I keep wondering if there is something more I should be feeling about David getting married today. Not that we were ever that serious. But he is my ex, and he was my longest relationship at three months.
What can I say? I get bored easily, my attention wanes—turns out guys don’t like it when you don’t pay attention to them. Reed is the longest I’ve ever been interested in a guy. And before you say it, no, it’s not just because I want what I can’t have.
It’s more than that.
Way more.
Reed is like the prize at the bottom of the Cracker Jack box. Or the chocolatey goodness in the middle of the Tootsie Pop. It’s all yumminess to get there, and then it’s even more delicious once you are.
Anyway, from a romantic standpoint, I don’t care that David is getting married. You know, like Oh no, my ex is getting married and I’m still single. It’s more of a What the fuck? My ex is a reprehensible waste-oid of a human and is getting married while I’m still single. Or maybe my being single has nothing at all to do with it, and it’s just that someone actually loves him enough to marry him without knowing the truth about him.
Unless she does know the truth about him and the whole family is involved in the trafficking. But that would mean she knows about his debts and I can’t imagine that would be okay with her or her family.
Ha!
I have to laugh at myself. That I assume the embarrassment line is drawn for Laurel’s family at debt and not kidnapping and selling people is crazy.
I pace back and forth in my living room trying to think the entire situation through. Whether I ever noticed anything with David or his behavior. If there was something I could have done differently to prevent all this.
I got nothing.
My heels click on the tile floor as I take twelve steps in one direction, pivot, then twelve in the other.
Did I mention that I’m dressed for the wedding?
I know I’m not invited. And I know that Mack and Reed forbid me to attend.
Forbid!
As though they are the boss of me.
Mack, Reed, and Daria will all be there. And I’m stuck here, at home, all dressed up and nowhere to go. I’m not stupid, I know I’m not trained as an agent or a badass in the same way that they all are.
Technically, I’m not trained in anything at all. And I know they worry about my safety and having to keep an eye on me at the same time as trying to do their jobs. But I believe I can be helpful, at least I was during the engagement party.
Plus, I can’t imagine it would hurt anything if I were to just drive to the church, park across the street, and keep a lookout. On the sly. To make sure nothing weird happens that they might not be aware of since they are all inside the church.
I nod in agreement with myself, my mind made up. I grab my car keys and am out the door.
Apparently, you need to have an invitation to get within a block of the church where the ceremony is being held. Cars have been detoured blocks in all directions and foot traffic around the perimeter has been halted all together.
Not only am I not parked in my nice warm car across the street from the church, ready to watch for any nefarious behavior, I’m five blocks to the south with a view of nothing. If I didn’t already know why the wedding couple needs so much security, I would think this was total overkill. But when you are as wealthy as Laurel’s family is, I suppose there’s always someone who has it out for you.
I exit my car anyway and begin the jaunt to the church. Or as close as I’ll be able to get. The sidewalks are filled with people and the streets with law enforcement. I think I read that some people in her family are in politics as well, but I can’t be certain. I find it hard to believe that all these people are just hoping for a glance of Laurel or David.
I stop a girl on the sidewalk. “What’s going on?” I ask. “Do you know why all the security and crowds?”
“Some fancy wedding. There’s supposed to be a ton of celebrities in attendance. I’m sure everyone just wants a glimpse of someone famous.” She shrugs and then keeps walking.
I admit I’m a little jealous. I would love to have a wedding with celebrities in attendance. Someone who everyone else knows from afar, knows me well enough to celebrate my nuptials. It doesn’t get much better than that. Oh, unless I’m the famous one. That would be better. Then I wouldn’t even realize how famous my celebrity friends are because I’d be right there with them.
Maybe I’ll run into a celebrity on the street and they’ll invite me to be in a movie and then I’ll become famous. Or we’ll just be friends and I’ll be in the crew. The entourage. We’ll be besties. Except then I’d have to stop being besties with Daria, and I would miss her.
I trip over an uneven spot in the sidewalk and fall to my knees. My purse opens and things go flying.
“Fuck! That’s what I get for daydreaming!” I scramble to gather my belongings while at the same time ignore the pain in my knees.
A pair of large feet in dull black shoes stop in front of me, and a hand appears on the sidewalk next to mine. “Here, let me help.”
He gets my things together much faster than I was able to, then holds his other hand out to me. “May I assist?”
