Page 58 of On the Rocks

But now, five days later, I was beginning to wonder if I was the biggest idiot to ever exist.

On Monday, I worked all day at the distillery and then met Ruby Grace for dinner. Her mother had tasked her with booking the rehearsal dinner venue, and Ruby Grace looked like she was about to have a complete meltdown trying to decide on a place that would fit and please everyone.

Then, on Tuesday, I’d been half asleep on my couch after a long day at work when she called me and asked if she could come over. She showed up with chalkboard signs in hand and an apologetic shrug. We stayed up until almost one in the morning makingwelcomesigns andseat yourselfsigns andcocktail hour this waysigns andgifts heresigns. Chalk dust clouded my living room by the end of the night, but hugging a sleepy Ruby Grace goodbye on my front porch made up for it.

I’d thought I’d be relieved to hear I wouldn’t see her Wednesday, but instead, I was gutted when I saw her at the nicest restaurant in town on my walk home from the gym — seated next to Anthony in a cozy little booth, him feeding her a fork full of decadent dessert while she giggled and the cameras around them flashed.

And now it was Thursday, and here I was, circling yet another rack of expensive dinnerware at some fancy department store I couldn’t pronounce the name of. I had a register gun in my hand, a fake smile on my face, and a knack for pretending like I had any shot in hell of waking up the girl holding the gun next to me and convincing her she was making the wrong choice.

The gun beeped in my hand each time I scanned a potential gift, and it was like those beeps were tied to my frustration.

Sure, I’d played in the pool with her all day long on Sunday, but she’d gone home to him.

Beep.

And sure, it’d been me who helped her with the signs, with the rehearsal dinner, but it’d been him who got to kiss chocolate off her lips.

Beep.

And fuckingsure, she told me over and over how much she appreciated me being here with her today, told me how much it upset her that Anthony hadn’t been able to make it, told me how much it meant to her that she didn’t have to do it alone.

But it would behimshe’d tell she loved in less than four weeks. It would be him she’d vow to love forever, that she’d promise to be faithful to, that she’d build a life with.

And I would still be here.

The friend.

The fool.

Beep-beep-beep.

“You okay over there?” Ruby Grace asked, smirking at my aggressive scanning.

I blew out a breath, cracking my neck before I resumed a more casual pace. “Just wondering why one couple needs so many plates and bowls, I guess.”

Ruby Grace mirrored my sigh at that, holding up the gun to scan a set of wine glasses. “Honestly, I thought this would be my favorite part. I’ve always imagined hosting dinner parties the way Mama does, entertaining a house full of guests, making a four-course dinner and custom cocktails.” Her hand dropped, the gun loose between her fingertips. “Now, I just wish I could fast-forward a few weeks and have it all over with.”

I watched her for a long moment, a sickening wave of nausea settling in at her words.

Weeks.

I hadweeks, and only a few of them, to show this girl what her life could be if she’d only open her eyes.

Ruby Grace went back to scanning, running her fingertips along some tablecloth fabric before checking the price tag and giving it a scan.

Beep.

The farther she walked away from me, the more urgency I felt. And before I could think better of it, I rounded the other side of the table she was circling, meeting her in the middle.

“Let me take you on a date.”

She nearly ran into me, and when my words spilled into the atmosphere, they might as well have been hands shoving her backward. She stumbled a bit, and I reached out, my hand finding the small of her back and steadying her before she crashed into a rack of crystalware.

Her eyes were big, golden suns as they flicked between mine, her plump ruby lips popping open, closing again, popping open, closing.

“Uh…” she finally managed.

My brain snapped into damage-control mode. “A friend date.”