Falling Away (30 page)

             
“
Jeesh
. Way to clear the room there, Jenna,” she said before biting into her croissant.

             
“What?”

             
“Girl, it’s great you’ve got a new boy toy and that you’re happy, but your old boy toy was sitting at the table having to watch the cutesy expressions as you
sexted
someone that wasn’t him.”

             
“I wasn’t
sexting
,” I said slowly, laying my phone on the table.

             
“
Whatevs
. But did you notice how we were all getting along like old times right there? How everyone was comfortable, even though we were admitting to checking each other out like it was nothing? Next time that happens, do us a favor. Ignore the phone and stick with the conversation, alright?”

             
“Sorry.” I excused myself to fill a plate before the buffet closed.

             
That afternoon, Mom, Dana and I all watched as Sophie tried on her wedding dress for one last check and decided the best way to wear her hair, and ours. (Mine in particular since that damn hickey was still obvious). When we were done, I went back to my room for a quick nap before I was forced to participate in the bachelorette party that night.

             
I lay in bed and called Evan, a warm feeling filling my insides as we chatted for an hour about everything and nothing at all. Of course he still tried to get invited, claiming he’d happily make the six hour drive, heavily emphasizing how we could be sharing a bed again this evening. Tempting. Very tempting. But to his dismay, I turned him down again.

             
My wake-up call, a.k.a. Sophie banging on the door, came in at exactly eight o’clock. Apparently, I needed her approval for hair and attire for the evening, which neither seemed up to her par. I was forced into something she brought for me: black heels, a powder blue sequin tank and a flirty black miniskirt with a thin stretchy material covered by three overlapping layers of tulle. It was cute, and similar to the one Sophie was wearing, but I groaned internally when I thought back on Robert’s comment about Sophie and her miniskirts, and vowed not to bend the whole night through.

             
I went back to my room, grabbed my purse and
spritzed
my sweet floral perfume onto my neck. I checked myself in the mirror and shook my head. It wasn’t that I looked slutty or easy, it just wasn’t me, and I felt a little exposed with this much air creeping around my bare thighs.

             
I paused in the hall, my back pushing against the door to keep it open. Sophie and
Jhett
stood in front of her door, having a hushed argument. Sophie’s arms flailed about, and
Jhett
shrugged his shoulders as high as they would go, throwing his arms up in a manner that screamed,
oh, well
. He pushed his way through the door across the hall from hers and disappeared.

             
Sophie was pissed. She noticed me and we stared for a moment, then she began stalking towards me, so I let the door close completely behind me. “Everything okay?” I asked.

             
“Yeah. Can I borrow your phone for a sec? Mine died on me a few minutes ago and I need to check on something.”

             
“Sure,” I agreed, greedily wishing I knew more. I passed her my phone and asked, “You and
Jhett
are still good for tomorrow though, right?”

             
“What?” she asked sharply, completely surprised by my question. “Why? Because of that? That had nothing to do with me and
Jhett
. We just don’t agree on something,” she explained vaguely. She looked over my shoulder, then excused herself for a second to make the call in her room. A body quietly passed me in the hall.

             
Robert. His lips didn’t part, but I distinctly heard his throat grumble the words, “Oh, God…” as his body continued on even though his eyes couldn’t fight the stare. I didn’t bother defending myself since I most likely agreed with whatever his monologue was saying right then. He gently knocked on
Jhett’s
door, leaning with his back to me until he was able to disappear inside. I waited in the hall by myself until Sophie peeked out a few minutes later, waving me into her room, suddenly all smiles.

             
“Better?” I asked as she returned my phone and I dropped it back into my purse.

             
“Much. Problem solved.” She clapped her hands together and wickedly sang, “Ready for a night of drinking and debauchery?”

             
“Yay on the drinking, nay on the whole debauchery thing.”

             
She walked about the room, stuffing items into her purse for the night. “Tonight…no boy toys, no future hubby, no guys
period
unless they’re stripping on stage or randomly grinding up against us on the dance floor.”

             
Yeah, definitely yay on the drinking then.

             
“Ready, be-
yatch
?”

             
“I am, but you’re not.” I reached into my purse and pulled out a veil attached to a hair comb. It went perfectly with the pink words, “I’m the Bride, Just Do What I Say” written across her tiny white t-shirt.

             
She laughed and cried, “Awesome,” as I secured it onto her head.

             
Dana met us downstairs in the hotel lobby with several other girls Sophie had met in Boston. There were only eight of us, but after three shots in the limo on our way to the first club, I had already forgotten the names of all the
newbies
. We each adorned a small pink veil that Dana gave to us so we’d be sure to draw even more attention to ourselves. Lovely. That’s when the fourth shot made its way down my throat.

             
It was all a little fuzzy, but I did recall dancing a lot…willingly, if you could believe. But the moment some random guy got a little too touchy-feely for my taste, I’d wiggle myself to the middle of our group until another managed to break his way through for a turn. At the third club, I glanced over and caught Sophie grinding with
Jhett
.

