InHap*pily Ever After (Incidental Happenstance) (42 page)

They
each had one more drink, but neither of them was really enjoying the show as
much as they should have been. Ryan made it an early night and called Lexi from
the car.

“Hey,”
she said, “where are you? I’ve been trying to call you for hours!”

“Sorry,”
he answered. “I was in a big meeting, and I couldn’t get away.”

“Did
you pick up the invitations?”

“No,
I didn’t,” he said. “By the time I got out of work they were already closed.
I’ll get them tomorrow.”

“Oh,
I’m dying to see them!” she said. “Are you sure you’ll be able to make it
tomorrow?” Without waiting for an answer, she added, “If you can’t, let me know
by four and I’ll just drive in.”

“I’ll
get there,” he said, “don’t worry.”

“Hey,
so anyway,” she said, changing the subject, “what are you doing right now? Want
to meet me at the club for dinner? I was going to call Tia and see if she and
Dylan wanted to join us.”

“It’s
almost seven,” he replied. “They’ve probably already eaten.” Shit, the last
thing he wanted to do was hang out with them and compare wedding notes.

“Well,
I’ll call them and find out, then. You can meet me anyway, even if they don’t
come.”

He
fumbled for another lie. “Not tonight Lex. Wes brought in some sandwiches
during the meeting, so I’m not really hungry anyway. Plus, I have to go in
early again tomorrow, so I’m just going to head home.”

“Want
some company?” 
            “Tempting, but I’m really beat. I was late for this morning’s
meeting after last night and I need to catch up on some sleep. I’ll just call
you tomorrow, OK?”

“Are
you OK, Ryan?” she asked suspiciously.

“I’m
fine—just busy, is all. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“OK
then,” she said, adding, “Love you.”

“You
too,” he answered, and ended the call.

He
was torn. He did love Lexi, but ever since the day he saw her in the arms of
Dylan Miller, something had changed. Of course he was Tia’s fiancé now, and
Lexi would never even consider it for that reason alone, but he couldn’t help
but wonder if she was comparing him to Miller. Bitsy had called that one
straight—how could he ever measure up? How could anyone? Ryan made a good
living; it would be even better once he made partner; but would she always be
wondering why she couldn’t travel the world, have designers make her clothes,
wear a ridiculously huge diamond on her finger…would she always wish it was her
that met Miller first?

And
now that Tia was planning to move to Colorado to live with him, would she be
constantly wanting to make trips out there to visit her best friend? Would he
be excluded from her life, or would he be constantly playing second fiddle to
Mr. Celebrity while his own wife lived the life of the rich and famous riding
on her best friend’s coattails? How would she feel about attending office
parties when she could be at the Grammy’s or fucking movie premiers?

As
if in answer to his question, the sky suddenly opened up under a huge crash of
thunder and huge, slushy raindrops began pelting his car like bullets. He went
home and poured another beer, sinking into his recliner and closing his eyes.

It
had been a real shitty week, and Thursday was no exception. He was running out
of time and excuses, and he had to make a decision real quick; he’d have to
pick up the invitations by tomorrow at the latest, and he had to decide whether
he was going to tell Lexi that they needed to postpone the wedding.

Before
noon, he’d gotten two more calls from clients of the firm who sat on the boards
of charities that wanted him to get Dylan to appear at their events; or at
least provide something autographed for their silent auctions. It got so that
he cringed every time his phone rang, and he finally told his secretary to
screen his calls and to tell anyone who was not one of his clients or a close
personal friend that he was in a meeting.

