The Wedding Date

***All characters are over 18 and are fictional. Any resemblance to any real-life persons is purely coincidental.

***I posted this story recently, but had it removed to fix some mistakes in the story.

...

Nick strolled into the office with a big smile. It had been three weeks since he had been there because he was stuck at home with COVID19, staying away from everyone he knew. He was fortunate that he only had the milder symptoms of the virus and got to work from home, but now it was time to go back to the real world.

Out of nowhere, his closest work friend, Rachel ran up to him and hugged him hard. She had gotten the vaccine, so she didn't mind hugging people.

"I missed you so much," she said before she let go of the hug.

"I missed you too," said Nick.

He was greeted by more of coworkers who were happy to have him back. He told them what it was like to have the virus and the shows he got to binge watch while in quarantine. His coworkers got him a welcome back cake; Nick knew it was just an excuse to get a cake for the office but he didn't care.

When he got to his office, the smile disappeared from his face. Despite how he appeared to his coworkers, he was actually miserable. During his quarantine, he found out his girlfriend, Karen, had broken up with him after she revealed she had been cheating on him.

He later found out on Facebook the guy she was cheated on him with was her ex-boyfriend, a man who did not treat her very well. Besides constantly cheating on her, he was very insulting and was constantly taking her for granted.

Nick had known Karen for several years before they started dating and learned early on that she had a thing for guys who didn't treat her right. He didn't have it in him to be a total jerk, so he never had a chance with her. When it finally seemed like she was done with those type of men, he decided to go for it and asked her out.

In the beginning things were great between them. But after a few months he saw how bored she was getting with him being a nice guy. He tried acting a little like a jerk to her to keep her interested in him and it worked. He never acted horrible to her, just made some bad comments occasionally and pretended to neglect her, simple things to keep her interested.

Eventually, he couldn't keep up with the charade and slowly slipped back into his normal persona. He hoped that she would adjust to who he really was, but evidentially she didn't.

Nick tried to focus on his work, but his mind kept going back to Karen. He got some good distractions from the occasional coworker who came by to chat with him. He was getting tired of talking about how he had coronavirus, but it was a welcome distraction from having to think about Karen.

Around 1pm, Rachel came by to get him to join her in the break room for lunch. There, he told her more about his time in quarantine. They discussed a few things about her and she got him caught up on the office gossip he missed out on. She was shocked when he told her about what happed with Jessica.

"That bitch," she said. "But I did warn you about her when you two started dating."

"Yes, you did," Nick replied.

"I warned you about how you being a nice guy and her history with men who mistreated her was not going to end well."

"Yes, you did."

"And how you shouldn't be trying to act like a jerk just to make her happy."

"Yes, you did," he said. "Are you done proving how you right you were?"

"Yes," she said with a smug smile. "So, are you going to start dating soon now that you're out of quarantine."

"I don't know it may be too soon," Nick replied. "Karen and I were together for two years. I want to go out again, but I don't know if I'm ready yet."

"Maybe what you need is a practice date," said Rachel.

"What do you mean."

"Something to get you out there again, but not for anything serious."

"How am I supposed to get a practice date?"

"With me," she replied. "I need a date for a wedding this Saturday, can you go with me?"

Nick chucked a little as he realized what she was trying to this whole time.

"I know you're probably thinking that I was working you just now, and I definitely was," she said. "But I've been to three straight weddings without a date and I can't go to a fourth one dateless."

Nick remembered her talking about this before. The first two times it happened she had broken up with the guy before the weddings, and the third time the guy just could make it. Nick knew how awkward it can feel having to go to a wedding alone and didn't want her to go through that a fourth time.

"Ok, I'll do it," he told her. "You're right, it could be good practice to have a nice night out with a beautiful woman."

Rachel pumped a fist in the air in excitement.

"Thank you. I promise you won't regret this," she said.

She grabbed his head by the cheeks and kissed him hard on the forehead.

"By the way, the wedding is in Bryersville," she sprung on him.

"What?" he shouted and quickly looked around to see if anyone heard him. "That's almost six hours away."

