Summary: Charlie and Bryce attend their first wedding group dinner
“You ready?” Charlie looks over at Bryce as they approach the entrance to The Sugar Mill, one of the upscale restaurants at the resort. “Katelyn and her friends can be…something.”
“I got this, Charlie. It seems if anyone needs reassurance, it’s you.” Bryce gives her hand a squeeze. “But you have nothing to worry about. “You landed a spot in a competitive residency, you look incredible…and you have a really hot, successful boyfriend.”
Charlie laughs, but it does help ease her nerves. She glosses over his compliment once again because he’s probably just trying to make her feel better. But he is right that she has a lot going for her, and with him playing her boyfriend, she’s got nothing to feel inferior about. “Okay, let’s do this.”
The wedding party is already assembled at the bar when Charlie and Bryce arrive. All heads turn as they approach at Katelyn calls out. “Charlie, hi!” She stands and sizes Charlie up and down before giving her a hug and turning to Bryce. “And this must be….”
“Bryce.” He flashes her a smile and holds out his hand for her to shake.
“Nice to meet you Bryce. I’m a little bit surprised Charlie ended up with someone so-”
“Yeah, I know,” Bryce cuts Katelyn off. “I’m surprised I can could land a spectacular woman like Charlie too. I’m a pretty lucky guy.” Bryce looks at Charlie and gives her a wink.
“I’m guessing what Katelyn means is she thinks you’re really hot, but that’s why you and Charlie make a perfect match.” A pretty brunette with curly hair gets up from her stool to greet them and Charlie immediately recognizes her as Katelyn’s cousin on her dad’s side. “You look great, Charlie!”
“Kyra!” Charlie hugs her enthusiastically. “I haven’t seen you in years. How have you been?”
“Oh, you know, just beating cancer again and again. No big deal. I’ve been in remission for two years now, though.“
“That’s amazing! And you look pretty great yourself,” Charlie compliments Kyra and she can see Katelyn out of the corner of her eye with arms folded across her chest and a slight scowl on her face.
“So, Charlie,” Katelyn chimes back in. “Did your plane get delayed? The rest of us have been here for forty five minutes already.”
“Are we late? The itinerary says dinner is at seven, which is still forty five minute from now. I thought cocktails starting at 5:30 meant come anytime after then.”
“It’s my fault.” Bryce wraps his arm around Charlie’s waist and pulls her in tight to him. “I just can’t keep my hands off of her. You two know how it is.” He points between Katelyn and Landry.“
Charlie laughs nervously and subtly elbows Bryce in the side for that remark. “Bryce, honey, nobody wants to hear about that. Anyway, I suppose I need to make up for lost time.” She flags down a bartender and orders a beer for Bryce and a Moscow Mule for herself, immediately downing half her drink because she envisions it’s going to be a long night.
Charlie quickly finishes her drink and then another and is on her third by the time they sit down for dinner. She really needs to pace herself, but the alcohol is making it much easier to tolerate the Sarahs blathering on about things nobody cares about. Katelyn somehow ended up with three best friends named Sarah, and each one is worse than the last. At least Charlie doesn’t have to bother keeping them straight.
When they get to the reserved table at the back of the restaurant, Charlie notices there are name cards at each place.
“Everyone find your seat,” Katelyn instructs. “I’ve mixed everyone up so we can all get to know each other better, so please don’t swap seats.”
Charlie is not surprised to see her seat is all the way at one end of the table, and Bryce’s is at the other, sandwiched in between Katelyn and one of the Sarahs. It becomes quickly apparent that there is a boy/girl pattern, and Charlie groans internally when she sees that it’s none other than overgrown frat boy Bob next to her. She swears Katelyn is trying to make her miserable. Across from her is one of the Sarah’s husbands and next to him is Landry’s noticeably pregnant sister-in-law Stephanie who looks just as enthused as Charlie is to be there. Poor girl – at least Charlie can drink.
Stephanie is nice enough, and she and Charlie make decent small talk. But as dinner goes on, Bob becomes increasingly more drunk, and thus louder and more obnoxious and it’s more difficult to get a word in edgewise over his talk of cars, sports, and “hot chicks” he picks up every weekend. Charlie glances over to Bryce every so often, or probably quite often, and when she catches his eye he gives her a sympathetic smile. Most of the time though, he’s the center of attention, talking animatedly, while everyone on his end of the table listens attentively.
