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hailey had never been so stressed in her life.
she honestly felt like this was worse than med school, and that was saying something.
about a year ago, she had been asked by her childhood best friend to be her maid of honour. it was an easy yes; she loved kim with all her heart and adored her fiancé adam. hailey and kim had been roommates all throughout university, plus hailey’s medical school years and kim’s law school years. now, kim was planning to move out as soon as she got married.
it was the end of an era and hailey would be lying if she said it didn’t bother her a little. just a little bit. but it was time for kim to move on with her life and hailey respected that. she just wished her own life could move on at the same pace. if she was honest, her dating life had been very bland lately. she was the busiest she had ever been; with her practice and with wedding planning, she didn’t have much time for dating. and it’s not like she didn’t want to, but she knew all about the stupidity of mankind.
and it came in the form of adam’s best man, jay halstead.
tonight was the rehearsal dinner for adam and kim’s wedding, and jay and hailey were in charge of making sure everything went off without a hitch. she was alright with that because she was a perfectionist, but what she wasn’t alright with, was jay who only cared about the open bar and hooking up with kim’s hot cousins.
hailey was at the front door, greeting guests as they came in. jay was nowhere to be found, of course. hailey wasn’t even sure if he was here in the first place.
“hailey!” the blonde whipped around at the sound of her name and was greeted by kim and adam. “how’s it going, babe?”
“good,” hailey smiled, gladly accepting the flute of champagne adam handed her. “i think nearly everyone is here. we can get started soon.”
kim glanced over her shoulder to where everyone was taking their seats and enjoying appetizers. “we can probably pop over to check on things for the reception tomorrow. i think that’s where jay is.”
“oh, is that where that dumbass is?” hailey muttered under her breath. “honestly, i haven’t seen him since i got here.”
adam followed the ladies over to the ballroom next-door where their reception would be held the following day. the hall was decorated beautifully, and nearly everything was set up for the next day. jay was at the entrance, glaring at the seating chart display.
“guys, i think we have a problem.”
hailey nearly fainted upon hearing those words. “what?” she snapped, pushing jay out of the way. “what the hell is this?”
“uh — hailey?” kim asked, staring at the display. “who the hell is tim?”
hailey looked mortified. “oh my god. that’s supposed to say kim. it’s supposed to say adam and kim!” she cried hysterically. “jay, what the fuck?”
jay’s eyes widened comically. “excuse me — what? why are you blaming me?”
“you were in charge of checking over the seating arrangements!” hailey yelled at him, resisting the urge to stomp her foot in distress.
jay rolled his eyes incredulously. “yeah. i checked over it, but i didn’t make the damn sign!”
“oh my god,” hailey mumbled, on the verge of a panic attack.
adam placed a comforting hand in between her shoulder blades. “hey, it’s okay, hails,” he reassured her, “this is easily fixable. i’ll call the planner right now. don’t stress.”
hailey sent him a small, wavering smile. he left the room and kim took his place in comforting hailey. “this isn’t your fault, hails. things happen. it’s okay,” kim noted, “plus, i think it’s kind of funny.”
hailey appreciated their attempts to relax her, and it only made her realize, she was making this about herself when it wasn’t. so she put on a fake smile and led kim back to her rehearsal dinner. adam met them there shortly, informing them that their wedding planner will be by shortly with a new (and correct) display. hailey directed the couple to go around and greet their guests before dinner.
as they walked away, hailey snatched another glass of champagne off a tray. jay did the same, a little less aggressively, and sent a polite smile to the waiter.
“i can’t believe you messed that up,” hailey muttered in annoyance.
jay rolled his eyes, turning to face her. “are we still on about this? it was not my fault!”
“you should’ve noticed sooner,” hailey snapped.
“this place could literally burn down right now through no fault of my own, and you would still blame me,” jay nagged. “you’ve got to loosen up hailey, everything’s fine.”
hailey turned to glare at him. “yeah, everything’s fine because i’ve kept on top of everything! i haven’t seen you do a single thing except drink and flirt with everything that breathes!”
jay raised an eyebrow, amusement present on his face. “oh don’t be jealous, hails,” he teased, “i can flirt with you too.”
