“Did he break things off? Did he tell you he was going to give you the divorce? He seemed like he was so into it. He took us to that nice ranch and you guys disappeared into the shower and then we went to the show and you went back to his hotel… I hoped things were going to work out for you.”
“You deserve it,” Mandy tacked on. “You’ve had the shittiest run. You definitely deserved to have this work out.”
“Maybe I didn’t want it to,” June snapped, harsher than she intended. She met Mandy’s eyes in the mirror and when she saw the spark of hurt there, she sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you guys. I don’t want to take it out on you. It just- didn’t work out. That’s all. We decided to call it quits. I decided to call it quits.”
“Why?” Jaz sounded so disappointed. Join the club.
“I don’t know. Mostly because it would never work. We were drunk and we got married. That was dumb enough. It was even stupider to think it could work. He lives across the country. Long distance isn’t my thing and even if it was, it never works out. We all know I have the worst luck with guys. This was just the icing on the shit that is my life cake.”
“At least you have us. Are we a good consolation prize?”
June’s lips wavered until she finally cracked a smile. “You’re not a consolation prize.” She faced Jaz, who looked so sad it broke June’s heart. “You’re my best friends and I love you like sisters. I’m glad we came. I had a good time. Even if I ended up married to a complete stranger.”
“So- are you going to get a divorce then? Or did you file for it before you left?”
Panic clawed at June’s chest. “I- I guess I’ll figure it out.” She had no forwarding address for Brock, but now what she knew who he was, she had no doubt she’d find him. She’d get in touch somehow, maybe next week, when she could trust herself not to blow up or break down.
“Are you going to tell your family about it?” Mandy asked.
“Hell no.” At least that she was sure of.
“I wouldn’t either,” Jaz admitted. “My mom would be so pissed that I was married and divorced over the course of a weekend.” She slapped a hand over her mouth. “I mean- I didn’t mean- that sounded really bad. It just came out wrong.”
“It’s okay. I know what you meant. I’m not glass. I might be pissed off and confused and- and- god, I don’t know. All sorts of fucked up, but I can handle the truth. Although, to be fair, the divorce might take longer than the weekend.”
“It’s too bad,” Mandy said, far too dreamily. “I really liked him. He was nice. He was funny. He was really, really hot.”
“Yeah- uh- well, we all know not to fall for good looking guys. They are never what they seem.”
“Did you find something out? Something bad?” Jaz craned her neck back so far it was a wonder it didn’t snap.
“Uh- no. Not really. I just- came to my senses and decided it wasn’t going to work. The whole thing was ridiculous. No one gets married to a stranger when they’re completely drunk and lives it down. It was never a good idea. Obviously.”
“It’s still too bad,” Many reiterated. “I wouldn’t have minded seeing him around.” She winked into the mirror and June had to smile again. Her friends were doing their best to cheer her up.
“I wouldn’t have minded a chance to kick his ass,” Jaz added. “For whatever he said or whatever you found out, or even for marrying you in the first place.”
“Kick his ass with kindness and flirty smiles?” June rolled her eyes and Jaz let out a snort of embarrassed laughter. “It’s okay, I forgive you. He was charming. He was good looking. He was- yeah. I guess he kind of fooled us all.”
“What did he do?” Mandy sensed blood. Her eyes flicked to the mirror and June looked away quickly. “It’s obvious that you didn’t just change your mind. He must have done or said something. Was he secretly an escaped convict? Did he kill someone? Or did you find out that he’s on the wanted list for fraud or something? Was he using someone else’s credit cards?”
“Did you guys go out and did he flirt with someone else? Hit on them? Get drunk and try and take the wrong girl home?”
“Did he confess that secretly he’s gay? Oh shit,” Mandy scrunched up her face. “Fuck. Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that up.”
“It’s okay. It wouldn’t be the first time.” All June could do was smile, because if she didn’t keep smiling, she knew she was going to cry. “I don’t know that he really did anything. He just- it was just like I said. It was never going to work. The whole thing was crazy. I should have demanded a divorce the second I woke up, not let him sweet talk me into trying to convince me that I could have fun with him.”