No
matter how busy he tried to keep himself, however, it all kept scratching at the
back of his brain, forcing his thoughts in directions he had no desire to go.
He’d be studying a client file, and suddenly he’d be transported back to the
night he stood quietly in the hallway of his apartment, eavesdropping on Lexi
while she was on the phone. She’d never told him the whole story of how she
first found out that her best friend was involved with a man she herself had
fantasized about for years. She’d never mentioned to him how she’d been sitting
in the front row at an Inhap concert, waiting for Tia to show up—how Dylan had
come out to perform a song with the opening band and had looked straight at
her, smiled, and tossed his head toward the back of the stage, presumably to
let her know that Tia was there. Tia hadn’t told Dylan that she was keeping him
a secret, and she hadn’t told Lexi the true identity of the man she’d met at
the dumpy bar the night before, so Lexi thought it was an invitation—an
indication that she’d be invited backstage.

 “You
know I’d be all over that,” she’d told the caller. “No question! Yeah, Tia
knows. She was standing backstage watching and saw the whole thing! She called
my cell and when I told her I was going to cash in on my gimme, she just
laughed at me and told me not to do anything to embarrass myself.” She giggled
at something the caller said, and continued. “When she finally got to the seat,
and Inhap came on, I told her she was on her own with her cowboy, because I was
going backstage to make wicked love to the man…I know! He kept smiling down at
us from that big stage, and started rocking the house—Tia kept it up and said
that he was looking at her…” she paused and laughed again as she listened. “It
wasn’t until the third song—when he dedicated the show to her, that I figured
it out. I was in a state of complete shock.” She listened for a few minutes,
while he stood frozen in the hallway, digesting this new information—choking on
it, more specifically. “Yeah, but they’re so good together, really. He’s an
amazing guy—easy to talk to, down to earth, fucking hilarious, and obviously
gorgeous…she’s one lucky bitch, I’ll tell you that!”

The
conversation shifted, and Ryan snuck back into his office and sat in front of
his computer, stupefied by what he’d heard. She would have gone through with
it! After all they’d been through, despite the fact that she was engaged to
him, she would have spent the night with Dylan Miller and not felt one single
ounce of guilt or remorse about it. It was the one secret he knew about Lexi
that he wouldn’t share, and it ate him up inside.

Sure,
he was her best friend’s fiancé, but you couldn’t turn off attraction. If Tia
weren’t in the picture, would she still want him? The only conclusion he could
come to was that she would, and it tied him in knots. As much as he hated to
admit it, the man was blessed by the gods. The mirror would never be as kind to
Ryan Stallworth as it was to Dylan Miller. He’d always be second best. Did she
ever think of Dylan when she was with him? The thought made him sick in the pit
of his stomach.

His
phone beeped, and he was jerked back to the present. He’d been staring at the
client file for almost an hour while his mind wandered, and he had no clue why
he had even pulled it out in the first place. It was obvious he wasn’t going to
get any work done, so he decided to call it a day.

He
sat in his car and came to another realization. If he went through with this
big lie, postponing their wedding because of an alleged big project that was
going to take up all of his time, he was going to have to find something to do
with that time. He didn’t need to actually stay at work; and wouldn’t want to.
He certainly had no desire to fraternize with the custodial staff after hours,
and he’d be bored out of his mind. He couldn’t go to the club, and his
apartment was out of the question—Lexi had a key and could come and go as she
pleased. He planned to stick to the story with everyone—Wes would be the only
person who knew the truth, and he had a wife and three kids at home—he wasn’t
going to babysit Ryan for the next six months. He had to find a fucking hobby.

For
lack of a better idea, he found himself turning off on the exit that would take
him to the printers, and the invitation samples he was supposed to pick up
three days ago. He still had no idea what he would do—should he just go through
with the July wedding, and deal with the repercussions of Miller’s enormous
shadow, or follow through with the big project story? Jace was the only one
he’d told, so he wasn’t yet in so deep that he couldn’t get out. He turned up
the radio and pounded on the steering wheel—he didn’t know what the fuck to do,
and he was really running out of time.

The
sign was like a beacon. Bright orange over lime green, it advertised a
gym—called simply,
Work Out
, a couple miles before he’d arrive at the
print shop. It boasted a 30 day free membership to new prospective clients, and
additional signs around the building advertised a lap pool, racquetball, and a
state-of-the-art weight room. Since he couldn’t legitimately work out at the
club anymore, and was sorely lacking in his usual exercise routine, he swung
into the parking lot to check it out. After the day he’d had, he could really
use a chance to blow off some steam, and he always kept a gym bag in the back
seat of his Mustang, just in case.