"That's why I booked a room at the same hotel the wedding will be held at. WE can spend the night there."

"Double beds?"

"Single," she said. "But we're adults, we can share a bed without it being something intimate."

"You're springing a lot on me all at once," said Nick.

"Do you still want to go?

"Yes, I'll go, but please no more surprises."

"No more, I promise."

That week things went smoothly in the office for Nick. He got caught up pretty quickly with some of the things he missed and people stopped asking him about his time away for quarantine. He also got three new clients, including a high profile one which made his bosses very happy.

Throughout the week, he and Rachel planned out their trip. They agreed to take Nick's car because it was roomier and they would leave very early to stop for lunch along the way and make it in time for the hotel check-in.

That Saturday, they had a good time during their road trip goofing around in the car and singing along to their favorite songs on the radio. They were in a good mood until they were about half an hour away from the hotel and Rachel had to spring some more news to him.

"By the way, I told people you were my boyfriend," she said.

"What?"

"After being dateless the last few time I don't want my family to think I can't get a boyfriend and I had to drag one of my guy friends along for this."

"I told you, no more surprises.

"I know, I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't plan it that way, it just sort of happened."

"Ok, it's no big deal, I can pretend to be your boyfriend."

"Thank you, and again I'm sorry."

The hotel was big, but the wedding party was kept small because of covid restrictions. They got a good look at the reception hall; it was large and all the tables only seated four people and were at a reasonable distance from each other.

They met up with some of Rachel's family members including her parents. It was awkward for Nick to pretend he was dating their daughter, but he went along with it.

When they got to the hotel room they decided to chill out for an hour before they got ready. They sat on the bed next to each other as they watched some American Ninja Warrior on ESPN. They cheered on their favorite contestants and joked about how far either one of them would actually go on that show.

When it was time to get ready, Rachel took a few things from her luggage and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Nick, however, got a good haircut a few days earlier and shaved early that morning; all he had to do was put on his suit and cologne and he was done.

About twenty minutes later, Rachel came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body and her wet blonde hair falling over her shoulders. She saw Nick on the bed watching TV, fully dressed and ready to go.

"You men are so lucky," she said. "You just have to shave and put on a nice suit, while we have to do this whole time-consuming ritual just to look pretty."

"I know, it's a very sweet deal," Nick replied with a smile.

"Don't be an asshole," she said jokingly.

She went through her luggage again and she had to bend down to do so. Nick couldn't help noticing the amount of cleavage she was showing; her breasts were practically falling out of the towel that was barely holding itself. The show ended when Rachel grabbed everything she needed from her luggage and went back to the bathroom.

Nick realized he had big hard-on going on and was relieved that Rachel didn't notice. He always thought Rachel was an attractive woman and he had considered asking her out in the past, but they were never single at the same time before. Then he dated Karen for a long time and just forgot about it.

After 45-minutes of hearing Rachel blow-drying her hair and making various noises in the bathroom, she finally came out fully dressed in a beautiful dark blue, tight-fitting dress with black high heels. It had an asymmetrical hem to show off a little more of her left leg, thin shoulder straps and showed a modest amount of cleavage on top.

"Damn," was all Nick could say.

"That's the response I was hoping for," said Rachel.

"I hope the bride won't get too jealous of you."

She quickly touched up her makeup in the mirror by the TV and they were both on their way.

They met up with some more of Rachel's family members before the wedding. They stood close by each other, playing the loving couple as best they could. They were told many times how what a good-looking couple they were. They got plenty of pictures with each other, most of them involved Nick having to hold her close to him, which he enjoyed.

The wedding was beautiful, the bride and grooms wedding vows made plenty of people cry. Rachel was tearing up as she held Nick's arm form comfort. Even Nick felt that he was about to shed a tear a few times.

After the ceremony, Rachel quickly went off to the bathroom to fix her makeup, leaving Nick on his own in the lobby with Rachel's family. He was told again by a few more of them about how they seemed like a perfect couple. This got Nick thinking about how wonderful Rachel was and how well they get along with each other. He decided that after the wedding he would finally ask her out on a real date.

