Swimming With Sophie

THIS HAPPENED...

Luc

"Dude, you are a maniac with this sneaking around stuff," Travis says as he follows me through the lobby while hunched over. "I think more people are watching us because of your body language. Not such a secret at this point." He laughs under his breath.

"Shhh. I don't know where Sophie is but I have no intention of seeing her until the proper time." My voice remains a whisper. Doesn't matter that Luc thinks I'm crazy, because I am. Crazy in love with the craziest of crazies and I need this meltdown to settle. Soon. Now.

"Proper time? Who talks like that, Mr. Darcy. You are so whipped..." Travis' voice trails off. I know he's shaking his head at me but I could care less.

"Would you shut up? You are as whipped as I am, cream puff. Lacey has you by the—son of a gun!" My rant is interrupted by a sharp pain in my...junk; the very body part I was about to accuse Lacey of having Travis by. In my effort to stay hidden from sight, I walked right into a concrete planter. Danged hotel beautification!

"You were saying?" Travis is smirking, and we're now both standing straight up just outside the hotel lobby. "Come on, bro. Let's go get your woman back." He slaps me on the back and then strides ahead of me toward the waiting Uber.

I don't know why I thought Travis would be supportive.

"I'm not getting my woman back! I never lost her! I'm simply reassuring her that we are meant to be. Douche." That last one is muttered because I really don't need more hassle from the guy. He can be kind of whiney when he's insulted.

I'm totally chill about the whole thing.

Without giving me a sideways glance, Travis reaches over and smacks my shoulder. "Cream pie." He doesn't bother muttering his long running joke that Sophie has me wrapped around her little finger. Fine. I'm whipped. I'll admit it.

But when you find a good woman, one who puts your happiness above her insecurities, you let that woman hold all of your cards and hang on for dear life. You let her point you in the right direction and don't deviate for a second. So if I'm whipped its only because Sophie is the one holding the mixer and I'll let her stir me all day long.

"Ah, jeez!" Travis says. "This has got to stop, man. I cannot handle that sappy look on your face right now." He makes a gagging sound. "I think you left your man card at the door."

I shift in my seat to give him a glare. We're five minutes away from the airport, about to jump on board to make this happen, and now he's giving me a hard time?

"What is with you? We came here for my wedding! How the hell else am I supposed to look other than sappy! It's not my fault that you nearly tossed your cookies on your wedding day, couldn't handle the pressure. If that isn't losing your man card, I don't know what is. If anything I just found my man card and now I'm putting it into action."

I hold my glare for a few awkward, silent seconds as Travis glares back. Then I see a crack, just a slight one, in his tough façade, right before the mask goes back up.

"Nah, nothings with me. It's all good. You know I like to give you a hard time but I'll back off. It's your wedding, after all."

I shake my head and turn my attention to the front of the car, which is now pulling into the airport drop off lane. Something's with him. I know this guy better than anyone, and he's not his normal self. Someone as happily in love with his wife, as Travis is with Lacey, shouldn't be giving me such a hard time about my own love life. You'd think he'd be behind me one hundred percent. Unless...

Unless something isn't right with them.

I look back at Travis to see he has a faraway look in his eye. He's not really with me right now. His mind is somewhere else. I want to ask, but I have my own issues to work through and my own plan to make it happen. I'll have to talk to Travis later.

The driver stops and we hop out. It's go time.

^^^^^

Travis is holding back, Luc is pressing forward. Something's gonna snap soon...

Click, click, click coming right up!