Chapter 1
When Kate asked me to come to her wedding, I wasn't expecting this. First off, her fiancé's "house" is actually a mansion. Second, he's stupid rich… like… ten collector cars in their own private garage and a house with enough rooms for the whole town rich. Third, we haven't talked in over a year and now I get an invite to a wedding where she's marrying someone with the same name as me. Needless to say, I was feeling a bit out of place when the cab let me out at the Sterling's estate.
I walked through the gate and up the long brick driveway to the door. There was a knocker, but, with a house that big, I had no way of knowing if they'd hear me. I raised my hand to the door then froze. I should just text Kate. I had just pulled out my phone and started scrolling through my phonebook when the door swung open, revealing a tall, dark man in a buttoned-down shirt and nice slacks.
"I take it you're here for the rehearsal dinner?" he gave me a charming smile.
I fumbled with my phone, trying to shove it back into my pocket quickly. "Uh, yeah- yes. I'm a friend of Kate- uh, Katherine's," I stuttered, trying to be more professional, but failing miserably.
He chuckled. "Don't worry, she's Kate to me, too," he opened the door wider and stepped to the side, inviting me in. I slipped passed him and into the huge room. Two curved staircases wound from the ground up to the second floor. The ceilings were higher than I'd seen anywhere but a museum or a church.
"Wow," I let slip, catching myself afterwards by biting my cheek.
"I assume you've never been here before by the look on your face," he teased, as he closed the door. "I'm Grant Emerson. I'd be happy to show you around," he held out his hand.
I shook his hand with a curt smile. "That would be great. I'm Tanner," I introduced myself.
He cocked his head at me in curiosity, not letting go of my hand. "Is that a joke?" he asked.
I laughed nervously. "No, it's just a happy coincidence," I took my hand back. "My name is Tanner Murphy."
"I see. I apologize for my rudeness then," he slid one hand into his pocket and gestured down the hallway. "Would you still like the tour?"
I nodded. "That would be great, thank you," I smiled, accepting his apology. Grant led me down the hall towards where I assumed everyone else already was. "So, Tanner," he shook his head, wrapping his brain around the fact that I shared a name with the groom, "how do you know Kate?"
"Kate and I were best friends in college," I explained. "We kind of lost touch last year, though, so I'm surprised I got the invite." I looked down at my watch to check the time. I wasn't late, but I didn't think I was early enough to be considered a good guest among the rich. Not that I had much experience with the upper class, but I didn't want to test my limits at my best friend's wedding.
Grant let out a hardy laugh. "Kate's told me some stories about her college days. If you're that friend, it sounded like you two were a force of nature," he grinned from ear to ear. Maybe this wouldn't be too difficult after all.
"You could say that," I smirked, thinking of the times she'd dragged me out of the dorms to do something. "Are you the best man?" I asked.
"Well, yes, but I wouldn't say I'm best friends with him," he began. "Our families have… a long history. Both with Bridgeport and each other." I looked around at the pricy artwork on the walls and the decorative vases that lined the floor. How long was this hall way? "Our families have been rivals for years, but Tanner and I are friendly."
"So, do you live in a mansion, too?" I half joked, letting my eyes wander to the vaulted ceilings and fancy trim work.
He glanced over his shoulder at me. "Define 'mansion'," he said, quite seriously.
"If I have to define what a mansion is, you have one," I laughed.
"Touché," he smiled.
Farther down the hallway, we passed another staircase, a spiral case made of marble, and a door to a private art gallery that held more pictures than the hallway. Geeze, this is a museum. "Man, Kate always joked about marrying up, but I didn't think she'd follow through. Especially not to this degree," I walked backwards as my eyes lingered on the gallery, slowly stepping away.
"Believe me, you're not the only one surprised. The town has been buzzing for months. Let's just say it's not every day that the heir to the town's richest family gets engaged to a dockworker's daughter." He pointed towards a door at the end of the hallway, "We're in here."
I smiled, impressed. "Go, Kate."
He stopped before we reached the door. "What about you? Anyone special in your life?"
I stopped with him. "Does my editor count? We spend nights and weekends together, she calls me all the time… for my deadlines," I quipped.
"Oh, are you an author?" he inquired.
I shook my head. "Journalist."
He snapped and crossed his arms cheerfully. "I've seen this movie. The hard-working journalist pounding coffee at his desk with no time for personal life," he started.
