Chapter 10 • His Wife?

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L O G A N

The vibration in my pocket does not go ignored the second time. I glance back to Emmy's door, seeing it still shut, then glance to my watch to see we still have fifteen minutes before Natalie and Michael's rehearsal. I tug the phone out of my pocket and swipe my screen to answer, knowing exactly who it's going to be.

"Yes?"

"You don't call, you don't write..."

I smile at the sound of Nate's voice. "You're up early."

There is an eleven hour time difference between us right now. This is the furthest I have ever been from my siblings, and that includes every time they've been deployed.

"I am. Had to hear how my kid brother is doing across the globe. How is it so far?"

Kid brother by two minutes. I am considered the baby of our family. Tammy beat me by about forty five seconds during c-section. A lifetime of playful ridicule from siblings all because some doctor couldn't pull me first.

I glance back to Emmy's door again and feel the corner of my lips curve upwards. "It's been amazing so far. Bali was a good choice."

"Holy shit," he laughs. "You aren't complaining about it? I thought for sure I'd be getting an earful right now about you picking a couples resort."

"I said - so far," I correct him and begin picking at a loose sliver of wood on the bridge to Em's villa. "I've only been here a day."

"You sound good though, are you..." he pauses and I know what he's going to ask. "...are you doing okay?"

The small piece of wood snaps free and I allow it to fall to my feet. I stare at it a few seconds and nod my head as if Nate can see me. "I'm good. I've kept myself busy."

"Good," he sighs happily into the phone. "What have you done so far?"

From the corner of my eye, I catch light from the door that I've been waiting for to open.

"Nate. I have to go. I have uh, plans with someone."

"Someone?"

"Mmm," I reply and finally take Emmy into my view. Nate says something, but I completely tune him out at the sight of her in a little black halter-dress thats hem falls a few inches above her knees. It hugs every one of her curves perfectly and compliments her newly glowing skin from spending her day on the beach. Her long blonde hair is down and wavy, appearing effortless. This is the second time today she has caught my attention like this, like I can't look away from her. She holds up her finger, mouthing a "one more minute", with a smile. I nod back to her and look away, trying to nonchalantly hide the fact that I was eying every inch of her.

"Someone - like a girl?" Nate repeats himself for I don't know how many times now.

I clear my throat and tuck my hand into my pocket, trying to focus on anything but the stirring in my boxers that has been dormant for months.

"Mmm," I repeat.

"Shut up!" A new voice booms excitedly from the phone, causing me to hold it further from my ear. "Is she pretty? What's her name? Where is she from?"

I should have known Tammy was also on the line. Now I wish I wouldn't have said anything.

"You have me on speaker?" I groan.

"I want to hear all about her!" Tammy demands.

"It's not what you guys think," I attempt to explain. "We are just hanging out. She is here alone for some reason and it's just nice having someone else that isn't caught up in this couples bullshit. Nothing has changed."

Two groans occur on the other end of the phone.

Emmy's door opens again and she walks out, shutting it behind her and walking towards me with much less of a limp than earlier today.

"We aren't even going to get her name?"

"Guys, I really have to go..."

"Is she hot?"

"Guys..."

"What color are her eyes?" Tammy asks quickly as I become more flustered.

"Teal," I answer without thinking just as I lock on to those very ones. They are the most brilliant shade of teal I have ever seen and right now they are practically sparkling as she comes closer to me.

"You like her! You knew the answer! Nate, did you hear that?"

I end the call before I can be interrogated anymore tonight and slide the phone back into the back pocket of my khaki shorts.

"Hey!" Emmy grins and begins twirling the tips of her hair in her fingers.

Words - why can't I fucking speak them?  I continue staring at her eyes until I begin to feel like a complete creep and finally manage a - "Hi."

I hold a crooked elbow out to her and she links it with her own.  I glance down to her ankle and see those damn thongs on her feet again.

"I can't wear sneakers with this," she giggles before I can even complain.  "You'll learn to love them."

I won't, but I'm also not going to argue with a beautiful woman, because I will lose.  I just hope she doesn't injure herself more by wearing them.

