on a summer's eve

 The day arrived. Finally. Jory took his vacation and he and Rachel left for Florida. Of course, there was nothing he could do for his sister Lynsey. No way could he change her mind about that recluse she lived with. And Casey's parents were still there. Jory left a text, "Are you sure they aren't moving in?" Naturally, he didn't even tell her he was leaving for the wedding Rachel had talked about since spring.

But she'd left the part out that it was actually her cousin Traci's wedding and they seemed more like sisters than cousins. Of course, Rachel's older sister Katy was there too. It was actually a family affair. Because her folks were coming to this grand affair.

Yet the day before the wedding it had been beach time and a reunion for the girls. He was only there to watch with the groom and her sister's husband Coleman. They were all from Georgia, hungry to move to Florida. They'd played all the golf courses back home. Golf was all they talked about. Jory wasn't sure he liked any of them. They had nothing in common. They were in the business of posh hotels. Jory could see they looked down at him. But there was Rachel always coming quickly to take him away from a boring conversation.

Of course, Rachel was the most fetching out of the three so he could see the envy in the men of their group and he found himself smirking from time to time. So there he was hanging out with the girls drinking mojitos and taking in the sun when he heard Traci bring up that guy Rachel used to date.

"Whatever happened to Alfie?" Traci wanted to know. "He was always funny." She laughed as if maybe he'd made her laugh more than Rachel.

"Who knows." She shrugged. When she looked back at Jory, he turned away and ordered another mojito. However, he was listening. Honestly, he didn't know many Alfies. And this Alfie was at the University back home where Traci used to go to college in Omaha. 

"I  heard he got some girl pregnant," Rachel told them it was old news. "And then he went to Denmark."

"Denmark?" Traci winced as if that didn't sound like him at all. 

"He was seeing this Lynsey chick," Rachel batted her eyes as if he was a cheater and usually abandoned those he might leave in a bad situation. 

Now Jory was furious. Was she talking about his sister? Of course, he'd never introduced Rachel to his sister Lynsey. Jory knew he didn't need to be here. He didn't want to be here.

1. Rachel was with Alfie...once upon a time.

2. Alfie was now with Jory's ex, Poppy.

3. Alfie got his sister Lynsey pregnant.

He didn't need a mojito. He needed a bottle of vodka.