Truth or Date (11 page)

I narrowed my eyes at Kristen. “How could you?”

It didn’t appear that this catastrophic problem she’d created had fazed her in the slightest. “You had your chance with him.” She shrugged. “And I needed a date.”

I shook my head, unable to believe her callous attitude toward the misery she’d caused.

She lifted her wine glass. “Did Rach give you your Dare yet? Or is she still leaving you hanging?”

Way to change the subject. “Payback, Kristen. It will come.”

“I’m sure it’ll be worth it. Who wants to dance alone?” With a tilt of her head and a smile, she sipped her Chardonnay. “I guess Rach didn’t want to dance alone either.”

With that, I followed to where she’d fixated her sights, then I gasped. Rach had her arm around Chris as she leaned down to tell him something at his table. “She invited Chris to be her date tonight? She said she was going stag!”

“You’re the one who left the extra spot in the headcount that needed to be filled.” Kristen’s tone was way too amused.

Rach got up to make her way back to the head table so I lifted my wine glass and approached her. “You’re supposed to be my friend.”

“You’re shooting lasers with your eyes, babe.” Rach smirked, then reached around her groomsman for her own wine. “Something up?”

“Nothing.” I stepped back a couple feet and lowered my voice so the entire wedding party wouldn’t hear us. “Just thought there wasn’t anything going on between you and Chris?”

Rach sipped her Chardonnay. “What makes you think something is?”

I hated that she didn’t answer my question. “He’s your date to the wedding. I thought you were going stag.”

“It’s nice to have someone to dance with.” She gave a light shrug. “He told me he asked you out, but you turned him down. Having second thoughts?”

Yes. “No.”

“Gina, you’re being ridiculous. Anyone with half a brain can see you’re jealous that he’s here with me. Even though we just came as friends.”

Friends, right. Where had I heard that before?

Finally, she let out a laugh. “You really don’t know.”

“What?” I bit out, exasperated. “What don’t I know?”

“Why I brought Chris with me.” She shook her head as if I were the most clueless person on the planet. “I’ve worked down the hall from Chris for five years. I even flirted on occasion...albeit, years ago. He had every opportunity to ask me out, to ask any of the girls in the office out. Any guesses why he didn’t?”

“Yes.” I grabbed my neck and pressed down, trying to rub out the stress building up there. “A girl from work broke his heart once. Now he doesn’t date people from the office.”

The look she gave me made me feel two inches tall. “Who do you think that girl was, Gina?”

I pulled my chin back. “You can’t mean
me
.”

She blew out a breath and threw her hands wide. “Sometimes you are so dense. I was supposed to order his cake.”

“What cake?”

“For his going away party at work. I was next on the rotation. Right?” She waited a second to see if I was following along. “You think I didn’t have ten minutes to call and order his cake and lunch myself?”

Actually, I did think that was odd at the time. . . .

“Chris and I were talking about his new job, then Ellen’s wedding, and somehow it came out that he knew you and George had broken up. He asked me if I thought you were over him yet.”

He’d asked her about me? Really? “What did you tell him?”

“Honestly, I told him I wasn’t sure.” She shrugged. “So, I sent you to order his cake as a nudge. I thought you’d make a great couple. I still do.”

My mouth dropped open. “Why do you guys never tell me these things?”

She groaned. “I did. Repeatedly.”

Oh, right. “I totally messed things up.”

She leveled me with a look. “Then you, my dear, have got some groveling to do.”

Shaking my head, I groaned. “You don’t understand how mean I was yesterday. I don’t think I can talk to him.”

Her hand touched my elbow. “You don’t have to talk with him.”

I let out the breath I’d been holding. “I don’t?”

“No.” Her lips spread into a smile. “When the first song comes on, you have to ask him to dance.”

My heart stopped. “I can’t.”

“You can and you will.” She held her glass up. “I
dare
you.”

CHAPTER TEN

As Ellen and Henry danced all close and cuddly to
Come Away with Me
by Norah Jones, I could hear a clock ticking in my head. Ask Chris to dance? Rach was so off my Christmas Card list. She could forget a birthday gift, too.

Every so often I’d steal a quick peek at Chris’s table where he was seated with the select few who’d been invited from work. Whenever our eyes met, I couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking. Did he hate me? Did he think I was a total witch? Did he think I had invited Ethan? Probably not since I hadn’t been to his table at all, but still. I didn’t want him to get the impression that I was interested in anyone else.

Still, when the wedding party was invited to the dance floor, I kept imagining what it would be like if Josh were Chris. Dancing wouldn’t be so bad. If he agreed to dance with me, that is. Oh, man. What if he said no? Not like I could blame him if he did.

After the song ended, Ellen danced with her dad. Although she didn’t have high hopes for much of a relationship with him, since he’d been absent most of her life save for a few milestones like graduation, she’d said it did mean something for him to be at the wedding. So, she would go into it with her eyes open and enjoy the moment with him even if it was all it was.

Halfway through the song, Henry brought his grandmother out to the dance floor. His mom had died when he was little, so his grandma had raised him, and the deep bond between them was obvious as they glided across the floor.

When the song ended, I closed my eyes and swallowed.

“You’re up,” Rach whispered in my ear then took Henry to the dance floor while Ellen went to dance with the best man.

Absolutely petrified and wanting to stall as long as possible, my eyes washed over everyone on the dance floor. It was easy to see how happy they all were. Even Kristen and Ethan seemed to be dancing rather close . . . interesting. How ironic that Ethan had turned into her date instead of mine. His dark eyes were fixated on her, too. It was as if everything had ended up as it should be.

