Bad Timing

XXVII

I meet Dean in the hallway of the yacht club before the reception.
"Hey, sorry I couldn't meet you after the ceremony. So hectic," I wave my hands around in the air and lie.
"No worries, I'm just glad to be with you now," he smirks and I see the twinkle in his eye.
We walk in hand in hand into the reception. My eyes search the room for Ross. Even if I can't be with him physically my body aches just to be near him.
"You ok?" Dean questions.
"I'm fine, let's just find our seats," I smile and we walk over to the table where our name tags are placed.
I spot Ross and some blonde over at the open bar. That must be his date. She looks pretty from the back I guess.
I look over at Dean and he's watching me watch Ross.
"Do you want to dance?" I feel as if the energy between us has shifted.
If I wasn't on my fifth glass of champagne I would have said no, my shoes are way too painful to dance. But I said yes.
Dean leads me out onto the dance floor and his hand finds the small of my back while his other hand grabs ahold of mine. We sway around in circles.
"Who's the girl he's with?" Dean asks and I look up at him like a deer in the head lights.
"What?"
"Ross, the guy you fancy. Who is he with?" He asks again. So I'm caught. I guess I'm not as stealth as I thought I was with my feelings.
"I don't know," I admit, "just some girl he's dating openly."
Dean nods and looks down at me, "I find it shocking that he wouldn't see your beauty and immediately tell you he loves you."
I laugh, "Ross isn't like that."
"I might be..." Dean smirks.
"Not everyone is as romantic as you, Dean Armstrong," I grin unevenly and he dips me. I let out a small squeal at the movement out of uncertainty.
I come back up and laugh, wrapping my arms around his neck.
We dance until I can't feel my toes anymore. Beads of sweat cover his forehead, I think it was Shout by the Isley Brothers that really set him over the edge.
We pant as we both stumble out to the courtyard for some fresh air.
"I should start calling you Mr. Wedding with those moves!" I laugh drunkenly.
"Only if you'll be my Mrs," he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me closer.
My hands rest on his chest and our foreheads are touching.
"Maybe...if you play your cards right," I wink.
"Claire?" Someone interrupts what would have been our first kiss.
Ross is standing by the door, his bow tie undone, laying around his neck.
"I'm gonna call us an Uber ok?" Dean says and leaves me alone with my version of "the one that got away".
"What, Ross," i deadpan and fold my arms across my chest as he walks closer to me.
"I don't think I can leave here without you," he admits and I feel my nose sting from the arising tears.
"Pardon? I'm not going home with you just to fuck you and then have you be absolutely vile to me the next morning," I furrow my eyebrows at his ridiculousness.
"It's not like that, Claire. Not anymore. I've been thinking and, well, I was a douche for completely cutting you out of my life like that," he puts his hands in his suit pocket and walks so close to the point where I could smell the malt liquor on his breath.
"You don't say..." I roll my eyes.
"I was mad. I was mad because you really fucked over my ex girlfriend and I had no idea. I was mad that you didn't tell me this sooner. I was mad that you were doing what you had done with Ian to Amber with me and Amber," he says and I let the tears stream down my cheeks steadily.
"Don't you think I feel bad about that Ross? I was a shit person. I know that, you don't have to remind me," I wipe away the tears and Ross watches the action.
"I just don't think you are a relationship girl, Claire-," I cut him off.
"How dare you say that!" I respond harshly.
"You didn't let me finish. I don't thing you are a relationship girl, Claire. Unless that relationship is with me," he reaches his hand out to cup my cheek and I let him.
What? How could he say this? This can't be true, my drunk self must be imagining this.
"You can't say that, you don't know that," I say.
"Yes I do, Claire. I know you," his other hand reaches my cheek as if he's trying to convince me.
"I have to go, Ross. Dean is waiting for me," I move away from our stance and make my way towards the door.
"Don't leave with him, Claire," he turns around and whines.
"Why? He's nice to me! He's there for me! He likes me! Why shouldn't I leave with him, Ross? Because you're the one who wanted to screw me tonight?"
"No!"
"Because you're the one who wanted to tell people we were leaving together tonight?"
"No!"
"Then why?!" I shout.
"Because I love you, Claire!" He shouts back and my mouth parts.
"I don't believe you," I deadpan, open the door and walk back inside.
I don't say much to Dean in the car ride home. For the first time in my life, my mind is empty. I'm not thinking about what Ross said to me, I'm not thinking about what Dean and I will probably do later. I'm just looking out the window wishing I could be back in California. Wishing I could have a new life, without any of this baggage.
"Dean, I really like you," I smile when we get into the hotel room.
"I like you too, Claire," he says, "but I don't think it's fair to either of us if we do anything tonight."
"Why?" I question.
"Your altercation with Ross Adler wasn't exactly a quiet one," he chuckles softly and takes off his cuff links.
"Oh," I mutter.
"I'm fine if you don't like me as much as you like him, just don't pretend that you do," he tries to smile but all I see is his face try his best not to frown.
I stand up and walk over to him.
"It's not that, Dean. I like you in a different way than I like Ross. I can't say if it's more or less, just different," I undo the buttons of his crisp white shirt.