A/N: This is for my Lo, and it is a very belated birthday present because I suck and have ADHD like you would not BELIEVE. Happy Belated Birthday to one of the best friends I could ever ask for. Is it May yet? Also, I have been shotgunning the first 5 Seasons of The Office all week, so I apologize for every male character turning into a weird hybrid of Halpert/Ryan/Nard-Dog from here on out.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bridgette or Evan or Tyler and I CERTAINLY don't own Megan (ew) and I'm well aware that Evan's name is not Evan and I don't care and I love Tyler just the same even if he is a tool sometimes.
Her eyes scanned across hundreds of colors, letters, words, waiting for one to jump out at her. She pulled a book off the shelf and read the synopsis on the back, putting it back in its place and continuing down the line.
"You suck." The voice caused her to jump, and she turned to see a tall, athletic looking guy with dark hair and glasses standing next to her.
"What?"
"You suck." He pointed in her direction.
"WHAT?" She blinked at him, wondering what this guys deal was. She was positive she had never seen him before, and here he was insulting her. He smirked and pulled out a book that had been directly in her line of sight.
"You Suck," he read the title outloud. "It's good. One of Moore's best, but it's a sequel. You have to read Bloodsucking Fiend first."
She couldn't help it, she started laughing.
"What?" He looked at her curiously.
"I'm sorry. I just. I thought you were saying that I .. "
"Oh! Oh gosh no, I thought you were looking at that book .." He started laughing as well, and after a few seconds stuck out his hand. "Evan."
"Bridgette." She put her hand in his and shook it, noticing how it was somehow rough and soft at the same time.
"Nice to meet you Bridgette. For the record, I don't think you suck."
"Well thanks Evan, it's nice to know a complete stranger thinks so highly of me," she teased, and he turned a slight pink.
"Sorry, I was just trying to .."
"Oh no, I was just teasing! I appreciate the help .. I'm kind of a voracious reader so I always like book reccomendations," Bridgette nodded, assuring Evan she wasn't really upset. Or bitchy. And she didn't suck.
"Yeah, me too. I travel a lot for work, so I have a lot of time to read," Evan explained. "But yeah, you really can't go wrong with Moore, he's got a great sense of humor."
"Cool, I will definitely have to check it out." Bridgette pulled Bloodsucking Fiend off the shelf and tucked it under her arm.
"Not even gonna read what it's about?"
"Nah, I heard it got good reviews," she teased, winking at him. Evan smiled, revealing his set of perfect white teeth, and butterflies suddenly filled Bridgette's stomach. Which was silly really, here was this guy just being nice to her and reccomending some books, probably not even flirting, probably in a nice serious relationship because how could a guy like that EVER be single, or maybe he was gay .. yeah, he was probably gay, damnit weren't all the good ones nowaday? Or maybe he was married, which if that was the case shame on him for even making her think he was flirting with her for a second and oh shit ..
"What?"
Oh God, had she said that last part out loud? Not that it mattered any more because in the next few minutes she was going to die from embarrasment because who should walk into the book store at that very moment but her ex-fiance Tyler and her ex-best friend Megan who not so coincidentally just happened to now be engaged. To each other. Meanwhile she was still single and spent most nights "voraciously reading" with her tiny dog and huge cat while trying to ignore the fact that she really wanted to make voodoo dolls that resembled Tyler and Megan and poke them repeatedly with pins and knives and bullets.
"Bridgette, are you okay?" Evan asked, touching her arm gently and snapping her out of the mini-rant and major freak out going on in her head. She turned quickly and looked at him, trying to fight back the tears welling up in her eyes.
"Sorry .. that guy and that girl that just walked in, I just .. I know them."
"You .. know them? You don't seem too happy about knowing them." Evan furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Yeah, it's a long story .. she was my best friend, and he was my fiance, and now he's her fiance, and .."
"Oh. Wow."
"Yeah."
"They're coming over here."
"What?"
"They're coming over here. Right now."
"Oh God." Bridgette squeezed her eyes shut and prayed that this was all a terrible horrible dream and at any second she would wake up and be in her nice warm bed. Except for Evan. He could be a good part of the dream. Or not a dream at all. He could be in the nice warm bed with her. THAT would be perfect.
"Bridgette?"
She gritted her teeth and turned around to see Megan and Tyler's matching grins looking back at her, and immediately felt like vomiting all over their shoes.
