But then, a set of piercing blue eyes meet mine from across the room, and I jolt in my seat. My heart flutters and my sweetest space goes hot because the alpha male looking at me is utterly gorgeous. He’s older, with black hair going silver at the temples, but he’s got the build of a man decades younger. Broad shoulders are outlined in a perfectly-cut dark suit, and his chest is broad and wide. Not only that, but he’s tall – at least six foot three, with is a nice change from Corey’s five foot nine
But then who but Zora comes over to chat with him, and looking at the two of them together, suddenly it clicks: this must be her father, Preston. Zora’s mentioned her dad before but never in much detail. I just know he’s a businessman of some sort, and that he lives in the city. Right now, though, I can see the resemblance. Zora’s got pretty, defined features, and on her father they’re sharper and more chiseled. Yet they both have an elegant look to them, and as their black heads bend together in conversation, I see that Zora is easily the younger female version of her dad.
But then Preston looks back at me, and I swear, the tips of my breasts harden almost painfully. My stomach flips with butterflies, and my knees feel weak.
I can feel my cheeks heat up and hope that the distance between us makes the redness less noticeable. This is Zora’s father, after all, and I shouldn’t be acting like a giddy teenager. Yet there’s a gleam to those blue eyes, like he knows exactly what I’m experiencing from across the ballroom. Those mobile lips turn up a bit at one corner, and I wonder what it would be like to kiss him. Devastating, I’m sure, and nothing like the sloppy wetness that greets me when I’m with Corey.
But right, my boyfriend. I’m here with a date, and not only that, but I’m supposed to be in love with Corey. Quickly, I avert my eyes, staring blindly at the table in front of me.
It’s just because I’m unhappy, I tell myself. I’m fantasizing about Zora’s dad because Corey’s been so awful for the last few hours. But in my heart of hearts, I know that his behavior is inexcusable. It’s not just that the wedding’s boring for him, or that we don’t know anyone else here. It’s because my boyfriend is immature and childish, and it’s been grating on my nerves for months now.
Against my own volition, I sneak another peek from below my lashes at the handsome Preston Cahill. He’s turned away, but as if he can feel my gaze, the older man glances at me again, and oh god, the sparks are definitely there. I can feel the room heating and my heart goes pitter patter. This is so awful because even though I’m sitting next to my boyfriend at this very moment, I’m also longing for a handsome alpha male who happens to be the father of the bride.
2
Preston
I laugh at the cute speech being given by Zora’s maid of honor. Lisa has never been the brightest bulb, but she loves Zora, and her speech is heartfelt, if a bit juvenile and cliched. She describes how they’ve been devoted friends since freshman year, when they were assigned to be roommates, and how Zora let Lisa copy her homework for their introductory English course. Yes, it’s that kind of speech: filled with tidbits that are boring for the audience to hear, but we laugh along politely all the same.
Then again, I’m glad Zora has good friends because my ex-wife, Zora’s mom, has always been a huge question mark. Renee couldn’t even be bothered to show up today, it’s that bad. She’s claiming to be on a yacht in the Mediterranean with her fourth husband, and unfortunately, they couldn’t re-book the vacation. More likely, they didn’t want to re-book, but there’s no need to fight. It’s my ex’s loss.
To be honest, I’m not sure why I married Renee in the first place. We were young, dumb kids in college and while my ex was pretty, there are lots of pretty girls in the world. Renee wasn’t even pregnant, so I can’t chalk our marriage up to any type of urgency. I guess I really thought her wit, ambition and drive were there to stay, in addition to a lush body and a certain sassiness.
But after we graduated, it became apparent that we didn’t have much in common. It had been easy to talk about classes, professors, and the raging parties at school, but afterwards, the conversation dwindled as I settled into a job and Renee got pregnant with Zora. I suppose a twenty-one year old boy doesn’t understand that being able to get drunk with someone and have hot, passionate sex in her dorm room five nights a week isn’t real intimacy.