While everyone seems to be taken by Bryce’s typical charming self, Katelyn is particularly enthralled by him. She’s smiling too wide and leaning in too close for Charlie’s comfort, and when she brushes her fingertips over Bryce’s forearm as she laughs giddily, a pang of jealousy hits Charlie deep. Charlie tries to shake the feeling because it is ridiculous for multiple reasons. Katelyn is getting married in less than a week, and Bryce isn’t really Charlie’s boyfriend just to name two. She tells herself not to be concerned with whatever Bryce is doing, but she fails miserably at that. She catches him winking at Katelyn, and she almost loses it. Charlie excuses herself to get some air so she can get her irrational emotions under control. It’s got to be the alcohol because this is so not like her.
Charlie walks out the open French doors to the patio overlooking the ocean, placing her hands on the railing at the patio’s edge and taking a deep breath in. There’s background chatter from the patrons eating outside, but it’s not loud enough drown out the soothing sound of the waves crashing gently against the shore. She inhales deeply, taking in the scent of the salty sea air until she’s startled by a tap on her shoulder.
Charlie turns around to see Bryce looking genuinely concerned. “Are you okay, Charlie? You’re looking a little flushed”
“Oh…yeah. It’s just hot and stuffy in there, and I’ve probably had too much to drink.” As if on cue, Charlie stumbles and Bryce braces her shoulders to steady her.
Bryce chuckles. “Probably so. Why don’t we get back to the table and then we can make an excuse to duck out as soon as dinner’s over?” Bryce wraps an arm around Charlie and guides her back to her seat.
The rest of dinner is a blur, somewhat literally as the waiter keeps refilling Charlie’s wine glass and she loses track of how much she’s had. Much to Katelyn’s dismay, Bryce announces they are calling it a night shortly after dinner ends, but since it comes from Bryce, Katelyn holds back on any snide remarks. They walk out arm in arm and as Bryce’s hand slides down low on the small of Charlie’s back, she looks back to see Katelyn glaring at them. She’s definitely jealous, but a little extra wouldn’t hurt, so Charlie squeezes Bryce’s ass for good measure. She’ll probably regret it tomorrow, being seeing Katelyn’s nostrils flare is worth it. Bryce’s eyes widen in surprise before his lips quirk into a knowing smile.
Once they turn the corner and are out of sight, Charlie wriggles out of Bryce’s grasp, quickly realizing that was a mistake as she stumbles sideways. She catches herself on the wall and takes her stiletto pumps off before she breaks her neck.
“Whoever decided women need to wear these things to look sexy…should burn.” Charlie speaks slowly trying not to slur her words.
Bryce shakes his head and laughs. “You don’t need to wear those to look sexy.”
“Oh, stop!” Charlie pushes Bryce’s shoulder, but the momentum carries her, and Bryce has to catch her before they both topple over. “I’m a mess right now, aren’t I?”
“I think you shouldn’t be trusted on your own two feet right now.” Bryce crouches down in front of her. “Hop on.”
“What?! I’m about twenty years too old for a piggyback ride.”
“Hey, it’s the only way I can assure we don’t both go down at this point.” Bryce pats his ass a couple times in encouragement, and Charlie giggles before climbing on.
He seems to carry her without much effort, but she’s struggling to see straight and starting to feel woozy, so she closes her eyes and buries her head in the crook of his neck. His skin is soft and warm and he smells like…she doesn’t know what, but he smells really good. She lifts her head back upright once the reach the door, and she slides down, walking through the door as Bryce holds it open for her.
Charlie stumbles to her bed and plops down on top of the covers. Her eyelids are heavy and she’s content to fall asleep right then and there.
Bryce rubs her shoulder to get her attention. “I brought you some water. You don’t want to be dehydrated and hungover in the morning. Why don’t you sit up and drink it.”
Charlie groans but crawls up to the head of the bed and sits upright. She gulps as much of the water down as she can and hands the bottle back to Bryce. “I think that’s all I can fit. Thank you, but I need to pass out now.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to get out of that dress first?”
“Bryce Lahela, you are just trying to get me naked again aren’t you?” She pokes him in the stomach because she can’t reach his chest.
Bryce just shakes his head and smiles. “Okay, you can sleep in whatever you want. Goodnight, Charlie.”
Charlie fumbles for the zipper on the back of her dress but can’t seem to grasp it. “Wait, I’m stuck. I need help.” She climbs out of bed and turns her back to Bryce. His breath tickles the back of her neck deftly unzips her dress. She shrugs the shoulders off and lets the whole thing fall to the floor so she’s standing only in her bra and panties, and then she dives back into bed.
“Uh…Don’t you want some pajamas?”
“They are somewhere over there.” Charlie gestures to dresser against the wall.
Bryce sifts through a couple drawers and comes back with a silky matching short and tank set, and that’s the last thing Charlie remembers.