I held my hand up to stop him. "Hey, I may be pretty focused on my career, but you don't have to be so accurate," I joked. "So, what about you, Grant Emerson? What do you do?"
"I'm a lawyer," he smiled widely. "Following my father's footsteps."
"Oh, I've read this book," I mocked him. "The fancy corporate lawyer with loads of free time and a boat," I had to stop before I made myself laugh.
"Criminal defense, actually, but I do have a boat," he said way too seriously.
"So, if I get plastered tonight and wake up tomorrow in the drunk tank after wreaking havoc on the streets of Bridgeport…" I started.
"I'm the guy to call, yes," he laughed. "Listen, I'd love to keep this chat going, but we should probably join the party," he threw his thumb towards the door we'd been standing near.
"I'm following you," I extended my arm for him to lead the way.
He escorted me into a dining hall filled with wealthy East Coast socialites. The room looked stiff as half the eyes fell on me with disapproving sneers.
"Tanner!" a shriek pierced my ears. I turned to find a small red-headed girl bounding towards me, smile bigger than the moon. "You're here!" she jumped and threw her arms around me, her feet dangling off the floor. I wrapped my arms around her and smiled. "You have no idea how much I've missed you!" her nose nuzzled into my neck.
"Hey, Katie-bear," I gave her a gentle squeeze before attempting to put her down. "It's been too long," I said, prying her arms from around my neck with a laugh.
"Oh my god, it's been ages. Like, way too long! We'll have to make up for lost time this weekend," she stared up at me with pure glee in her eyes.
I tried to hold back my laugh. "Won't you be a bit busy, you know, getting married?"
She waved my question off. "Tanner's mother is a total control freak. We're not allowed to see each other before the wedding. I'm free all night," she grinned. "But on the upside, she's taking care of everything, so you can stay and help me make the most of my last night as a single lady." She was practically sparkling.
"That might not be the right wording," I held back a laugh as I looked around the room at all of the confused glares. "Great choice in fiancé, by the way. Great name."
Her jaw dropped, like she hadn't even thought about it. "Oh my god, you're right," she giggled. "Can you believe I'm getting married?!" she bounced, her hands in mine.
"Honestly, I'm surprised it took this long for someone to try and lock it down," I couldn't help but smile at how adorable she was. She hadn't changed a bit.
"I never said no-one had tried," she winked.
"It must have taken a lot for this guy to succeed then."
"You could say that…" her bouncing stopped, but the light in her eyes was brighter than ever. She held up her hand to show me her engagement ring. The diamond was huge.
"Holy rock, Katie! That ought to make your arm tired," my jaw dropped. How much did that even cost?!
She fanned herself with her other hand on her hip. "That's an added bonus. Crossfit arms without even hitting the gym," she joked. A tall, sharply-dressed man came up behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder. He had a clean-shaven face and slick blonde hair. He looked pretty aristocratic and seemed to look straight through me. "Perfect timing. Tanner, this is my fiancé, Tanner," she giggled. "Tanner Murphy, meet Tanner Sterling."
He looked puzzled, but I gave him a warm smile and extended my hand. "Pleasure to finally meet you," I said.
He took my hand in a firm grip. "So lovely to meet you as well. Kate speaks well of you… and often," he said, still not really seeing me, but I appreciated the lack of glare that I was getting from the others now that the groom had acknowledged me. "I hope the Bed and Breakfast is comfortable. We would have had you stay here at Sterling Manor, but it's been a little chaotic with all of the wedding preparations."
"It's fine. I only had enough time to drop off my things before coming over here, but the place seems charming," I said.
"Please, let us know if you need anything. We'll be happy to provide anything that might make your stay more comfortable," he offered. He seems like a nice enough guy.
"Thank you very much, but I'm sure I'll be fine," I smiled politely, but it became real when I saw the look on Kate's face as she gazed up at her fiancé.
Just then, an exceptionally well-dressed young woman stalked over to us after staring at us for a while. She was gorgeous; long legs, pretty face, curly blonde hair that complimented her dark skin tone.
"Don't Kate and Tanner make such a cute couple?" she said. "At least, now that she's dressing on the Sterling's dime…" her beautiful eyes turned cold.
"Scarlett…" Tanner hissed at her.
She rolled her eyes. "I'm kidding, obviously! Kate knows how much I love her."
