Here Comes the Bride

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

.....

Evan was on his third attempt fixing his tie. He got it done correctly and was proud that it was a new record for him; usually it took a lot more tries. His ex-wife used to get it done for him on the first try, but she wasn't around anymore, so he had to do his own tie. It was times like this he missed her, then he remembered she was a cheating bitch and was glad they divorced.

"Perfect," he said to himself in the mirror.

After he fixed up his hair a little, he left his hotel room and made his way to the banquet hall for the rehearsal dinner for one of his longtime friends' sister, Heather. He had known her for at least as long as he had known her brother, Tom, since they were freshmen in high school, almost fifteen years ago. They weren't close friends, but through her brother, he still considered her one. They have occasionally hung out together in the same group settings over the years, so they knew each other well enough for her to invite him to the wedding.

Originally, he was only invited to the wedding, not the rehearsal dinner, which was normally for family, wedding party members, and very close friends. But when Heather found out he was staying at the same hotel the wedding was going to be held at, she decided it was only appropriate he should come to the rehearsal dinner as well.

Evan could've stayed at a family or friend's house while he was in town for the wedding; enough of them invited him to stay at their places. But he told them he'd rather have a hotel room so he could have some more privacy and get to the wedding faster. That was only partially true, but the main reason was, like most single men who are invited to a wedding, he was hoping for a hookup. Having his own hotel room would give him some place to take the lucky woman when the wedding is over.

It was mostly his friend Tom's idea; he saw how much Evan was struggling after his divorce to meet women and thought this might be good for him. Evan started dating right away when the divorce went through, excited to move on to someone else to help him forget how badly his marriage ended. But his game was way off, and he just couldn't hold a girlfriend for very long. He hadn't even had sex in the last year since he became single again, which was the most frustrating thing about it. He would not have cared if he wasn't dating anybody long-term as long as he was occasionally getting laid, but it just wasn't happening for him.

So, when he was invited to the wedding, Tom convinced him how this would be a good time for him to just go for a hookup. Nothing long-term, just a one-night stand with a pretty woman to get his game back. Weddings were a perfect place to meet women who found themselves in a romantic mood and hoped to meet a man there. Even if they don't meet a man to fall in love with, some of them were just fine with just hooking up with someone themselves.

Even before Evan was married, he was never a one-night-stand type of guy. It happened a couple of times, but mostly he liked being with someone, even if it wasn't going to be a long-term situation. But now, he felt like getting a hookup was just what he needed to get his confidence with women back. For something like this, he didn't have to work too hard to get into a relationship with someone; he just had to be charming enough to meet a woman and have one night of fun.

At the banquet hall, he met up with Tom and his wife, Melissa.

"Ready to get laid," said Melissa, which took Evan by surprise.

"Yeah, she knows," said Tom.

"I was hoping to be a little discreet about my intentions for the wedding," said Evan.

"Please, you're not the only guest here hoping for a wedding hookup," said Melissa. "In fact, I hope it does happen for you."

"You are?" Evan asked.

"Wedding hookups are a lot of fun, and it could lead to something more if you're lucky. It's how Tom and I met."

That was true, Tom and Melissa met at a mutual friend's wedding. Both of them were on the prowl for a wedding hookup, not realizing the other person was doing the same thing. They hooked up that night, and somehow it led to something a lot more between them. Melissa said she hoped Evan would meet the right woman at the wedding, but she was fine helping him find someone for just one night of fun. She knew from Tom how badly he had been striking out with women and knew he needed to just get laid.

Both Tom and Melissa started to point out the single women in the room. There were going to be a lot more women at the wedding tomorrow, but for now, they can give him a good lead on some of the women at the rehearsal dinner before the other male guests get the chance with them. Four out of the five bridesmaids are single, and they let him know which ones were easy to get into bed. This included the maid of honor, who Melissa suggested was a total tramp. They also pointed out four other of the bride's single friends and three of Tom's female cousins.

