Page 3 of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

She makes my bachelor lifestyle sound much dirtier than it is. I don’talwaystake home bridesmaids. I glance down at the stack of buckets at my feet, one of them still half full of flowers. I toss the single bloom still in my hand into it. This is how she sees me, eh? It’s not as if I didn’t know; it’s just weird to have her use her low opinion of my love life to tempt me to do this.

‘Don’t even pretend you’re embarrassed. When you look the way you do, it’s your freaking job to sleep around. Lord knows I would.’

Jake rubs his temples. ‘What the hell did I marry?’

‘You like it,’ she says with a wink.

So, maybe I’ve had a slight problem with the ladies in recent years. Puberty passed me by in high school, so when I finally went through it and grew into my own skin, I noticed women looking my way. Things got fun. It’s not a crime.

‘Do I have to walk down the aisle to “Stroke Me”?’

Jake bellows a laugh. ‘Whywouldn’tyou want to?’

‘What would you pick?’ Brynn asks, ignoring him completely.

‘Oh!’ Jake says suddenly, his eyes on my T-shirt. ‘I’ve got the perfect song.’

‘What?’

‘You’ll have to trust me.’

‘Nope,’ I say. ‘I absolutely do not trust you.’

He laughs. ‘You probably shouldn’t trust me.’

‘Is he going to do it?’ A voice interrupts us.

I turn to see a gorgeous woman wearing a long blue formal dress walking our way.

Brynn glances at me, a single eyebrow raised. ‘See,’ she mouths. ‘Bridesmaid.’

All eyes are on me as they await my answer. I drop my head, blowing out a breath. I can’t believe I’m about to say this.

‘He’ll do it,’ I say. ‘But only because the bride requested it. I can’t possibly turn her down on her big day. Can I?’

The bridesmaid grins. ‘I know I’m excited,’ she says with a wink.

We all watch as she walks away, stopping to glance back at me with a grin before she disappears into the house where the bridal suite is. Of course, I grin back like the hussy I apparently am.

‘Hell yeah, she’s excited,’ Jake says mostly under his breath. ‘Later, she’ll be yelling your name in your overly clean bedroom with her naked ass pressed against your freshly ironed sheets.’ He slaps my ass as though I’m headed into a football game. ‘Who irons their sheets anyway?’

‘I send my laundry out,’ I remind him. ‘I don’t iron them myself. That said… maybe she will. Don’t be jealous all you have to go home to is this.’ I motion to Brynn, who cocks her head, a pinch-lipped grin on one side of her face.

‘Not funny,’ she says, now digging through her bag. ‘I bought you this. I can’t even believe they sell them again.’ She pulls something from her things and hands it to me.

‘She wants the stupid waist bag and everything?’

‘Jake, go get the petals he brought in earlier.’ She ignores my question.

‘On it.’ He salutes Brynn as if she’s his drill sergeant. Which isn’t that unbelievable.

‘The flower wall looks amazing, by the way. You almost done?’

I glance back at the wedding backdrop. An ombré fade wall of pink roses as tall as I am. This thing has taken me hours to complete.

‘Looks good. Just need to clean up.’

‘We’ll take care of that.’ She glances behind her. ‘Guests are arriving. Time to get you prepped to shake that booty down the aisle. Don’t hold back. I want twenty-eighteen Matthews-style barbecue-party-Dax front and center.’

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