Marry Me for Money (33 page)

Why are you crying?
he mouthed silently.

“Later,” I whispered, facing forward.

I didn’t hear a thing the officiant was saying. It was as if someone had pressed the mute button and the whole time, all I heard was mumbling. I wasn’t paying attention, and when it was time to repeat my vows, I missed my cue—twice. Kent had to squeeze my hands to break me from my trance.

When the officiant said, “You may kiss the bride,” I knew the worst was over. It was done.

As Kent leaned in for a kiss, I wrapped my arms around him, and his eyes widened in surprise right before I kissed him full on the lips. He smiled as I did it. It wasn’t a kiss of passion. It was a kiss of celebration. It was a kiss that was thankful because this whole ceremony and hoopla was almost over. Now, I could dance and get crazy drunk.

The applause roared to a deafening volume, and Kent had to be the one to disentangle me from his arms. His dimple emerged as he looked at me and linked my arm through his before we walked down the aisle. At the end of the aisle, chaos erupted. Everyone was hugging him and hugging me, congratulating us, but I didn’t know a single soul.

Kent pulled me close. “Let’s get drunk,” he whispered in my ear, sending tingles down my spine.

“Let’s,” I agreed, smiling along with him.

We went straight to the bar and bypassed the line as we rocked the we-just-got-married card. The first shot we took was Crown. Having nothing in my stomach, except for old fries, I already knew this was going to be a short night. Kent shook his head after taking the shot, and when I raised my hand for another, he grabbed it and entwined it with his. With my free hand, I reached for the cranberry and vodka beside me.

“You have to pace yourself. I want our first dance before you pass out on me.” He led us to the sweetheart table where we sat while staff in white jackets served us dinner.

“Do you even know half these people?” I asked, taking everything in.

“No, they’re all business associates of Dad,” he said, scanning the room of two hundred.

Tall, extravagant candelabras overflowing with white cymbidium orchids sat atop circular tables draped with peach linen and lined with bone china plates rimmed with gold. I watched as people mingled among the tables with their drinks in hand.

I lifted my glass of cranberry and vodka to my lips as Kent observed me. “I’m glad you don’t know any of these people. Just a fair warning, I might embarrass you,” I said.

He looked upon the crowd and shrugged. “Don’t worry, these are Mom and Dad’s friends.”

I inwardly cringed, glanced at my glass, and contemplated if I should sip instead of gulp my drink down. “I don’t want to embarrass them either.”

Kent nudged me and pointed to the outer rim of the dance floor. “Look at her. She’s having a good time. I doubt she’ll even remember what happened in the morning.” He chuckled.

Mrs. Plack was animated as she used one hand to tell a story to a crowd of older women while the other held a glass of liquor. Kent and I cast each other a look, and we both laughed.

“Funny how the last time I saw her like this was five years ago at our Christmas party,” he said before lifting the wine glass to his lips.

One by one, colleagues of Kent’s father approached our table to congratulate Kent and meet me. I smiled at each introduction, feeling my ears warm from the liquor.

The food had come and gone, and I made sure the drinks kept on coming. Kent smiled and nodded as he pretended to be interested in people he hardly knew. It was a large contrast to the Kent I’d first met, who would have had no problem blatantly telling them he wasn’t interested in conversation.

I giggled at him trying so hard.

When he moved to face me, his smile turned genuine. “What?”

“Nothing.” I giggled again.

“Mrs. Plack, you are drunk, or at the very least, you’re getting there.”

“I am not drunk,” I said, blinking and smiling like a crazy person. I could feel my whole body warm, and I had to admit the liquor was making me feel pretty good.

I swayed to the sweet melodies played by the twelve-piece band as the woman singing at the microphone enthralled me, pulling me in with her sultry tones. When she announced it was time for speeches, I guzzled the cranberry and vodka in one gulp.

Mr. Plack stood and walked to the center of the dance floor. “We want to thank everyone for coming today to celebrate our Kent and Beth,” he said, lifting up his glass. “Kent, I know we don’t always see eye to eye on things, but know this—I love you, son. I will always want the best for you. You might not always make the right decisions, but the decision you made today is the smartest one you’ve made yet. When I see you two, I see myself and your mother thirty years ago.” He looked lovingly to his wife and smiled.

He tilted his glass toward my direction. “Beth is an amazingly driven young woman, full of life and spunk. Karen and I tried years and years to conceive, and when we finally did, we were blessed with Kent. We tried years after that to conceive again. We wanted a little girl to match that little boy, and today, I can say we’ve found her. Our family is now complete. Thank you,” he said, bowing slowly to me.

Mr. Plack faced the crowd and raised his glass. “Everyone, let’s lift our glasses and toast to Kent and Beth. For a life filled with lots of love, happiness, and grandbabies.” He chuckled.

The crowd cheered, and the liquor could not dissipate the guilt rising again inside of me. The sounds of everyone clinking their glasses had Kent twisting toward my direction. He puckered up, and I placed a small peck on his lips. The crowd roared in response.

Kendy was speaking on my behalf, and right before, I had warned her that I wanted her speech to be short and sweet, not personal. I shot her a look before she stumbled onto the middle of the dance floor. I already knew she had a few drinks in her, which made me nervous. People were always a little too honest when they had a couple of drinks in them.

“Hi, everyone.” She hiccuped. “For those who don’t know me—which is, like, ninety-nine percent of the people in this room—my name is Kendall to most and Kendy to Beth. I’ve known Beth most of my life. We grew up together.”

She turned to me, and although I had a smile on my face, I warned her with my eyes, secretly saying,
Hurry up
.

“In first grade, I was there when she had a little bathroom accident in class, and I helped her change out of her piss-filled clothes,” she said, exaggerating with her one hand. “In fifth grade, I was there when Catherine picked on her at recess, and I was also there to ram little Cathy’s face into the ground, shoving dirt in her mouth.” She shrugged her shoulder as everyone responded with laughter.

