Chapter Four

 It was time for my speech.

I wasn't the maid of honor, but Cecelia had asked me to make a speech anyway. She had begged me, saying that not only was I her cousin and best friend but that I worked with Carlson. I knew them both personally and professionally and that it would make her wedding day perfect.

I wasn't good at making speeches. I wasn't good at being the center of attention. But Cecelia had asked. So I was making a speech.

I stood shaking next to the sweetheart table. Cecelia grinned at me. When the MC handed me the microphone, I seriously considered just running. I was wearing tennis shoes now, so there was a much better chance I wouldn't fall on the ground if I tried to move. But Cecelia had asked. And I loved her enough to do it.

My sweaty hand shook around the microphone so hard I was sure I was going to drop it, and I knew my cheeks had to be blazing red. My stomach did flip flops, and I wished I had drank a lot more.

I stared out at the crowd, trying to remember every piece of advice from speech class. None of it was helping. I didn't want to imagine anyone in the audience naked or in their underwear. Well, no one except Freddie. And that thought made me blush even harder.

“Hi everyone.” My voice shook. I knew they all had to be remembering me falling down the aisle just an hour ago. There were whispers in the crowd. “My name is Zoey Miller, and today is a great day. Today, my cousin got to marry her best friend. Well, her best friend that isn't me.”

Everyone in the crowd chuckled. My confidence went up slightly since no one was making comments about me falling. Or at least they were doing so quietly enough I couldn't hear them.

“Cecilia and I have been together since birth. I'm lucky that I got such an amazing built-in friend. I'm always blessed to have her in my life. And it was even worth it to be the reason she and Carlson met.”

Cecelia grinned at me and gave Carlson's arm a loving squeeze.

“We were ice-skating on the lake when I slipped. I managed to cut my hand on the ice-skate badly enough that we had to go to the ER.” I held up my left hand, showing off the faint scar on the bottom of my palm. “Carlson was the ER doctor that day. I knew him from work, and I was glad he was the one taking care of me. I knew he would do a good job. He did, and six stitches later, Carlson had fixed me and gotten Cecelia's phone number.”

I turned and smiled at the two of them.

“I trusted Carlson with my hands, and now I trust him with my cousin's happiness,” I said, feeling emotion tightening around my throat. “And so, I raise my glass to the new couple. Hopefully, you never need to take me to the ER again.”

The crowd laughed, and I escaped from the spotlight as quickly as possible. My heart pounded so hard I could barely hear anything else as I slid back into my seat next to Freddie and reached for my wine.

“Excellent speech,” Freddie congratulated me.

I smiled at him and took another big sip of wine.

“It was an ice-skate that cut you?” Carla asked. She shook her head. “You and shoes just don't get along.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, finishing off my glass of wine.

“Well, an ice-skate is a type of shoe, and you tripped on your shoe walking down the aisle,” Carla explained. “You are just a disaster when it comes to shoes.”

My face burned. I wished there was a way to melt through the floor and disappear.

“Don't worry, dear,” Aunt Linda said quickly. “The speech was very nice.”

“Would you like some more wine?” Freddie asked. “I need a glass myself, and I thought you could come with me.”

He stood and offered me his hand. I took it like a woman drowning.

“That sounds great,” I said, standing so fast I nearly tripped again. Freddie steadied me. Carla raised an eyebrow and looked meaningfully at my feet, but I ignored her.

“I must have angered a magic shoe fairy and been cursed,” I said to Freddie once we were clear of the table.

He grinned. “Then perhaps all you need is a kiss from a prince to break the spell.”

“If only it were that easy,” I replied with a sigh as we reached the bar and ordered fresh drinks.

The lights dimmed, and a spotlight swirled the room, coming to rest on the bride and groom as they took their place in the center of the dance floor. The music started soft and romantic, with the bride and groom taking a traditional start to their dance. It stayed slow and romantic for a moment before switching to a fast swing song. Carlson had Cecelia flying through the air, her wedding dress trailing like a streamer as he swung her around the room. The crowd clapped and shouted their praise.

It was great to watch, but not something I would ever do at my wedding.

And definitely not in the spiked heel shoes Cecelia was wearing.

The song ended, and Carlson and Cecelia took bows to thunderous applause. The parent dances came next, but neither parent did anything as flashy as the spins and flips of their children.

The lights stayed low, focusing on the dance floor as servers hustled past with empty plates and dirty utensils. Freddie and I stood in line, waiting for our turn at drinks. The line didn't appear to be moving, but I didn't mind. It meant we didn't have to go back to the table.

“Do you dance?” Freddie asked, watching as the official dances ended, and free dancing began.

“Me?” I asked with a laugh.

Freddie just grinned as he held out his hand for mine.

“I have to warn you that I have two left feet,” I said, hesitating slightly.

“That's never stopped me before,” Freddie said, taking my hand before I could say no. We left the drink line.

I liked the way my hand felt in his as he led me to the dance floor. In a moment, we were on the corner of the dance floor, my hand in his and slowly swaying to the music.

He pulled me closer to him, the soft scent of his cologne filling my nose. He smelled terrific- like ginger and citrus. It took all my self-control not to bury my face into his shoulder and just breathe him in. I could barely concentrate on what we were doing. His hand on my hip had me very aware of just how close our bodies were right now.

And how easy it would be to kiss him.

“Ouch,” he hissed softly, taking a step back. I had stepped on his foot.

“Sorry,” I quickly apologized. “Two left feet. You were warned.”

I fully expected him to smile and say that maybe we should stop dancing. That the cake was almost ready and he wanted a slice.

