Page 1 of The Sexy Part
1
Rowan
I shove the wedding veil out of my face as I march from the scene of the crime, aka my wedding. How could he do this to me? And then I have to find out fromher? No. Just no.Burn in hell, Dave.
I cross the street, heading for the Happy Endings bar and restaurant, where my wedding planner dashed off to give a quick congratulations at some family event. I didn’t catch all the details, as I was too busy getting ready for what wassupposedto be the happiest day of my life.Grr…
I glare at the cheerful Happy Endings sign over the front door. This bar may be the only happy ending in my life for a very long time. I yank open the door and step inside. There’s a restaurant area to my right, where a huge crowd of people seem to be having the time of their lives. Straight ahead is a dark cherrywood bar. That bar is my second stop. I scan the crowd for the long strawberry-blond hair of my wedding planner, Hailey Campbell.
She hurries toward me, her heels clicking on the tile. Guess I’m easy to find standing here in my wedding gown.
I yank the veil off my head, sending bobby pins flying. “He jilted me! Just up and left! And I had to find out from his ex-girlfriend, who I never wanted at the wedding anyway!”
Hailey’s eyes go wide. “Did he leave with her?”
“No.” My voice chokes. “She was just the smug messenger.”
Hailey’s sympathetic look takes me from furious to devastated in a hot second. My lower lip trembles. “Oh, Rowan, I’m—”
I burst into tears.
She hugs me. “I’m so sorry.”
I hang on to her for dear life, both surprised and relieved by the hug. After all, we have a professional relationship.
I pull away and sniffle. “I even invited my father, who I haven’t seen in three years. This is so humiliating.” My older brother—the golden one—showed up too. Everyone’s still across the street at the wedding venue, a historic mansion called Ludbury House. I can’t face them with the horrible news yet.
Hailey pats my back. “I know. Come with me. We’ll get you some water.” She guides me toward the bar.
“Water’s not going to cut it,” I announce.
We arrive at the bar, and a bartender in his twenties with honey brown hair and warm brown eyes greets me. His jaw is scruffy, but in a neat way that says it’s on purpose. “Hey there,” he says in a soothing tone. “Anything you want. On the house.”
Did he hear the sad story I told Hailey? I probably should’ve said that quieter. Now random strangers feel sorry for me.
“Oh, I couldn’t do that. I’ll pay.” I reach for my purse, but I don’t have it. I was minutes away from descending the grand staircase to start my life with my love, my best friend, and business partner. Yes, Dave is all three.Was. Shit. The business.
Just get through today. Business can wait until Monday.
“Open bar for the party,” he says. “What can I get you?”
I haul my wedding gown up with me to a barstool. Luckily, there’s no train, just layers and layers of tulle. I look like a frigging princess about to get my happy ending, only my prince turned out to be an ass. “Tequila.”
“You got it,” he says.
“Please,” I add belatedly.
“And water too.” Hailey perches on the stool next to me. “What can I do?”
I swallow over the lump of emotion in my throat. “Can you go back and tell everyone the wedding’s off? I’m too embarrassed to explain.”
“You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Hailey says firmly. “I’ll take care of everything. You take all the time you need here, okay? You’re in good hands with Cooper.”
“Thanks,” I manage.
She holds her palm out. “Here. I’ll take your veil back and put it with your stuff.”
“I don’t want it.”
