“Shit.” I spun away from Asher’s backside and unconsciously wiped at my mouth as if I really had been drooling. Then I returned to the karaoke machine and started song after song.
The night progressed, alcohol flowed freely, and my cousin picked up a few songs for me so I could rest my voice. I chugged water and watched the dancing and the laughter and the comradery. But mostly I watched Asher. He fit with this crew. His coworkers continually jostled him and laughed, joking and bantering.
It was nice.
He looked happy. Which made me glad, and yet sad because I’d never get the chance to make him happy again.
When it came time for the bouquet toss, Reese and Felicity wheeled Sarah onto the floor, and they helped her catch the flowers. Afterward, all the guys shoved a stumbling Asher into the middle of the dancefloor by himself as Pick removed Eva’s garter. He turned and tried to get Mason and Knox to join him, but they both shook their heads and said they were practically married, so Asher found Noel’s two younger brothers, Colton and Brandt, and dragged them out there with him.
I laughed and shook my head, amazed I remembered everyone’s names. But Asher had talked about them enough, describing them all perfectly when he’d thought I was a guy, that it was easy to tell who was who. I almost felt as if I knew them as well as he did.
Brandt ended up catching the garter after Asher dive-bombed out of the way. Grinning, he waved it like a flag before carrying it over to Sarah and slipping it around her head like a headband.
When I started to play the group-dance songs like The Chicken Dance, Limbo, and Cha-Cha Slide, I couldn’t help but give Asher a shout out, when it came time for the Hokey Pokey.
“Hey, everyone,” I called into the microphone. “The best man’s going to need a little help from all the ladies with this next song because...” I placed my hand over the mike for a bit to make a face, then I removed my fingers to lean forward, confessing, “He doesn’t know his left from his right very well.”
He laughed and shook his head even as he flipped me off. But then he gladly accepted all the help from Reese, Eva, Felicity, Caroline, Zoey and Aspen, who hurried forward to do the Hokey Pokey with him.
Afterward, I passed the microphone to Big T so he could entertain everyone with the Mexican Hat Dance song. The best man saw me taking a break and strolled forward in that sexy male saunter only Asher Hart could perfect, shaking his head and still chuckling.
“Thanks a lot, smart-ass,” he said. “I can’t believe you remember me admitting that.”
I sent him a small smile as I sipped my water. “I remember everything about you.”
His eyes heated at my confession, and I knew he was remembering things too. Nipples hardening and my panties growing moist, I cleared my throat and tried not to get too aroused, even though I failed.
A giggling pair of drunk girls stumbled up to us, breaking into the moment. When I realized it was the bride and maid of honor, I straightened respectfully.
“Remy,” Reese called, glassy-eyed and swaying into Eva as she grasped my arm. “Can you sing ‘Dear Future Husband’ so I can dance for Mason? I think it could really help cheer him up.”
I ground my teeth at the request for a Meghan Trainor song. I’d been hoping to avoid all of her music tonight in the hopes of not irritating Asher’s ire further by reminding him of “All About That Bass.” But Reese had been through a lot of shit lately, burying her mother-in-law, taking on a teenage sister-in-law. I couldn’t tell her no.
Before I could nod, though, Eva said, “And I want you and Asher to sing ‘Marvin Gaye’ together. I heard about your antics last night and how awesome you two sounded together, so now I want to hear it myself. Plus, I want to dance with my man to that one.”
Really? These guys were trying to doom me here. Not one but two Meghan Trainor songs, and one of them with Asher? He’d flip his lid.
He and I shared a reluctant glance. He didn’t want to sing with me as much as I didn’t want to make him but secretly did want to sing with him.
Before we could refuse though, Eva lifted her arm and declared, “The bride has spoken.”
“Shit,” Asher muttered, but turned to Eva and said, “Whatever you want, baby doll.”
“Goodie.” She clapped and leapt forward to slap a kiss to his cheek. “You’re the best brother-in-law ever. Now play my song first.”
So, after Big T finished, Asher and I queued up Meghan Trainor and Charlie Puth and got it on. It was strange, standing so close to him when he sounded so amazing, smelled so good and looked so fine as we sang about sex together, all the while knowing I’d never get to touch him again.
I found myself glancing over at him as I sang a few meaningful lyrics, only to find his gaze on me as well. We kept eye contact for the rest of the song, and there was no way I could stop my arousal from claiming me full force by the time the last words left our lips.