“The only time I wasn’t really there was when she moved to Chicago, and that was only because I couldn’t be there—like, physically be there.” She jutted out her lip into a fake pout.

“But that was when Kent took my place,” she said, her voice softening. “I’m not going to go into details, but I clearly remember her telling me of a time when a guy touched her inappropriately, and Kent stepped in to show him who was boss.”

She turned to Kent. “Thank you for taking care of my best friend. She means the world to me, the absolute world. I’m jealous because you’ve taken my place, but I know she’s well taken care of when she’s with you,” she said, looking to both of us. “Everyone, let’s toast, so Beth can stop giving me the evil eye to get this over with.” Kendy lifted her glass. “Cheers!” Tilting her head to the ceiling, she downed all of her champagne.

I didn’t want to face Kent after Kendy’s speech because that shyness had rushed back again, so I reached for my third cranberry and vodka and took a sip from the glass, giving myself something to do.

“And now, it’s time for the first dance,” a member from the band announced.

Kent stood in front of me with one hand behind his back and the other offering to take mine. When I placed my hand in his, a tingling sensation started from my fingers and traveled all along my arm. He led me to the dance floor, twirled me around once, and swiftly jerked me toward him, which made me smile. He held me close, placing his cheek right above my temple.

The band was playing the song, and I recognized the lyrics. The words spoke of a man being lucky to fall in love with his best friend, and the chorus said that to be with her was to be at home. I snuggled closer to Kent, finding comfort in his arms.

I didn’t know what it was, but in this moment, it felt like home.

Maybe it was the music or the lyrics. Maybe it was the whole charade of a wedding. Maybe it was everyone here, celebrating us, cheering us on.

Or maybe it was just him.

In any case, I didn’t think anymore. I just basked in his closeness and reveled in the warmth of his arms around me.

As we moved slowly to the music, he placed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. His cologne filled my nose, and I could almost taste the sweet red wine on his lips. When his hands tightened around me, I became hyperaware of him, his whole self. I felt his fingers gripping at my waist and his knees by my knees. He held me in the most intimate of holds, yet still, it wasn’t close enough.

When I opened my eyes to meet his, there was a need, a want in them that mirrored mine. Desire pooled in the deepest part of my belly, and I read the same longing in his eyes. He lowered his head, met my lips, and slowly nipped my tender bottom lip. His lips were soft and warm, and I craved him, all of him.

This was not a peck like earlier at the ceremony. This was a promise of more. I felt it in the pit of my stomach, and for once, I accepted it. I pulled him closer, and when I sucked on his bottom lip, I heard his small intake of breath as a shudder ran through his body.

I moaned into his mouth, closing my eyes and letting him take the lead, as my heart raced, and my whole body meshed into his. His kiss was addictive. I wanted more of him, all of him, in that second.

“The dance floor is now open,” someone announced, breaking that bond between us.

When Kent pulled away, we were both breathing hard. It took a few seconds for me to compose myself.

Realization set in, and I remembered that the crowd among us, including his parents, was watching us. I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten about them, about everyone, to the point of almost dropping my panties on the floor.

I stepped away slowly to clear my head. I could see the yearning in Kent’s eyes, and the look of need was still on his face. I smiled to the audience and cutely bowed to my husband before I walked back to the sweetheart table. I felt him following behind me, but I didn’t meet his eyes.

“I’m going to dance with Kendy,” I said in my most cheery voice to hide my nervousness. I didn’t even wait for a response as I was almost running toward Kendy as she was getting her groove on the dance floor.

Kendy was a happy drunk as she swung our hands together while bouncing to the beats of the band. When “The Twist” came on, Karen joined us on the dance floor. She was so uninhibited with the liquor in her. I danced along with the both of them, enjoying their company, and for a moment, I truly let loose for the first time during this whole wedding fiasco.

I caught Kent staring at me from across the room. I stopped in the middle of the floor, a large contrast to the moving bodies around me, as the residual smile slowly left my face. It was as if we were the only two in the room. He pulled me in with that same look he had given me earlier that made me feel things in the pit of my stomach.

I had to break that connection between us because it made me nervous. I gave him my cheesiest smile and shook my arms in a silly dancing motion. That seemed to work because the look was gone, and both of his dimples emerged. He placed his drink down on the table, stood, and approached the dance floor.

Damn.

It hadn’t been an invitation, and Kent never danced.

When he entered our dance circle, Kendy and Karen moved to make room. He attempted to do the twist, which broke the awkward feeling I’d had a second before. I burst into laughter. For once, he was so uncoordinated, and him dancing the twist was so unlike Kent.

When “The Electric Slide” came on, his father came to join us. The bandleader stood at the head of the dance floor, leading the crowd in a short tutorial of the electric slide. I held Kent’s hand as we went left and right and pointed to which direction we had to go next. When the band played the full rendition of “The Electric Slide,” I was pleasantly surprised that Kent was a quick learner.

A slow song came on after, and he pulled me toward him. “So strange, but I’m having so much fun.” He exhaled.

“With some help, you could move up to a moderate dancer,” I teased. “We’ll get you Dance Dance Revolution on the Xbox.”

“What’s that?”

I shook my head. “Never mind.”

The song playing was “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole. Kent’s touch became intimate, and after he pulled me closer, his fingertips made tiny circles on my back. I was so close to him that I could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. That feeling came back again, and I knew I was playing with fire. I couldn’t give in to temptation, not when I hadn’t sorted out my feelings or thought things through. I couldn’t risk one move changing everything between us, turning our friendship upside down, forever. I could feel his breathing accelerate, and mine mirrored his.