Strip Search (Tap That)

“I actually owe you, Jackson. If you hadn’t made that comment to Leighton about me we might not be standing here right now.”

“Fabulous.”

A guy who was in Leighton’s group of friends at the bar came over and slid into an empty chair, fanning himself. He was dressed in a button-up shirt. “Leighton, is this Officer Hottie?”

“Zach, this is Axl. Axl, my best friend, Zach.”

Axl stuck his hand out. “Nice to meet you.”

“My pleasure. I’ve heard so much about you.” He lifted his hands to indicate what Axl had to assume was dick size. “So much.”

That actually made him laugh.

“Oh, my God, stop! I did not.” Leighton put her book in her purse. “You just love to embarrass me, Zach.”

“It’s not really that hard to make you squirm.” He turned to Jackson. “And what’s your name? I would like to know since you’re my future ex-husband.”

Jackson looked like he would rather do thirty days in San Quentin. “I’m the cameraman for Wedding Crashers. That’s probably all you need to know.”

“Rude.” Zach took a sip of his drink and waved his hand to Axl. “Sit down. Join us. Though why are you crashing Leighton’s bachelorette party?”

“Technically, she crashed mine. My friends and I are playing poker in the back room.”

“Scandalous.”

“Not really.”

“Oh, that’s not a euphemism for something dirty?”

Axl laughed. “No. Not even close. We really are just playing poker.”

There was a high-pitched yell from the bar.

“My friends aren’t usually this loud,” Leighton said. “But I think the long flight and the fresh air have whipped them up.”

“You should introduce me. And I see my friend Jesse is already hitting on your fri

ends. Surprise, surprise.”

“My friend Sandra’s father owns a professional hockey team. They probably have a lot in common.” Leighton stood up, like she was resigned to all of this, but was not intending to enjoy it.

He met her three girlfriends in a blur of waves and greetings and “Oh, Leighton, he’s fucking hot!” while he tried to picture how Leighton fit into this particular group. She was definitely the quiet one. Though he wouldn’t call her shy, despite the fact she had said she was.

She was him in his friend group. They were both the hang-back-and-observe members of their respective crowds. Brandon had now joined Jesse and they were chatting up Sandra, Christina, and Jordan. “Should we do our interview now and get it over with?” he asked Leighton. “We’re not needed here.”

She shot him a rueful look. “Clearly.”

Jackson seemed to have warmed up to Zach. They were bent over talking. Despite the dirty look she got from Zach, Leighton interrupted.

“Jackson, let’s get this interview over with.”

“You’re kind of a bridezilla,” he told her. “You have been cranky this week.”

Leighton’s mouth dropped. “I have not. I’m just busy.”

“Let’s just do the filming,” Axl said to Jackson. “So you can go back to your hotel.”

And he could talk Leighton into going home with him.