Page 51 of My Ex-Best Men

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“It’s okay. Iamyour boyfriend. More than that, really, but there aren’t a lot of words for the middle ground between boyfriend and husband, are there?” I stole a kiss when her mouth popped open. She melted even more into me and kissed me back hungrily. When I pulled back, her eyes stayed closed and the smile on her mouth was one of the sweetest I’d ever seen. “You’re it for me, Claire.”

She tangled her hands in my hair and pressed her forehead into my chest. “I know. I don’t mean to doubt you.”

“You really feel like she hates you?”

With a heavy sigh, she pulled back and shrugged before blowing out a breath and forcing her face into something lighter. “It’s nothing to worry about. Just dance with me.”

Iwasgoing to worry about it. It could wait until we were finished dancing, though. Especially since I could see Anthony approaching with a shark-like look on his face. I’d found a flaw in sharing our woman. There weren’t many ways to share her while we danced and we each seemed to be feeling greedy.

I spun her away just as Anthony reached for her. “No, sir. This is my turn.”

Claire rolled her eyes. “The next one of you who spins me is sleeping outside tonight.”

45

***Claire***

Ifound the first giant flaw with Madeline being the wedding planner the next night during the rehearsal dinner. While she sat at a table with Sophia, Jake, and my three men, I was exiled to a table by the bathroom with Jordan and a few of Jake’s distant cousins who’d flown in earlier than they’d been invited. I was literally at a table with people who weren’t supposed to be at the dinner. When the guys had spotted the discrepancy, they’d wanted to speak up but I wouldn’t let them. I wasn’t going to be the cause of any other trouble for Sophia. So I was sitting between Jordan and Jake’s cousin, Jerry. Jerry, who was a forty-year-old toddler with the table manners of a toad.

After his third deep burp I actually leaned closer to Jordan because he was the lesser of the two evils. He, of course, took advantage of the situation. He put his arm along the back of my chair and even pulled me closer.

“I’m glad we’re getting to spend some time together, babe. I’ve missed you.”

Jerry leaned towards me, lifted his right leg, and let a loud fart rip. He made eye contact with me while he did it and then grinned. “Sorry.”

It was too much. I popped up from my chair and excused myself. “I need to ask Sophia something. Be right back.”

Before I made it two feet from the table and Jerry’s toxic fumes, Madeline was there. With her official clipboard in her hands and a chilly smile on her face, she tilted her head as she looked me over. I wasn’t going to let her think she was getting to me so I just smiled back at her.

“Could you stay in your seat until after dinner is served? I don’t want to confuse the servers.” She tapped her nails on the glittery clipboard and I noticed it read ‘Maid of Honor’. She saw me looking at it and her grin turned even chillier. “It’s from another wedding. Don’t worry. Weallthink you’re doing just the best job at being Sophia’s maid of honor.”

I took a deep breath and counted to ten. It didn’t help. I wanted to strangle her. Instead, I took another deep breath and stepped around her. “I just need to run to the bathroom. Excuse me.”

She waited until I was almost by her and then she lightly grabbed my upper arm. “I’m really happy for you, Claire. I think it’s so great that you’re open enough and brave enough to screw three men so openly without worrying about what people are thinking and saying about you.”

I didn’t manage to form a retort before she’d skirted away to haunt the next person. All my desire to flee from my table vanished so I just plopped back down in my seat and did my best to not breathe in all of Jerry’s gases.

Jordan leaned over. “Maybe we should play a game. Every fart or burp from him, we take a shot.”

I snorted. “I have no interest in dying of alcohol poisoning.”

He laughed and tried to put his arm around me until I pushed it away. “I’m just trying to be friendly, Claire. Give a guy a break.”

“You can be friendly without touching me.” I squeezed my eyes shut as Jerry farted again. “Nope. I can’t do this.”

“Here. Change seats with me. It’s the least I can do.” Jordan stood up and ushered me into his seat, farther from Jerry. “We’re together for the rest of the night. I’d much rather us play nice than spend the night being bitter at each other the whole time. Maybe we should pretend we’re different people tonight.”

I took a deep breath and nearly gagged when I inhaled what smelled like rotten eggs. Turning away, I gripped Jordan’s arm tight and shook my head as my eyes watered. “I can’t do this. Oh, god. He’s not well.”

Jordan’s face turned green. “Jerry! Bloody hell, man! Either plug yourself or slink back to whatever mud hole you crawled out of!”

Jerry had the decency to look at least a little embarrassed. “Sorry. I’m lactose intolerant.”

I watched in horror as he picked up another piece of the cheese that came as our appetizer. I wanted to slap it out of his hand and cry at the same time. The smells he was emitting had no place anywhere near a dinner table. A waiter came our way and then immediately changed direction after inhaling the toxic air surrounding us.

I shook my head and pushed away from the table. “I can’t. I just can’t!”

Sophia caught me when I was fleeing the table for fresh air. I’d almost escaped the hotel when her fingers latched onto my hand and held firm. “What the hell are you doing way over there? You know damn well you’re supposed to be at my table. Maybe even closer to me than Jake so we can put our heads together and talk shit.”