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As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she instantly regretted them. Why she couldn't just suck it up and go to her friend's wedding alone, was beyond her. She'd gone to friends weddings alone plenty of times before. If she was being honest with herself, she would have to admit that the reason she didn't want to go alone to this particular wedding was because this was the wedding of her college roommate Chloe and the man that Chloe just happened to be marrying was the same man that Sara had dated in college, in fact the man that Sara had been engaged to for a short time before she decided she wanted to go to grad school. This was destined to be an awkward weekend and she most certainly did not want to go alone.
That's where Nick came in. They were good friends. She trusted him. Part of her expected that he would say no when she asked if he would come with her to the wedding. Part of her hoped that he would, although she didn't actually expect that he would. So when he'd grinned at her widely and replied that he'd love to come, she went into a tailspin.
It wasn't as if she'd asked him on a date, they'd done things together on any number of occasions, they'd even gone to the department Christmas party together a couple of times, but then again, the wedding was in San Diego at the Hotel Del Coronado, and they'd be spending the weekend there. Together. On the beach. Alone.
If Sara was honest, she'd have to admit that she had fallen for Nick. But honesty with herself was the last thing she wanted right now. She tried to reason a way to get herself out of the situation altogether, but she couldn't find one that wouldn't either cause her to admit what she was feeling toward Nick, or completely hurt his feelings.
So here she was, waiting for him to pick her up. Pacing nervously around her apartment, hoping that the entire weekend wouldn't be a disaster.
A knock sounding at the door broke her from her reverie. She opened the door to reveal Nick. He stood there grinning at her with a faded pair of jeans on and a gray Rice University T-shirt. "Ready for a road trip?"
She chuckled at him. "Are you going to be this perky all weekend?" She turned to grab her bags, but Nick being the gentleman that he was, beat her to it. She rolled her eyes at his chivalrous gesture.
He laughed good naturedly. "Are you going to be this crabby all weekend?"
She shot him what was intended to be a glare, but she ended up laughing instead. That was the kind of effect he had on her. She couldn't stay mad long when she was with Nick and that was why she knew in her heart of hearts that she was in love with him, even if she couldn't admit it to herself consciously.
They climbed into the SUV and headed west toward San Diego. Nick turned the radio on and began singing along to a song Sara didn't know. She rolled her eyes as she realized the radio was tuned to a country station. This had the potential to be a really long ride, but at the moment, despite the country music, she found Nick rather amusing as he strayed off key every now and then. Sara couldn't help but giggle.
Nick flashed her a grin and continued singing along with Toby Keith. When the song was over, he turned the radio down and glanced over at her. "So, tell me about this friend of yours that's getting married."
Sara felt ill. How could she not realize that the entire story of her failed relationship with Ben would come out this weekend? "Uh, Chloe was my roommate in college. She was premed and then decided she wanted to pursue education instead."
Nick raised a curious eyebrow at her. "Were you close? I'm assuming you at least kept in touch since we're driving all the way to San Diego to attend her wedding."
Sara nodded and tried to feign a smile. "We were close throughout college and then sort of drifted. You know how that goes. You start a career and you just don't see people as often."
Nick nodded, but as Sara studied him she somehow doubted that he ever drifted from people. That was just how Nick was. Once a friend, always a friend.
"She called me up about a month ago and told me she was getting married and wanted to make sure I was going to be there." Sara continued. "I guess she decided that everyone she ever knew needed to be there on her big day."
Nick chuckled. "She must think he's some guy then."
Sara didn't say anything. She glanced out the window and watched as the desert landscaped whipped by.
"You don't like this guy do you?" Nick queried her. He knew her well enough to pick up on her nonverbal cues.
Sara cleared her throat and looked back at him. "Uh, it's complicated."
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, you dated him."
Sara chuckled wryly. "Sort of."
Nick stole glances at her over the next few minutes before speaking again. "This guy hurt you, didn't he?"
Sara turned to face Nick as he drove. "I was engaged to Ben. When I decided to go to grad school, he decided he didn't want to wait that long to get married, so he broke up with me."
Nick let out a low whistle. "That bites."
Silence reigned for a while as they got closer to California. Nick turned toward her and grinned. "He was an idiot, you know."
Sara looked at him quizzically. "Huh?"