             
What the hell? This whole Ho’s-Over-Bro’s night was her idea, and I seriously doubted we all randomly entered the same club at the same time. I shook my head and headed for the bar, the guys on this particular dance floor were a little too frisky. Or maybe it was ‘cause it was later and more alcohol was passing through their systems now.

             
My head pounding and my body kinda numb, I ordered a regular coke to settle my stomach and clear some of the haze. I stuck a skinny black straw in it and turned to watch the floor while I
sipped
away. It took all but ten seconds for s
ome guy to approach me and ask
me if I’d like a drink. I pressed my lips into a fake smile and waved the drink in my hand. “Thanks, but I already have one.”

             
He made no attempt to mask his intentions when he looked me up and down, his eyes lingering on my thighs for way too long. I rolled my eyes and was about to perform my trademark disappearing act when a hand slammed down on his shoulder from behind.

             
“This bridesmaid’s spoken for. Go find another.”

             
The guy lifted his hands in surrender and backed away, but his eyes still tried to undress me while I remained in sight. “Friend of yours?” I asked Robert.

             
“Nope. Friend of
Jhett’s
, but he’s still not going to mess with me.” He ordered a refill of his glass: bourbon and coke. “Come on,” he said, his hand pushing beneath my neck to get me into motion. “Standing in front of the watering hole is as good as bending over for most guys.”

             
My jaw dropped as I looked back at him, but I let him guide me to a table hidden off to the side. I opted for the corner seat so I could actually sit without flashing my goods to the world.

             
“What time is it?”

             
Robert pulled his phone from his pocket and replied, “Twelve-thirty.”

             
“Fuck,” I blurted, which got a rise out of him. “How long do you think they’ll keep this up?”

             
He shook his head several times. “Sophie will probably go a lot longer than
Jhett
. Partying is her thing, not his. And now that he’s found her and checked up on her, he’ll probably call it quits after this.”

             
“No fair,” I whined.

             
“Just promise you’ll call me if it gets out of hand.”

             
Maybe it was the booze, or maybe I was still just bitter about it, but I snapped, “Why? You actually gonna answer it this time?”

             
He sighed, and I could already tell this might become a weekend of endless sighs from the two of us, and I was already tempted to begin a drinking game right then and there. He leaned back in his chair and entered into a temporary staring match with me. “Yes. Tonight I will answer my phone.” He looked me up and down, assessing my clothing without emotion. “Where is your phone anyway?”

             
“In the limo.”

             
He rolled his eyes. “Damn it, Jenna. The next place you guys go, take it in with you. It’s useless in the car.”

             
Exasperated, I motioned to my clothing. “Where in the hell am I supposed to put a phone? It’s not like I can tuck it away in my bra like my license and cash.”

             
“Carry it. In. Your. Hand,” he said slowly, as if it was the most obvious solution in the world.

             
Okay, it probably was. My head leaned back when I sighed my frustration (drink, please). Reluctantly, I muttered, “Fine.”

             
We sat mostly in silence the next half hour. I was finally de-buzzing but now I felt incredibly tired as I came down off my high. Sophie and
Jhett
spotted us and made their way over with their arms entwined and smiles endless.

             
“So what’s the plan now?” I asked.

             
“We’re heading out for another club,” she answered, swiping the rest of my drink and frowning the moment her taste buds acknowledged the lack of alcohol. Sophie was the only one of the four of us that wasn’t of age, but not one bartender or bouncer had asked the bride-to-be for identification tonight.

             
“Together or separate?”

             
“Separate.”
Jhett
shook his head and rolled his eyes when she said that. Guess he would’ve preferred us to stick together the rest of th
e night too. I was tired and lo
sing enthusiasm, and sitting with Robert, even quietly, was more alluring than being groped by strangers on the dance floor. We rounded up the rest of our parties and made our way to the limos outside.

             
Something occurred to me, and I tugged on Robert’s arm before he stepped out of reach. “I don’t have your number with me.”

             
He gave me a funny look, then dug his phone out of his pocket. “Okay, what’s yours?”

             
“I don’t know. New line,” I explained, shrugging my shoulders.

             
“Well, go get yours then.”

             
He followed me to the limo and waited as I crawled in and came back out with my phone. Curiously, he stood there with his head bent, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and middle finger. When I asked him what was wrong, he grabbed my arm and swiftly pulled me to the wall of the club, spinning me so my back was to it, entrapping me. Weird thing was, he looked a little mad.

             
“How many times have you done that tonight?”

             
“Done what?” I still didn’t know what the hell was going on.

             
“
Bent over
to get into that damn limo?” he grumbled.

             
I gasped and covered my mouth, muffling my scream. “OH MY GOD!” I waved my hands frantically, repeating the words twice more, with a little more horror each time. “Did you see…?”

             
“That your panties match your top? Yeah, I noticed. Good thing you’re wearing the shorts instead of a thong, but you’re still only covering half the moon.”

             
Oh, my God. Shoot me. Shoot me now. Lightning strike, falling piano…doesn’t matter how. Just some higher being up there needs to take me down right now!