They gave him all the details he needed, and he decided which ones were easiest to approach. He figured he'd go after the maid of honor, since Melissa suggested how easy it might be to get her into bed, but he was still going to see what he could do with the other women in the room. Tomorrow, at the wedding, Tom and Melissa promised they'd have details on plenty of other single women he could use for his wedding hookup.

When Evan was ready, he made his way around the banquet hall to begin his mission. He first met up with the guests he already knew not only to catch up but also not to make it too obvious of his intentions if he goes to the single women right away. Through them, he met members of the groom's family and friends, and from there he met up with some of the single women he wanted to meet.

Melissa advised him to just be himself and talk to them casually, saying it was the best way to get their attention. If he started flirting right away, they'd figure out what he's really after, and it might hinder his plans. There's no telling which ones are also planning a wedding hookup themselves or which ones are just there for fun and nothing else. A few might even let people know that he was just some creep looking to get laid and might prevent him from achieving his goals. So, it was best to just be casual about it and see how it goes with each woman he meets.

About half an hour later, Heather and her fiancé Anthony entered the banquet hall and started meeting their guests. Evan was in awe at how lovely Heather looked. She was a year younger than Evan, about 5'6", with long black hair and an athletic body, with full C-cup breasts. She was wearing a lovely long black dress that tightened perfectly around her curves and showed just a modest amount of cleavage on top.

When she got around to meeting Evan, she was excited to meet him.

"I'm so glad you're here," said Heather.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," said Evan.

They gave each other a hug and kissed each other's cheek. Evan told her she looked beautiful and couldn't wait to see how she looked in her wedding dress tomorrow. She thanked him for the compliment, and they caught up a little on each other's lives before her fiancé came around and introduced himself. He seemed like a nice guy and was sure he would be a good husband for Heather. Heather and Anthony had to move on to meet the other guests, so they said goodbye and separated to mingle with other people.

Evan began flirting with some of the women at the party when he thought he was ready. Not overly doing it, but just enough to show he's interested in them but still keep it friendly. Tom and Melissa were wrong about a few of the single women they pointed out, as he found out they had wedding dates. It didn't bother Evan because it only narrowed down the playing field. The one who seemed to be the most interested in him was Lacey, the maid of honor. He didn't think she was a tramp like Melissa suggested, but she was very flirtatious.

The flirting between them didn't last long as the wedding rehearsal was about to begin, and everyone went to the wedding hall. Evan sat down and watched as the wedding coordinator went through everything with the wedding party members and got them organized in how they had to proceed. They practiced a few times going up and down the aisle and their placements, and when the coordinator saw they got everything correct, they were done with the rehearsal and everyone went off to the dinner.

They went across the street to an Italian restaurant for dinner. They were grouped between six tables, and Evan was sitting next to Lacey most of the time. She was getting a little more assertive in her flirting, and it was becoming abundantly clear to Evan of her intentions. He played it cool, but deep down he was getting very excited about what was about to happen later tonight.

After dinner, they were served drinks, but by then most of the party was beginning to leave. Evan and Lacey had a few drinks together; they weren't drunk but definitely getting a good buzz going. They wanted more drinks, but the waiter wasn't around to order more, so Evan offered to get them something from the bar.

The bar was near the lobby, out of the view of the dining area. There, he found Melissa getting a drink.

"Why are you drinking alone?" Evan asked.

"I just needed some space; I'll be back to the party soon," she replied. "Things are going well between you and Lacey."

"Yeah, she's really nice," said Evan.

"And very easy," said Heather. "Looks like you don't have to wait for the wedding after all."

Evan was surprised by what Heather just said and realized why she said it.

"Evan and Melissa told you, didn't they?" Evan asked.

"Hey, I'm not judging," she said. "I know your situation because of your ex, so I can't blame you for wanting to get some action."

"Thanks for understanding."