The
place looked decent—the front was covered in windows of wavy glass that allowed
you to see silhouettes of people working out inside without giving too much
away. It was unpretentious, and could be just what he needed to keep up the
illusion that he was working on a big project without giving up his entire
lifestyle. He could keep in shape and avoid his usual haunts, and Lexi would
have no reason to venture into this part of town once he postponed the wedding.

When
he walked in, a good looking redhead at the counter welcomed him and offered
him a tour. “We’ve got state of the art equipment, a lap pool, personal
trainers, and a lounge,” she said, taking him on a quick run of the building.
It wasn’t the country club, but it did have decent facilities and a hot blonde
in a neon pink workout outfit that flashed him a smile as he wandered through.
He decided to take them up on the thirty days, and went back to his car to get
his gym bag. He changed into baggy shorts and a grey t, and wandered over to
the area where he’d seen the blonde. She was just stepping off an elliptical,
and preparing the settings on a treadmill as he walked up. She smiled again and
tossed her head toward the adjoining equipment. “Care to join me for a little
walk?” she asked.

He
shrugged. “Sure,” he said, “where are you going?”

“About
three miles with a seventy percent incline; think you can handle it?” she said,
stepping onto the equipment and starting her routine. He programed his
treadmill accordingly, and climbed on, matching her stride for stride.

“I
haven’t seen you here before,” she said, barely breaking a sweat. “I’d
remember.”

“First
day,” he replied with a smile. “I’m trying the 30-day deal to see if the place
is a good fit.”

“I’m
Tiffany,” she smiled back, extending her hand across the gap between them.
            “Ryan,” he said, shaking her hand. “Ryan Stallworth.”

“Wait
a minute,” she said, the corners of her lips turning up slightly. “You wouldn’t
happen to be an attorney, would you? Are you the Ryan Stallworth who works for
Briggs and Patton?”

Oh
shit, he thought. Was there anyone in this damn city who didn’t know him now?
He gave her a hard stare, but he didn’t see the doe-eyed look that usually
preceded a question about Dylan Miller—she just looked open and curious.
“That’s me,” he said cautiously.

“Holy
crap,” she said, smirking. “I know you! Or at least I know of you. I’m Tiffany
Truitt.” When he raised his eyebrows, she continued. “Truitt Industries? I’ve
seen your name of a lot of paperwork there—you’re one of our attorneys.”

“Sure!”
he said, “you guys keep us pretty busy.” When she raised her eyebrows back, he
added, “That’s a good thing! For us, anyway.” He smiled, the first genuine
smile he’d felt all week.

“Yeah,
whatever,” she smirked. “Anyway, it’s nice to meet you.”

“And
you,” he said, smiling back.

“I
think you’ll find this place is a good fit.”

“It’s
looking pretty good so far,” Ryan smiled.

On
Friday afternoon, Ryan still didn’t know what to do. He’d held Lexi off by
telling her he had picked up the invitations, but had to work late and wouldn’t
be able to see her until tomorrow. Which was now today. He cut out of work
early, hoping to get some clarity before he had to face her. The damn gold box
was staring at him from the passenger seat, and his head hurt just from looking
at it. He tossed a jacket over it and stopped off at the club to work out with
Tiffany again, but although he enjoyed her company, her obvious flirting, and
that fact that she had no idea that he knew Dylan Miller, it was going to be a
long six months if he went through with telling Lexi that they couldn’t get
married in July. It was going to completely suck, if he were to be honest, and
it was all because he didn’t want to get married on the heels of Tia and Dylan.
He was having a hard time separating the parts of his life that weren’t jiving,
and although he thought he’d figured it out as he went along, nothing was
getting any clearer.