Court is adjourned, for now.

For the rest of the time it took for the wedding snaps to be taken, Melissa did her absolute best to avoid any sort of interaction with Vinny. In group photos she always made sure she was on the other side of the line-up. It was made easier that Vinny hadn’t been paired up with her, he’d been put with Bernice instead. A spot of match making by Alexa perhaps. Bernice very clearly keen on Vinny and hoping to use the occasion of her friend’s wedding to lock the former pugilist down. Still, Vinny could feel the hairs standing up on the back of his neck all through it. His sixth sense telling him that the sexy Asian was keeping a very close eye on him.

With Alexa busy with Daniel and probably not safe to talk to at the moment with Melissa watching them both like a hawk, Vinny instead wanted a chance to catch up and talk to Gillian again. He’d thoroughly enjoyed the playful sex they’d had last night in her room and he wouldn’t say no to a repeat performance tonight. Gillian though seemed to be doing her best to avoid Vinny as well. Not quite as successfully as Mel though as Vinny was finally to catch her alone as she helped herself to a small piccolo bottle of champagne.

“What’s gotten into you? Besides me of course,” Vinny said to Gillian when he’d at last managed to pin her down long enough to talk privately.

Gillian blonde forehead was creased in a frown. She was annoyed at him for some reason but damn she looked cute when she was angry.

“I’m a little bit mad with you,” Gillian said keeping her voice down as well. Seemed she was just as interested in keep her conversation secret as Vinny was.

“Why’s that? I thought we had a great time last night. I know it meant a lot to me,” Vinny said. He found with flighty girls like Gillian it helped to tell them that they weren’t just a hook up and go on about how meaningful of a connection they were.

“I did too but I kind of have a boyfriend now,” Gillian told him the reason for his distress.

“What do you mean? You said boyfriends, sure, but you didn’t tell me you were seeing anyone.”

“We had a bit of a fight before I came here as he didn’t want to attend. I thought we had sort of split up but I rang him this morning and I misunderstood and we’re actually still together,” Gillian explained.

“Did you tell him about me?” Vinny asked. In his experience if women didn’t admit to cheating to their boyfriends right away then they were probably going to be willing to do it again with him.

“No, I couldn’t hurt him like that.”

“Well I feel a little bit taken advantage of,” Vinny began. “A bit used.”

“Oh Vinny!” Gillian rubbed Vinny’s arm to comfort him at his distress.

“If it can’t be anything more and just our one special night, I was hoping I could at least have something to remember it by.”

“What’s that?” she asked. Gillian would do just about anything right now to make him feel better.

“I know were not partnered together but I was hoping we could get some photos done together. That way whenever I look at them afterwards, I’ll always think about you and the bubbles.”

Vinny had poured it on a little too thick and it looked like Gillian was about to tear up. She leapt forward and gave him a big hug. Of course, she would get some pictures done with him right then! When the photographer was next free Gillian cut in and had him shot a dozen or so images of her and Vinny. Gillian looking for all the world like an adoring prom date in the photos. Vinny had only really wanted the photo to give himself something to remember shagging her by.

Not long afterwards when all the desired photos had been taken, the bridal party were free to split up for a while and make their way back to the reception venue separately. As he went to walk off and find a bar for another quick drink beforehand, Vinny was pleased to see Astryd lift up the long tail of her dress that was hanging down and jog over to catch up with him. Vinny had enjoyed their brief interaction they’d had before and also found her very good looking. He was attracted to the warm caramel glow of her skin.

As she fell into lock step beside him, Astryd said, “well your making friends.”

“Yeah I think Melissa and I got off on the wrong foot,” Vinny told her.

“That sounds unlike you to be wrong footed. I thought you were meant to be Mr Charming or so Alexa told me,” she said as they walked.

Again, that mention by Astryd of Alexa telling her things. Vinny said, “she’s got this impression that Alexa and I have some sort of thing going on.”

“Gee I wonder what gave her that sort of impression,” Astryd said, causing Vinny to shrug. “Maybe when you fucked in the ass this morning or came all over her back yesterday.”

Vinny stopped dead in his tracks, turning to face Astryd and took her by the hand to pull her somewhere more private to talk. On seeing the panic look of his face Astryd laughed at him.

“Oh relax! I’ve known her for years now and she tells me everything. When I met her, she couldn’t stop talking about this handsome wise guy fighter that did all sorts of bad things to bed. Don’t need to be a genius to work out who that might be,” Astryd explained.

Vinny was surprised to find out Alexa had been confiding in her friend about him all this time.

“I must say, the morning of her wedding was pretty daring of you. I’m impressed,” Astryd said, eyeing him up and assessing him openly now that she had revealed her full knowledge to him.

“I like a good dare. What can I say?” Vinny said all but admitting to what Astryd knew anyway.

“Daring enough to sleep with one of Alexa’s bridesmaids already. The redhead Bernice, I’m sure.”

Vinny held out his hands in a look of innocence. “The Omerta code of silence, I’m afraid.”

Astryd parsed her lips then thinking. “Well here’s a dare for you then. Make me your second bridesmaid for the weekend.”