The Window Seat (badLuckbrides #1)

Chapter 16

Simon

Three Hours Prior

I stare at my gold watch as I adjust the cuffs of my sleeves. I never really used it to check the time, I'd rather glance at my phone. But it wasn't just a fashion staple piece. It meant a lot to me.

James has really been an obnoxious annoyance today. He kept pulling practical jokes, running through his house smacking everyone on the back of the head and laughing like an idiot about it. The other guys seem into it. I guess none of them ever moved on from the whole college frat boy phase. I don't know. I need a drink and I needed it ASAP.

"Thanks to Simon being a little pussy girl, The Playpen is out tonight," James announces, staring at himself in the wide mirror while he buttons up his shirt.

They all moan and one of them throws a damp towel at me and I knock it away before it can hit me in the face. I may have told James this fabricated story about how I had a girlfriend back home who had eyes all over LA, waiting on me to screw up so it could be reported back to her. He bought it, even claimed he understood because Kathlyn could be sneaky, whatever—whatever. But now that we're in front of this group of pretty boys, I'm a pussy-girl? Okay.

And why'd I make up a fake girlfriend to get out of going to a strip club with these guys? Because they're all a bunch of sloppy drunks and I've learned my lesson after the whole secret night at the penthouse we had. The entertainment that they dragged in weren't just strippers. They were escorts and these guys got their money's worth in more ways than I needed to witness. I ended up leaving when the first girl started giving fake-Blake a blow job. And I don't really want to risk going to jail because I'm associated with a bunch of perverted idiots who are too entitled to follow no-touch policies. We'll probably get kicked out of the club tonight, but it's easier to just walk away when you aren't hand cuffed in the back of a cop car.

I wanted to see Kathlyn tonight. I didn't know why exactly, I just really wanted to see her. Not even talk to her, I just wanted to see her having fun. So I am.

The other day, I came in while Aspen was talking to James.

"Hey Simon..." She smiled, awkwardly. Almost like she was surprised to see me. "You just, pop in whenever you want?"

I nodded. "Well, James called me over." I was surprised he wanted to hang out, considering he's always busy working. But that is what I'm here for.

It was then that Aspen told us her plans for today. Went into detail about the decorations, dick cakes and other weird girl stuff they'd have set up in Ashlyn and Evelyn's room at the Lauterdale. When James stepped away to take a call, she slipped and told me they'd be heading to the Skyrise club by eight o' clock P.M.

So we'd be there by seven thirty, knowing that eight o' clock really meant eight forty-five for a group of women, and I didn't want to risk her catching us walk in.

I didn't really want to be a dick and crash Kathlyn's bachelorette thing, but I was going to. As soon as Aspen said it, I knew she came for a reason. The world works like that sometimes.

She smiled. "Well I just came to get James's input on everything. I mean, who knows what Kathlyn likes better than her fiancé, right?"

Oh, I don't know, Aspen. Maybe fucking me? The guy who spent seven years by her side.

Obviously, after she left I enthused James with the whole idea of clubbing up in a high tower in LA. Showed him pictures online and may have embellished the idea that celebrities frequented in and out of there. I mean some probably did sometimes, it's LA.

I took my rental. I valued my life and these guy had been pregaming so hard I figured better to drive myself than to be another drunk driving statistic.

These guys flaunted their money any chance they got. They strut around with their shaped up beards and blazers and a few of these pompous assholes are even wearing gold pinky rings. James drove himself and whoever else would fit in his Maserati and fake-Blake took the rest of them in his matte black G-Wagon.

We got a lot of attention as soon as we stepped in the building. I was ashamed to be grouped with a bunch of callous Beverly Hills ballers, but it seemed like that was desirable around here.

"Damn," one of the guys mutters as a group of four busty blondes passes us, smiling at us like they're too intimidated to stop and shoot their shot. I hate LA.

"I fucking love LA, bro." A couple of the guys slap hands and laugh as they continue skimming over the line in search of their next poor victims.

As I watch James bask in all the once-overs he's getting from the random women here I realize this could actually work out in my favor, better than me just getting to admire Kathlyn like a stalker creep. I'm sure every one of them know who James is already. If anything good comes out of this night, it'll be that he gets caught grinding against some drunk girl's mini skirt. Triple points if he gets caught with his tongue down someones throat.

Bing bang. Weddings off.

The end.

I'm pretty sure that's how it'll play out. I'd text Ashlyn to give her the heads up, but it's probably better if she's just as surprised.