The Favor

Standing at my table having yet another drink, I smiled when Ashley and Tucker approached. “Hey, you two. Enjoying yourselves?”

“I have a full bowl of candy to myself, what’s not to like?” asked Ashley, clearly a little buzzed, cuddling the bowl to her chest like it was a newborn baby. “Melinda’s sure enjoying herself.” She gestured at my foster mother, who’d kicked off her heels and was dancing with her sisters, Hanna, and Junior.

“It would appear so,” I said.

“Who are those guys?” Tucker asked me, pointing at two men who were breakdancing and appeared to believe they were a lot better at it than they truly were.

“Dane’s cousins-by-marriage. You sure do look handsome in that suit, Tucker.”

Wearing a cocky smile, he adjusted his tie. “Well, I do try. I wore this suit for Ash’s sister’s wedding. The annoying one who calls me Tucky and hasn’t sensed that I don’t like it. The woman’s not the brightest bulb, so it’s a good thing for her that she’s pretty.”

Ashley’s head snapped up. “You think my sister’s pretty?”

Tucker stilled. “What?”

She rounded on him, her hand on her hip, her jaw hard. “You’re hot for my sister? That’s what you’re saying?”

He jerked back. “I didn’t say that.”

“But you have a thing for her, don’t you? God, I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. The clues were all right in front of me.”

His face scrunched up. “Clues? There are no ‘clues,’ because I’m not hot for your sister. I don’t even like her.”

“Really? Well you compare us sometimes.”

“You mean like when I say you’re smarter, funnier, and not a fucking idiot?”

“You hate her husband.”

“Because he keyed my car just to be a prick.”

“You liked her Facebook post the other day.”

“You mean the one that said, ‘Happy Anniversary to Ashley and Tucker’? You liked it, too.”

“That’s not the point.” Ashley lifted her chin. “Just admit it, you’re in love with my sister.”

He put a hand to his head. “Oh my God, how did you leap from me being attracted to her—which I’m not—to me being in love with her? I don’t even like the woman, let alone want to sleep with her.”

“I don’t know if I believe you. Maybe we should go on a break or something.”

“You said that yesterday because I didn’t replace the toilet paper after the roll ran out.”

Ashley’s eyes flared. “Well, it’s common courtesy.”

Dane cleared his throat as he sidled up to us. “Sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk with my wife.”

Ashley smiled at him. “Not a problem, Dane.”

Tucker tipped his chin in greeting. “Yeah, no problem.”

Then the couple began arguing again in low voices.

Dane guided me a short distance away, his hand cupping my elbow. “What’s that all about?”

I sighed. “They’re just having one of their mini fights.”

“Will they need to be escorted out at some point?”

I waved that away. “Oh no, not at all. They’ll be fine in a few minutes. They just need to argue it out.”

“Hmm.” Dane drew me close. “You should know that your father and Wyatt are in the photo-booth rental doing crazy shit with props. They tried to drag me in there.”

I smiled, able to imagine it. “I’m looking forward to seeing those pictures.” My smile faltered when Jen teetered to our side, her eyes glazed over.

“Hey, Dane,” she said sweetly, a slight slur in her voice. “Aren’t you going to dance with me?”

He sighed. “Go sit down, Jen.”

She pouted. “But I want to dance. Now. With you.” She put her hand on his arm and leaned a little too close. “Please, Dane?”

He moved his arm, making her hand slip away. “Go. Sit. Down.”

She frowned. “Why are you being mean? You used to be so nice to me. Very, very nice.” There was a wicked glint in her eyes. “Do you remember those times? Remember how good we were together?”

Skank. My nostrils flared. If he didn’t deal with this bitch, I was going to wipe the floor with her face.

“You’re drunk,” spat Dane, “and you’re embarrassing yourself.”

Jen drew in a breath and straightened, her cheeks heating. “Asshole.” She flounced off, a little unsteady on her feet.

“Not awkward at all,” I muttered, seething but refusing to rant about some heifer at my wedding reception. I’d do that later. A lot.

Dane sighed again. “She’ll hate herself for that in the morning.”

Well, I was close to hating her right now. “At least Kent didn’t hear her. He’d have been upset.”

“Upset? He’d have been pissed. If I heard you talking like that to any man, I’d lose my shit. You know, I’m glad we eloped, because at least no one got to do stupid things at the ceremony itself.”

“Aside from the officiant belching like crazy, you mean?”

Dane’s jaw tightened. “All I could smell was the fucking onions he’d eaten.”

I chuckled. “Same here. I don’t care what you say, the whole thing was funny as hell.”