Page 32 of The Best Man Problem
“He’s a great guy,” Marie continued. “And he deserves a great woman.”
Did the bride-to-be mean her? And if she did, what did that mean for Lilly’s no-dating-members-of-the-wedding-party rule? The last disaster happened because she’d kept her relationship a secret. At the request of the guy. Stupid. That should have been her first red flag, but she’d been blinded by her emotions and hadn’t been using her head. Mistake number two.
But this situation was different. The bride herself seemed to be pushing the two of them together. She was fairly certain Marie was still unaware of Lilly and Lincoln’s one-night stand. If the woman did know, would she be more or less eager to help make this match? And what was that thing Marie said about heartbreak? Could it have something to do with Lincoln’s distaste of long-term relationships?
It’s not like they shared much of their lives the night they were together, but the thought of Lincoln having a secret made her gut clench. The last secret a guy kept from her almost destroyed her and those she loved.
Her head was spinning, and she hadn’t even participated in any of the twirls or spins currently being demonstrated on the dance floor.
In the end, none of it mattered. Whatever tragic event happened in Lincoln’s past had pushed him away from meaningful relationships. He had mentioned a time or two not being big on long-term commitment. Their night together might have been a first for both of them, but it seemed Lincoln was more Netflix and Chill, whereas Lilly was Hulu and Commitment.
Their relationship goals didn’t match. Probably the biggest marker on her list proving their paper match was a no go, which should make her happy. Then what was this sharp twinge of sadness filling her chest?
“Hey, sweetheart, sorry about that.” Kenneth arrived at Marie’s side, kissing her cheek as he slipped his cell phone into his pocket. “My mom had a few questions about the rehearsal dinner.”
So that’s why the two had left the dance floor. At the reminder of why she was really here—to work, not to ogle a man she shouldn’t want—Lilly turned her smile to Kenneth. “Anything I can help with?”
Other than recommendations for venues and sometimes bookings, the rehearsal dinners were largely left up to the couple, as most in-laws handled that aspect of the wedding. Since the wedding was being held outside of the city in the mountains, Kenneth’s parents had contacted Lilly a month ago to garner suggestions, and she’d provided the couple a few of the best caterers in the area.
“Nope.” Kenneth smiled at her. “Mom just wanted to make sure she had the head count right.” He nuzzled his fiancée’s ear. “You ready to get back out there?”
Marie giggled, her shoulder raising as Kenneth gave her tiny love nips along her neck. The moment was so intimate that Lilly turned her eyes back to the dance floor to give the couple a bit of privacy. Nothing she wasn’t used to. Soon-to-be married couples were often so in love, so wrapped up in their own happiness, they tended to forget other people were in the room with them. A tiny love bite was nothing compared to the few instances where a couple’s PDA had gotten so out of control she actually had to audibly remind the couple she stood a few feet away.
“Actually,” Marie answered, “I need to talk to Rachel about the bachelorette party. Can you go grab her for me?”
Like the lovesick puppy he was, Kenneth placed a kiss to his fiancée’s cheek and hurried off to do her bidding. Lilly watched as he weaved among dancing couples to reach Lincoln and Rachel’s side, tapping his friend on the shoulder and sharing a few words. When the man pointed their way, Rachel smiled, nodding and giving Lincoln a hug. A very friendly and long hug, in Lilly’s opinion.
Married, Lilly. To a woman. Get your ugly jealous head out of your ass.
Ugh! She needed help.
Kenneth hurried back over with Rachel, the woman spotted Lilly and smiled.
“Hi, Lilly. How’s it going?”
She’d met Rachel at the bridesmaid dress fitting a few weeks ago. They hadn’t conversed much, but she was very nice and seemed genuine. Which made Lilly feel all the more awful for her petty and completely unwarranted jealousy.
“Hello, Rachel. I’m doing fine. You looked beautiful out there.”
Lilly had two left feet, and neither of them could dance a step.
“Thanks. I met my wife line dancing. We still go every Friday night.”
“Excuse me.” Marie grabbed her friend’s hand. “I need to steal my matron of honor for a moment.” A sly smile overtook the bride-to-be’s face. “Oh dear, it looks like Lincoln is all alone out there. Lilly, why don’t you go dance with him?”
“Oh, no. I couldn’t.” Not if she wanted to keep her distance—and her clothes on.
“Don’t be silly,” Marie insisted. “He needs a partner. You can’t leave him out there by himself.”
Her logic was sound, but Lilly smelled a setup. Especially after the conversation they’d just had. No way was Marie pushing her toward Lincoln just so the guy wouldn’t be alone on the dance floor.
“Kenneth, will you take her over there, please?”
“Babe,” Kenneth whispered into Marie’s ear, just loud enough for Lilly to catch his hesitation. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, after—”
“It’s fine, honey.” Marie batted her eyes at her fiancé, who looked slightly apprehensive but agreed to her request.
“Come on.” Kenneth gently took her arm and started to lead her across the room, weaving her among the twirling couples.