"Totes," Kate rolled her eyes right back at her, making me wonder how she was getting along with the rest of the family.
Scarlett's eyes met mine. "Sorry, but if we've met, I've totally forgotten you," she rested her hand on her hip and shifted her weight.
"If we'd met before, you wouldn't have forgotten me," I smirked. She looked taken aback for a moment, but I could see that she was trying to hide her smile.
"Scarlett, this is Tanner. He's my best friend from college," Kate introduced us. "Tanner, meet Scarlett Emerson, my maid of honor," her pep faded as the words forced themselves out of her mouth.
"Wait, your name is Tanner?" she asked, even more confused. I nodded. "That's… interesting." She regained her composure and wasted no time throwing insults my way. "I should have known you were Kate's friend. You both have that spit-shined, blue collar thing going on," she gestured to my clothes. I'll admit, I hadn't really dressed up, but it wasn't tacky either. I had a blue dress shirt with a grey sweater and khakis. "It's such an adorable look. I'm almost jealous of how well you pull it off." Her eyes suddenly went wide. "You're the journalist, right?" I nodded. "I saw you talking to my brother a minute ago. Just a tip, quaint isn't really his thing."
I smirked. "Hey, I'm sorry. I think we got off on the wrong foot. Can I just say that you look stunning?" I looked her up and down.
She blushed. "Oh, uh, thank you, I guess."
"Absolutely. And forget what everyone else is saying, alright? That dress works well, at least on you," I slid in an insult of my own. She was gorgeous, but I wasn't going to let her ruin my friend's day. Nobody talks to my girl like that.
"What everyone… is saying?" she looked around the room then back to me.
"Girl, don't worry about it. If you ask me, your whole 'no makeup, all my flaws out there' look is empowering. Young girls will look up to you," I added. "Keep rocking it, just like you are now, okay? No matter how much people whisper about it," I gave her one more look over before giving her a pleasant smile.
Her jaw dropped. "I mean… well, I…," she cleared her throat. "Right, well, I don't know who you are, but… I'm watching you," she glared before storming off in a huff. I snickered.
"Huh," Tanner smirked. "I can't say I've ever seen someone handle Scarlett like that before," he seemed impressed.
Kate laughed. "Amazing! Like some Jedi mind trick!"
"I'm from Brooklynn, remember? Passive-aggressive is my middle name," I chuckled.
"Still, that was awesome. She's never that nice to anyone," she pursed her lips. I had forgotten how much I'd missed her.
"If that's her being nice, I'd like to see her mean. Why is she your maid of honor if you don't even get along?" I asked.
She frowned. "It's complicated."
Tanner stepped in for her. "The social circles of Bridgeport often are. Now, come, darling. Mother wanted to talk to you about flower arrangements," he tugged gently on her arm. She nodded.
"Find me when you're free and we'll catch up," I said before she got dragged away.
"God, yes," she hugged me quickly before taking off with her fiancé. What have you gotten yourself into, Kate O'Malley?
A little while later, after an awkward stand around in the hall, the guests began taking their seats in the dining room. I felt so out of place. I looked around while trailing the back wall and found an empty seat next to a guy that was already sitting.
"Mind if I sit here?" I inquired.
He turned and looked up at me. Thank God, someone normal. He had a tan, like he'd spent most of his days outside, and dark brown shaggy hair with a bit of a 5 o'clock shadow. His neck and left arm were covered in tattoos and he'd worn a casual t-shirt and jeans to the dinner. His blue eyes pierced through my soul as he spoke to me.
"I was hoping to put my feet up and take a little nap when things got boring, but sure. You can just go right on ahead and take my footrest," he said sarcastically.
I pulled the seat back and sat down. "What? You're not absolutely riveted by rehearsal dinners?" I poked back at him.
His lip turned up a bit. "Not when it's my sister marrying that… never mind," he looked away, barely holding in his snarl.
"No way. You're Kate's brother?" I sat up with intrigue.
"Yeah? Have we met or something?" his eyes met mine again.
I was lost for words for a minute, but quickly recovered. "Um, I'm her friend Tanner from college," I introduced myself, holding out my hand.
He stared down at it, but didn't take it. "The first Tanner? She talks about you all the time," he said. I chuckled at the nickname. He finally took my hand. "Flynn."
"Pleasure," I said as we pulled away from each other. "I would have never guessed you were her brother."
