I feel like so many warning signs are going off around me. I’m not sure if I’m being paranoid, if what I saw was a fluke, or if something really is going on. “He said he went home with someone,” I tell her. “I didn’t see him last night.”
“Oh, really?” she asks, taking another sip of her beer. “Good for him.”
Ruston comes walking over and sours my mood. I want to leave, but I stay put. “You didn’t invite Jess, did you?” he asks Tamilyn.
“Nope, I haven’t talked to her in a while. Why?”
“No reason. I was just asking. I know she’s a terrible drunk, and no one here wants to deal with that tonight.”
Tamilyn laughs and sets her beer down on the table beside her. “You’re right about that. I want to be able to enjoy myself without wondering who she’s trying to sleep with at this party. I swear if I ever caught her with a guy in my old bedroom, I’d kill her.”
The two of them just keep talking as if I’m not here until I clear my throat. “Anyone need a beer?”
Tamilyn grabs her bottle and finishes it off. “I do.”
When I return with the beer, I open it for her and set it on the table before leaning down to kiss her cheek. I hope to hell that Ruston is as envious as I’ve been since we’ve arrived. It would serve him well.
Lance and Garrett migrate toward us and we all sit around and talk. Within a few minutes, the women are all outside and it’s beginning to feel more like a party. The drinks are flowing, the food smells amazing, and the backyard is beginning to fill up with people. I watch as Tamilyn finally begins talking to Hilary and Raegan, and Ruston gets the hint to let them be. I’m glad Garrett and Lance brought their girlfriends. That’s probably my only damn saving grace right now.
“So what’s going on with you and Tamilyn?” Lance asks me.
Ruston coughs and I look up at him. He’s not looking at me. “Nothing much. We’re just friends, I guess.”
“Didn’t seem that way a few weeks ago.”
“Dude, get out of his business.” Garrett slaps his arm.
“No, it’s okay. Things are just moving slow. We’re not rushing anything.”
“Smart man,” Lance tells me.
“I guess. The timing will be right eventually. I’m just patiently waiting. I like her a lot.” This time when I look toward Ruston, his eyes do meet mine. Yes, I’m attempting to lay my claim on her.
“Good things take time,” Garrett chimes in, but he doesn’t look at anyone in particular. I notice he’s taken a liking to Ruston. The two of them seem to converse a lot. I don’t blame him. My cousin is a cool guy.