Rachel came back from the bathroom and met up with Nick.

"How's my makeup?" she asked.

"Perfect," he replied.

"Thank you," she said. "You know if you really want to play the part of the good boyfriend well, you should kiss me."

"Kiss you?" Nick asked with a surprised tone.

"Yes, I'm supposed to be your girlfriend after all," she said. "It's only a kiss."

Nick didn't think much of it, he thought she made a good point about how they were supposed to portray themselves in front of everyone. He leaned in and kissed her slightly on the mouth before pulling back.

"Oh, come on, I know I'm your fake girlfriend, but you can do better than that," she said teasingly.

Nick accepted the challenge, held her close and kissed her better the second time. The kiss was longer and more passionate. When it ended, Rachel's face looked flushed. Nick was about to say something to her when they were interrupted.

"Hey Rachel, glad you can make it."

They both turned to see a dark-haired woman in the arms of a tall and very handsome who wore an expensive suit.

"Hey Tammy," Rachel replied. "Scott, you're looking good."

"So are you, Rachel."

"Nick this is my cousin Tammy, and this is Scott."

"I hope this isn't going to be awkward," said Scott.

"Why would it?" said Rachel. "We're all adults here."

"Why would it be awkward?" asked Nick, which he immediately regretted doing because awkward situations like those never had a good story behind them.

"Nothing to be concerned about, sweetie," said Rachel as she held Nick closer to her. "Nick and I used to be engaged several years ago, and now he's engaged to my cousin Tammy."

Nick suddenly remembered the story of Scott. The cheating, lying spoiled trust-fund baby who didn't treat her very well when they were together. They were engaged for a brief time, but he broke it off simply because he didn't want to be tied down. But form the size of the diamond that Nick noticed on Tammy's finger, it seemed he had reconsidered the idea of marriage.

"I guess we'll see you around," said Scott.

"Of course, I hope you guys have fun tonight," said Rachel.

When Tammy and Scott walked away, Rachel pulled Nick close and gave him a big kiss on the mouth. The kiss was less enjoyable than before because Nick could tell that Rachel was looking over at Scott and Tammy at the same time.

It became clear to Nick that Rachel only asked him to be her date as a way to make her jerk ex-fiancé jealous. This annoyed him greatly, especially since moments before he had been seriously thinking of asking Rachel out for real.

The wedding guests were told the reception hall was ready for them and they all made their way there. They all sat together in their assigned tables; Nick and Rachel were with her cousin George and his six-month pregnant wife.

The bride and groom entered the room and everyone stood up to clap for them as they made their way to their table. Nick tried to tell Rachel how beautiful the bride looked but he could see how distracted she was as shew as looking around the room.

During the dinner, Nick did his best making small talk with George and his wife. He tried to get Rachel in on the conversation but her attention was elsewhere. A few tables away, sat Tammy and Scott, holding hands and looking at each other lovingly, and Nick could see the anger and jealousy in Rachel's eyes.

Nick was getting very upset with Rachel. He clearly remembered the stories she told him about how he made her cry when he cheated on her or belittled her in front of their friends. She told him he was the reason she stopped going after jerks and why she used to warn him about Karen. Now here she was, trying to get the attention of a guy who also treated her badly.

George and his wife left the table to dance, leaving Nick alone with Rachel.

"Rachel, we need to talk," Nick began to say. "I know what you're--"

He was interrupted when Rachel kissed him hard on the mouth again. He could see in the corner of his eye that Scott and Tammy were walking past them to get to the dance floor. When they were out of sight, Rachel stopped kissing him.

"Ok, I know why you did that," said Nick.

"To play my part of the loving girlfriend" she replied.

"No, you did this too—"

"Let's dance," she said.

"What?"

"It's a party, let's dance."

Before Nick could say anything, Rachel stood up quickly from the table, grabbed Nick by the arm and forced him to get on the dance floor with her. Nick didn't know what else to do but to dance along to "Love Shack" by the B-52s.