"Not sure I know how to take that, but okay," he threw his arm over the back of his chair to face me.
"I mean," I started, when I realized I'd come out wrong, "you both got the looks, obviously…" I caught myself and blushed a bit, looking away from him. "Sorry, that was… What I meant was, she's pretty chipper and bouncy and you look so down to earth. It's hard to believe she doesn't come from a family of crazy happy people."
He smirked. "Yeah, I get it. She's all sunshine and pastel rainbows, and I'm…," he trailed off, looking down at himself.
"I motorcycle enthusiast with a studded leather jacket?" I suggested.
He laughed, looking bashfully down at his hand. Yeah, they're definitely related. "Maybe not the studs, but I'll take it." He was as adorable as his sister.
"Has Kate changed much?" I tried to change the subject for him. "I never would have pictured her marrying into this sort of thing," I pointed discreetly at the crystal chandelier hanging from the highly decorated ceiling of the dining room.
"I'm as surprised as you are," he said curtly. "Not that I've ever thought much about her taste in men… but I didn't think she'd wind up with a walking sense of entitlement like Tanner," he said with a hint of irritation. Then he looked at me with a sideways glance. "Uh, sorry. Second Tanner."
I couldn't help but smile. He was the first person there to not make me think that I was the one in the wrong. "He seems like a nice guy… maybe," I shrugged. "It's been a few years since I've had any idea of what she's into."
"'Seems' is definitely the operative word in that sentence," he said snidely.
Before I could ask him what he meant, a high-pitched sound broke between us; a spoon against a glass, signaling a toast. An older version of Second Tanner stood at the head of the table with a glass of champagne. His hair was grey and slicked back and his cufflinks and tie clip twinkled almost as much as the chandelier.
"For those of you I haven't had the pleasure of meeting, I am Pierce Sterling, father to the young man whose nuptials we'll be celebrating tomorrow," he began, his voice smooth and loud. "As most of you know, the Sterling legacy in Bridgeport dates back several generations. Tomorrow, it continues onto the next." His words and demeanor definitely put him in with the higher aristocrats. "For any father, his eldest son's wedding is fraught with emotion. Many of you know our Kate comes from a… different walk of life… and yet, she possesses a purity of spirit that I can only describe as Sterling." The room was filled with uneasy shuffling and glances. "Please, join me in welcoming Kate O'Malley to our family!" He raised his glass high and the room followed… well… most of them anyway.
A big, boorish, drunken looking man stood up on his side of the table and scoffed loudly. "Different walk of life? Come on! Drop the euphemisms, Dad, and just say what we're all thinking," he shouted across the table.
"Bryce," his father's tone was harsh. "I'm warning you…"
"She's a gold-digger!" he slammed his hands on the table, making some of the dishes rattle.
I gripped at the outer seam of my pants, trying my hardest not to put this guy's foot in his mouth. I looked around towards Kate. She was sinking into her seat. Then my eyes hit Flynn, who was a ball of rage next to me. I couldn't hold it anymore.
"Hey, dickhead! I don't know who you are, other than a guy who's clearly hit the bar twenty times too many, but you shut your mouth. Kate's better than you'll ever be," I stood and shouted back to him. Everyone around me looked shocked, but then giggles and whispers began as they started enjoying the situation too much.
"You're gonna call me out for drinking?" he retorted. "How could I not be drinking at this farce? Some slut from the wrong side of the tracks waltzes in here and claims my family name? What, I'm supposed to welcome her like a brother?" he spat.
I cocked my head, pissed, but before I could say anything or launch myself across the table at him, Mr. Sterling's voice boomed through the room. "Enough, Bryce!"
"Kate's presence insults me," he literally spat this time onto the table.
"Bryce, I said enough!" Mr. Sterling's ringed fist tapped the table and the room fell into immediate silence. He waved his hand ever so briefly and the wait staff had Bryce by each arm in a matter of seconds.
"Hey, get off me!" he hissed, but he was already staggering from his drinks, so it didn't take much for them to drag him out of the room kicking and screaming.
Mr. Sterling shot me the same glare he'd shot his son and I took my seat as he continued. "Let's return to our dinner, shall we? I promise there will be no further interruptions." At the snap of his fingers, the staff brought out the dinner service.
I looked across the table at Kate, who smiled weakly at me. I nodded.
"Thanks for that," Flynn said under his breath.
"I… I couldn't just listen to that…" I whispered back.