Evan got his drinks from the bartender and as soon as he took a few steps away from the bar, he stopped when he saw Lacey meeting a big guy at the front door and giving him a big kiss. Evan was, of course, confused about what was going on. Lacey walked away with that guy; she did notice Evan looking at them and mouthed the word 'sorry' as she disappeared back into the dining area. Evan went back to the bar and decided to have both those drinks for himself.

Heather saw the whole thing, and he was prepared to talk to her about his embarrassment.

"That's her boyfriend, she said. "Sorry we didn't warn you about him."

"You knew she had a boyfriend?" he asked. "Now that I think of it, did everyone know and not say anything while they watched us flirt with each other?"

"Not everyone; just me, Tom, and Melissa," said Heather. "And the rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen, and at least a few others."

"And nobody said anything?"

"She cheats on him all the time; we're used to it," she said. "There's a joke among us that she should be called the maid of dishonor, and she coined that phrase. She's kind of a tramp in case you haven't heard."

"Yeah, I've heard," he said as he finished off his first drink.

"I'm sorry. I thought he wasn't going to show up tonight and let you two have a good time," she said. "I can't stop her from cheating, and you needed to get laid, so I just let it go."

"At least you were trying to help me get laid. Thank you for that," he said.

"Hey, there's still the wedding tomorrow; I'm sure you'll meet someone there for a good time."

Evan bought Heather another round so they could continue talking at the bar. He didn't want to hold her up from her party, but he didn't want to drink alone either. He figured one more drink wouldn't hurt, and then he'd suggest going back to the party. They talked for a little bit about what they've been up to since they last saw each other and reminisced about high school. Evan was having a lot of fun talking to her; it had been a while since it was just the two of them hanging out alone together.

"Hey, you want to hear something funny?" Heather asked.

"Sure."

Heather moved a little closer to Evan. Enough for him to get a good whiff of her perfume and a look at the cleavage she was showing in her dress. He only took a quick glance at her breasts so he could focus on what Heather wanted to tell him.

"I used to have a big crush on you in high school," she revealed.

"Really?" Evan asked, very surprised.

"Yeah, you were this cool, cute guy who was always nice to me," she said. "I always wished you asked me out."

This made Evan both happy and upset. He also had a crush on her back in high school and wanted to ask her out. But Tom stood in the way of that; he politely asked him not to pursue his sister because he was afraid if things go south between Evan and Heather, then it could ruin the friendship. He wasn't entirely sure it would've ruined their friendship, but he respected his position on the matter and never asked her out. Evan told Heather this, even the part about how he used to have a crush on her, and she just laughed.

"Of course, my brother had something to do with it," she said. "I don't agree with it, but I understand the position you were in."

"But still, I'm sorry I never asked you out."

"It's alright, at least I know you also had a crush on me," said Heather. "Also, you still have a chance with me if you want."

"Yes, I'm sure... Wait, what?" He wasn't entirely sure if he heard what he thought he heard.

"Not tonight, I have to focus on this party and the wedding tomorrow," she said. "So maybe afterwards you and I can get together sometime."

Evan wasn't sure what to say after that, but he didn't have to say anything as Heather casually walked away and headed back to the party. He contemplated what had just happened for a long time before the bartender finally came along and ordered another drink from him. He decided to just forget about what Heather just said and go back to the party. He began talking to a few other people and even flirted with a couple of women, but it was hard to concentrate on all those other women when all he could think about was what Heather said to him.

He soon forgot all about Heather later on in the night, and everyone left the party. They all took turns saying goodbye to the bride and groom, including Evan. He ended up going back to his hotel room alone that night, which was fine with him. He may have come to the wedding with the intent of meeting a woman for some fun, but he knew it wasn't going to be an easy task, so he was prepared for it if nothing happening at all. He took a drink from the minibar and watched some TV as he fell asleep.

The next day, he went out for breakfast with just Tom. He knew about the Lacey situation and apologized for it, giving the same reasons Heather gave him. This made him think about what Heather said to him last night at the restaurant's bar and how serious she was about wanting to have sex with him.

