Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 72060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
I can’t help but laugh at that. "Thanks"—I shake my head—"but no, thanks. I’m happy doing what I’m doing."
I look up at the stall when I hear the toilet flush, and then she walks out going to the sink. "You know," she says. "I’m not going to lie. I was shocked when I got your response." I get up from the bench and go to her as she turns the water off and then takes one of the white hand towels and dries her hands.
"I made him a promise I would be there on the happiest day of his life," I share with her, looking down and then blinking away the tears from that memory. "And I am a woman of my word." I look back at her, smiling. "For the most part."
"There is a reason that you came today." She grabs the phone from me. "I have no idea what it is, but it’s the universe telling you something."
I shake my head. "It’s probably the universe telling me I should have let sleeping dogs lie," I say, walking into the stall and going to the bathroom.
When I walk out, she is sitting on the bench, and she watches me while I wash my hands. "I don’t think that Jennifer was the one for him," she confides, and I stop my hands from rinsing under the water. "I know it’s a shitty thing to say, and I am not going to talk bad about her, but I just didn’t think that they loved each other." I turn off the water, trying to get my heart to calm down at this news. "I mean, I think he loved her but I don’t think he was in love with her."
I grab a towel and dry my hands. "Your brother wouldn’t marry anyone that he didn’t love. I might not know the man he is today." The burning now comes to fill my stomach. "But the man he was wouldn’t ask someone to marry him if he didn’t love her."
"I think, that before you leave"—she puts the phone back into her pocket—"I would have a talk with my brother. At least to clear some things up."
I shake my head. "Nothing to clear up. We were two young kids who dated ages ago." I don’t believe the words coming out of my mouth and I have a strong feeling that neither does Shelby. "We’ve moved on. The end." I put the towel into the basket at the side.
She shakes her head. "You really should at least clear the air."
"There is no air to clear." I put my hand to my stomach. "I came here to wish a friend well, and tomorrow I’ll be going back to my life, and he will continue with his."
"Okay," she says, not sounding convinced at all. "Shall we get back to the party?"
I pull open the door, and I hear the song "Hey Girl" come on, and I laugh when I hear the song start. I clap my hands when I get close to the table, and the girls look up at me. I take a glance at Travis, smile, and he brings his cup to his lips.
"Oh, now we start," Rachel says, taking the shot in front of her. "I lose this round." She takes another shot. "Time to line dance." She points at me, going to the dance floor. "Let’s see if I remember this."
She starts to move her feet, and she stumbles a bit. Everyone from the table is now on the dance floor. "Harlow," Shelby says. "Go in front, and we will follow you."
I laugh as I walk to the front and then start to move my feet, but with the heels, it’s hurting my feet, so I bend and untie the straps around my ankles and then start over. I look over at the DJ. "Can we start over?" He nods his head and starts the song again. "Okay, so you are going to walk right foot, left foot, shake shake." I shimmy my hips. "Shimmy shimmy." I move my hips from side to side. "And then triple step back. Repeating the steps again."
"I’m sorry," Frankie says. "You lost me at shimmy."
"Yeah, can you shimmy shimmy again?” Jake jokes, clapping his hands.
"Or we can change the song," Travis suggests. "Put on another song."
"Yes," Rachel says. "Put the ‘Cha-Cha Slide.’"
The DJ puts the song on, and everyone is moving at their own speed. No one is following anyone, and then the song goes into Usher, and now we are all dancing to our own beat. I walk back to the table to grab a drink, and so does Bennett. "It’s good to see you," he says, smiling at me.
"Is that the booze talking?" I ask him, grabbing a glass of water and downing it.
"Could be a bit of both," he confesses and takes a shot of tequila. The song changes to a slow one, and he holds out his hand to me. "May I have this dance?"