I point off to the large group of people huddling on the beach and look back to Em, "ready, wife?"

"Ready, husband!" she agrees as I lead her towards a night that is sure to be filled with talk of love, marriage and be complete hell.  At least I know with our little game it will be interesting.

• • •

First, we find drinks. When those are finished, we find more.

Emmy's beer consumption keeps up with my own, once again, leaving me impressed with her. I watch her in awe as she mingles around the party, striking up conversations with people she has never met before. Many of these people were on our plane, which helps assist the conversation of Minnesota; then she just goes from there. She laughs with everyone, even through the most boring of conversations - she tosses her hair back, giggles, releases one of her two hands from her beer bottle to talk with one hand and makes the person feel as though they have her full attention.

Emmy is who has mine.

I just stand back and watch - her. I laugh and agree with whatever she says and play along as a newlywed couple. She always makes sure to shift the attention back to Natalie and Michael, trying not to take away from their special night.

When they start their actual rehearsal, faking Natalie's walk down the aisle, that's when I notice Emmy's change of mood in addition to my own. She keeps her focus on them, but her lips are pressed into a firm line and the hold she has on her beer is making her knuckles turn white. I just don't even bother to watch the pretend ceremony. The thought of these two thinking that - because they are happy together right now - means they are in this thing called 'love' and it's supposed to keep them happy together forever is a joke. It's sickening, if I'm honest. I order myself another beer even though the one in my hand is still full. I know I'm going to need it. Then I hear Emmy do the same and chug the remainder of her own.

• • •

"Where did you two meet?" Michael motions to Emmy with a beer, who is on the other side of the room sitting at the bar top with Natalie and her best friend. He hands me the beer and I happily accept it.

"I, quite literally, ran into her at a travel agency." I answer him truthfully. I never thought for a second that the same crying girl from that day would be the same one who is currently in a fit of loud giggles as she drinks with new friends. I definitely didn't think I would be walking around calling her my wife. She has me on my toes, that's for sure.

"She's a very beautiful girl," he nudges me. "You did good."

I find it odd that he would mention how beautiful another girl is while he is getting married to the girl beside her in the morning. But, I can't deny - there is no comparing Emmy to anyone else in this room.

I follow his glance and look back to her just as she looks up to me and smiles. I prefer this smile on her so much more than the blank stare I sometimes catch her doing, when there's something heavily plaguing her mind. She plays it off well, but something tells me her bad week is still troubling her.

"Yes she is," I reply.

I can't exactly say I did good when our 'relationship' is a complete sham. I press the beer bottle to my lips but don't sip from it. Instead I laugh as I watch Emmy, Natalie and the other girl - who I think said her name was Daphne - rush over to the DJ, beers still in hand. All of them are overly excited about whatever they are telling him and he motions to his computer before Emmy climbs up to his booth and shows him what she wants.

The DJ cuts off whatever song was currently playing before some weird-ass song begins to play even louder that the volume was before.

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The verses are so fast I can barely make out the damn words to the song, but Emmy and the girls appear to know every single one, shouting them at the top of their lungs and dancing up against each other with beers up in the air.

Emmy's blonde hair whips back and forth with her dress as she jumps around belting out the chorus "Hey!  Let's party like we're on vacation!"

That cannot feel good on her foot.

Natalie sneaks away to grab her groom.  I hear Michael groan, but does what's requested of him.  All in the name of love - queue my eye roll.  I take another heavy sip of the beer and promise myself the next drink will be a shot.

Soon I see Emmy's attention on me as she motions with her finger for me to join her on the dance floor.  I laugh and shake my head no - there is no way she is getting me to dance along to her country shit.  She dances her way towards me, not stopping her singing along of every single word, and again motions with her finger for me to join her. 

"No way," I chuckle.

She nods yes and grabs hold of my free hand with hers, pulling me (rather aggressively) to the dance floor.  She may be small, but she is a mighty little thing when she wants to be, apparently. 

We stop in the middle of the dance floor and she pulls me closer to her, followed by her hand grabbing the back of my neck to pull me down closer to her so I can hear her.  "Dance with me, husband!"

