Chasing Aubrey Read Free Page B

for my toast came and my anxiety was kicked into high gear. I kind of hated Bryce for making me do this, but it was a one-time thing so I figured I could suffer through it. My heart beat was irregular and too fast. My mouth was dry as I tried to gather up my little note cards for my speech. He was my best friend. The least I could do was suck it up, face my fears and tell him how happy I was for him.
    I clinked a knife against my glass, trying to get the attention of everyone in attendance. There were actually a lot more people present than I’d first thought. There were so many eyes on me. Everyone waiting… watching for something. I didn’t think I was going to be able to meet their expectations. I glanced over at Bryce who gave me a nod with a smile. I had to do this for him. It wasn’t about me or my insecurities. It was about supporting my best friend on the biggest day of his life.
    One deep breath followed by another served to settle my nerves as much as could be expected.
    My hands were shaking as I looked at my note cards. I read them over, my scribbles nearly illegible. Finally, I looked back to the happy couple and dropped the cards. Who needed a script anyway?
    “Hi everyone,” I started, trying to ignore how my voice trembled. I cleared my throat and decided I just had to power through my nerves and pretend that I wasn’t completely freaked out.
    “I have the honor of being Bryce’s best man and with that comes the privilege of standing up here and giving a toast to the newlyweds.” My eyes roved the crowd, looking for someone to focus on. At least then I would feel less like I was talking to an entire crowd.
    “Bryce Dorian has been my best friend for twenty years and I never thought the day would come where he found a woman that would put up with him.” There was a smattering of laughter throughout the crowd and I looked over to Marcie to see that she was smiling too.
    Someone caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. She was the only person not really looking at me. She looked like she was searching for someone in the crowd. I didn’t recognize her, but I also didn’t recognize half of the people here. Bryce was a very important man and there were people in attendance that were there for reasons beyond celebrating their marriage. Some people were necessary for political or business related reasons. Such was the burden of being such a well-renowned fellow.
    The woman was quite stunning though. It only helped my nerves that she wasn’t looking directly at me. I focused all of my attention on her and suddenly all my apprehension melted away.
    “When Marcie came into Bryce’s life, I thought it was the worst thing that could possibly happen. Obviously, I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’ve watched them both grow and change for the better because of the influence of one another.”
    She locked eyes with me now and I felt my mouth go dry again. Her eyes were tilted upwards at the edges, her heart-shaped face was framed with a dark curtain of hair and her red lips just begged for me to do terrible dirty things to her. At least I knew who I was taking home tonight.
    “I think that’s what love is really about. It’s not about finding the perfect mate; it’s about finding the person that you want to become perfect for. When you find that… you have something truly special. That’s what Bryce and Marcie have. I’m so happy for you buddy. Here’s to a long happy life together.” I raised my glass to the crowd and we all took a long swig of champagne to honor the couple.
    I couldn’t believe I’d gotten through that speech without making a complete fool of myself. I took my seat next to Bryce again and tried to hide the fact that my face was bright red with nerves and embarrassment.
    Bryce clapped a hand on my shoulder and squeezed, not having the words to say what he wanted.
    True to her nature, Marcie leaned over him, beaming at me.
    “Tanner, that was beautiful. Thank you so