The wedding guests were filing out toward their parked cars, so Jake started walking in the opposite direction down the path further into the park. He hadn’t gone far when a familiar voice stopped him.
“Hey, Jake! Jake Stevens, is that you?”
Jake stopped and turned around. He blinked in surprise at the owner of the voice.
“Lauren?” he asked, taking a step toward her. “Wow, is that you?”
Lauren smiled. It was definitely her. Lauren, Jake’s old college girlfriend. He’d fallen in love with that smile and gone through a lot of really memorable experiences with her. But back then she’d been a shy, awkward girl with no real fashion sense. She seemed to have fixed much of that. She’d gotten rid of her glasses, showing the world her dark eyes, eyes that were narrowed by the push of soft, rosy cheeks as she smiled with her entire face.
She’d straightened her hair into a long flow of black that framed her face, spilling over her shoulders and down to the curve of her breasts. And that was where the eye tended to linger, because they were gorgeous: round and very large, enough so they would sag a little if they were hanging free. Right now they most certainly were not doing that; Lauren had donned one of those strapless “lift and separate” bras under a red spaghetti strap cocktail dress that generously advertised her assets.
“I was just here for my cousin Jenny’s wedding,” she said. “And then I saw you… what are you doing here?”
Jake shrugged. “I work near here. I needed to clear my head from some… problems. So I took a walk, and I happened by you folks so I watched the vows from across the path there.” He found himself smiling back at her. “That was pretty intense, huh?”
Lauren giggled. “They’re so in love. Could you see the look on their faces from back there? I would swear they’d just come back from a quickie.”
Jake nodded. “I saw a little. So, you’re off to the reception I assume.”
Lauren sighed. “Yep. Gonna put in my appearance.”
Jake tilted his head a little. “Something wrong?”
“No, it’s just that you know how I hate being alone in a crowd. And my husband couldn’t make it.”
“Oh, yeah. I know the feeling,” Jake said. “Well, you can always hook up with a groomsman, right?”
“Hah!” Lauren punched Jake in the shoulder. “I don’t think so. So I heard you got married. How’s that treating you?”
Jake looked down at his wedding ring. “Actually,” he admitted, “things are not great there.”
“Oh wow,” Lauren said, taking his hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.”
“It’s alright,” Jake replied. “I found out today that she’s seeing some guy.”
“Well then,” Lauren said, pulling his arm into her own. “let’s go.”
“What?”
“Come on. You’ve already got a suit on. You’ll be my plus one, and we’re going to drink your troubles away.”
Jake chuckled. “Well, if you insist,” he said, “but no taking advantage of me in my compromised state.”
“Scout’s honor,” Lauren said with a laugh. Read more »