"Hey, I'm so glad you're here," Ashley said as Sarah approached her. It had been decided that the engagement party would happen at the Waterfront. "I want you to meet somebody," Ashley said with a wink.
Sarah groaned. "Who is it this time?"
"Oh, come on. He's super cute, and as far as I know, single too," Ashley said, dragging Sarah through the crowd. "Sarah, I'd like you to meet Mike younger brother, James." When the man turned around, she couldn't believe her bad luck. It was the guy from the train. Recognition flashed in his eyes and she groaned inwardly. Of all the little brothers in all the world, Ashley's fiance had to have Jay.
"Sarah," Jay said, a smile breaking over his face.
"Jay," Sarah said.
"You know each other," Ashley asked, looking between them.
"Yes," Jay said, at the same time Sarah said, "No."
"Well, sorta," Sarah said. "He's the man I met on the train that I told you about."
"You talked about me," Jay asked.
"Just the once," Sarah said. Jay's smile grew. She'd forgotten how blue his eyes were.
"Still, I'm touched," Jay said, taking a sip from the glass in his hand.
"You would be," Sarah mumbled.
"Oh, look, more guests to greet," Ashley said, grabbing Mike's arm. "Come on, Mike."
"Ash, don't-" Sarah started, but it was too late. Ashley and Mike had disappeared into the throng of people.
"I didn't know Mike knew so many people," Jay said.
"To be fair, at least half are probably Ash's. She's the social butterfly of our group."
"Your group," Jay asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, Harper, Ashley, Mary and I all met back in high school. Ashley was always the most popular." Sarah knew she was babbling again, but she was distracted by the crowd. Her fingers itched to draw the scenes before her; people embracing, couples walking by the waterside, Ashley and Mike meeting relatives. With all the wedding planning she was helping Ashley do, she hadn't had much time lately for drawing.
"Are you okay," Jay asked.
"Yeah, I'm just not used to so many people," Sarah said, chewing on her thumbnail.
"Would you like to go down the river," Jay asked.
Sarah shook her head. "If Ashley thinks you and I are hitting it off, she'll be shipping us from now until forever."
"And we wouldn't want that," Jay said, winking. "What about getting out of here and grabbing a bite to eat?"
Sarah narrowed her eyes at Jay. "Are you asking me out on a date?"
"Oh, God, no," he said, holding up his hands. "Just the best man and maid of honor having some lunch together. There's a good /food truck/ a quick walk from here."
"Okay, sure. I've been dying to do some drawing all day, anyway."
JAY TRIED to calm his pounding heart as he sat across from Sarah. Her sketch pad was laid out on the table between them and her selection of colored pencils were gripped in her left hand, reminding him of when he'd first met her. The sight took his breath away, and he couldn't figure out why.
As Mike's wedding day got closer, Jay had started to picture what the maid of honor would look like. He had also hoped for a hook up with her, as was tradition. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine someone like Sarah. She was delicate and pretty, but not in an obvious way. It was the little things Jay noticed about her that made her cute as well as pretty. Like the way she chewed her thumbnail while drew. Or the way her head tilted from side to side. She'd never go for a guy like him. And yet, he started to imagine her in his bed.
