Breaking the Rules

Chapter 5

The next day was peaceful and quiet. The calm before the storm as Mary had said. You sat on the patio, cooking lunch with Bucky's grandmother while he was playing basketball with his cousin, Peter.

When his grandmother caught you staring at him, she gave you a knowing wink and you ducked your head to hide your smile.

Winnie wanted to get to know you better and decided to take all the girls to the beauty salon to get ready for the rehearsal dinner. Of course, Bucky whispered a stupid comment into your ear and you discreetly pinched his side, making him yelp.

Winnie had spent a small fortune at the salon, keeping everyone pampered and sexy. To your relief, she was more interested in your work than in your relationship with her son.

When you came back home, in the late afternoon, you slipped into the beautiful pale lilac dress you had bought the day before. Everyone was in the living room, ready to go, except for Bucky. You went upstairs to see what was taking him so long.

He was standing in front of the mirror, fixing his hair. His eyes met yours in the mirror and stared at you for a second. He turned around to face you, a soft smile on his lips.

"Is that the dress you bought yesterday? It's nice."

"Oh, my God!" you gasped in mock shock. Calling you –or rather your dress- 'nice' was a big step for Bucky, but you still wanted to tease him. "Stop it, you're going to make me blush!"

He rolled his eyes.

You sat on the bed, waiting for him to finish whatever he was doing with his hair. After a good five minutes, he told you he was ready.

"Wait!" You rose from the bed and walked over to him. "What the hell did you do to that poor tie?"

"It's a Windsor," Bucky said proudly, smoothing a hand down his tie.

"Huh, no it's not." Despite his complaint, you tugged the knot loose and re-tied it in a proper Windsor knot. "That's a Windsor."

He turned to the mirror and whistled. "Where did you learn to tie a tie?"

"I'm Tony Stark's assistant. He's a genius, but give him a tie and he's clueless."

You both chuckled before you realized your hands were pressed against his chest. His gaze dropped to your hands, but before he could do anything you took a step back.

"Are you ready?"

"No," he replied honestly. You gave him a small smile and followed him downstairs.

The rehearsal dinner was held in a private room at Steve and George's restaurant. When you walked in, lots of people were already there. Winnie grabbed your arm and introduced you to Henry's parents, leaving Bucky alone in the middle of the crowded room.

You never let Bucky out of your sight and after you saw him gulp down his third glass of whiskey, you quickly excused yourself. You took a few canapés from a passing waiter as you made your way over to him.

"We've been here for an hour and you're already on your third glass."

"So what?"

You recoiled a bit. "We're supposed to look like a happy couple and you're drowning yourself in alcohol. I can't do this if you're drunk, so eat something."

You aggressively took his empty glass and replaced it with a mini quiche. He popped it into his mouth and groaned.

"Oh, it's so good!"

"Close your mouth while you're chewing," you sighed, scrunching your nose up in disgust. "So, where's the demon?"

Bucky took another appetizer from your extended hand while he browsed around the room and took in all the faces. "She's not here yet."