As far as the rest of TV crew was concerned the bride had absconded. In reality, though, Jackie was hiding behind a humongous bronze statue of mountain man John Colter after he’d left the Lewis and Clark expedition. The artist had created a haggard, snarly, fuck-you-and-your-horse statue so Colter looked exactly like someone who’d have a hell named after him.

“Are you sure they’re not heading this way?” Jackie asked, her voice barely louder than the Flock of Seagulls’ song “I Ran (So Far Away)” blasting out of the speakers surrounding the dance floor.

Thea scanned the crowd, her gaze stopping on the flask-carrying mystery man. He was in a black T-shirt with a Humbolt Motorcycle logo on it and jeans that were worn but definitely not acid washed (thank you, Baby Jesus). At least she wasn’t the only one who missed the eighties cosplay memo.

“Hello, earth to Thea,” Jackie said, her tone taking on the Valley Girl sound that was totally eighties. “Can I do this or not?”

“Yeah, you’re good,” she said without bothering to peel her attention away from Mr. Cool Drink of Sprite.

“Thank fuck,” Jackie muttered before taking a shot.

It wasn’t that the alcohol wasn’t flowing at the fake prom, but her sister was taking shots of tequila when a vodka company had sponsored the wedding. Justine had threatened everyone with a painful death via being drowned in the Stinkingwater River if they even accidentally got any non-branded alcohol on camera during the livestreams.

What kind of alcohol Jackie was tossing back was the last thing occupying Thea’s mind, though. She couldn’t look away from her mystery guy over by the bar, still drinking from his flask, and she must have made a sound—please God, not a moan—because Jackie peeked around the statue.

“Who are you even looking at?” her sister asked.

Thea squeezed her eyes shut. Fuckity, fuck, fuck. Why did she have to be such an open book?

“The guy from this afternoon,” she said before she could think of something other than the truth.

Improv had never been her thing.

“Ugh. Dex’s brother Kade is the worst.” Jackie poured a third shot. “I do not understand why he picked him to be his best man.”

So that’s who he was. She’d heard bits and pieces about him during the fitting this afternoon. According to Jackie and her pair of fellow actress bridesmaids, Kade was boring, always reading, hot but not hot enough to get away with being that annoying, and—worst of all—not involved in the showbiz industry at all.

“It makes complete sense that he’s the best man. They are brothers,” Thea said, her breath catching when he turned and caught her staring.