“i’d rather choke on my own tongue, thanks.”
jay only sighed, deciding to hold his tongue and instead take his seat at the table for dinner. hailey followed suit after a few minutes. she just wanted to check in with the designer and make sure everything on the other side was ready to go with absolutely no issues (because god know jay wouldn’t do it). when the staff began to hand out their meals, hailey’s brows furrowed together.
“wait, this isn’t what we decided on?”
“right — about that,” jay started, actively avoiding eye contact. “i may or may not have forgotten to finalize the rehearsal menu.”
“you what?” hailey blurted, blinking at him dumbly.
kim jumped in early, attempting to simmer hailey’s fire before she exploded. “it’s okay! this is fine. it’s basically what we decided on anyway.”
“it’s not fine! god jay, how could you forget something like this?”
in his defence, he did feel guilty, but hailey yelling at him was beginning to annoy him (but also, he low-key loved it?). “it’s easy. it just slipped my mind and i forgot to speak with the kitchen staff. it’s fine; it’s not like we’re left stranded without any food.”
adam chuckled, clapping his best friend on the shoulder. “oh buddy, you should’ve just stopped talking five minutes ago.”
“i’m going to kill him before this night is over,” hailey mumbled under her breath. only kim heard and she snorted into her glass of wine.
on the bright side, the kitchen staff offered a variety of plates, depending on the guest’s preference. it was actually very smart and it was the only thing that kept hailey from leaping across the table and strangling jay with her small, albeit strong hands. it was only half an hour after dinner that hailey started to notice some guests disappearing. she thought it was weird, but later heard through the grapevine, they were in the bathroom throwing up.
hearing of this news, she didn’t particularly want to alarm adam and kim (who were currently running through a mock ceremony), so she fetched her only other option.
“jay!” she hissed, marching her way over to him at the (you guessed it: the bar). he was chatting with a blonde girl hailey didn’t recognize, and she was too riled up to notice the dirty look she sent in hailey’s direction. “get your ass over here so i can murder you!"
jay mumbled something to the blonde girl, who disappointedly walked away. “oh no, what did i do now?”
“i think some of the food may have been bad,” she explained, casting a look around. “some guests have been in the restrooms throwing up.”
jay’s mouth drops into an o. “oh, this isn’t good.”
“no. it’s not,” she replied, wiping some sweat off her brow. god, it had been a stressful night. “and it’s your fault!”
jay clenched his jaw. “oh my god — how?”
“you didn’t confirm our menu so they made whatever they had! if you had gotten it right, no one would be sick right now!”
he glared at her. “hailey, i’m only going to say this once more. just like before, i didn’t make this! this is not on me!”
“oh my god — what did i do to deserve you as a partner in this wedding?"
he looked like he was getting ready to retaliate, but instead closed his mouth and studied the blonde instead. “uh — you’re looking a bit pale, hailey,” jay observed, a frown pulling on his lips. “are you feeling alright?”
hailey shoved away his hand when it tried to feel her forehead. “what? i’m fine. get your hand away from me. and stop changing the subject!”
jay rolled his eyes and persisted; he felt her forehead anyway. “you’re really hot,” hailey raised an eyebrow and jay smirked, “relax — not like that. are you feeling alright?”
“am i feeling alright?” hailey repeated and jay instantly regretted asking. “oh right, let’s see. i’ve been stressing over this night for weeks, and all i seem to be doing is picking up after you! can you not at least meet me ha —“
her words get cut off instantly by the nausea that comes over her. her hands flew to her stomach; she could feel her mouth watering and she knew what was coming next.
“oh, i’m going to kill you, halstead,” she hissed to him before she literally booked it to the washroom. the bride and groom got their own private bathroom (thank the lord) because she quickly found herself on her knees and emptying out the contents of her stomach.
it was absolutely awful and she could literally feel the tears leaking from her eyes and down her face, through no effort of her own. all the strength left her body and she couldn’t seem to lift herself off the floor. she heard the door open (she didn’t exactly have time to lock it in her haste) and someone cleared their throat behind her.
