better man // c.h.

two- the dinner

Thank goodness my sister is intelligent and decided to have the dinner before the actual rehearsal. 

Well... I may have done a bit of convincing. I am her wedding planner after all.

"I'm starving," I whine as I do some last minute touches to one of the table settings. We've spent the last couple of hours decorating the reception hall to get ready for tomorrow.

Viv comes over and puts her hand on my shoulder. "You're always hungry, bitch." I roll my eyes. I guess she's not wrong though....

Mom giggles, "Millie, the food and other guests will be here any minute now." 

"Guess who's hereeee?!" Someone calls. I light up. 

"Ellie, you're here!" Viv squeals and runs over to hug her. 

Ellianna is my best friend, and she has been my whole life. She's practically our other sister. She's even one of Vivianne's other bridesmaids. I run over to join them in a hug.

"I cannot believe the day is almost here. You're about to be a married bitch!!" Ellie laughs. 

"Hallelujah, it's about time!" I shout as Viv giggles. 

"Caterer's here." Ashton echoed from the front door. 

"Coming!" Viv replied before heading off in that direction.

"Soooo... What's the scoop, are there gonna be any hotties here today or tomorrow?" Ellie asks, wiggling her eyebrows.

I sigh. "Well, I didn't really get much information on that...."

I mean Viv didn't really give me any names. Except for Calum who I apparently can't even breathe the same air as.

"What do you mean?? Millicent, you were supposed to ask Vivianne," she groans.

We take a seat at one of the tables. "I did ask! All I got was a big long speech about how I have to stay away from some dude named Calum."

"Who.....?" Ellie questions.

"I have no idea! They didn't tell me anything except for his name. Apparently, he's bad news." I shrug. 

"Well, they've got hundreds of people coming. There's gotta be at least a couple of hot guys we can flirt with that aren't named Calum," she insists.

"I guess you're right."

*************

"Vivianne and I want to thank you all for agreeing to be a part our special day with us. You guys all mean the world to us, and we are so glad we get to share our love with you all everyday. Cheers to love and you guys!" Ashton grins as he raises a toast. 

Yes, I finally got my food, and I swear nothing has ever tasted better.

I go to take another bite of my delicious mac and cheese, listening to my mom and Ellie chit-chat with the other bridesmaids at the table. 

Ellie leans over to me and whispers, "Dude, be subtle, but a hottie at the groomsmen table keeps staring hard at you." She nods toward him. 

I swallow my mac and cheese and glance over in that direction, trying to not be obvious. Luckily, he's talking and laughing with the others at his table. He's tan with broad shoulders and black hair that curls in the most perfect way you could imagine. When he laughs or smiles, his eyes and nose crinkle up. 

He's cute....

Shit, he saw me staring.

 I turn away, blushing. "Bitch, you did not tell me he was that hot..." I mutter to Ellie. 

"Why do you even think I told you to look?!" she retorts.

"Whatever, I'm going to get another glass of champagne," I groan as I get up and head over to the bar.

"More champagne, please." I hand my glass to the bartender. 

Someone comes over next to me and sets their glass down on the bar. "Hey, man. Can get another glass of whiskey?"

"Sure thing." The bartender answers.

"So did you like what you see?" I look over and see it's the hot guy from before. He's got a huge grin on his face.

I roll my eyes and take a sip of my champagne. "Oh, please. I should be asking you that question. My friend caught you staring first." 

"I asked you first though," he says, slyly. 

"Oh, please. It's only polite for you to answer a lady's question first," I smile.

"What do you think my answer to that question would be?" He purses his lips.

"That I'm the ugliest monster you have ever seen on the planet!" I gasp.

He chuckles. "For sure!" I laugh.

Wow, this guy gets me.

"Oh yeah, that's why I was staring at you, too. I guess that means we're on the same page then." I smirk.

"Okay, but if that were the case, do you really think I'd have found an excuse to come over here and talk to you?" He asks, looking deep into my eyes with his dark brown orbs.

"Hm, I suppose not. What are you implying?" I question, acting oblivious.

"That you're so goddamn gorgeous, even when shoving mac and cheese in your face." He flashes a grin again.

Damn, there he goes being cute.

"I'm not sure whether I should be flattered or creeped out," I giggle. 

"I hope it's more of the first and not the second. I've got a question to ask, though." He furrows his brow before taking a sip of his fresh glass of whiskey.

"Well, I might have an answer." I reply.

"Would you like to go out for a drink sometime?" He asks.

I grin. This dude's confidence is through the damn roof, and I'm hella into it. 

"Sure, why the hell not?" I answer. He smiles.

"Great, let's exchange phone numbers then?" We pull out our phones and insert our numbers before exchanging goodbyes and heading back to our respective tables.

I can't help but smile to myself the whole way back to the table. We haven't even gotten past the rehearsal dinner, and I've already scored a date. Ellie is about to lose her damn mind.

"Sooo how did your flirt sesh with mystery hottie go? Y'all seemed reeeal cozy to me." She elbows me.

"He asked me to get drinks, and we exchanged numbers." I grin and wave my phone. 

"What's his name?" She questions.

Oh, shit.

"Fuck..." I groan.

"Mills.... you didn't ask him what his goddamn name was? Wait, he had to have put it in his contact, right?" She shrugs.

I open up my phone, and my heart stops when I read the words on the screen.

Calum Hood