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ONE
travis
Four Years Earlier
“I NOW PRONOUNCE you husband and wife.”
The crowd of hundreds gathered in the Grand Ballroom at New York’s prestigious Plaza Hotel broke into thunderous applause as my mom, celebrated actress Vera McKinney, kissed her man, also known as her second husband and Wall Street executive Richard Reeves.
From beside his dad, serving as best man, Caleb Reeves grinned at the happy couple, and when he looked past my mom to where I stood next to her—also as best man, because this was no maid-of-honor shit—his smile widened.
This night had been a long time coming, three years of all four of us playing house together, and now it was finally official. Caleb wasn’t just my best friend anymore—he was my stepbrother.
I shot him a wink just as Mom turned around, leaning in to kiss my cheek.
“Congratulations,” I said, handing her the extravagant bouquet I’d been in charge of during the ceremony. The trim went well with my tuxedo, a black and gold damask couturenumber, so I hadn’t minded the accessory, even if Caleb hadn’t held one. As it was, he’d gone with a classic black tux, so it looked better with me anyway.
Applause continued as I joined Caleb to follow after our parents down the aisle.
“Well, well, well,” I said, smirking. “Looks like you can’t get rid of me now.”
“Oh shit. No takebacks?”
“Nope.”
“Huh. Guess you’re stuck with me too, then,stepbrother.” Grinning like a fiend, he threw his arm around my shoulders, and I did the same as we headed past all the guests, which included several of our friends making lewd gestures like idiots. I’d made sure they were on the guest list, but it looked like they’d all been dipping into the flasks I saw them filling up while we were getting ready. The reception would have an open bar, but my mom wouldn’t be too keen on a bunch of teenagers getting smashed.
Sooo we’d have to do it privately.
“Nice bouquet,” I heard one of them—probably West—say.
“Don’t do it,” Caleb said.
“Do what?”
“Flip him off.” He nodded down at where I’d already started to lift my hand. “We’re still being filmed.”
“I think our parents would be more surprised if Ididn’tflip someone off at least twice tonight.”
“You have a point, but…” He knocked my hand away, and I let out an exaggerated sigh.
“Fiiine. But if you think I’m behaving all night?—”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Good. Because I think our friends back there might make a scene on the dance floor.”
“Let’s hope so.” When I raised a brow, he shrugged. “Someone’s gotta get these uptight richies to have a good time.”
I gasped. “Caleb Reeves. Are you encouraging debauchery?”
As we made it to the end of the aisle and into the foyer, he turned toward me, a wicked twinkle in his eyes.
“Looks like you’ve been rubbing off on me, McKinney.”
“WHAT THE HELL are you trying to do? The robot?” I screwed up my nose at the picture Caleb was making on the dance floor. At some point he’d lost his jacket and his tie, and several of the buttons on his shirt were undone.
“Isn’t it obvious?” he said, repeating whatever that move was, and I snorted out a laugh.
