I perk up at that fact. Oh, I’m so totally going snooping. I need to see it. Pete’s eyes narrow as my shoulders straighten, but he doesn’t say anything, smiling at another suited person as we step through the decorated archway, onto the covered porch, and up to the gleaming front door.
“Mr. Rampwood…and guest.”
Pete hands over a heavy, embossed invitation, dropping my hand and sliding his up my back to lead me inside. I miss the comfort of his hand in mine immediately, flexing my fingers and clutching my purse to my chest with both hands to compensate.
“So, is your brother or sister getting married?” I guess, my eyes darting in wonder around the entryway.
“I’m an only child. Thelma is my second cousin, but her parents live in a condo, so Mom offered this place for the wedding.”
The way he says condo makes it sound like they live somewhere cramped, but I bet it’s at least three times the size of my apartment.
We are following the well-dressed, jewel-encrusted crowd through the fancy-looking foyer. There is a sweeping staircase to one side, but no one is going up there. I bet that’s where baby Pete’s bedroom is. I’ll sneak up there later when he’s occupied with family stuff.
There are fireplaces everywhere. I love fireplaces. I so want one in my own home one day. One is beside the staircase in the entryway, one in the cozy yet elegant lounge, and an old-fashioned, wrought-iron-looking radiator in each room. This place is an interior decorator's dream. I want to come back here when it’s empty and look.
My breath catches again as we step out onto the flagged stone back porch. The backyard is incredible. A large, neatly trimmed green space with neatly trimmed hedges lining the area.
At present, it is set up for the wedding, White linen draped chairs, flowers galore, and a glorious floral arch for the vows to be said at. There is a slight chill in the air, but the sun shines. I would not have imagined a late-February wedding to be pleasant outdoors, but it feels about sixty degrees and very pleasant with the sun shining down.
Everyone finds their seats, and Pete nods to the usher and leads me along the carpeted aisle to the very front. Oh god. Family. We’re sitting up front.
A group of very well-dressed people turns to greet us. Shit. This is it.
Pete presses a kiss to the cheek of a grand-looking woman in her early fifties.
“Mom.”
“Darling.”
“This is Mel.”
Her eyes drift over me, shrewdly assessing my form and my outfit. I am so conscious that I am currently wearing a two-year-old dress. I’ve never thought about stuff like that before, but I’m thinking about it now.
“How nice to meet you,” she says at last, sounding like it’s anything but nice.
“My mother, Laura, and my father, Kenneth,” Pete introduces me to them both. His father is as handsome as Pete is - he’s going to age really well. He is a little less dry in his welcome, but his eyes also drift over me. Crap.
PETE
Mel is nervous about meeting my family. Maybe I shouldn’t have sprung it on her, but she would have said no to coming with me. I have no idea why I wanted her to be my date so badly. Maybe because I was expected to bring one and didn’t want to find someone else.
“I told you the weather would be perfect for today,” Mom says, turning to Aunt Martha to speak. I’m still included in the conversation, but she’s showing the back of her shoulder to Mel. Subtle, Mom. Real subtle.
I’m about to lead Mel around Mom to introduce her to Holly, Artie, and the twins, but Dad clamps his hand on my shoulder.
“How did the contract negotiations go?”
He wants to talk about work? Now?
“They went well. I think we’ll have it nailed down and signed by next week.”
Dad keeps talking about work. I nod along, not wanting to start a fight. I know exactly what is happening.
Mom and Dad don’t approve of Mel as my date. Oh well. I’m having fun with her. It’s not like I’m about to turn around and marry her. Out of consideration for Mel’s nerves, I place her on the end of the row, sitting between her and my father.
As soon as we sit down, I draw her hand to my thigh, covering it with my other one and stroking her fingers, as I did at the theater. She relaxes at the gesture, starting to look around.
“This is nice, but wouldn’t an indoor wedding have been more comfortable for everyone? Or having it here later in the year?” Mel whispers, keeping her voice low so my parents can’t hear.
I grin down at her, winking. “Thelma has a dramatic flair. She picked her dress first and designed the wedding around it.”
An adorable frown appears on Mel’s face as she wrinkles her nose.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll see.”
The music starts, and we all turn to watch the bridal party walk in. Sure enough, when Thelma appears on Uncle Leon’s arm - he’s Dad’s cousin, but I’ve always called him Uncle Leon - she’s dressed in a sleek, floor-length ivory gown with dramatic puffy detailing at the back and a matching fur shoulder wrap, her strawberry blonde hair flowing in waves over one shoulder.
“Ah,” Mel murmurs, her eyes glued to Thelma, understanding coloring her tone. “She looks beautiful.”
“As the only girl in four generations of Rampwoods, Thelma says all the beauty has been bottled up and bestowed upon her.”
Mel giggles softly, bringing a smile to my lips as I tighten my grip on her hand. Ben, Artie’s son, struts along the aisle, proudly holding the cushion with the rings tied to it, his fade looking sharp.
Artie took one look at his son’s hair when he was born and immediately went begging to Holly’s father for the name of a good black barber. I tease Artie all the time that he looks like a geek, but his son has swag. He must get it from his mother. Holly has serious style.
Uncle Leon and Thelma arrive at the altar, where Jimmy is waiting for them, his dark stubble neatly groomed, his usually messy hair brushed back off his face. Having never seen the man in anything other than workout clothes, it’s weird to see him in a suit.