But he didn't.

Instead, he smiled and pulled me closer. His hand on my waist became more insistent, and his directions for our dancing became firm. He led the dance, giving me no confusion as to where we were going.

He raised his left hand, raising mine with it, and gently pushed with his right. I twirled neatly under his arm before coming back to him. And I didn't step on his feet in the process.

“Neat trick,” I told him. “Someone might think I can dance if you keep that up.”

Freddie grinned at me, joy sparkling in his eyes. “I have lots of neat tricks. It's the one thing at my job that I'm good at.”

“I have a feeling you're good at a lot of things,” I replied, my voice coming far more sensual than I intended. I blushed again and tried to make it not sound like I was hitting on him. “I mean, dancing. Or other things.”

I wished I could flirt without feeling like a total idiot.

His chuckle vibrated through me before he spun me once again. I was getting better at following him already.

I cleared my throat, determined not to make a complete fool of myself. “So, what kind of work do you do that requires dancing?” I managed to sound almost normal.

Freddie turned his head slightly as he evaluated me.

“It's complicated,” he said slowly. “But like I said before, it's a family business.”

I nodded as if I understood. “I see. What do you sell?”

“Other than my soul?” he replied. He chuckled at his own joke, but there wasn't much humor behind it. “We don't really sell anything. My family works for the government.”

“The government needs dancing lessons?” I asked, looking up at him.

He laughed for real this time, and I nearly stumbled. He was gorgeous when he laughed.

“You really don't know who I am, do you?” he asked, pulling me closer.

I shook my head, and a terrible thought went through me. “Please tell me we're not related.”

“Definitely not related,” he assured me with a laugh. “But you really don't know me?”

“No,” I whispered, looking up into his eyes and losing myself to them. “But I want to know everything about you.”

It felt stupid and overly cheesy as soon as it came out of my mouth. His eyes went wide, and I panicked.

“I mean, I uh....” I closed my eyes and took a quick breath. “I mean, you saved me from my aunts. And from being dateless. And I'm having a really nice time with you. And I would like to get to know you better.” I smiled up at him, hoping he didn't find me too crazy. “I'm not trying to be nosey.”

His face relaxed slightly.

“Well, I work for the government of Paradisa,” he said slowly. “And I would love to tell you all about it, but it's top-secret.”

“That sounds exciting,” I told him.

“It's boring,” he assured me. “It's all diplomatic embassies and brokering trade agreements. I mostly sit and look pretty while everyone around me argues semantics.”

“That does not sound very exciting,” I agreed. “When you said top-secret, I thought you meant more like James Bond.”

“I should just say that I'm a secret agent or a spy.” He grinned. “That if I told you more, I'd have to kill you. That I have a license to kill.”

“I'd believe you,” I replied, keeping my face serious. “You've got the suit and the accent.”

“Unfortunately, I don't particularly like martinis,” he admitted.

I laughed, and we kept dancing. Dancing with him was amazing. It was so easy, and I felt like I was actually a good dancer with him. Our bodies moved together as if they had always known what to do.

“Will you be in Wisconsin long?” I asked. “Or are you just here for the wedding?”

“I managed to negotiate with my brother to have a few days here,” he replied. “Then I'm supposed to go to Chicago.”

“What's in Chicago?” I asked, already calculating how far away he would be from me. Chicago was less than a two-hour drive away. Definitely doable to see him again.

“A conference.” He sighed, and the light faded from his smile. “It's nothing important. I think it's just a way to keep me busy and out of sight for a bit.”

I frowned slightly. Who would want to keep Freddie out of sight? I wanted to look at him all the time.

“I got into a little trouble with my older brother,” Freddie explained, seeing my expression. “I pulled a prank he didn't appreciate. He said it was unbecoming of our station. So I've been banished from the kingdom for a while.”

“To Chicago?” I shrugged thoughtfully. “I suppose it could be worse. You could have been banished somewhere without decent pizza.”

Freddie laughed, the smile returning to his face.

“I will say, banishment isn't bad so far,” he said, pulling me into him. I could feel the muscles of his shoulder under his jacket. I looked up at him, and all I could think about was kissing him. I wondered if he'd taste like his whiskey.

His lips were so close. All I had to do was tip my head. He leaned forward, his sweet ginger scent flooding my senses.

He pulled away from me as a camera flashed. Family laughed and posed for another picture next to us. I remembered then that I was in the middle of a crowded room with all my relatives. I'd forgotten everything but him as we'd danced. It had been so easy to lose myself to him.

An older woman bustled between us, and I scowled at the interloper before realizing it was my own grandmother.

“Now, you can't hog all the good dance partners,” Grandma Betty said, stealing my dance partner away. She winked at me. “Don't worry. I'll give him back. Besides, the bride needs you. Something about her dress and the bathroom.”

I glanced over toward the bathroom and could see Cecelia frantically motioning to me. She pointed to the heavy gown and then to the bathroom.

I took a step back, but my eyes went to Freddie's.

“I'll find you later?” I asked, not wanting to leave him. I could hear Cecelia calling for me.

He nodded.

“Don't worry. I won't let anyone else steal him,” Grandma Betty told me with another wink. “Well, other than me. I can't help it if he falls helplessly in love with me.”

“Too late,” Freddie said with a dramatic sigh that had Grandma Betty laughing.

I took one last look before hurrying off to do my bridesmaid duties of holding up tulle. I hoped Cecelia could do this quickly. I wanted to get back to dancing and forgetting the rest of the world.