Everyone clapped and cheered for Liam and I.
I stared at him, my face redder than a red pepper.
Slowly, he started to smile.
“What’s so funny here?” I asked.
“This is fucking crazy, Em,” he said. “Do you want to leave?”
“No.”
“Neither do I.”
“If someone sees you and knows you…”
“Who cares, right? It’s not like we’re doing anything wrong. You were asked to come here. To be a stand-in.”
“A stand-in,” I said. “Ouch.”
“Fuck. Em. I suck at words tonight.”
I could tell Liam was basically chewing on his tongue. Hiding his words. Trying to mask them.
Was this entire thing a basket of emotions I wanted nothing to do with?
Yup.
But I was there for Liam. And Miranda.
I grabbed my wine glass and drank like it was water.
I drank it so fast that William came back to refill me right away.
“Getting drunk tonight?” Liam asked me.
“Why not? I don’t know how this works sober.”
Liam lifted his wineglass. “Cheers to my fiancée then.”
“Right back at you, Liam,” I said.
We clanked glasses together.
I drank more wine.
The lines of reality and whatever this was with Liam started to feel blurry.
I didn’t ask for this… right?
Glen’s band took a break just after the sun set.
There were giant poles in the ground with strands of globe-like white lights that were bright enough to light up the tables and the food.
“This never ends, does it?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Liam said. “I’ve never been here before.”
“Maybe this should be our spot,” I teased. “Since it seems like nobody does know you.”
“Perfect,” he said. “When I need to escape the city and life, I’ll shoot you a text and we meet up here. Deal?”
I laughed. “Yeah. Sure. Deal.”
“Hey, I was thinking for a second,” Liam said. “Since Glen only works with local businesses, you should talk to him about your bakery.”
“For what?”
“Supply him with some food.”
“If the place survives another month,” I blurted out.
The wine was so damn good that my lips were loose.
I pursed my lips together and shook my head.
“Let’s forget I said that,” I said.
“Em, is it really that bad?” Liam asked.
“It’s tough.”
“What makes it tough? It seems like you have a hell of a customer base.”
I looked at my wineglass. I laughed. I drank more wine.
Fuck it, Liam. You want it all… fuck it…
“It was a family disaster,” I said. “My grandmother ran the place. Remember?”
“I remember,” Liam said.
“She died. And the family started to fall apart. Nobody wanted the place. It had a lot of debt attached to it. As things crumbled away, I stupidly jumped into the bakery and said I’d take it over. Right around that time, Miranda came up with the idea to buy the building. She kind of stole my thunder. But she always does that. She takes everything I want…”
I looked at my wineglass again.
Easy, Emily…
“Anyway,” I said. “I thought by taking over the bakery it would get my family back together. Involved with each other. But it did nothing. Everyone still broke away. They were all secretly waiting for money. Thinking my grandmother was loaded. But she wasn’t. And when Miranda bought the building, she convinced me to sign this crazy lease. She said I was the staple of the building and she’d fill it and cut me in on everything. Of course that… what am I doing? I shouldn’t be telling you this.”
“Yes, you should,” Liam said. “How bad is it?”
“Sometimes I’m not sure I can keep Lucy and Ember,” I said. “If I lose one or both, it’s done. And if the place closes, I’ll be forced into bankruptcy for sure.”
I saw the look on Liam’s face.
He knew what that meant.
He had to have known that Miranda would pursue me for everything to cover the lease.
And that’s a best friend? Is that any type of friend?
I had made the mortal error by mixing business with friendship with the hopes both would work out.
“I’m sorry,” Liam said. “No matter what, I would never-”
“Stop,” I said. “This is why I shouldn’t have said anything. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Liam.”
“I wouldn’t,” he said.
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Tell me about your life. Your parents.”
“They’re in Florida,” Liam said. “Dad had a little heart issue a few years ago and he decided it was time to live his dream. So he and Mom sold everything and moved to Florida. They live in a little house right on the water.”
“Sounds nice,” I said.
“I don’t see them as much as I should.”
“They’ll be up for the wedding, right?” I asked.
Liam looked like every muscle in his body tensed up.
“Em…”
He reached across the table for my hands again.
I watched and lifted my hands up.
His fingers slowly interlocked with mine.
It’s the wine. We’re drunk. We’re drunk and talking about the past. And feelings. It’s the setting too. This entire place is…
I stared at our hands together.
Slowly, I moved my eyes to Liam’s.
He leaned against the table.
My mind screamed for me to stop this moment.
My heart suggested otherwise.
My stomach was balled up in a tight knot.
As Liam began to rise up, I felt someone standing next to me.
“Emily?”
I turned my head.
And saw Jeff.
I ripped my hands away from Liam.
Liam stood up and I saw the look of anger on his face.
“What are you doing here?” Jeff asked. “I thought I heard Glen…” He pointed to her hand. “A ring? Are you two engaged?”
“That’s none of your damn business, man,” Liam said. “Walk away.”
“Whoa, whoa,” Jeff said. “I’m just here to say hello. That’s all. It’s funny though…” Jeff pointed at Liam. “You’re already with someone, right?”
“Jeff, go away,” I said.
“I’m free to be here,” he said. “I paid. But I’m guessing you two didn’t. Jeez, Liam, how would your real fiancée feel about you being here with another woman? Holding hands…”
Liam lunged at Jeff and had him by his shirt.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” Liam growled.
“You’re drunk, Liam,” Jeff said. “So’s Emily. Are you trying to take advantage of her? I won’t allow that.”
“I’ll fucking drop you in front of everyone here,” Liam said.
I stood up and grabbed Liam’s arm. “Stop it, Liam. Everyone is starting to look at us.”