"This Ben guy. He's an idiot for not waiting for you." Nick turned his attention back to driving and Sara silently wondered what he meant by that. Whether he just wanted to cheer her up or if there was something more behind his comment.
Neither of them brought the subject up again the rest of the drive. When they finally pulled into the driveway of the Hotel Del Coronado, they were tired. Nick handed the keys to the valet and they unloaded their luggage. As they made their way across the lobby, a shrill voice called out. "Sara!"
Nick turned to see a blond woman rushing towards them and enveloping Sara in a hug. He smiled. This must be Chloe.
As Sara pulled out of the hug, she gestured toward Nick. "Chloe this is Nick Stokes. Nick, this is Chloe Stratton."
Chloe grinned at Sara. "You didn't tell me your boyfriend was so adorable, but then you always did have good taste. How long have you two been dating?"
A look of mortification spread across Sara's face and she opened her mouth to correct her friend just as Nick put his arm around Sara's shoulder and addressed Chloe. "Sara's the one that's the catch here." He glanced down at Sara with a grin. "We've been together, what is it? About seven months now, darlin?" His twang was exceptionally thick.
He squeezed her shoulder as a man, who Nick surmised could only be Ben from Sara's stiff body posture, approached.
Sara found her voice and put a smile on her face as she glanced up at him. "Yeah, that's right, baby."
Chloe was all smiles as Ben approached. "Sara, you remember Ben. Of course you remember each other; I mean you two were engaged!"
Ben nodded at Sara stiffly and regarded Nick with suspicion. Nick extended his hand. "Nick Stokes."
The two men shook hands and then Chloe took over the show all over again. "Ok, I've got all the rooms assigned. I think they've got you in 411." She flitted over to the desk and got the key. She returned and handed it over to Sara. "Go get settled, we've got a rehearsal dinner and you both need to be there. We're eating outside at seven."
Sara tried to keep a smile on her face, but at the moment she felt the world spinning out of control and its destination seemed to be straight into the pit of hell. How else could the day get any worse? She was at her former fiancé's wedding to her former best friend and she was going to have to share a hotel room with her coworker that she just happened to be in love with. No problem. If she could have arranged for a tidal wave, now would have been the time for it to arrive. Of course there was still time for a catastrophic earthquake to hit.
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As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she instantly regretted them. Why she couldn't just suck it up and go to her friend's wedding alone, was beyond her. She'd gone to friends weddings alone plenty of times before. If she was being honest with herself, she would have to admit that the reason she didn't want to go alone to this particular wedding was because this was the wedding of her college roommate Chloe and the man that Chloe just happened to be marrying was the same man that Sara had dated in college, in fact the man that Sara had been engaged to for a short time before she decided she wanted to go to grad school. This was destined to be an awkward weekend and she most certainly did not want to go alone.
That's where Nick came in. They were good friends. She trusted him. Part of her expected that he would say no when she asked if he would come with her to the wedding. Part of her hoped that he would, although she didn't actually expect that he would. So when he'd grinned at her widely and replied that he'd love to come, she went into a tailspin.
It wasn't as if she'd asked him on a date, they'd done things together on any number of occasions, they'd even gone to the department Christmas party together a couple of times, but then again, the wedding was in San Diego at the Hotel Del Coronado, and they'd be spending the weekend there. Together. On the beach. Alone.
If Sara was honest, she'd have to admit that she had fallen for Nick. But honesty with herself was the last thing she wanted right now. She tried to reason a way to get herself out of the situation altogether, but she couldn't find one that wouldn't either cause her to admit what she was feeling toward Nick, or completely hurt his feelings.
So here she was, waiting for him to pick her up. Pacing nervously around her apartment, hoping that the entire weekend wouldn't be a disaster.
A knock sounding at the door broke her from her reverie. She opened the door to reveal Nick. He stood there grinning at her with a faded pair of jeans on and a gray Rice University T-shirt. "Ready for a road trip?"
She chuckled at him. "Are you going to be this perky all weekend?" She turned to grab her bags, but Nick being the gentleman that he was, beat her to it. She rolled her eyes at his chivalrous gesture.
He laughed good naturedly. "Are you going to be this crabby all weekend?"
She shot him what was intended to be a glare, but she ended up laughing instead. That was the kind of effect he had on her. She couldn't stay mad long when she was with Nick and that was why she knew in her heart of hearts that she was in love with him, even if she couldn't admit it to herself consciously.
