“Yeah,” I replied, turning to him and grabbing a glass of champagne off the tray of a server passing by. “Our fathers worked together, and we used to keep each other company at the club when they would go golfing. You?”
“Her brother Caleb is my best friend, so I was obligated to come,” he said, flashing another huge, charming smile that made my knees weak.
“Caleb is a nice guy,” I replied, unsure of what to say.
He chuckled. “Yes, he is.”
We continued the conversation. I clutched my glass of champagne and answered him back, thinking about how awkward I knew that I was being. Men like him did not talk to girls like me, not for long anyway. Sure, I took care of myself and had been told many times through my life that I was beautiful, but I couldn’t hold a conversation to save my life. I clammed up in a heartbeat, and from the looks of this guy, he was not your typical everyday Joe. If he was friends with Caleb, that either meant he was a lawyer or he did something pretty important, which made him charming, rich, and able to get any girl he wanted. If he was still single, tha
t meant he was at a wedding trying to pick up a girl, and that girl was most definitely not me. Still, I held my composure and continued my conversation, not wanting to seem rude in the least.
“I’m really happy for the couple, but I’m not a fan of weddings. They are so overblown in my opinion.” He chuckled. “Which probably makes my opinion not very popular.”
“Well, among these women, probably not, but I completely agree with you,” I replied. “When I get married, I just want something simple with my fiancé and my do—”
“There you are, man,” Caleb said, walking over and slapping Blaine on the back. “Come on, we’re doing shots.”
“All right.” He laughed. “I’ll be right over.”
I looked down at the pictures and continued to peruse them, pretending like I wasn’t listening to their conversation. He was definitely another guy like Caleb which was fine for girls like Leena and Caroline, but for me, they weren’t what I was looking for in a serious opportunity. He cleared his throat, and I turned back, smiling.
“You better go before he brings the party to the picture table,” I said, laughing.
“Yeah, he’s a bit strung out right now with work and this wedding,” Blaine explained. “I’m here as his support system.”
“That’s nice of you,” I replied.
“Yeah, well somebody has to keep an eye out for him.” He chuckled. “But anyway, it was really nice talking to you.”
“You too,” I said, perking up at the thought of being done with the awkwardness.
“I’m going to look for you later, maybe steal a dance,” he said as he backed up toward the dancefloor. “Be ready!”
I smiled and laughed, lifting my glass of champagne into the air. When I turned back around and he couldn’t see me, my face sunk and I shook my head, knowing that I had to be the most awkward woman to ever grace his presence. Either way, he was looking for something that I wasn’t, and it would be best if I just left him alone, no matter how drawn I was to his ice blue eyes.
I spent the rest of the reception floating around, talking to Caroline and then resorting to just conversing with the older people that I knew through my father. It was definitely better than staying at home for the night, and it kept me off the radar from Blaine who I would see looking around for me every time a slow song came over the speakers. I knew that if I found my way into his arms, I would melt into a puddle, and that was exactly what I didn’t want to happen.
As the wedding began to mellow out and a lot of the older people decided to call it a night, I took that as my cue to get out of there as well. I wrapped my shawl around my shoulders as I headed out of the building and into the parking lot, trying to remember where I left my car. There were so many people there, it was like parking at a concert.
“Hey,” I heard a familiar voice calling out as I reached my car. I looked up.
Across the parking lot, I could see Blaine waving at me and jogging over to my car. I straightened my dress and unlocked the doors, waiting for him to get to me. He was so handsome in his expensive suit and shiny shoes, and I was having a hard time holding onto my resolve.
“I wanted to see if I could have your number, you know, maybe go out some time,” he said breathlessly.
For a moment, I thought about it. I pictured him and me drifting off together into a happy place, but I stopped it short, remembering what kind of guy he probably was. Slowly, my smile faded away, and I looked down at the door, pulling the handle and opening it up. He stood there staring at me, a confused look on his face.
“Look,” I said, sitting down and grabbing the door. “I’m not the girl you’re looking for. But thank you for taking the time to talk to me. Be safe.”
With that, I closed the door, keeping my eyes glued on the steering wheel as I started the car and pulled out of the space. In the rearview mirror, I could see Blaine still standing there, watching me drive off, his hands shoved in his pockets. Maybe I was making a mistake, but I really didn’t want to take a chance.
Chapter 5
Blaine
Getting up on Sunday morning wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be since I managed to watch what I was drinking. I met up with Caleb for brunch at a restaurant in downtown Philly, and I could tell that he hadn’t practiced the same kind of restraint that I had. His eyes were dark, and his hair was slightly messier than normal.
“You okay?” I asked.