"It'll never last."
It was hardly more than a whisper but Skye had heard it clearly in the quietness of the church and she was pretty sure it had come from the guy sitting next to her a few feet down the empty row. She turns her head slightly toward him, keeping the group of people gathering at the front of the church in her view, and whispers back.
"So you think they're doomed too, huh?"
The guy next to her jerks his head up at her voice and looks around a moment before realizing that she'd been the one to speak. "So, how long do you give 'em?"
"Five years tops" she answers a bit too loudly. His response isn't exactly what she'd been expecting but there's no stopping now.
The man moves closer to her as he speaks again. "Oh, you're generous. I only gave them two."
"That's all? Ouch." She catches a glimpse of the doors at the back of the church closing in preparation for the bridal party's entrance and slides a little closer to the man next to her allowing their conversation to continue even more quietly in the last moments before the ceremony began. "Skye, by the way."
"Lincoln. Nice to meet you." And with that, the music changes signaling the start of the ceremony and the end of their conversation... for now.
"So how do you know the happy couple?" The last of the bridal party had barely just left the room when he turns back to face her again.
"I have the, uh, pleasure of working with her" she responds slowly as she reaches down to retrieve her purse from where it had been underneath the pew.
"Oh so you've seen her at her worst, then? I hear she's a bit, what would you call it, intense when trying to close a deal."
She laughs. Intense was certainly one way to describe her coworker, if a little polite. "That is for sure. So what about you? A friend of the bride or the groom?"
"Groom. We went to school together for three years. I got him through biology, twice."
"I'd heard he wasn't the most, uh, focused student in college."
He laughs. "You can say that again."
Skye looks up and realizes that by this point, most of the other guest had already made their way out of the little chapel. "So are you going to reception?" Please say yes.
They begin making their way out through the small outer room of the church and into the sunlight outside as he contemplates a moment and then answers. "I told them I was going. And I mean who's gonna pass up on a free catered meal, right?"
"You have a very good point, my friend." She digs through her purse for her sunglasses and keys.
"So I take it I'll see you there then?"
"You definitely will" she responds as she turns away and walks towards the parking lot without giving him the the chance to say anything else.
Skye arrives at the building where the reception was being held. She'd made sure to not hurry too much on the way in an attempt to avoid the inevitably awkward time where everyone just stood around drinking and talking before going in to sit down. As she walks in, she finds that she was successful. She spots the table where the place cards holding everyone's table assignments had been placed and quickly finds hers among the few that still remain.
As she makes her way through the banquet hall, she spots her table and smiles when she sees that not only is she going to be sharing a table with Lincoln for the night, but that the only still empty seat is the one next to him.
"So you got stuck at the singles' table too, I see." She hears the smirk on his face as clearly as she can see it as she approaches their table.
"So it would seem." She hangs her purse on one side of her chair and sits down before turning to him and continuing. "But I can't say I'm too disappointed about that this time."
A hint of red flashes up onto his face at her revelation, the blush even reaching the tips of his ears. "I'm inclined to agree."
She smiles, feeling a bit of heat begin to fill her own cheeks.
"So, you staked out the bar yet?" she questions, trying to change the subject.
"Not yet. Do you want something? I'd be happy to go do a little reconnaissance and bring you back something. What do you like?" He stands up and stands behind his chair waiting for her answer.
"Surprise me."
"You got it." he says just before he turns to make his way to the bar at the other side of the room.
She smiles to herself again after him and whispers quietly, "Maybe tonight won't be so bad afterall."
"So you really only give them two years before it goes to hell?"
"Yeah. I mean, c'mon, they're so not the kind of people who get married. And they're definitely not the kind of people who get married to each other." She laughs, probably a little too loudly considering how close they are.
He's leaning in closer to her again and it's getting a lot harder for her to play it cool. He'd picked out her favorite drink on the first try and she may have gone back for a couple more between courses.
"Sure their relationship is a little less fairy tale and a bit more drama, but I still think two years is a little harsh."
"Says the one who started the whole betting conversation while in the church of all places."
"And you were so quick to disagree with me."
"Fine we're both terrible people, agreed?" she retorts sticking her hand out between them to seal the joking deal.
"Agreed." He shakes her hand and they both start laughing, still too loudly.
Skye looks around the room at the other guests and sees that the waitstaff have begun cutting the larger of the two cakes sitting on the table in the front of the room.
"Looks like we're finally getting to the best part of the evening" she says with a smile as she turns her attention back to Lincoln. "What do you say we steal a couple pieces and find someplace a little less stuffy and boring?"
Lincoln sits quietly a moment as if debating whether or not he wanted to take part in her plans before answering. "You get the cake. I'll get a bottle of champagne."
