Page 43 of Big & Bossy

Pin-the-penis had ended up with one of Tiana’s friends getting poked in the forehead with a tack, resulting in screaming and tears when a single drop of blood ran down the girl’s face. Truth or dare had one of the girls pole dancing without a pole on top of the bar, giving everyone an eyeful when she bent over and wasn’t wearing underwear. And, of course, beer pong had thrown the bride-to-be into overdrive. Tiana drunkenly argued with two different people about whether it counts if a ball bounces off a cup, which led to a mess of tears and streaked mascara.

It was eventful, to say the least.

Tiana had been in my corner most of the night. Once the alcohol really started flowing, some of her friends started opening their mouths and becoming too loose with their words. One girl she’d introduced to me as Penelope, had inspected my ring with a face of disgust.

“Is that musgravite?” She asked, turning the band to get a better look at the leaves and branches. “Can’t believe he’d give something this valuable to someone so… you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I challenged. My inhibitions were far too low and I couldn’t conceal the scowl on my face.

“Haven’t you read what the press has been saying about you?” Penelope giggled. “Jackson’s engaged to a nobody. I wonder how long that’ll last.”

Tiana shoved her shoulder into mine, her lower lip jutting out as she struggled to hold her balance. “My brother loves her. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t come from money.”

“I… thanks, Tiana, but I have enough to support myself,” I grumbled, taking a long sip through my straw. Harry and Amanda had already abandoned me, both of them far too drunk to hold themselves up. I made a mental note to not have an open bar if I ever got married and those two were in attendance. “I don’t really care what the press has been saying about me. I didn’t invite them into my life.”

Penelope snorted, one hand wrapping around the arm of one of her friends. She pulled her into the conversation, the poor girl stumbling over her own heels. If I remembered correctly, her name was April, but things were beginning to get hazy. “Look at her ring,” Penelope instructed, placing my outstretched hand into April’s. “Musgravite.”

April squinted, getting her face far too close to my hand for my liking. “What is that?”

“An absurdly precious gemstone,” Penelope explained. “More expensive than the finest diamond. It’s ridiculous. He must have spent an absolute fortune on this, for someone like her.”

April’s face contorted before saying, “Eww.”

“You guys are so annoying,” Tiana groaned. She leaned onto me, her dress catching on one of the little sequins on mine, and I held her up as best I could but my balance was starting to go too. “Just be nice to her. I like her. That’s all that matters.”

“I just don’t understand why you never set any of us up with your brother. I’m pretty sure we all asked at some point,” Penelope continued, her drink sloshing over the edge of her cup and dripping down her hand. I yanked my hand back from April as she tried to take my ring off. “You always said he didn’t want to date. Obviously, that was a fucking lie.”

“It wasn’t a lie,” Tiana hissed. “He was waiting for her.” She leaned into me even more, her weight hitting me and knocking me backward into a chair, Tiana landing square on my lap with a little gasp.

“So fucking drunk she can’t even stand,” Penelope said, her eyes rolling dramatically. “You should be happy the press is not around now to photograph you.” The two of them laughed as they walked away, the alcohol bringing out their worst qualities.

I sighed as I readjusted Tiana on my lap. No point in forcing her to her feet now. “They’re assholes. Why do you hang out with them?”

“Same circles,” she slurred. She tugged at the sash around her shoulders, the hem of it leaving a little red line against her neck. “They’ve been trying to get with Jack for years. Sorry about them.”

“It’s fine,” I lied, the irritation still bubbling in me. What had she meant when she said he was waiting for me? It gnawed at the back of my mind and I wanted to know. The alcohol forced me to ask the question. “Jack was waiting for me, huh?”

She giggled as she turned in my lap, laying back against my chest dramatically as she put one hand to her forehead. A fake swoon. “Mmm-hmm. Very romantic. That ring you’ve got on was always meant to be…” she hiccuped, then another giggle, “…it was always meant to be yours.”

My stomach churned at her words, my skin losing its color. “What does that mean?”

“He asked Mom for it ten years ago,” she grinned, tilting her head back to look at me upside down. “I was there.”

Chapter 21

Jackson

Sweat poured down my back in droplets, the heat up far too high in my personal gym. The stair master was kicking my ass because I hadn’t exercised in nearly a week and it showed.

I clicked through article after article on my phone, most of them about me, my ‘fiancée’, or our engagement. I needed some form of entertainment to get me through my workout and laughing about the fake gossip spreading about us was ideal, even if it irritated me.

Jackson Big and his new fiancée Miranda Littleson planning a wedding in Egypt?

Uh, no. Absolutely not.

Miranda Littleson: everything we know about the former child star.

Where on earth did they come up with that?

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