He decided not to think too much about it. He realized Heather had to be joking about that because he didn't think she would try to sleep with him while she was about to get married. He put it all out of his mind and focused on relaxing the rest of the day before he had to get ready for the wedding. Now that he doesn't have to focus on the maid of honor anymore, he could have a chance meeting someone else tonight at the wedding. There was still no guarantee he was going to get laid tonight, but he was doing well flirting with some of the women at the party last night, so he was feeling lucky.

The wedding wasn't until about 6pm, so he had plenty of time to just relax in his hotel room until then. He went to the hotel gym for a little exercise and a swim so he wouldn't be completely lazy today. He started getting ready for the wedding about an hour before it started. He got his tie done on the first try this time, which helped him feel very confident about his prospects for tonight.

At the wedding, Evan was amazed at how beautiful Heather looked in her wedding dress. She looked extremely happy as the vows were exchanged. He knew it wasn't important, but seeing how she was with her new husband at the altar, he realized she definitely was joking with him last night. There was no way someone who looked that happy would be going around trying to hook up with someone else at her own wedding.

Evan had a good time at the reception. He wasn't focused too much on meeting women in the beginning; he decided to just have fun while he was there. There were plenty of people he already knew, and he had a good time seeing them again. Although he was getting a little jealous of the few wedding guests he noticed who were definitely getting a hookup tonight.

He saw Lacey from a distance with her boyfriend. He tried not to look, but he couldn't help thinking about how he almost hooked up with her last night. The guy she was with was very huge, built like an MMA fighter, so of course Evan was not going to make his moves on her anymore after seeing this guy. But it was hard to resist when she kept winking at him, making him think he still had a shot with her.

Tom and Melissa pointed out a few other single women for him to meet. Evan was starting to think they were having more fun trying to get him laid than he was trying to have. He met a few of those single women and casually talked to them to get a sense of what they were looking for. Whenever he got the impression they weren't looking for a hookup or were looking for something long-term, he stayed away. He still didn't mind the concept of a long-term relationship, but in a couple of days he would be on a flight back home and didn't think he should get together with someone who was looking for more when he wasn't going to be around much longer.

He stayed away from the other single bridesmaids just in case they knew about his intentions, especially after they were aware of how he almost hooked up with the maid of honor. He was worried it would make things way more complicated if he started hitting on another bridesmaid so soon after all of that. They may not care, but he didn't want to take that chance.

Near the end of the night, after everyone was getting a slice of wedding cake, people started to leave. They each took turns saying goodbye to the bride and groom before they left. Evan was at a table of eight people that also included Tom and Melissa. Near the end of the night, it was just the three of them left at the table.

Evan was seriously contemplating going back to his hotel room, all alone this time. He tried his best to get something going with another wedding guest, but nothing was happening. He flirted with a lot of women tonight, but it just wasn't happening. But he was already prepared for the scenario that he wasn't going to get lucky two nights in a row, so he wasn't too disappointed about it.

Tom and Melissa left Evan alone so they could mingle with some of their other family members who they haven't had the chance to speak with tonight. During this time, Evan was contemplating whether or not he should go back to his hotel room. That's when Heather surprised him by sitting down next to him with two slices of cake in her hands. She offered one of them to Evan, and he took it. He already had two slices of cake tonight and knew it was too much for him, but the cake was so delicious he couldn't help having one more slice.

"I see you struck out tonight," said Heather.

Evan laughed. "Yeah, I did. But I'm still having fun tonight, regardless."

"That's good to know," she said. "And again, sorry I didn't tell you about Lacey's boyfriend."

"Really, it's no big deal," he assured her. "And like I said, I'm having a good time anyway, so I'm ok with going back to my room alone tonight."

"Yes, but it's a shame a cute guy like you is going back to his hotel room alone tonight," said Heather. "Maybe I'll pay you a visit later."