I knew Audrey and Olivia were behind me. I could hear them chatting with Derrick and greeting Julian. I was being rude ignoring everyone but I couldn’t break the connection with Jamieson, we were having our own silent discussion of sorts. I came to stand in front of him and I cast my eyes down toward the floor trying to shield myself from his intense scrutiny.

“Hello, Jenna. It’s been far too long, don’t you think?”

His cold sexy voice gave me chills. I forced myself to look up at him again. “Yes it has, Jamieson.”

He motioned for me to sit and I did.

“Drink?” he asked.

“Sure.”

He leaned forward to grab an already-made drink from the table and handed it to me. “I hope you still drink whiskey sours. I took the liberty of making sure you have an endless supply tonight.”

I took the glass and began sipping it. “Thank you.”

Jamieson leaned forward and grabbed what I assumed was his drink, a whiskey on the rocks no doubt. It is the only thing I had ever seen him drink.

“Well I guess congratulations are in order.” he stated with a dark tone to his voice. “When is the wedding?”

“A few months.” I replied between sips of my drink.

“Are you happy?”

His words hit me and I almost spit my drink all over my lap. Well I can see he is not going to beat around the bush.

“Yes we are.” I answered quickly hoping to end this line of questioning.

Jamieson leaned forward and set his drink down on the edge of the table. He then turned toward me and I saw his eyes were burning with anger. “Do not lie to me, Jenna.” Excuse me?

I allowed his anger to wash over me, soaking it up as fuel for my come back. I took a long sip of my drink for added courage. “Why are you here, Jamieson? I know this isn’t a friendly coincidence, things with you never are.”

“I think you know why I’m here.” He tells me with a hint of a smile playing across his lips.

“What are you talking about?” I was getting tired of his games already.

“So you have forgotten…interesting.” He clearly smiled at me now.

“You know that whatever you’re talking about doesn’t matter now, right? I’m engaged, as in I’m getting married.” I was frustrated.

Anger flashed in his face. “You may be engaged Jenna but you most certainly aren’t married—not yet.”

“Whatever.” I knew I could push harder and try to get him to confess why he was crashing my Bachelorette party but I also knew I wasn’t prepared to find out, so I left it alone.

I continued to sip my whiskey sour and stewed about Jamieson’s arrogant and angry behavior. I tried my best to ignore him and concentrate on the conversations around the table. Olivia was occupied, chatting to Julian about her recent trip to Milan. After graduating from Alabama State with a degree in advertising, she landed her dream job working for a fashion magazine. Olivia now had the horribly daunting job of traveling around the world to the biggest fashion shows selling advertising spots. She clearly hated it.

Derrick and Audrey were also bantering back and forth. Derrick was rousing Audrey about working for “the man.” Audrey had gone to law school with me at Vanderbilt. She was now working for the prosecuting attorney’s office in Huntsville. Audrey is brilliant at her job; she has a passion for the law and it clearly showed as I listened to her correct Derrick.

I couldn’t be prouder of my two best friends and all their accomplishments, but it made me sad thinking of my upcoming move. Cain had accepted a job at his family’s firm in Mobile, so after the wedding we were going to be moving. Cain comes from a long line of attorneys. In fact when his mother and father married their families’ firms merged creating a super firm of sorts. They had offices all over Alabama and his father was grooming him to take over the firm as he had accepted a judgeship in Montgomery.

I was drawn out of my thoughts when I felt a familiar hand on my wrist. I knew while I was ignoring him he was analyzing me. I could feel him staring at me. I was trying my best to be immune to his gaze, but his touch I never have been immune to.

I look up at his face through the darkness of the club but I could see he wasn’t looking at me but my hand, my left hand to be exact.

“Is this it?” he demanded, in a dark cold tone.

“Yes.” I choked out. I knew he disapproved of my simple engagement ring, but I thought it was beautiful. Cain had picked it out and surprised me at a fourth of July party. I wasn’t shocked when he proposed. With Cain there were no surprises; things were just easy with him, predictable I guess.

“I thought his family had money.” Holy freaking rude much.

I scoffed at his comment and snatched my hand away from his. “I think it’s beautiful.”

“It’s not right,” he continued.

That was the final straw. I quickly stood to escape to the bathroom, it was all too much. I couldn’t handle being close to him, him touching me, analyzing me and now clearly judging me.

I tried to make my way past Olivia but my dreaded song came on. Olivia and Audrey have been my friends since middle school and for as long as I could remember, Sir Mix-A-Lots I like Big Butts had been our anthem. Shitballs, there goes my exit plan.

Audrey and Olivia screamed in unison and stood up grabbing my arms dragging me to the dance floor.

We got to the middle of the dance floor and Olivia spun around facing me. “Okay spill it. What in the hell is he doing here?”

“I don’t know. I asked him but he wouldn’t tell me. He just said I knew why he was here, but I have no idea.”

“Well clearly he is here to see you.” Audrey stated the obvious.

“Okay, well I guess there is only one way to find out.” Livy turned to storm back toward the table but I stopped her.

“Liv just leave it. He won’t tell you and I’d rather just ignore it for now.” I pleaded.

“Fine, but if he pisses me off I’m going to drag it out of him.”

“Let’s just pretend he isn’t here, drink his booze and do what we came here to do… party!” Audrey exclaimed.

“Ladies follow me. I think we need shots.” Livy added.

Audrey and I followed behind Liv to the bar where she ordered our favorite shots, Washington red apples.

I slammed down three and made a silent pledge to myself to have fun no matter what. Just don’t black out in the process, you have never been great at holding your liquor.

CHAPTER TWO

June 6, 2009…

Olivia, Audrey and I stood in line at Gossips a local gay bar in Huntsville. It was a Friday night and like most bars in town they all had their prime nights. Fridays were definitely Gossips. Regardless of the type of bar it was everyone packed in to dance to the latest dance music and pop remixes. Tonight was no different, it being the first night of summer break the line was down the block and then some.

“We better pray Barry is working the door tonight or that Jenna’s skirt is short enough to showcase that booty.” Livy kidded me.

“Looks like your prayers have been answered,” Audrey said striding her way to the front of the line in her sky high stilettos.

As we got closer I could see what my uber tall friends could already see, our friend Barry was in fact working the door. We had become friends with the bouncer over the years since we had turned twenty-one. Barry worked at Gossips as well as our favorite bar Havens. He was a huge burly guy with a bald head and lots of tattoos. If I had met him on the street in the middle of the night I would probably have run in the other direction screaming, but we had gotten to know him pretty well. He was a sweet guy and for whatever reason, he loved us.

“Ladies!” Barry greeted us with a big smile ushering us past the huge line and into the club.

“Thanks Barry.” We each said as we passed him, giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek.