handful of paper towels out of the holder and went to work repairing the damage to her makeup caused by the water. “I feel so much older than someone who graduated ten years ago,” she said.
“Well, you certainly don’t look it.” Her sink partner gave her a quick wink through the mirror. “And it’s so good to see you two back together again. It wasn’t just in the yearbook that you were the cutest couple. We all thought you’d end up married before anyone else in the class.”
“Oh, we’re not...” Bree swallowed against the sudden tightness in her throat.
She’d thought so, too.
She’d thought a lot of things that turned out not to be true.
“Have fun!” The classmate whose name she still couldn’t remember breezed on out of the bathroom, leaving Bree to consider dunking her whole head into a sinkful of cold water.
Not that it would do her any good.
Wadding up the paper towels, she tossed them in the garbage, glared at her reflection in the mirror and headed for the door. She couldn’t hide in here any longer.
No matter how tempting the idea.
* * *
The table was empty when she walked back into the ballroom.
Even Kelsey’s purse was gone. She looked at the dance floor and yep, Nathan and Kelsey were no longer there.
She had her suspicions about where they’d ended up.
Tess wasn’t back yet, either, which wasn’t surprising, given that this was the biggest event of the weekend, planning-wise, and the rest of the reunion committee was a vast wasteland of uselessness.
There were probably multiple fires that needed to be put out at any given time.
And Marc...
She glanced around. There he was, sitting with some guys who’d been on the varsity baseball team with him.
That was good. He was reconnecting, seeing his friends again. Maybe it would put him in a better mood for this talk he insisted that they needed to have.
Or maybe it would convince him how much he’d missed over the years, and how much he wanted to make up for lost time.
Sitting down with a thud, she took a long drink of her wine. It was surprisingly good for a house red, so she had some more. And a little more.
And whoops, what do you know, her glass was empty. Maybe she should get another.
Flagging down the nearest waiter, she asked for a refill. Or he could just leave the bottle on the table.
A little liquid courage never hurt anyone.
* * *
By the time Marc excused himself from the baseball team’s table and returned to Bree’s, his high school sweetheart was well on her way to drunk.
Raising an eyebrow at the almost-empty bottle in front of her, he took the seat opposite and leaned back.
She set her wineglass down on the table very carefully, crossed her arms over her chest and snapped, “What?”
“Nothing.” He raised both hands in mock surrender. “Nothing at all.”
“I’m hungry,” she complained. “When are we supposed to get dinner?”
Marc looked around. “Pretty soon, I’d guess. The band is going on a break.”
“And where the hell is Tess?”
“Right here.” Tess sat down at the table next to Bree.
Marc looked at Tess a little more closely. It must be getting crazy back in the kitchens. Her hair was all messed up, and her skirt was wrinkled.
The hotel manager was standing a few steps away, so Marc gestured at the remaining chair. “Why don’t you join us?”
“Thanks, but I need to go check on the dinner service.”
He turned to go, almost bumping into the waiter who had come up behind them. “Why don’t you bring over another bottle of merlot,” he said, “and another glass or two.”
“Good idea,” Bree said, tipping the last of the wine into her glass. “Running a bit low here.”
Tess looked at Bree, then at Marc.
He shook his head briefly.
“Honey, everything okay?” Tess touched Bree’s hand lightly.
“Absolutely perfect,” Bree said, enunciating just a little too clearly. “You’ve outdone yourself, Tess.”
“I’ll send your dinners over,” the
“Well, you certainly don’t look it.” Her sink partner gave her a quick wink through the mirror. “And it’s so good to see you two back together again. It wasn’t just in the yearbook that you were the cutest couple. We all thought you’d end up married before anyone else in the class.”
“Oh, we’re not...” Bree swallowed against the sudden tightness in her throat.
She’d thought so, too.
She’d thought a lot of things that turned out not to be true.
“Have fun!” The classmate whose name she still couldn’t remember breezed on out of the bathroom, leaving Bree to consider dunking her whole head into a sinkful of cold water.
Not that it would do her any good.
Wadding up the paper towels, she tossed them in the garbage, glared at her reflection in the mirror and headed for the door. She couldn’t hide in here any longer.
No matter how tempting the idea.
* * *
The table was empty when she walked back into the ballroom.
Even Kelsey’s purse was gone. She looked at the dance floor and yep, Nathan and Kelsey were no longer there.
She had her suspicions about where they’d ended up.
Tess wasn’t back yet, either, which wasn’t surprising, given that this was the biggest event of the weekend, planning-wise, and the rest of the reunion committee was a vast wasteland of uselessness.
There were probably multiple fires that needed to be put out at any given time.
And Marc...
She glanced around. There he was, sitting with some guys who’d been on the varsity baseball team with him.
That was good. He was reconnecting, seeing his friends again. Maybe it would put him in a better mood for this talk he insisted that they needed to have.
Or maybe it would convince him how much he’d missed over the years, and how much he wanted to make up for lost time.
Sitting down with a thud, she took a long drink of her wine. It was surprisingly good for a house red, so she had some more. And a little more.
And whoops, what do you know, her glass was empty. Maybe she should get another.
Flagging down the nearest waiter, she asked for a refill. Or he could just leave the bottle on the table.
A little liquid courage never hurt anyone.
* * *
By the time Marc excused himself from the baseball team’s table and returned to Bree’s, his high school sweetheart was well on her way to drunk.
Raising an eyebrow at the almost-empty bottle in front of her, he took the seat opposite and leaned back.
She set her wineglass down on the table very carefully, crossed her arms over her chest and snapped, “What?”
“Nothing.” He raised both hands in mock surrender. “Nothing at all.”
“I’m hungry,” she complained. “When are we supposed to get dinner?”
Marc looked around. “Pretty soon, I’d guess. The band is going on a break.”
“And where the hell is Tess?”
“Right here.” Tess sat down at the table next to Bree.
Marc looked at Tess a little more closely. It must be getting crazy back in the kitchens. Her hair was all messed up, and her skirt was wrinkled.
The hotel manager was standing a few steps away, so Marc gestured at the remaining chair. “Why don’t you join us?”
“Thanks, but I need to go check on the dinner service.”
He turned to go, almost bumping into the waiter who had come up behind them. “Why don’t you bring over another bottle of merlot,” he said, “and another glass or two.”
“Good idea,” Bree said, tipping the last of the wine into her glass. “Running a bit low here.”
Tess looked at Bree, then at Marc.
He shook his head briefly.
“Honey, everything okay?” Tess touched Bree’s hand lightly.
“Absolutely perfect,” Bree said, enunciating just a little too clearly. “You’ve outdone yourself, Tess.”
“I’ll send your dinners over,” the
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