For everyone but me, that is.

Things could change, but it would be up to me this time.

I looked across the room and even Chris looked happy talking to a girl I didn’t recognize. She appeared to be interested in him, but I could tell the feeling wasn’t mutual because I knew what he looked like when he was into someone. I knew the way he’d looked at
me
. The intensity in his baby blue eyes. The way he kissed me as if I were the only thing that mattered to him. My chest ached to feel that way again. There was only one way I might have that chance.

I knew what I had to do.

After the way I’d acted yesterday, he might reject me. But at least it wouldn’t be because I hadn’t been honest or because I had been too scared. I needed to lay it all on the line. Now.

I pushed to my feet, ready to ask him to dance, then turned abruptly when someone took my hand. “George? What the . . . ”

“Come on.” He pulled me toward the dance floor. “Let’s dance.”

Shocked and confused, I followed him numbly while mumbling incoherently, “How did you . . . ? Why in the world . . . ?”

He put his arm around me and lifted my hand to his. “I’m so happy to see you, Gina. You look amazing.”

Closing my mouth, I blinked up at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been trying to tell you I made a mistake.” He looked down at me, his voice sincere. “This should be us right now. It should be
our
wedding.”

Immediately, I looked over at Chris whose gaze was fixed me, and he looked ready to take someone’s head off. “No, it shouldn’t be.” I stepped back to put more space between us. “My only mistake is that I should’ve left sooner. It wasn’t right.
We
weren’t right.”

Because I knew what right felt like now. And he was heading this way.

His brows came together. “But I miss you.”

“We had good times, George. I blamed you for leading me on for ten years and I shouldn’t have. The truth is it’s my fault for not ending it a long time ago. I’m the one who wasted all those years. It was
my
mistake, not yours.” I turned just as Chris crossed the edge of the dance floor. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

Just as I spun around, Chris barreled up, and I put my hands against his chest to keep him from going near George.

His jaw went tight. “What is
he
doing here? He had his chance—”

“Just leaving.” I put a hand to Chris’s face, trying to get him to look down at me instead of George. When his eyes finally met mine, it took my breath away. Here went nothing. “I need to tell you something.”

He stared down at me as if processing what had just happened. “I’m listening.”

My heart pounded, a loud
thump thump thump
, joining the beat of the slow song echoing through the speakers. “First, will you dance with me?”

In answer, he snaked his hands around my waist and pulled me into his arms.

Shivers raced down my spine from being so close to him, but also because of how he was looking at me. Like I was still everything to him. It gave me a bit of hope, but I’d still never been so petrified in my life.

I inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry for yesterday. You may not forgive me, but I was just scared. You’re not the only one who’s had their heart broken before.”

He closed his eyes, then cupped my face in his hands. “Gina . . .You know who broke my heart, don’t you?”

My brows came together, remembering what Rach had thought. “A girl from work.”

He ran his thumb along my jaw line. “You.”

“Me?” My words were barely a whisper.

 He nodded. “Who else? All those years I had to watch you with someone else.”

“I had no idea.” I tightened my grip around his neck. “That’s the reason you made your rule? About not dating in the workplace.”

He chuckled softly. “There was no rule.”

My eyes bulged. “What about you needing me to pretend to be your girlfriend?”

The corners of his mouth tipped up. “Yeah, that was fun.”

“Chris!” I batted at his arm as he laughed. Then I raised my lashes at him. “I never invited Ethan to the wedding. I only said that to push you away.”

His jaw tensed. “I’m not going to lie. That stung.”

Tears formed in my eyes. “I’m sorry. If I could take it back—”

“It hurt because I wasn’t hitting on another man’s girl. You’re mine.” His hand slid around the back of my neck, trailing its way up my jawbone until he cradled me in his arm.

“I am?” Shivers raced through me and my heart pounded against my ribcage. I found myself leaning closer to him, our mouths a breath apart. “I
am
.”

“I’m glad you know that.” His lids were heavy, but he held still, not closing that whisper of space between us. “I’ve waited a long time for you, honey.”

“Me, too.” With his lips so close to mine, I couldn’t resist anymore. My lips finally found his. The kiss was electric, sending a rush of tingles all over me. Then our mouths opened in sync, tasting each other, savoring, filling every worry I’d had.

Chris trailed kisses along my jaw, below my ear, and then whispered. “I hope you want a houseful of kids.”

I threw my head back and laughed. “That’s negotiable.”

“Good.” He tilted his forehead against mine. “Why is it you never pick Truth?”

I bit my lip and smiled. “Because I’m a girl who goes for it. I just forgot that for awhile.” I pressed my lips against his. “Thanks for reminding me.”

“Anytime.” He cradled my face in his hands. “I’m calling you my girlfriend for real now. Like I said, you’re mine.”

My face broke into a smile and all the happiness in the room flowed through me. “Indefinitely?”

He pulled me close. “If I have anything to say about it? Forever.”

I rested my temple against his chest and melted into him. “Now there’s a Truth I’ll say yes to.”

THE END

If you enjoyed spending time

with these characters,

be sure to read Kristen’s story in:

 Save the Date

(coming July 1, 2013!)

Other books by Susan Hatler:

 

Love At First Date

Ellen may not believe in storybook love, but it’s about to rewrite her life . . .

Ellen’s figured out that finding the right guy is all about compatibility. That’s why she signs up for Detailed Dating—the local online dating scene in Sacramento. They ask men the hard questions, compare their answers with hers, then she filters through the profiles of each provided “match.” After numerous email exchanges, she narrows it down to two promising candidates she’s excited to meet in person.