His brows furrowed in anger. "Trust me, I hear you. If you hadn't done that, they'd have been scraping him off the floor," he growled lowly.
"Shit, if I'd known that was an option, I would have kept my mouth shut," I snickered. "Let me know next time."
His expression eased up a bit. "Seriously, though. Thanks."
I spread my napkin out on my lap as food was placed in front of me. "Is it always like this?"
"I wouldn't know," he said bluntly. "This is the first event the Sterlings have ever deigned to invite me to."
"Kate always had a way of attracting drama, but this is a whole new level…" I glanced around again, watching everyone speak in hushed tones over their dinner. "Seems like too much, even for her."
Flynn sighed deeply. "Look, she's my little sister, and I want to protect her, but… that guy makes her happier than I've ever seen her," he jerked his chin towards Tanner. I looked up to see Kate hanging on his shoulder and smiling like I'd never seen her smile before. "Honestly, if we can just make it through the wedding, I think she'll be fine."
A few hours and a rough dinner later, some of the guests had left and the few remaining were gathered in the parlor. I stood with Grant and Scarlett over by the wall. A few minutes after that, Kate came bounding in.
"Hey, stranger," I greeted her.
"I've been looking all over for you," she said.
"How are you doing?" I asked.
She let out a deep breath. "I dunno, excited, overwhelmed, so happy I wanna scream and at the same time so nervous I wanna throw up?" she said quickly.
I chuckled. "So, normal wedding jitters?"
"Exactly," she giggled. She came back down to earth for a minute. "I know we haven't talked much lately, but I think about you all the time, you know," she grabbed my hand.
I pulled her into a side hug, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. "Me, too. I'm glad we finally have a chance to catch up."
"Yeah, I-," she started, but was interrupted by Grant and Scarlett entering the conversation.
"Looks like you two are reconnecting," Grant said, pointing at my arm around her, which I slid off as if on cue.
Scarlett took a step forward. "Can I just say, I loved your little dinner show with Bryce. It was like one of those trashy reality shows where they're always pulling each other's hair," she raved harshly.
"Glad to be a source of entertainment," I sneered.
Grant put a hand on her shoulder, telling her to calm down, and said, "I'm just glad somebody said something. Not enough people are willing to put that asshole in his place."
"So, I guess that puts you on Kate and Tanner's side, huh?"
"You could say that," Scarlett shifted her weight and crossed her arms.
"Oh!" I turned quickly to Kate. "How was your bachelorette party?"
Her face killed my excitement immediately. "I never had one," she frowned.
"What?" I turned to Scarlett. "It's that one of your duties as a maid of honor? What happened?"
She scoffed. "Bachelorette parties are so tacky."
I shook my head in disbelief. "They don't have to be. Besides, this is Kate's wedding and we should all know she loves a good party, right?" I looked down at my best friend, urging her to agree with me.
"'Love' does not begin to describe my feelings about parties," she beamed.
"Well, it's still early," Grant suggested with a grin. "Anyone got anything better to do tonight?"
Kate shook her head. "Just sleep. Tanner's family is big on tradition, so I can't see him until tomorrow," she frowned, but quickly perked up. "Which means my plan for the night involved a few glasses of wine and a lot of Netflix."
"Well that settles it," Grant clapped his hands together. "Nothing takes your mind off of pre-wedding nerves like a night on the town. Up for a party, Kate?"
"God, yes. All the yes," she bounced on her toes. "Fancy cocktails, college stories, dancing and laughing," she began listing. "I totally need this."
"Where should we go?" I asked the group.
"Kate's the main event tonight. Her choice," Grant said, making us all turn to her.
She thought for a moment. "Then… let's head to The Red Grouse. They have a drink there that looks and tastes exactly like a unicorn," she giggled.
Scarlett let out a loud groan. I raised an eyebrow at her. "Feel free to sit this one out," I suggested.
"Like I would," she retorted. "I'm the maid of honor. Besides, someone has to keep you from getting out of line."
"Glad to have you then," I smiled curtly. The three of them headed for the door, but I looked around for Flynn, hoping to invite him along. I couldn't see him and, after a tug on my sleeve from Kate, I shrugged and followed her out.