I keep stroking my thumb back and forth throughout the ceremony over Mel’s hand. Her eyes are suspiciously bright as she watches my cousin get married, but she blinks the look away.
“I love weddings,” she whispers by way of explanation.
“I love open bars,” I mutter back, being rewarded with more giggles.
When she giggles, Tinker Bell seems such an apt name. It’s a little tinkling sound that has to be one of the most precious things I have ever heard.
Thank god we’re not at a table with my parents. Holly and Artie are okay. They’re mainly chatting with other friends anyway. The twins, Lance and Parker, came stag, so I think they’re off trying their luck with some of the single ladies present. Mel would have run away as fast as she could if we had intended to sit with my parents.
April
Now that the speeches, meal, and first dance have been completed, Mel has disappeared anyway. Excusing myself, I walk inside. There is a steady stream in and out of the two bathrooms on this level, but I don’t see Mel lined up for the designated ladies.
As I pass the main staircase, intent on seeing if she is out the front of the house, I pause. A midnight naked swim? My feet turn to the stairs. I saw her perk up when I mentioned my old bedroom was still a shrine to me. I would bet my BMW that is where she is.
Turning left at the top of the staircase, I make my way along the carpeted hall, my feet stopping at the door to my childhood bedroom. It’s not locked, so I turn the handle and step inside.
Sure enough, Mel is here. Her shoes are abandoned on the floor, and she is sitting on the bed, her back against the headboard, a pillow hugged to her chest, her legs curled beneath her.
“Busted,” she laughs softly as I close the door behind me.
Smirking, I kick off my shoes, removing my suit jacket and draping it over the back of the desk chair. Mel’s gray eyes follow me as I crawl onto the bed, propping myself up next to her and curling my arm around her.
“Is it how you were imagining?”
Mel giggles, turning to survey the room with pursed lips.
“I didn’t expect so many sports trophies,” she admits with a laugh, her eyes lingering on the shelves mounted above the desk, resplendent with baseball trophies.
“I was a prodigy.”
“But you went into sports law instead of playing?”
“I wasn’t that much of a prodigy,” I laugh, Mel joining in. My fingers stroke over her upper arm, the satin of her sleeve allowing for a smooth glide.
“Why are you hiding up here, Tinker Bell?” I murmur, tipping my head, so my cheek rests against her hair. I brought her because I thought she would enjoy it, not so she would hide away, stressed out.
“I didn’t mean to hide,” she admits with a laugh. “I snuck up to find your room. I was hoping for something to tease you about. But then it was so peaceful, and no one was talking about the cost of their shoes….”
I snort, lifting my head so I can see her face. My eyes search hers, but she looks okay.
“Want to make out in your childhood bed?” she teases, her eyes flashing with mischief. Fuck yeah, I do.
Growling, I cup her chin, lowering my head until our lips meet. As my tongue licks into her mouth, I shuffle us down the bed until Mel is lying down, and I am cradled between her thighs. Her hands grip the back of my shirt, her hips pressing her core up against my hardening dick.
Shit. It’s the height of bad manners to seduce my date in the middle of a wedding party - at my parents' house, no less. Reluctantly, I lift my head, nuzzling my nose with hers.
“We should get back to the party,” I murmur, hearing the regret threaded through my tone.
“Yay. More snobby people to speak with,” Mel drawls.
“I’ll make it up to you tonight.”
“Promise?”
“How do pizza, beer, and a romcom on your couch sound?”
“Uh, heavenly. Can we go right now?”
“No,” I chuckle, sitting up and bringing her with me. “You have more champagne to drink.”
“Well, if you twist my arm.”
“Come on, put on a brave face.”
Mel mocks a gag, sliding off the bed and slipping her shoes back on. She watches me put mine on and slide into my jacket, holding out her hand for me to take.
Grinning, my fingers close around hers, leading her downstairs. As we walk, I reach over with my other hand, combing through her short hair so it doesn’t look like we’ve been rolling around on a bed making out.
I will never know why Thelma wanted to get married on a Sunday. But as tomorrow is Monday, after our pizza and a movie date night tonight, I’ll have to head back to my condo to get ready for work.
Which is a pity because Mel starts at Sea Nest Constructions tomorrow. I’m still on edge about her taking the internship. Maybe I could stay the night and drop her off tomorrow… get one last warning in.
“You’re plotting something,” Mel remarks, glancing over as we walk through the entryway, back toward the party.
“I could stay the night, drop you off tomorrow, so you don’t have to get the bus on your first day.”
“Uh-uh,” Mel cuts me off, shaking her head firmly. “You just want to spend the entire drive trying to talk me out of it.” Yeah, I do. “Then I’ll be even more nervous.”
We pause as we reach the back porch, and she grins up at me, lifting onto the tips of her toes. I bend my head closer to hear what she is about to say.
“You can come over, cuddle me as we watch a feel-good movie, and have our pizza and beer. Then you can fuck me however you want, but you have to leave after.”
I swallow, my hands landing on her waist as I lift my head, my eyes burning into hers.
“Sounds like a plan I can get behind, Tinker Bell,” I murmur. She giggles, stepping away to rejoin the party. It’s not just the plan I intend to get behind tonight. A smirk plays across my lips. This is the best wedding I’ve ever been to. I really should buy Thelma a second gift.