The Player Hater (Accidentally in Love 1)

Erase the old memories.

“It was a gift and I just threw it in the drawer.”

Juliet nods and nibbles on more of her appetizers, eventually pushing the plate away. “I think I should stop. It looks like everyone is taking their seats.”

Many of the guests are still circulating and a slew of them are crowded near the bar—looks like a bunch of male cousins if I had to guess—but for the most part they’re all taking seats, servers milling around, collecting the plates and silverware from the appetizers portion of the day.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Juliet says. “Yes, all this family does is eat. If you keep hanging around, you’re going to gain ten pounds and so is Thad.”

“Lucky bastard.” I pat my full gut as a server comes around to our side of the table, asking if I’m finished with my plate. “I better be or I’ll explode when I eat dinner.”

We’re joined by two other older couples at this ten top, seated on the other side that seemingly have zero interest in chatting or making small talk.

Fine by me, more Juliet to myself.

Before dinner, Mia’s father stands and gives his blessing to the happy couple, praising Thad for “knowing a good thing when he sees it and not being fool enough to let a woman like Mia slip through his fingers.”

Everyone raises their glass to toast as the champagne flows; literally flows in a fountain by the appetizer buffet, something I’ve only ever seen in movies.

While dinner is being served, Mia’s brother Anthony stands and gives a speech, then her sister, Maria.

“Little sister, I am so excited you found someone to spend the rest of your life with—the same way I found my Markie.” She blows her husband a kiss, a man with two toddlers on his lap who looks as if he could use a good night’s sleep. “Now Mama will stop nagging you to find a man and settle down although we both know she’ll never stop nagging about something.”

Everyone finds her hilarious.

In fact, all of tonight’s entertainment comes in various forms of family members standing and speaking, kissing the happy couple, drinking, speeches and eating. Thad has been kissed by more old women tonight than I’ve ever seen him kissed before, young and old notwithstanding.

The poor dude looks shellshocked as he lifts his glass yet another time—we all lift our glasses another time—as cousin Gina from New York tells a story about Mia as a child and how she always found “the good ones” first.

I’m assuming she means men.

Mia and Thad lean into each other and kiss after every spiel and I wonder if his mouth is getting chapped at the same time I wonder where the hell his folks are and why neither of them has stood to say something yet, though that doesn’t seem to be his parents’ style. The spotlight, I mean. From what I recall, from the few times I met his mom and dad, they’re on the shyer side; never liked being interviewed by the press or filmed for television, not that I would blame them.

The media is a fickle bitch.

Then.

It’s my buddy’s turn to stand and make a toast; for some reason I feel as if I ought to be up there standing beside him, offering moral support or some shit.

Instead I stay put, listening beside Juliet, waiting to hear what my best friend has to say to the waiting crowd of family members.

The guests, for the first time tonight, are silent as they wait for Mia’s groom to open his mouth and speak. This Adonis whom they’ll forever worship because:

He took Mia off the market, and

He’s a professional football player

What more could a family ask for of its new favorite son?

Thad clears his throat; not once, but twice, before fiddling with the necktie that’s no doubt choking him.

“Thank you all for being here, my name is Thaddeus Dumont.” The crowd laughs, and he looks down at Mia. She reaches up and squeezes his hand with a smile. Positively radiant and beaming with joy.

Thad takes a huge breath, sucking it into the microphone and causing the speakers to emit a loud, high-pitched screeching sound.

Everyone flinches.

“Sorry.” His laugh is one of embarrassment and I know he’s wishing he would get swallowed up whole by the floor. Still, my bud isn’t a quitter and he powers on. “I haven’t known Mia long, it’s true. But like her father said, I knew a good thing when I saw it and I wasn’t about to let her slip through my fingers. Before our first date, I asked her on our second. And on our second date, I asked her on our third. And one night when we were texting—I was traveling for work—she asked why I didn’t wait like most men did. I said, ‘I’m not about to let this opportunity pass me by.’ I know that sounds strange and all because people aren’t opportunities, but I didn’t mean it like that. I meant; the opportunity of something good. The opportunity of something real and permanent. I knew the second I laid eyes on Mia that she was an opportunity for the life my parents have and that’s what I want and I wasn’t about to waste it by playing games. And I wasn’t about to waste another minute not asking her out.”