Two Steps Back (Hunter Hayes fanfic Bk.3)

Missing Her

Bethany was convinced that Amanda was more smitten with Jordan than she was, and that was quite a feat. Bethany couldn't stop thinking about him, and the electricity between them was intense. It had been nice to know her best friend approved, though. They'd only met that one time, but Jordan had been a perfect gentleman, and had even allowed Amanda to ask him millions of questions about the few bachelor parties he'd been to in his day.

There had been a few other questions Amanda had asked him, however, and Bethany had no doubt that Amanda's choosing this dress was no coincidence.

"So, Jorge," Amanda had drawled, using the pet name Beth had assigned him. "I hear you're going to escort my lovely Maid of Honor to my wedding. Is that so?"

He had beamed and patted Beth's leg. "Absolutely."

"That's great! So...what kinds of dresses do you like?"

Jordan had balked at the question, shaking his head fervently. "No, no. I know nothing about dresses."

Amanda had stolen him away for a few minutes, banishing Bethany to her kitchen. She learned later that Mandy had been grilling him on dress designs, showing him pictures of bridesmaid dresses she liked and asking his opinions on each.

In response to Bethany's bashful blush, Amanda commented, "Oh, come on Beth. You know boys like tight things, and cleavage, and Jordan told me he thinks slits are sexy. That's the dress. That's totally the dress."

"I think you're just letting your sexual frustration play out on my body," Bethany joked.

Amanda tsked. "All right. Try the other one, if you must, but I really do think you look hot in that purple one."

Bethany was a firm believer in knowing her options so while Amanda went to change - albeit reluctantly - Beth went into her own dressing room and pulled down the zipper on her own gown.

The second dress wasn't too much different in cut, but the color was a metallic silver, instead of purple. This one was lower in the back, dipping to the small of her back and hanging there in a fashionable pool. The neck was scooped, sporting a similar pool of fabric that showed a flattering, classy flash of skin. The material was clingy, but hugged her curves in a less obvious, but not less becoming, way than the purple one had. This was also a good deal longer than the other dress, the beautiful silver material hanging to the middle of her calves. There was still a slit, and this one stopped mid-thigh, but on her right side. Bethany preferred it that way. Her ruined left leg may not have a brace on it the night of the wedding, but the tan line it had left on her skin would probably ruin the effect.

Bethany didn't even have to ask Amanda to know this dress was going to be her pick. It was so beautiful, and felt so nice on her skin. She matched it with a pair of silver stilettos Amanda had laid out for her, and was surprised at how comfortable this pair was. Everything about this ensemble was perfect, and she was ecstatic when she found Amanda and the bride whole-heartedly agreed. Amanda even snapped a couple of pictures on her phone and teased Bethany, saying she was going to send them to Jordan with all sorts of illicit captions.

A few jokes later, the two were out the door, giant dress bags in hand. They went over to Amanda's apartment to drop them off, but then Bethany had to run. She had planned a girls' night with her friends from work about a month ago, and she needed to get ready. She hugged Amanda goodbye, then left the other girl to her thoughts.

Amanda snuggled into her mattress and waited for Hunter to show up. He was supposed to be here soon to drop off his schedule for the next two weeks. Time was running short, and though Hunter had tried to get as much time off from work as he could, it wasn't always possible to do so. The life of a celebrity was a full one, and Amanda couldn't begrudge him that. As long as he could make it to the rehearsal dinner and the actual wedding, she was set.

The schedule was more for Markob's benefit. As one of his groomsmen, Hunter was involved in the planning and execution of Markob's bachelor party, which hadn't yet been planned due to scheduling conflicts. Markob was busy, too. He had assured Amanda that he would be finished with the case he was working on before the wedding, but she still worried. It was a high-profile case, and he had such a dangerous job, working undercover for the FBI.

Hunter opened her front door with a tiny knock, and she called out to him so he could find her sprawled on her bed. She smiled as he came in, and he bent to give her a friendly forehead kiss. He plopped down on the bed beside her and looked over her shoulder at what she was looking at.

"Ah, more flower arrangements, eh?" he asked, flipping a couple pages of her bridal magazine. "I thought you'd picked these a long time ago?"

She shrugged. "I just think they're pretty," she admitted. "Hey, want to see my wedding dress?"

She looked so excited that he couldn't say no, so she unlocked her phone and passed it over to him.

"I'll be right back, okay? I'm going to brew some coffee." She padded away, and Hunter flipped through the folders on Amanda's phone until he found her gallery. There was another folder labeled "Wedding", and he pressed it, bringing up the first picture.

"The dress is beautiful, Mandy!" he called, scrolling through a few more pictures of the dress she had chosen to get married in. She really did look gorgeous from every angle.

There were a few pictures after those of Amanda in her dress of veils, and Hunter flipped through those as well, hoping Mandy wasn't going to ask for his opinion on them. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the next frame.

Bethany James, donned in the single most elegant gown he'd ever seen. Her skin was tanner than he remembered, her body tighter, more toned. She was beaming, and her entire form glowed brightly. She was equal parts beautiful, classy, and sexy. He almost couldn't look away.

Hunter remembered his favorite pink dress, the one she would wear backstage on his tours. He remembered every instance she had ever worn it in sequential order, starting from the very first night she'd been in charge and ending with the night he'd asked her to marry him. He was sure that pink dress had nothing on this silver one.

Amanda came back with two mugs in hand, and Hunter quickly turned the photo back to one of the bride. He accepted the coffee she'd brought him, complimenting her choice of gown profusely.

Amanda gave him a look when his rambling compliments kept going past the limit of social acceptance.

"You saw the pictures of Bethany, didn't you?" she asked suspiciously, raising one eyebrow. He nodded guiltily. "It's okay to miss her, you know," Mandy assured him.

He shook his head. "No, it's not. She's moved on, and I'm dating Stephanie. It doesn't make any sense to miss her. I ended things; I shouldn't be thinking about her at all."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "That's all a bunch of hooey and you know it. She was your best friend for nearly two years, Hunter. Even if you hadn't been romantically involved, the way things ended sucked, and missing people you lose is only natural. Now, if you're still in love with her, then we have problems..." she paused a moment, waiting for him to deny what she'd said. He said nothing, so she finished, saying, "But missing her isn't a weakness, Hunt."

Hejust nodded slowly and changed the subject, leaving Amanda to wonder how he wasreally feeling...again.