Page 14 of Wedding Bet

“Well, I hope you two enjoy the lounge bar,” I told Parker, who was giving us each a clinical death stare. “Landry and I were just about to head up to our hotel room and enjoy ourselves.”

Parker just nodded before giving a little wave. The two of them jetted out of the bar.

I realized I was still holding Landry’s hand across the small table. I gave it a little squeeze then pulled away, watching his reaction.

“Too much?” I asked.

“Allof that was too much, but… it was also kind of perfect,” Landry said, letting out a long breath. “Christ. I didn’t expect to feel that bad, seeing him again.”

“Are you okay?”

He waved a dismissive hand through the air. “Thank you for what you did.”

I could tell he was even more rattled than he was letting on. I’d only known Landry for a couple of days, but I knew he’d rather jump off of a snow-capped cliff than talk about his failed engagement any more than he already had.

“I’d pretend to be your boyfriend anytime, Landry,” I offered him, my voice gentle.

He glanced up at me, an unexpected smolder in his eyes. “Who said you’re bad at flirting?” he said.

A flicker of adrenaline sparked in my chest. “Maybe I’m only good at it when I’m pretending for you.”

“Well, I’m definitely not pretending when I say you’re awesome, Jamie,” he said, finishing his drink. “I desperately need fresh air now, though. A walk in the snow sounds kind of perfect right now.”

I watched him try to collect himself, to put back the pieces of the confident exterior he usually had. It was the first time I’d truly seen Landry get vulnerable. The look in his eyes had been heartbreaking.

“These drinks are making me overheat, too,” I agreed. “Let’s do it.”

Landry let me split the bill for our drinks, fair and square, and I was proud to contribute even though I knew the money was insignificant for him. We put on our coats and headed out onto the stone path that weaved its way around the hotel, surrounded by little glowy lamp posts and pine trees galore. The snow had dissipated to tiny flurries, and as we walked out, Landry leaned back, sucking in a deep breath of cool air.

“I knew it would suck to see him, but I didn’t expect him to be engaged. Especially not to a guy who looks like he just finished college, for God’s sake.”

“You want to know something?” I asked.

“Anything. Please.”

“If it makes you feel better, it seems like you dodged a bullet with Parker. You could do way better than him.”

Landry looked down, grabbing my gloved hand in his and leading me down the path. “Parker never used to be like that. He got snobbier and snobbier as we dated. I always thought he would cool off, but it turns out he only got worse, apparently.”

“Like I said. Bullet dodged.”

He squeezed my hand. “You’re already a way better boyfriend than him, and you’re not even my real boyfriend.”

I laughed, the cloud of my breath visible in the night air. “Well, I’ll be here at your service anytime you need me this week.”

“I like the sound of that.”

We walked down the path, our boots quiet on the light snow. We held hands as we walked, and at first I thought we were doing it in case we ran into Parker, or if he caught a glimpse of us through one of the hotel windows. But we kept our hands clasped, even on the parts of the path that meandered away from any windows.

No one would see us here, yet our fingers stayed entwined.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done anything like this. For years and years, I’d been focused on working my ass off at the diner, night and day. The dates I did go on felt more like interviews than anything romantic. And the regrettable hookups I’d had were brief, quick things that certainly never involved long walks holding hands.

Chill out,I told myself silently.No matter how romantic this seems, it’s all temporary. This is a short-lived dream world that only exists for this week.

I knew all of this would be shattered the moment we went home after the wedding. But for now, I let myself indulge, just a little.

“This was exactly what I needed,” Landry said a few minutes later, pausing in a little cluster of trees. “Parker doesn’t matter.”

---