Page 99 of The Better Bride

Chapter 36

Mysti May

3:15 AM SATURDAY

“Oooh!” I chuckle and lift the bottle of Dom Perignon to my mouth.

The bubbly liquid dripples down my chin, and I lick it up, swaying a bit.

I place the bottle down on the ground and stand back up, bunching my white satin dress in my fists. Staring down at my feet, I make sure to put one foot in front of the other.

“There we go…” I say to myself.

Putting my hands out on either side of me, I stay at this rhythm, balancing myself on the edge of the fountain in front of the Royale.

Thank you, ballet!

“Oh my god! Congratulations!”

My head shoots up, and I squint my eyes, trying to make out the person who’s congratulating me. I smile, pretending to see them through my drunken haze, even though I can’t.

I put my foot down, making sure it’s in line with the other, and instead of stone, I feel something wet…cold.

“Oh, shit!”

The water splashes around me, and I fall straight into the fountain.

“Oh my god!” I start laughing, not one bit embarrassed. “Oops!”

I spit out some water and feel the wet satin cling to my body. I wet my hair and slick it back away from my face.

A sparkle catches my eye, and I turn to face it—it’s the diamond-encrusted clutch I borrowed from Percy, floating at the other end of the fountain.

“Shit!” I crawl toward it.

The motion of my body creates waves, which ends up pushing it further away from me.

“Come here, purse!” I sit still and paddle the water towards me, hoping that it’d help steer it my way.

“Ah hah!” The purse bounces up against me, and I fish it out.

Opening it up, I count. “One, two, three…”

Everyone else’s phones accounted for, but they’re all soaking wet. And I have no idea where mine is.

Shit…that’s a bit unfortunate.

I scoot forward, reaching toward the ledge so that I can place the clutch down, keeping the phones from any further damage.

“I leave for two seconds to get you a hotdog, and this is what I come back to?”

Someone laughs.

I know that laugh. I look up and see Brandon with his arms crossed and eyes looking down at me playfully.

“Join me! It feels so good. All wet and slippery…” I wink and bite my lip.

“I think I’d like to get wet, but not in a fountain. Perhaps in a bed?”