They were having fun on the dance floor and Nick was starting to think that Rachel was forgetting about Scott. When the DJ began to play "Hot in Here" by Nelly and she was grinding against him, he really thought she was into him. But by the end of the song, he could see how close they were to Scott and realized it was all a show for him.

When the DJ played something to play something to slow dance to, all the couples held each other close as they danced. Nick took Rachel into his arms, hoping the slow dance would put the focus back on him but it clearly wasn't working. He tried to guide her away from the Scott's vicinity, but she was constantly pulling back towards him.

"Do you think I'm beautiful?" Rachel asked.

"Of course, I do," Nick answered. "You're the most beautiful woman here."

"Then why don't you prove it," she said. "Grab my ass."

"What?"

"Grab my ass," she said again. "It'll be fun."

He finally noticed how much closer they were getting towards Scott and knew what she was doing.

"Would it be fun for me, or to make Scott jealous?"

"Don't be like that," she said. "You know you want to, so just do it."

"I don't think so," said Nick.

"Come on, just do it."

She reached behind her to grab Nick's hand that was on her lower back and tried to force it down to her ass, but Nick resisted.

"Stop being a child," she said. "What kind of man doesn't want to grab a woman's ass."

With that comment, Nick pulled away from her and walked off the dance floor. Rachel tried to catch up with him but he only walked faster. She finally caught up with him the lobby and grabbed him by the arm to forced him to stop walking away from her.

"What are you doing?" She snapped at him. "People could've seen us storm off like that."

"Or maybe just Scott," said Nick. "The one who's attention you really want."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what the fuck I'm talking about," he snapped at her. "You're using me to make some jerk ex-fiancé jealous. That's why I'm here, isn't it?"

Rachel said nothing but looked away from Nick in embarrassment.

"That guy treated you like shit and you still want him back in your life, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"I don't know," she said as a tear began forming in her eye.

"Don't worry, maybe me storming off would get his attention. And when he marries Tammy, you could be the side-piece he's banging for fun but never make a commitment to; something you will complain about but would secretly enjoy doing."

Rachel was in shock from what Nick had just said to her. Nick felt a little bad about it but didn't let it show because he knew she need to hear it. He walked away from her without saying another word.

He went back the hotel room, kicked off his uncomfortable dress shoes, threw off his suit jacket and tie and sat up on the bed to watch some TV. He knew Rachel would eventually come back to the hotel room, but he had nowhere else to go and didn't feel like driving several hours in the middle of the night to get back home just to get away from her.

It was almost an hour before Rachel showed up in their room. She looked like she had cried earlier but fixed it up with makeup.

She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Nick who was focusing on a replay of a 1980's NFL game being shown on the TV.

"You're right about everything," she said. "I was a total bitch to you tonight."

That got Nick's attention and he muted the TV.

"Despite how much I've told people I was over those type of men, I'm definitely not. Even when you snapped at me and said those horrible things, I couldn't help feeling turned on by it."

"You did?"

"Yes, and that's when I realized how completely messed-up I am," she continued to say. "Here you are, a super nice guy, someone I wish I could've dated for real, and I mistreated you just to get the attention of some jackass who made a pass at me ten minutes ago and wanted to take me back to his hotel room."

"He did?" That surprised Nick, because from what he saw, he didn't think Scott was paying any attention to Rachel at all.

"Yes, but in that moment, I realized how right you were," she said. "So, I slapped him hard across the face and left him standing there."

Hearing her say that made Nick smile again. He moved from his spot and sat on the edge of the bed next to Rachel.

"I'm sorry for the things I said to you."

"Don't be, I needed to hear it. It gave me something to seriously think about."

"But still, I am sorry."

"And I'm very sorry for how I treated you."

They looked into each other's eyes and said nothing for the longest time.

"Do you want to have dinner with me next weekend?" Nick asked.

"What?" Rachel asked with surprise.

"I know it's bad timing, but I really wanted to ask you after the wedding and it just felt right to do it now."

Rachel chuckled a little from the situation. "Yes, let's go out for real this time."

They gave each other a big hug and then looked into each other's eyes again. They moved their faces close together and finally gave each other a real kiss, far more intense than the fake ones they were doing earlier.