I take the hand and scramble to stand. Luckily nothing embarrassing was in my purse. Just the bare minimum, lipstick, compact, pepper spray, phone, keys, money, identification.
“Thank you, Officer”— I search his chest for a badge. His extremely broad and obviously muscular chest—“Reynolds.”
“Anything to help a pretty lady.” He smiles and winks.
I all but bat my eyelashes. “Why thank you, kind sir.” I twist my upper body back and forth a bit, then hold my hand out once more. “Quinn Foster.”
“Officer Burt Reynolds.”
We shake, his hand is warm, and his grasp is firm. My fingers feel almost dwarfed in comparison. I like looking at mine in his.
Then I realize what he just said and raise my head sharply. “Did you say—”
“Yep. He was my mom’s favorite. She thought it would be a nice tribute to the man. I’ve received my fair share of heckling over the years. It was either become a cop or a bully.”
I giggle at that.
Officer Burt Reynolds is good looking. Sadly, he looks nothing like the actor Burt Reynolds, but that doesn’t diminish from his attractiveness. “Your mom has good taste.”
“You too, huh?” He smiles as he asks.
I nod.
“What’s your poison? Smokey and the Bandit? Cannonball Run? The Longest Yard?”
“I’m a Smokey and the Bandit girl all the way. I wanted nothing more than to be Sally Field, leave my goofy groom at the altar, and race off into the sunset in a black Trans-Am.”
“My mom would like you.”
He looks at me. I look at him. A shiver runs through me. Not unlike what I feel when I’m with Reed.
Oh shit! Reed!
I almost forgot about him. And the wedding. And making sure everything is okay for my friends, the assassins. What am I doing talking to a cop?
I look around to make sure no one has seen us. Wouldn’t do for me to be associated with the law when I’m a vigilante now.
Oh. Except Reed is the law.
Shit, again.
“Reynolds!” Another police officer calls out to him. Burt turns back and holds a finger in the air signaling he’ll be right there.”
“Well, it was very nice meeting you, Quinn Foster. Maybe we’ll cross paths again.”
“Maybe.” I wave and watch his tight butt in those regulation black slacks as he walks out of my life. It’s for the better. I can’t handle juggling two law enforcement agents with my new career. That would be career suicide.
I head in the direction of the church. Even if the streets are closed, maybe there’s a way that I can sneak in and still be of some assistance. I hit a roadblock and I turn to head east alongside the perimeter trying to find a weakness in the barrier. Surprisingly, it doesn’t take long.
A young officer is by himself near the far corner. From where he is, it’s only a block to the church. I can see the steeple. I move forward, intent on just walking by to see what he will do.
“Excuse me,” I say as I move past him between the sawhorses and caution tape.
“Excuse me,” he says. Then he shakes his head. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Ma’am? You can’t go in there.”
I stop and turn to face him. “But I’m a guest, and I’m terribly late. If I don’t take this shortcut, I’ll never make it.”
“Do you have your invitation?”
“I’m afraid not. I tripped and dropped my purse a few blocks back, and my invitation fell into a puddle. Where it was stepped on. By a lot of people. And torn to shreds.”
He looks at me, brow raised.
“Another officer helped me when I fell, Officer Burt Reynolds.” I giggle, not being able to help myself.
“It is pretty funny that’s his name, huh?”
“Yes. You know his mom was a huge fan. She and I have that in common.” I wait to see what he will do. It’s obvious he’s conflicted.
“You can call Officer Reynolds and ask him. He didn’t seem too busy over there. At least not too busy for you.” I shuffle from foot to foot and look furtively in the direction of the church.
He looks me up and down, then smiles. “Go on ahead.”
“Thank you!” I gush. “Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.” I take off at a slight jog in the direction of the church. This could not have worked out better. Wait until Mack and Reed see that I got in anyway. Daria will be so impressed. And now I’ll be able to help the gang. Something I should have been allowed to do in the first place.
I reach the large, extended exterior stairwell leading up the front doors of the church and do my best to Rocky run to the top, not wanting to waste a second. There aren’t many people around, aside from security, so I’m sure the ceremony has either begun or is about to. I pause at the oversized wooden entrance doors and smooth my skirt. Check to make sure my hair is still in place, then run my fingers under my eyes to catch any makeup that may have melted or slid.
Here goes nothing.
With a mild grunt, I pull open the door.