Alec

I nodded my head.

"They invited you to their weddin'? The evil fuckin' bastards!" Aideen growled.

I felt a little dizzy so I pulled out a chair from my kitchen table and sat down before I leaned my head forward and placed it on the table and let the tears come. "Why would they do this to me?"

"Because they are evil, pure fuckin' evil!"

I cried hard when Aideen began to read out loud the wedding invitation to Micah's and Jason's wedding. She stopped midway, ripped the invite up, got her lighter from her purse and lit it on fire. I sat up straight and stared at her when she walked to the sink, dropped the burning innovation into the sink then poured water on it. The fire alarm went off from the smoke so Aideen stood up on a chair, pulled the battery out of the alarm on the ceiling then got down and opened the windows in the apartment to air it out.

I didn't move as she did all this, I could only sit there and cry.

"I still can’t believe I didn't recognise Jason, I'm so stupid. When he pulled me at the pub last year I thought he really liked me. He was with me for six weeks just to get back at Micah for cheatin' on him. That bastard made me fall for him and he knew it!"

Aideen moved in front of me and kneeled down. "You had never seen Jason in person, you don't go round to Micah's house at all. The most you had seen is pictures of him on Facebook. He dyed his hair black and hit the gym since his school year ended. He isn't the same person that’s on his profile picture, he looks very different so this is not your fault. He played you, that fucker took your virginity for fuck's sake!"

I sobbed as I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around Aideen and squeezed.

"We will just pretend you never got that invite, okay? We're here all day, I can arrange all my course work for the students who are attending summer school this year and you can write some more of your book. What do you say?"

I groaned and pulled back from our hug. "I can't even think about writin' at the moment. I just want to go to bed and not get up ever again."

When Aideen slapped me across the face, it me took a few seconds for the pain and realisation of what she did to hit me. "What was that for?" I snapped and lifted my hand to my now throbbing cheek.

"For gettin' yourself into a slump over a prick who does not deserve it!" Aideen stated.

I frowned and continued to rub my cheek as I said, "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, not for anythin'. Okay?"

I nodded my head and hugged Aideen again and when we separated I said, "I have to go to the weddin'. You know me ma will come round here and pester me for life if I don't. If I go and sit down in the back of the church and reception she won't care."

Aideen growled, "I hate your ma."

I smiled making Aideen chuckle.

I sighed. "I just wish I didn't have to go single, that will only make the entire day worse."

"The entire week actually. The weddin' is in the Bahamas and you leave in the next few days."

"What?" I screeched.

Aideen nodded. "That's what the invitation said."

"Fuck!" I groaned and hung my head.

We were silent for a moment until Aideen dramatically gasped which made me jump.

"What?" I asked.

She looked at me and said, "You're goin' to kill me, but I have a solution for you so you won't be attendin' the weddin' as a single woman."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Yeah, what's that then?"

"Not that, more like who?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Who then?"

Aideen smirked as she said, "Alec Slater."

"What about Alec Slater?" I asked Aideen with my eyebrows raised.

Aideen gave me an are-you-serious look then sighed. "He could be your date to Jason's and Micah's weddin'. Duh!"

For real?

I burst out laughing. "Yeah, right!"

Aideen shoved my shoulder. "I'm dead serious, this is what he does. Well, not exactly what he does but it's close enough."

I felt my eyes roll with confusion. "Ado, I've no clue what you're talkin' about."

Aideen pinched the bridge of her nose and blew out a long breath before she focused on me and said in a low voice, "Alec is a male escort, Keela."

I held Aideen's stare for a few seconds before I cracked up laughing again. Aideen grunted and slapped at my arms to get me to stop laughing, and after a minute or so it worked.

"I'm not jokin'!" Aideen bellowed.

I was still chuckling a little as I said, "I don't believe you."

Aideen folded her arms across her chest. "Keela, I swear on me life that I'm not jokin' with you. I'm dead serious. Alec is a male escort."

My shoulders stopped moving and my chuckles slowed until no more sounds of laughter came from my mouth. I blinked as I looked at Aideen, her face didn't hold any hint of a smile like she was playing with me and that freaked me out more than a little.

"You're serious?" I asked my voice a whisper.

Aideen nodded. "Yes, I didn't believe at first because Branna told me one night when she was drunk, but when I said it to her the next day she flipped out and made me promise never to tell anyone."

I gestured between Aideen and myself. "What's this then?"

Aideen snorted and waved me off. "You're me best friend, so you don't count."

That's Aideen's logic for you on a plate.

I chewed on my bottom lip as I tilted my head back and looked up at the ceiling. "Okay, I believe you, but I don't see how Alec bein' an escort helps me. I was in his presence for only five minutes and I already can't stand him. He is dickhead."

Aideen laughed. "So? Alec is gorgeous, and havin' someone like him on your arm will be the ultimate fuck you to Jason and Micah. Jason hates Dominic Slater, so chances are that he hates his brothers as well. Come on Keela, just think about how pissed he will be that you're with a Slater at his weddin'."

I could picture Jason's face twisted in anger and it brought a smile to my face.

"Okay, I agree that it would be great to rub someone Jason hates in his face, but I don't think Alec will agree to it. I mean, I pushed him to the ground and called him a batty boy."

Aideen waggled her eyebrows at me. "There is only one way to find out if he will be your date."

"Which is what?"

Aideen winked. "You ask him."

I sat up straight. "You want me to ask him to be me date to me cousin's weddin' after what I said and did to him last night?"

"Yes," Aideen replied instantly.

She was unreal!

I groaned. "And if I say no?"

Aideen shrugged. "I'll ring and ask him for you."

The evil cow!

I gasped. "You wouldn't dare!"

Aideen devilishly smirked. "Try me, Kay."

I slightly whimpered, "I hate you."

"I love you, too."

I closed my eyes and thought this over.

Did I like what I knew of Alec Slater so far?

No.

Did I want to be around him for a week if he accepted an offer to come to the Bahamas as my date to Micah's and Jason's wedding?

Hell no.

Did I want to actually see him again after our first interaction last night?

Heaven and Hell no.

Those points aside; did I want to have someone who looked like him posing as my boyfriend to my family and Jason?

Yes. God, yes!

I smacked my hand against the table when I came to my decision. "Fine, I'll ask him."

"Success!" Aideen cheered.

I snickered at her then watched as she jumped to her feet.

"Easy tiger, why so jumpy?"

Aideen moved closer to me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me to my feet. "Go get a shower, we're goin' to get this done in the next hour."