Timing Is Everything

James dressed in his best suit. No, it wasn't the grey plaid one. It was a dark blue suit with just a white dress shirt under it and a black tie. Simple and classic. It fit James so well. He stared at himself in the bathroom mirror looking at his appearance. He felt as if he needed to do more, like he needed to look better. He quite liked this girl and wanted to make a good impression on her.

He sighed and decided that this was the best it was going to be. He messed with his hair once more and headed for the door. When James walked out the front door of his house Paul was already standing beside James' Mercedes- they were going together.

"Ready for this?" Paul asked when James got to the car. Paul walked around to the passenger side of the car.

"Nope," James replied, shaking his head. He unlocked the car and got in, Paul doing the same.

The ride to the hall where the event was being held was basically silent aside from the occasional sigh that James would let out. He was nervous. He wasn't used to being nervous in social situations. He had always been fairly good at being in a crowd and talking to new people. The thing was that he wasn't there to meet new people. He was there for one specific person and that scared him.

They got to the hall and James parked his car. He got out of the car and he and Paul walked inside. James looked around hoping to spot her, but couldn't see her anywhere.

"See her anywhere?" Paul asked, helping scan the area for her. He spotted Evgeni and waved at him. "There's Geno."

James nodded at Evgeni and then continued to look for Roxy. He was on edge and all he wanted to do was see her.

"So I'm guessing with the way that you're acting you want to have a relationship with this girl?" Paul asked as he, James and Evgeni sat at a table surveying the event.

"Yeah, I guess so." James mumbled. He knew he had wanted to be in a relationship with her for a while. When he had been away he was always thinking of Roxy and being able to see himself with her.

As the night progressed James hadn't been able to spot Roxy. He had even gone out back to see if he had spotted her smoking. She wasn't there. James was beginning to give up and just as he was about to ask Paul if he was ready to leave he spotted her. James' heart leapt into his throat and he felt lightheaded. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face at the sight of her.

That floor length mauve, strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline. Her hair up much like it was the night he met her. He had an extreme urge to kiss along her neck. She was as beautiful as he had anticipated. What he hadn't anticipated was the man who had her under his arm.

"Paulie," James mumbled, grabbing Paul's arm and pulling him towards him. "Who is that guy?"

"What guy?"

"The guy with Roxy," James spat. Wasn't it obvious what guy he was talking about?

"I have no idea, man." Paul shrugged. "He looks pretty close to her though."

"He certainly does," James mumbled. He stood and stared at Roxy. He knew who this guy was, but he didn't want to admit it to himself. He refused to believe that Roxy would use him the way she did.

Roxy stood with Malcolm talking to some bankers that were at the party. She was dying for a cigarette and whatever those bacon wrapped appetizers were that were floating around. Malcolm was, for lack of a better term, pimping out RoxForce. Roxy was a little irritated. This was her party and he was taking all the glory away from all her hard work.

Roxy felt hot for a moment, as if someone was staring at her. She began to scan the room for the source of the feeling and as she looked around she spotted it. Rather, she spotted him.

"Excuse me," Roxy mumbled and pulled herself from Malcolm's grip. She walked towards James and picked up her pace as her turned to leave.

"James!" Roxy called as they got outside. "Please, don't go."

"Who is that, Rox? Huh? Who is that guy?" James asked, stopping at his car and leaning against it. He looked at her. He had her cornered.

"His name is Malcolm," Roxy began. "And he's my fiancé."

James blood ran cold. He felt like his eyes were about to fall out of his head. She had a fiancé?

"You're engaged?" James yelled, staring at her. "You're going to be fucking married and you didn't think that's something I'd want to know?"

"I'm sorry!" Roxy cried, stepping closer to him. "I just had to have you, I'm sorry. I should have stopped myself, but I couldn't."

"You used me. You used me to fulfil some fucked up fantasy of sleeping with an NHL player," James spat. "You don't care about me, admit it."

"I will not admit that," Roxy replied, glaring at him. She knew she had no right to be mad, but she was. "I like you, James. I really like you."

"Then why did you do it, huh? Why did you make me some guy you fucked around with behind your fiancé's back?" James asked. "Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? Did you even stop to think about how he would feel? How this Malcolm guy would feel?"

"I didn't," Roxy admitted. "I didn't think of him. I only saw you."

"Give it a rest, Roxanne." James glared and got in his car. He started up his car and sped out of the parking lot.

"James!" Roxy called, watching his car disappear down the street. She let out a loud sob. She hadn't wanted to let to him go, but she had to. Roxy collected herself and walked back to the party. She put on a brave face and found Malcolm again, giving him a kiss.

She took James finding out about her engagement as a sign that she was supposed to be with Malcolm. James was a slip up and she was supposed to marry Malcolm. That's what she told herself because it was the only way she could stay standing. To tell herself that was the only way she could keep it together.