The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau

Author:Jackie Lau [Lau, Jackie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2022-10-25T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Unlike at the engagement party, when Vivian pushed Mel out of the way, this time she pushed him lightly. Just enough so she could sneak by and escape back to the reception.

She’d vowed to ignore her feelings for him, and she’d been doing an okay job of it. Not a great job, but enough so that she wasn’t miserable. They’d been friendly as they worked the welcome table together, and she’d only occasionally thought about how good his generous ass looked in those pants.

Okay, more than occasionally, but still. She’d been managing.

Yet just now, he’d been flirting with her. Making comments about getting physical. And God, she wanted it, and he could tell.

This could not happen. It was not what she was looking for.

But she’d gotten so, so close to kissing him. Closer than ever before, including that time in New York, and it had taken every scrap of her willpower to run away. Maybe that wasn’t the most mature response, but it had been all she could manage.

Thank God dinner was about to start. No more mingling.

Except when she arrived at her table, she discovered she was seated next to Mel, and unlike last night, it didn’t make her happy.

“Did you switch the seating cards?” she asked him.

“Who, me? No. Besides, I’m emceeing. I won’t be here half the time.”

And then that ridiculous man winked at her.

There was no head table at the reception; Ryan and Lindsay were at a circular table, front center, with their close family members. Lindsay had changed back into her red qipao after arriving at the reception in her white dress.

As the waiters walked out with the first course, Mel went up to the microphone on the small stage. “Hi, everyone. I’m Mel, and I’ll be your emcee for the evening. I’m Ryan’s best man, and we first met several years ago when we shared an apartment in Brooklyn with Juan and a capybara named Dumpling.”

There was some laughter at the reference to JANYS.

“We’ll have a bunch of fun games and speeches for you tonight, but for now, sit back and enjoy your first course. For those of you who haven’t been to a Chinese wedding reception like this before, it’s the first of many, many courses.”

Even though he wasn’t next to her anymore, seeing Mel talk onstage wasn’t helping matters because Vivian was still looking at him and admiring him.

He returned to the table as the server dished out the first course—roast pig and jellyfish—onto ten small plates.

Vivian picked up her chopsticks. She was hungry, but she could barely swallow. Still, she did her best to remain poised on the outside, and she didn’t think anyone noticed that something was up.

Until Mel whispered, “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said curtly. Just fighting this annoying attraction to you. Which I will not tell you about, because then you’ll smirk.

“All right.” There was something in his tone that suggested he knew she was lying—damn him—but he didn’t mention it. “What course are you looking forward to the most?”

“The lobster.

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