"Hey," she said instead, wanting to punch them, or herself, or anything at that point.
"Hey! I thought that was you, how are you?" Megan moved as if she wanted to give her a hug, but instead it turned into this awkward dance of her moving in and Bridgette moving away.
"I'm .. well .. how are you?" Bridgette mumbled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and trying to not focus on the huge diamond ring that was on Megan's hand. Or the way Tyler's arm was so casually wrapped around her shoulders. Or the fact that right at that moment she and Tyler were supposed to have been on their honeymoon.
"Oh we're amazing," Megan said, grinning up at Tyler as Bridgette choked back a gag. "Are you going to introduce us to your friend?" she asked, motioning to where Evan stood, his hand still resting on Bridgette's arm.
"What?" Bridgette turned to see what in the world Megan was talking about. "Oh no, he's just .."
"Sorry, I'm Evan," Evan introduced, stepping forward to shake Tyler's hand.
"Tyler, Bridgette's .. friend .. and this is my fiancee, Megan."
"Nice to meet you guys," Evan said, shaking Megan's hand as well.
"So how do you guys know each other?" Megan asked, eyeing Evan up and down.
"Oh, well we just .." Bridgette started to say they had just met, but Evan jumped in, sliding an arm around Bridgette's waist.
"We just got engaged." Bridgette's jaw dropped and she stared at Evan, who winked at her slyly and grinned back at Tyler and Megan.
"Oh my gosh are you serious? That's amazing!" Megan practically squealed, clapping her hands together. "Oh let me see the ring!"
"It's at the jewlers next door getting resized. You know us guys and our measuring," Evan said, shrugging sheepishly.
"Wow, I didn't even know you were dating Bridgette," Tyler commented, removing his arm from Megan's shoulders and crossing them over his chest.
"Well he travels a lot for work .." Bridgette mumbled, and Evan jumped in.
"So most of the time she comes to see me. Or we just spend our time just the two of us, you know. Romantic." Evan explained.
"How exciting," Megan smiled at Evan, batting her eyelashes at him. "What do you do Evan?"
"Actually .. I can show you." Evan took a few steps over to the magazine section and scanned the racks for a moment, pulling a magazine out and bringing it back. He handed it to Megan.
"What .. oh WOW!" She looked down at the cover of the newest WWE Magazine, featuring his picture, and back at him. "That's you!"
"Guilty."
"You're famous! Oh my gosh Tyler, he's famous!"
"So I hear."
"Bridgette! You should have told me you were dating a famous wrestler! Oh my gosh that is amazing!!!"
"I uh .." Bridgette stared at the magazine Megan was holding in disbelief. He wasn't wearing the glasses and was in a pair of wrestling tights, but that was Evan right there on the cover of that magazine. With the most gorgeous six-pack of abs she had ever seen. And those biceps. And those arms. One of which was wrapped around her waist at that very moment. She was going to pass out.
"Oh my gosh, can you sign this for me?" Megan asked, fishing in her purse for a pen.
"Megan, I don't think .." Tyler started.
"Oh no it's fine, I'd be happy to." Megan produced a pen and Evan quickly scribbled something across the front and handed it back to her. She clutched the magazine to her chest and continued to grin at him.
"Well, we'd better be going," Evan said, smiling as he put his arm back around Bridgette's waist. "It was nice meeting you guys."
"You too!" Megan practically shouted as Tyler muttered something in response. Evan led Bridgette away and toward the front of the store to pay for her book. She let out a deep breath and turned to him.
"Evan, you didn't have to .." He put up a hand to stop her.
"It's not a problem Bridgette. Megan deserves him, he's kind of a tool. Which is exactly what I wrote on her magazine."
Bridgette gasped, laughing. "You didn't!"
"Oh I did."
"Wow." Bridgette shook her head in disbelief. "I don't know how to thank you."
"Well," Evan chewed his bottom lip in thought. "You could let me take you out on a date. I mean it's only fair with you being my fiancee and all."
"Mmm, that is true," Bridgette nodded, fighting back a smile.
"And maybe if you're REALLY lucky .. I'll show you my wrestling tights," Evan winked at her devilishly.
"Well now, HOW can I possibly pass up something like that?"
Because of this story I now know the difference between fiance/fiancee. You'd think I'd have learned that when I actually got married and/or when I got a BA in English, but you'd be wrong on both accounts.