“No.” I shook my head back and forth. “She was talking to Victoria when I got here.”
“Ah—my daughter seems to have disappeared as well.” Bryant shrugged. “I guess I’ll entertain the guests on my own.”
“Good luck,” I chuckled under my breath and sipped my whiskey.
There were a lot more people at the party than I expected. Bryant planned the party to appease the friends and clients that were not getting an invitation to the wedding—mainly because his bride-to-be didn’t want a big, lavish ceremony. Since they weren’t going to have bridesmaids or groomsmen, I could just wear one of my suits instead of getting my tuxedo dry-cleaned—I certainly wasn’t going to complain about that. I did the best man thing at his first wedding, and I would have done it again if he asked, but being a member of the audience was a lot more comfortable. I would probably still end up giving a toast—I didn’t need a title for that.
Hmm. It looks like Taylor has finally returned to the party—with a friend.
I assumed the woman with Taylor was one of her friends that I hadn’t met. Taylor was a beautiful girl, and Bryant was a lucky man—but her friend was absolutely stunning. She had soft blonde curls that appeared to be natural, blue eyes that almost looked like sapphires, and gorgeous curves. I didn’t want to stare, but I still cut my eyes in her direction after I turned my head. In my younger days, I would have walked right up and asked her name—probably even tried to take her home with me—but I wasn’t that guy anymore. Apparently, I didn’t even know how to date someone—I thought age was supposed to bring wisdom, not awkwardness. Somewhere along the way, I just got fucking broken.
Oh hell, are they headed this way? They probably just want a drink…
“Can I get another whiskey?” I put my glass down in front of the bartender.
“Yes sir, Mr. Alcott.” The bartender nodded and started pouring.
“When did you sneak in?” Taylor leaned against the bar and smiled.
“Right before you vanished,” I chuckled under my breath. “Bryant was looking for you.”
“Ah, yes. I was giving my friend the grand tour of Benson Estate.” Taylor nodded and motioned to her friend. “This is Melanie—Melanie, this is Jon.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Melanie leaned forward and offered me a handshake.
“Nice to meet you as well, Melanie.” I shook her hand, and our eyes met.
Fuck, I could stare into those eyes all night long and never get tired of seeing them.
“Okay, I guess I should go see what Bryant needed.” Taylor waved and immediately walked away before either of us could say anything.
“It looks like you could use some more wine.” I motioned to the bartender and pointed at her glass.
“Oh—I was just going to have one…” She looked at her glass, but the bartender was already pouring it before she could object.
“It’s a party—and it’s free.” I shrugged.
There was a bit of awkwardness between us. She seemed nervous for so
me reason—like she couldn’t decide if she should sit down next to me or make a swift exit that rivaled the one Taylor made. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and normally, I would have excused myself so I could answer it—but I didn’t want to walk away from the stunning blonde standing next to me. She finally relented and took a sip of her wine. I tried to think of something interesting to say—but she was so beautiful that my thoughts just kind of went blank for a moment before I finally composed myself. She was still there—that seemed like a good sign.
“So, how do you know Taylor?” I took a sip of my drink.
“We go to college together.” She smiled—damn, that smile was mesmerizing.
“Are you about to graduate as well?” I tilted my head inquisitively.
“Yep.” She lifted her glass to her lips—such soft, pouty lips.
“Art student?” I raised an eyebrow.
This conversation is very one-sided, but fuck—I don’t want it to end.
“No, I used to be, but I switched over to business…” Her words trailed off for a moment. “I didn’t think I would be able to get a good job with an art degree.”
“Understandable.” I nodded. “Do you have a job lined up?”
“No.” She shook her head back and forth. “I haven’t had any luck yet…”