After the rehearsal dinner, the four of us; Kate, Grant, Scarlett, and I; went out for a fun dinner at a place called the Red Grouse. It was an upscale, cliffside distillery on the edge of town with a view over the docks. We were seated at a table near a huge window that looked out onto the far side of town. The lights from the houses and businesses lit up Bridgeport like Christmas lights or a night full of fireflies.
"Can I start you off with something to drink?" a young waiter asked our table. He had soft black hair that fit well with his black and white shirt and vest. His bowtie looked a bit big on his neck, making him look younger, though he was probably only 18 to start with.
"Several," I joked. "We're having a spontaneous bachelorette party, and she's our bride to be," I threw my arm around Kate, who was sitting next to me. Directly across from me was Scarlett, with her brother to her right. Katie grinned happily and put her hand on my knee to help support her as I pulled her towards me.
"But it appears you've brought a couple bachelors along with you," the waiter pointed at me and Grant. We both looked at each other and shrugged.
"Guilty as charged," he replied.
"They're honorary bachelorettes this evening," Kate giggled.
The waiter shrugged with a smile. "Works for me. What can I get you?" he pulled a classy leather-bound notepad out of his apron pocket and clicked his pen.
I looked around to see who wanted to go first, but Grant gestured to me. "In that case, I'd like a pinot noir," I began then pointed to Kate as I let her up from under my arm, "and she'll have one of those unicorn cocktail things." I couldn't help but laugh at the idea of that drink.
"Yes! I swear, Tanner, it tastes like sparkles," she shook with excitement. "So much yummier than those martinis we used to make in the dorm room."
"I always thought I did well with those," I pretended to pout.
She leaned against my shoulder. "They were, but… Tanner… unicorns," she explained with a sparkle of her own in her eyes. I laughed.
"Right," Scarlett chimed in, "well, the adult woman would like a pinot noir as well. Early 19, not that cheap stuff." She turned up her nose at the idea of young wine. "Actually," she extended her hand towards the waiter, "just bring the bottle."
Grant chuckled softly. "I'll have the house whiskey, neat," he said to the waiter boy.
The young man scribbled quickly and nodded with a smile. "Very well. I'll be right back," he turned on his heel and was back much quicker than I'd expected, then again I'd never been to such a high-end distillery, even in New York. The service here was great.
Grant raised his glass. "A toast," he said, "to Kate. We should all be so lucky to find someone as amazing as you," he beamed down at her and she blushed.
She raised her overly decorated rainbow glass up to his. "To all of you guys for taking me out before I get hitched!"
They both looked at me and I raised my glass to theirs. "To reconnecting with good friends," I smiled up at Kate, who had to stand to reach Grant's glass.
Scarlett rolled her eyes before adding hers to the mix. "To wine, the only thing getting me through this," she groaned before taking a large sip of her wine.
We all followed suit, taking the first sips of our individual drinks. I looked over at Kate, who was barely able to contain her excitement after her first sip of her unicorn flavored beverage. "It really does look like a magical creature," I joked.
"One that gets you drunk," her eyebrows raised. Grant and I couldn't contain our amusement. Scarlett scoffed and turned her back towards us to look literally anywhere else. "So, who wants another?" Kate asked.
We all turned to her not even a few seconds after looking away and saw that she had downed the entire glass of rainbow foam. Scarlett was the only one of us to say anything. "You finished yours already?" she turned around swiftly to gawk at the red head. "Are we in some kind of spring break hellscape?"
"Bachelorette party! Whooo!" Kate cheered, holding her empty glass up to signal the waiter boy, who was just as shocked as we were.
After we all had a few more drinks, we all became more relaxed. I wasn't as nervous, Grant was giggling at everything, and Scarlett had let her guard down and was telling stories about their childhood. When she mentioned a story about Tanner, I had to ask, "So, Katie, how did you meet Tanner anyway?"
"Now that's a good story," Grant said after taking a long sip of his third whiskey.
"Oh," I chimed in," lemme guess. You parked in his V.I.P parking spot?"
"Kate would park in a V.I.P spot," Grant mumbled with a smile, "if we had them around here."
Kate giggled. "I consider myself supremely important, thank you very much," she held her chin up high, mocking the aristocracy she'd become engaged to.
"And that's why we don't have those," Scarlett jabbed, but not as harshly as before.
"So, what's the real story?" I inquired.
Kate turned in her chair to face me with light in her eyes. "Remember how I said I wanted to open a bakery?"
I nodded. "What was it? 'The Tasty Pastry'?" I giggled, sipping at my wine.
