Work Wife

Groom Games

I could tell Ainslee was getting slightly annoyed with all of her wrong answers because after Tory asks the second to last question, when was the last time Chase cried, she says, "Oh, I definitely got this one right." She looks at Chase as she gushes, "The night we got engaged." He eyes her with a tight-lipped smile but doesn't confirm or deny. All the guys wrote down some stupid fake answer about a time Chase cried and the girls all said something cutesy about Ainslee. I was the only one who wrote down when Duke died because he cried for several days about it after in the office.

Chase points his pen at me and says, "Stella got it. I ugly cried."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you had to put your dog down last year man," Alex says but Ainslee is still looking at Chase with her pen pointed at him.

"Yeah, you put down Duke last year. We got engaged a few weeks ago, so technically... I got that right."

"I didn't cry when we got engaged, I just got a bit misty-eyed. I bawled over Duke," Chase corrects and Ainslee's smile is slowly fading.

"He wept. For several days," I admit and Chase nods in agreement.

"Yeah, Stella had to handle the office that week. I was a mess."

"Duke really was the best boy," Logan says, remembering the black lab fondly but I can tell Tory is ready to move on to the last question to ease the tension that's building between Chase and Ainslee.

"So the correct answer was not when someone keyed your Tesla? I swear I remember tears," Callum jokes while checking his answer sheet and Chase quickly replies, "That still happened before my Dukers died."

"Okay, last question..." Tory cuts in, "How many kids does Chase want?"

Kaitlyn starts with three and the number varies from none to twenty. I guessed none, he prefers fur babies and Chase's answer was two dogs. I throw my hands up, knowing I dominated the game and look at Tory, "I'll take that 1942 please."

"Seriously, Chase?" Ainslee quietly snaps after his answer and he shrugs as if he has no idea what's made her pissy. "You said you could see yourself with kids."

"Chase doesn't like kids," Jesse chimes in and as Ainslee shoots him a glare, Mike cups his hands around his mouth as he says, "Trouble in lover's paradise."

"Maybe this isn't a conversation to be had after drinking all day," Maddie calmly suggests but Callum retorts with, "Better to know now than after Sunday."

"I'll get our winner that shot," Tory announces as she squeezes out of her seat and away from the table. Logan looks at me after grabbing his ranch water and asks, "Should I be worried about how much you know about Chase?"

"How long have you two worked together?" Jesse asks me and I look to Logan's right as I answer, "Three very long years."

"And you two never..." Jesse asks with a shit-eating grin as he points between Chase and me. Lauren, Mike, Alex and Logan are watching us as Chase is leaning over to talk privately to Ainslee.

I shake my head, "Nope."

"Why not? You're hot, he's hot. You obviously spend a lot of time together if you know the man's favorite book..." He turns and slaps Chase on the arm while asking, "What's Stella's favorite book, Camden?" Chase's attention goes from Ainslee to Jesse and he shrugs before saying, "I dunno. Something with murder probably." He goes to turn back to Ainslee but then looks back at me and says, "Oh no wait, that sad one with the girl in Paris. The World War II one."

I laugh and am a bit stunned that he remembered.

"That right?" Alex asks and I nod, "Yeah, the Nightingale. I'm shocked you know that."

"You missed a meeting to read the ending and cried at work. It was probably the last time you cried," he jokes and I want to say, no, that would be the day I found out you got engaged.

"What's my favorite book?" Ainslee asks with a sly grin but it drops when Chase replies, "Do you read?"

She swats at him, "Yes I read! My favorite book is Twilight."

"Okay, but how long ago did you read that?" Chase asks her with a knowing grin and she's flustered as she replies, "What does that matter? It's still my favorite book."

"Twilight was a book?" Alex asks and all the girls start giving him shit for not knowing.

"That little game was supposed to be fun, but I think it opened up a can of worms," Logan mutters into my ear, and I nod in agreement. If anything, it just proves how little Chase and Ainslee know each other, but it's not stopping them from rushing to the alter.

Tory arrives with a waitress carrying tequila shots but she's holding one large shot glass in her hand. She strides over to me and drops it into my outstretched hand.

"One shot of 1942 for the winner," Tory says with a grin, completely unaware of the chaos her little game created. She looks out to the group and says, "And shitty tequila for the rest of you!"

Everyone grabs a shot glass and a lime and we cheers to Ainslee and Chase. Chase looks at ease, shrugging off whatever Ainslee was whispering about but Ainslee looks irritated. Tory leans into her and I watch Ainslee swat her away. I think it's good we are going out without the boys tonight because I think the bride and groom need some time away from each other. And I couldn't be happier.