I can't say no to her.  I don't know what it is about this girl that has me in this Bali-daze, but my free hand wraps around to the small of her back and with another roll of my eyes she has me moving us to the beat of the song and shouting out "Hey! Let's party like we're on vacation!" with the crowd.  Hearing and feeling the vibration of her giggles are worth it.

I'm not sure how many songs or how many beers and tequila shots occur after the first song, but Emmy keeps me out on the dance floor for most of the night.  She's a fun drunk, that's for sure.  At one point she was up on the bar with Natalie, singing some other country song that I could never tell you what it was.  They met more girls who were from Detroit who were having a bachelorette party, more dancing occurred.  Somehow we drunkenly agreed to all attend the wedding tomorrow, which I know I will regret that choice.  At one point Em literally kicked off her shoes and sent them flying across the room.  As much as I would love to see the damn things in the trash, I grabbed them and tucked them into my back pocket for safe keeping. 

Emmy cuts herself off around one in the morning while I continue to milk out the last of my beer.  "My foot is killing me," she groans from her barstool.  It's swollen again, I can tell just by glancing at it. 

"Taxi back to the resort?"

"Yes!" she nods with a lot of over-exaggeration.

I hand her back her shoes, watch her struggle to put them on and then we walk to the curb to motion for a car.  I'm not sure who grabbed the others hand first, likely the booze taking away the moment, but her fingers are locked with mine.  Is this for show?  Are we still pretending to be husband and wife?  I'm not going to question it, and even if I was going to - they leave my hand as soon as a car pulls up.  I allow her to crawl in first and then I take the spot beside her.

My eyes close as I lie back in the seat.  I know I won't even have time to fall asleep because the resort is only a few blocks away.

"Hodge, can I ask you something?" Emmy places her head onto my shoulder and nestles herself in like she did the other day on the plane.

"Sure."

"You don't believe in love, do you?"

Not the question I was expecting.  I suppose I did a shit job of hiding it today.  It's definitely not something I can just pretend to believe in.  "Am I that obvious?"

She shrugs against me. 

"What about you?" I return the question as I run my hand through my hair.  She didn't appear too thrilled about that rehearsal either.  "You believe in it?"

"I..." she begins but stops.  The car stops beside the resort and she sits up.  I hand the driver some cash and look back to Em whose eyes are on her hands.  "I don't know," she mutters with a frown.  "I hope I do." 

I'm not going to pry any further on that. That's the first time I've seen her look like she could cry since being here.

She exits the car and I follow her, keeping my hand on the small of her back as we walk the beach back to the long row of villas.  There is a perfect breeze that feels amazing after being in a hot club all night.  Emmy holds her hair up on the top of her head, attempting to cool down.

When we get to her door I motion to her foot.  "Elevate and ice it tonight, or I'm going to be carrying you around that wedding."

She giggles and gives a little tug on my shirt.  "Tonight was really fun. Thanks for playing along."

As much as I hate to admit it, tonight was fun.  I danced, I sang, I got drunk with a stunning girl that had me laughing until my sides hurt. It's been a long time since I laughed like that. 

"My pleasure, wife."

Her teal eyes link with mine for the millionth time tonight, but this time they linger a bit longer than usual.  That pull is there - I want to kiss Emmy, but there are way too many reasons why I shouldn't.  The first being, both of us are drunk.  Second, I don't know her that well.  There is an indent on her finger from a ring.  That ring came from someone and I don't know who or if that person is in the picture.  I'm also not looking for any type of relationship.  Do I like her?  Yes - there's no denying that.  I'm attracted to her. 

Instead, I tuck her blonde hair, that is now a complete disaster, behind her ear and give her an honest smile - If only she knew how rare those are from me.  "Goodnight, Emmy."

Her smile matches my own as she opens her door.  "Goodnight, Hodge.  I'll see you in the morning."

When the door shuts behind her, I know I missed my opportunity for that kiss.  I also remind myself it was for the best. 

I never thought I would actually look forward to a wedding of a complete stranger - I pretty much despise them all.  I run my hands down my face and groan as I walk back to my villa with frustration.

What is it about this girl?

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