"Exactly! Well, two years ago I did it! I started my own business!" she bounced.
I put my glass down. "Really? That's amazing. So what, you baked your way into his heart? 'Cuz if that's what happened, I'm calling dibs on movie rights," I half joked.
She laughed. "Not exactly. One day we had this terrible storm and, right as I was closing up, this guy walked in soaking wet," she recanted. "He was on his way to a meeting, and he couldn't go like that, so I went to the cleaners next door to borrow a left-behind."
"It's hard to picture Tanner wearing another man's suit," Scarlett said, then looked at me. "Then again, you would, probably."
I shrugged. "I'm not against free clothes if they look good."
Kate waved our sidebar off and continued. "But the storm just got worse, and the power went out," she said with a suspenseful tone. "So," she grinned, "we just ate cupcakes and talked, and he blew off his meeting to stay with me. It was love at first sight. Seriously."
"Come on, that's not an actual thing," Scarlett rolled her eyes and twirled her glass in her fingers.
"I don't know, I think it can happen," Grant argued. "What do you think, Tanner?" he across at me.
I shrugged. "I'm with Scarlett on this one. But I'm just a professional skeptic, so what do I know?" I joked.
"That's the most intelligent thing you've said all day," Scarlett grinned mockingly at me.
The night went on and the drinks went down. Eventually, Scarlett wasn't so mean, and Katie was struggling to find words. More stories were told and each of us had our share of hardy laughs. Soon, the girls decided to step away to the restroom, leaving me and Grant at the table.
"Hey," he said suddenly, getting my attention. "I promised to show you around, and I'd be remiss in my duties if I didn't offer you the best view in town," he jerked his chin towards the balcony doors in the corner of the room.
"If you're talking about yourself, I swear…" I started.
He laughed. "Well, I am a catch, but I meant the balcony," he stood up, drink in hand and waited for my response.
I stood with him, carrying my, hopefully, last glass of wine for the night and he led me out onto the glass balcony. "Wow," I said, noticing the difference between seeing it from behind the glass and seeing it with the breeze in my hair. "Not bad, Emerson," I smirked, leaning against the railing to look out across the small houses and the docks.
"I never disappoint," he said cockily.
"Seriously, what an amazing view!" I said louder than I'd planned. "There's not as much noise here as in the city," I closed my eyes and listened to the wind and the waves upon the shore.
"Bridgeport might be provincial, but it has a lot to offer," he said, leaning his back against the railing.
"It's nice. Sometimes Brooklyn can be a tad overwhelming, so it's a welcome change," I said, hearing crickets for the first time in years. "Thanks for showing me around," I smiled up at him.
"Hey, no problem. Just doing my part," he smiled back.
"I can't remember the last time I met someone as laid back as you. Someone who seems so comfortable in their own skin," I stood up straight and rested my hip against the rail. "It's refreshing."
He looked out over the town. "Money doesn't buy you happiness, but it can give you a lot of options other people just don't have," he said like he was some model paid for an advertisement.
I couldn't help but snicker. "You know, there's a song about that," I joked.
He looked back at me with a smile before continuing his mystic, far-away look. "I never want to forget how privileged I've been or how differently my life could have gone. I don't know… I just feel like I ought to give back. Like I need to take the opportunities I've been given and do something meaningful with them."
"Very deep and introspective," I teased before getting serious. "Is that why you're a defense lawyer? Helping the innocent and the powerless?"
He glanced at me. "Yeah, actually. It's cheesy, isn't it?" I held up my finger and thumb to tell him it was a bit. I was about to tell him it was actually pretty cool, when Kate stumbled out onto the balcony.
"Hey, Katie-bear. We should probably get you home," I laughed, catching her before she fell onto the table.
"Grant," she held up a finger to him, but couldn't stop smiling. "Are you trying to steal my best friend, or what?" We both chuckled and I held her up, putting her hands on my arm so she wouldn't fall. "Woah, I've had one to many… whatsit called? Horn-horsies?" she slurred.
"Just one?" I laughed. "You should let Grant drive you home, party girl," I suggested, looking up at Grant for approval. He nodded discreetly. The inn I was staying at was walking distance away from the restaurant, but the Emerson's and Sterling's lived up on the hill on the other side of town and I hadn't picked up my rental car yet.