"Oh, I like your thinking. Meet me outside there in five" she says pointing discreetly to a side door she knows leads to the lobby. "Now are you ready?" He nods. "Three, two, one. Go."
They both stand up quietly and make their way to their respective targets, both of their faces filled with not so discreet, mischievous grins
"Only one glass? Amateur."
"Instead of criticising me, how about you thanking me for even getting one? The bartender was very suspicious. I barely made it out with this."
"Well at least I was completely successful in my mission." She reaches behind her to retrieve the two small plates she'd hidden on the other side of the check in counter in the lobby. "Now where do you want to go hide so we can eat in peace?"
"Upstairs? I've been wondering what's up there all night."
"Upstairs it is."
"After you, m'lady" he says sweeping his arm in the direction of one side of the grand double staircase.
"Oh just walk up the stairs you weirdo" she laughs and starts up the stairs with Lincoln quickly closing the gap behind her.
"Barkeep, another!" It had barely been a half hour but they had finished most of the large bottle of stolen champagne as well as both pieces of cake.
"If the lady insists" he mocks in return as he pours the last of the bottle into their shared glass taking a sip before handing it to her. "So what's the worst wedding you've ever been to?"
"Oh that's tough. So many options to choose from." She pauses a moment, thinking, and hands the champagne flute back to Lincoln. "Oh wait! It was a friend of mine from work's. The ceremony lasted forever as it was but then the reception was even worse. So you know how they always have toasts and whatnot at receptions? Well she took it one step further. She had like three different people do readings again. At the reception! I probably should have expected something like that from Jemma but it was just so awkward. Everyone was sitting there in that otherwise silent room and you could just feel them wanting it to end."
"Oh wow that does sound pretty bad" he replies as he drinks the last of the champagne.
"So what about you? What's the best wedding you've ever been to?"
"Hmm... I think I have to go with my boss' son's wedding. I can't even remember his name and I didn't really know anyone there which wasn't great but the reception was pretty hilarious. The bride and groom had this weird dance off thing instead of a traditional first dance and both of them were just terrible. I was laughing too hard to even see who won the lame fake trophy they had."
"A trophy? Wow, ok, that is really lame" she says laughing.
"Tell me about it."
"So where does tonight rank on the terrible wedding scale?" Skye asks, leaning a little closer to Lincoln.
"Well it certainly hasn't been the worst wedding I've ever been to" Lincoln replies, his smirk larger than she'd seen it all night.
"Such high praise. I'm actually a little offended."
"Well there is one thing that would make the end of the night a lot better."
"And what would that be?"
"Well, there is one thing I've been wanting to do for hours now" he replies slowly, shifting forward in his chair.
"Oh yeah? Wh-"
Lincoln doesn't let her finish. Instead she feels his lips land on hers. He's moving slowly and the kiss only lasts a moment before he pulls away.
Skye takes a moment to catch her breath before saying anything.
"It would seem that we had the same idea to make tonight better."
He laughs as Skye presses nearer to him, her knees are bumping against his.
Skye looks up and meets Lincoln's eyes. Neither of them break the stare as Lincoln moves his hand to her cheek and pulls her close, closing the distance between them again.
This kiss is deeper, despite still starting off slowly. But Skye soon feels Lincoln's other hand on her back and her hand moves to the back of his neck, both of them pulling the other in ever nearer.
This kiss, too, ends earlier than either Skye or Lincoln would have chosen with the sound of a sharp "Ahem" from the other side of the room.
Skye pulls back quickly at the sound, and seeing the figure in the doorway reaches down and grabs her shoes, not even stopping to put them on.
"Well it looks like I should be going now," she calls back to Lincoln as she approaches the figure she has now identified as the best man. She catches his eyes for just a moment and then ducks past him and into the hall. From inside the room she hears the muted sound of Lincoln expressing a similar sentiment and she soon hears his footsteps echoing behind her on the stairs.
She only stops once she's reached the front door, turning back to say her goodbye.
"I had fun tonight."
"I did too" Lincoln replies as he takes the final few steps separating them.
Skye reaches behind her and finds the doorknob. She pushes it open and takes a step back toward the darkness, her eyes still locked on Lincoln's.
"Maybe you could call me sometime." And with that, she steps out the door and lets go of the handle, turning to make her way down the front steps.
"But I don't have your number!" Lincoln calls after her as he stops the door from closing and then steps through it.
Skye looks back over her shoulder quickly and calls back to him. "Get it from the happy couple!"
And with that, Skye turns and runs toward the parking lot, leaving Lincoln to follow slowly behind, this time with no chance of catching up.