Beautiful Beginning
Page 35
Shrugging, I said simply, “It’s his own fault.”
He nodded in mock sympathy and then asked, “You ready for tomorrow?”
“Not remotely.”
He put an arm around me. “It’ll be perfect. And even if it’s not perfect, there will be alcohol.”
“I know,” I said, smiling. “I’m actually not nervous, just—”
“Mommy, that’s the man with the big weenis! I saw him in the bathroom earlier!”
We both looked down to see the small son of Bennett’s third cousin Kate pointing at Will.
I slapped a hand over my mouth to hold in a loud burst of laughter. Will’s hands flew up into the air and a look of horror passed over his face. “I swear I did not show him—”
“Oh, I know you didn’t,” Kate assured him, eyes wide and apologetic. She bit her lip, staring maybe a beat too long at Will. A long, uncomfortable silence passed before she seemed to remember herself and blinked down to her son. “He’s potty training and my husband told me he was checking you out earlier.” She did a full-body wince, adding, “Not that my husband was checking you out. And not that he wouldn’t. Except, he wouldn’t because he’s married. And not into guys? But he did mention that our son was walking around and . . . Oh, God.” Without another word, she grabbed her son’s hand and pulled him into the women’s room.
I blinked up to Will, eyes wide. “What was that?”
He shrugged, laughing a little. “The kid was walking around us at the urinals while his dad washed his hands. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Why do women lose their ability to speak around you?”
“Do they now?” he asked, grinning flirtatiously at me. “You’re speaking.”
“That’s because I’m more dragon than woman,” I replied with a wink.
“Touché.” Looking back at me, his eyes grew a little heated, as if he had a bone to pick with me. “There is something I want to discuss with you, however.”
“William,” I said, leaning against the wall, “I’m flattered, but if you’re going to chastise me about something, you won’t know what hit you when it’s my turn to speak.”
He exhaled, staring me down. “Honestly, Chloe, you’re the one woman I’m sure would take me over her knee and break my spine. This is about your husband-to-be.”
“What did he do now?”
Will exhaled slowly, eyes moving over my face. He was a worthy opponent, for sure. “I think you know what he did.”
Looking over at him, I could see traces of lipstick on his cheeks, claw prints practically drawn through his hair. Will was the poker-faced, wisecracking brainiac seduction artist. It was actually a little fascinating to witness the cracks forming in his shell. “Oh, come on. Judy and Mary are kittens.”
“Right,” he said through a sharp laugh. “And I know Bennett put them up to this. I’m telling you, Chloe, that I’ll behave myself for the rest of the weekend. I’ll play along. But the second we’re back from this wedding, and you’ve returned from your sexfest in Fiji, it’s on. Do you understand?”
I gave him a thrilled smile, nodding enthusiastically.
“The psychotic clown I sent for his birthday will feel like a feather falling on a pillow atop a cloud. The laxative in my lunch? Child’s play. If you think it was bad when I sent that fake resumé for his open assistant position and the stripper came for the interview? No. We’re talking Defcon Five, Vietcong-level mind f**king, do you hear me, Chloe?”
“Can’t wait, Dr. Sumner.”
He pulled back, studying me. “It’s a little unnerving how excited you look.”
Straightening up, I pushed off the wall and patted his cheek. “I am excited. I like seeing that the only thing that will change after this week is that Bennett will have a ring on his finger and my last name after his first name. I like knowing that you guys will continue to escalate this big testicle war. You and Hanna will continue to be adorable and giddy, Max and Sara will continue to be disgustingly in love. Bennett will continue to alternately rock my world and make me insane. It’s life as it should be.”
As if on cue, Bennett stepped from the men’s room, wearing an expression that told me he was much calmer. He gave me a little wink.
Will glared at him before turning and walking past us to head back downstairs to the party.
“Well?” I asked, when Bennett came close and bent to slide his lips across mine.
He nodded in mock sympathy and then asked, “You ready for tomorrow?”
“Not remotely.”
He put an arm around me. “It’ll be perfect. And even if it’s not perfect, there will be alcohol.”
“I know,” I said, smiling. “I’m actually not nervous, just—”
“Mommy, that’s the man with the big weenis! I saw him in the bathroom earlier!”
We both looked down to see the small son of Bennett’s third cousin Kate pointing at Will.
I slapped a hand over my mouth to hold in a loud burst of laughter. Will’s hands flew up into the air and a look of horror passed over his face. “I swear I did not show him—”
“Oh, I know you didn’t,” Kate assured him, eyes wide and apologetic. She bit her lip, staring maybe a beat too long at Will. A long, uncomfortable silence passed before she seemed to remember herself and blinked down to her son. “He’s potty training and my husband told me he was checking you out earlier.” She did a full-body wince, adding, “Not that my husband was checking you out. And not that he wouldn’t. Except, he wouldn’t because he’s married. And not into guys? But he did mention that our son was walking around and . . . Oh, God.” Without another word, she grabbed her son’s hand and pulled him into the women’s room.
I blinked up to Will, eyes wide. “What was that?”
He shrugged, laughing a little. “The kid was walking around us at the urinals while his dad washed his hands. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Why do women lose their ability to speak around you?”
“Do they now?” he asked, grinning flirtatiously at me. “You’re speaking.”
“That’s because I’m more dragon than woman,” I replied with a wink.
“Touché.” Looking back at me, his eyes grew a little heated, as if he had a bone to pick with me. “There is something I want to discuss with you, however.”
“William,” I said, leaning against the wall, “I’m flattered, but if you’re going to chastise me about something, you won’t know what hit you when it’s my turn to speak.”
He exhaled, staring me down. “Honestly, Chloe, you’re the one woman I’m sure would take me over her knee and break my spine. This is about your husband-to-be.”
“What did he do now?”
Will exhaled slowly, eyes moving over my face. He was a worthy opponent, for sure. “I think you know what he did.”
Looking over at him, I could see traces of lipstick on his cheeks, claw prints practically drawn through his hair. Will was the poker-faced, wisecracking brainiac seduction artist. It was actually a little fascinating to witness the cracks forming in his shell. “Oh, come on. Judy and Mary are kittens.”
“Right,” he said through a sharp laugh. “And I know Bennett put them up to this. I’m telling you, Chloe, that I’ll behave myself for the rest of the weekend. I’ll play along. But the second we’re back from this wedding, and you’ve returned from your sexfest in Fiji, it’s on. Do you understand?”
I gave him a thrilled smile, nodding enthusiastically.
“The psychotic clown I sent for his birthday will feel like a feather falling on a pillow atop a cloud. The laxative in my lunch? Child’s play. If you think it was bad when I sent that fake resumé for his open assistant position and the stripper came for the interview? No. We’re talking Defcon Five, Vietcong-level mind f**king, do you hear me, Chloe?”
“Can’t wait, Dr. Sumner.”
He pulled back, studying me. “It’s a little unnerving how excited you look.”
Straightening up, I pushed off the wall and patted his cheek. “I am excited. I like seeing that the only thing that will change after this week is that Bennett will have a ring on his finger and my last name after his first name. I like knowing that you guys will continue to escalate this big testicle war. You and Hanna will continue to be adorable and giddy, Max and Sara will continue to be disgustingly in love. Bennett will continue to alternately rock my world and make me insane. It’s life as it should be.”
As if on cue, Bennett stepped from the men’s room, wearing an expression that told me he was much calmer. He gave me a little wink.
Will glared at him before turning and walking past us to head back downstairs to the party.
“Well?” I asked, when Bennett came close and bent to slide his lips across mine.