They climbed into the SUV and headed west toward San Diego. Nick turned the radio on and began singing along to a song Sara didn't know. She rolled her eyes as she realized the radio was tuned to a country station. This had the potential to be a really long ride, but at the moment, despite the country music, she found Nick rather amusing as he strayed off key every now and then. Sara couldn't help but giggle.
Nick flashed her a grin and continued singing along with Toby Keith. When the song was over, he turned the radio down and glanced over at her. "So, tell me about this friend of yours that's getting married."
Sara felt ill. How could she not realize that the entire story of her failed relationship with Ben would come out this weekend? "Uh, Chloe was my roommate in college. She was premed and then decided she wanted to pursue education instead."
Nick raised a curious eyebrow at her. "Were you close? I'm assuming you at least kept in touch since we're driving all the way to San Diego to attend her wedding."
Sara nodded and tried to feign a smile. "We were close throughout college and then sort of drifted. You know how that goes. You start a career and you just don't see people as often."
Nick nodded, but as Sara studied him she somehow doubted that he ever drifted from people. That was just how Nick was. Once a friend, always a friend.
"She called me up about a month ago and told me she was getting married and wanted to make sure I was going to be there." Sara continued. "I guess she decided that everyone she ever knew needed to be there on her big day."
Nick chuckled. "She must think he's some guy then."
Sara didn't say anything. She glanced out the window and watched as the desert landscaped whipped by.
"You don't like this guy do you?" Nick queried her. He knew her well enough to pick up on her nonverbal cues.
Sara cleared her throat and looked back at him. "Uh, it's complicated."
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, you dated him."
Sara chuckled wryly. "Sort of."
Nick stole glances at her over the next few minutes before speaking again. "This guy hurt you, didn't he?"
Sara turned to face Nick as he drove. "I was engaged to Ben. When I decided to go to grad school, he decided he didn't want to wait that long to get married, so he broke up with me."
Nick let out a low whistle. "That bites."
Silence reigned for a while as they got closer to California. Nick turned toward her and grinned. "He was an idiot, you know."
Sara looked at him quizzically. "Huh?"
"This Ben guy. He's an idiot for not waiting for you." Nick turned his attention back to driving and Sara silently wondered what he meant by that. Whether he just wanted to cheer her up or if there was something more behind his comment.
Neither of them brought the subject up again the rest of the drive. When they finally pulled into the driveway of the Hotel Del Coronado, they were tired. Nick handed the keys to the valet and they unloaded their luggage. As they made their way across the lobby, a shrill voice called out. "Sara!"
Nick turned to see a blond woman rushing towards them and enveloping Sara in a hug. He smiled. This must be Chloe.
As Sara pulled out of the hug, she gestured toward Nick. "Chloe this is Nick Stokes. Nick, this is Chloe Stratton."
Chloe grinned at Sara. "You didn't tell me your boyfriend was so adorable, but then you always did have good taste. How long have you two been dating?"
A look of mortification spread across Sara's face and she opened her mouth to correct her friend just as Nick put his arm around Sara's shoulder and addressed Chloe. "Sara's the one that's the catch here." He glanced down at Sara with a grin. "We've been together, what is it? About seven months now, darlin?" His twang was exceptionally thick.
He squeezed her shoulder as a man, who Nick surmised could only be Ben from Sara's stiff body posture, approached.
Sara found her voice and put a smile on her face as she glanced up at him. "Yeah, that's right, baby."
Chloe was all smiles as Ben approached. "Sara, you remember Ben. Of course you remember each other; I mean you two were engaged!"
Ben nodded at Sara stiffly and regarded Nick with suspicion. Nick extended his hand. "Nick Stokes."
The two men shook hands and then Chloe took over the show all over again. "Ok, I've got all the rooms assigned. I think they've got you in 411." She flitted over to the desk and got the key. She returned and handed it over to Sara. "Go get settled, we've got a rehearsal dinner and you both need to be there. We're eating outside at seven."
Sara tried to keep a smile on her face, but at the moment she felt the world spinning out of control and its destination seemed to be straight into the pit of hell. How else could the day get any worse? She was at her former fiancé's wedding to her former best friend and she was going to have to share a hotel room with her coworker that she just happened to be in love with. No problem. If she could have arranged for a tidal wave, now would have been the time for it to arrive. Of course there was still time for a catastrophic earthquake to hit.