"Oh, fine," she hiccupped. "Be boring." She looked back and forth between the two of us and smiled dorkily. "I love you guys. My friends are becoming friends… that's so nice. Tanner, you should move here so you can hang out with me more."
"Woah slow your roll there, Katie-bear," I patted her head. "I have a job, you know."
"Aren't we friends anymore?" she frowned, looking close to tears. I was slack-jawed. I didn't even know what to say. Of course we were, but I'd never seen her this insecure about it.
"Um, I'm gonna let you two have some one-on-one time…," Grant began to awkwardly sidestep back into the restaurant. "Scarlett it probably getting antsy anyway." I mouthed a thank you and he nodded with a kind smile before closing the glass doors to give us some privacy.
"I'm sorry, Tan. Am I being clingy? I always get clingy when I'm drunk…," Kate apologized, trying to get off my arm and sit down, but failing pretty miserably.
"I recall, believe me," I smiled as I helped her down into a chair and squatted in front of her to meet her eyes.
She slumped down and fidgeted with her fingers. "It's just… you know… I'm so lonely out here."
"What about your family and friends? You grew up here, surely you have people to hang out with regularly," I suggested. I knew her family was a bit split up, but what about her friends?
"You know how it is. My mom's out of town, and my dad… well, we don't talk about him… and my friends stopped wanting to talk to me when I got engaged to Tanner," she giggled a little bit at the end. "Not you, Tanner, but my Tanner," then she gasped. "Not that you're not mine, too, but-," she tried to correct herself.
I put a hand on her head. "It's fine. I knew what you meant," I couldn't help but smile. "What about brother, Flynn?"
She frowned harder. "I love Flynn, and we still get beers sometimes, but… it's so hard with me… and the wedding…"
"They don't like him too much, I take it?" I asked.
"There's this distance between us. I don't know. I can't explain," she started picking at her nails, which I had to stop her from doing since they'd just been done for the wedding. "And Tanner's family, they're like ice. I can tell they don't want me there."
"Tanner does, though, right?" I held her hands in mine, forcing her to stop picking.
"I love Tanner. He's a good guy, not like the rest. But… but…," she struggled. I rubbed my thumb against the back of her hand, telling her it was okay to confide in me. "He's… I think he's…," but before she could say, the balcony doors swung open with a bang. I stood up quickly, since I was a bit jumpy when I drank, as Tanner barged out towards us with steam coming from his ears.
"Kate!" he shouted. "What are you doing out so late? The night before our wedding? Do you know how this looks for me?" his angry eyes shot to me, giving me the once over and lingering on our hands, still holding each other.
"Tanner! I… I was… It's just I never had a bachelorette party and Tanner is here now, and… and," she tried to explain, but it wasn't helping our case. This looked bad from Tanner's perspective. I tried to let go of her hands, but she wouldn't let me, gripping my fingers tightly.
"Got it, so you thought you'd show up to your own wedding hungover? Real classy," he fumed.
"Hey, go easy on her, would you?" I snapped. "She's just had a little too much to drink. She just needs to sleep it off." I'm pretty sure he ignored me, his eyes burning holes in my hands.
"I should have known you'd revert to your old patterns, Kate," he glared at her, making her eyes fill with tears that were reluctant to spill over.
"My old… what?" her sadness turned to irritation. She gripped my hands tighter as she tried to stand up, still a bit wobbly.
"You know what I mean. Now, let's go. I'm taking you home," he said strictly, grabbing her arm.
Before he could drag her away behind him, she looked up at me desperately. I didn't know what to do. It wasn't my place to step into a marital argument. She slid something out of her sleeve and pushed it into the palm of my hand before letting herself get carried away.
"Wait!" I shouted after them, but they were gone quicker than my words could get to them. Maybe the Sterlings were right about them not seeing each other before the wedding. I looked down into the palm of my hand and unfolded the crumpled note she'd left with me. "Ulysses?" I asked to myself. "What's that supposed to mean?" I searched my brain for the knowledge I'd collected in college. Originally, Ulysses was the Roman equivalent of Odysseus from the Odyssey by Homer. Could she have remembered that? Was it Ulysses S. Grant? A town name? What did this mean? What was she trying to tell me? What was going on around here?
I looked around. By the time I'd snapped out of my thoughts, the restaurant was nearly empty, save the bored bartender, who was tapping away on the counter to the song playing through the speakers. The wind had turned cold. I needed to go back to the inn…