“are you okay?”
it was jay, because of course, it was. of course he would be there to see her at her worst, and even more so, when it was his fault (or at least hailey thought so; she would blame him till the grave).
“no, i’m not okay!” she snapped before throwing up again. of course luck would have it that she chose the tainted meal, of fucking course. and it didn’t give her any satisfaction that she knew, jay did not choose the same meal as her. she heard his sigh from across the tiny room and the shuffle of his feet. she was about to warn him to stay away unless he wanted her to throw up on him (purposely or not, she wasn’t sure yet), but the she felt his cold hands on the back of her neck. he was lifting her blonde locks out of her face and out of the danger zone.
“what are you doing?” she mumbled, unabashedly leaning against the toilet. she was completely aware of how many germs were probably on this, but she didn’t have the energy to hold onto herself.
jay let go of her hair for a moment to shrug off his suit jacket. he placed it in between hailey and the toilet and left it hanging so that she could place it under her knees if she wanted to. “i’m not leaving you like this. whether you like it or not, i’m staying.”
he squatted down beside her and pulled her hair back again. “this is all your fault,” she muttered brokenly.
“you’re right, it’s all my fault,” he chided in a comforting voice. she was well aware he was just trying to please her at this point, but she’ll take it.
hailey could feel her mouth watering once again. “i hate you so much right now, halstead,” was all she was able to say before she started puking once again.
“yeah, i’m sure you do, babe,” he reassured in an amused voice. he started rubbing her back in an attempt to make her situation a tiny bit better; he isn’t sure it helped, but hailey was cute and for some reason, he's actually started loving it when she yelled at him (which happened to be often).
when she was done, she unconsciously slumped back against him. “don’t call me that, you insufferable prat.”
jay barked out a laugh; even at her worst, she could still find it in herself to insult him. “alright hailey, what’s the plan? i think you should go up to your room and rest.”
as part of the wedding party, they each had a hotel room located above the ballrooms. it came in handy for many reasons, and this definitely happened to be one of them.
“but the —“
“kim and adam can handle their own wedding rehearsal without you,” he cut in pointedly, “i’m taking you upstairs. stop arguing.”
she allowed him to help her to her feet, muttering a quiet, “never,” under her breath. jay didn’t mention how she was leaning onto him for support as they walked through the room; she would probably slap him if he did.
“hails! there you are!” kim exclaimed upon seeing the dup attempting to exit the ballroom. “what is happening?”
adam eyed jay’s arm around hailey’s waist and shot his best friend a smirk. “why is everyone dropping like flies?” he asked.
“food poisoning,” jay replied with ease, “hailey here is also a victim.”
kim gasped. “oh no! do you want me to go up with you?”
“no, it’s okay. i got this,” jay answered quickly, hardly giving hailey a chance to even open her mouth. she looked up at him for a quick second, debating if she should argue with him. “you guys need to enjoy your night. i’ll take care of her.”
kim didn’t look completely convinced, but she was low-key thrilled her two best friends were getting along for once. “okay, but you call me if you need anything.”
“i will,” hailey nodded, “i’m really sorry guys, i wanted tonight to be perfect.”
adam shook his head, ruffling the top of hailey’s head. “you did an amazing job, hails. it is perfect. now you just feel better so you’re good to go for tomorrow."
“okay,” hailey smiled at the couple, “have a good night. i love you both.”
kim hung onto her fiancé, sending hailey a loving smile. “we love you too, hails.”
“now jay, you better take good care of my girl here,” adam directed his comment to jay, his voice dropping a few octaves. “no funny business.”
jay shot him a wink. “you got it, bro.”
“ugh, i am right here, you animal,” hailey rolled her eyes, making a move to pull away from his embrace altogether.
jay didn’t allow that and moved with her. “have a good night lovebirds! and remember, separate rooms tonight! i won’t have you two breaking any traditions!”
the elevator ride to hailey’s room was quiet. hailey was just trying not to throw up at the movement sickness from the elevator itself. upon entering her room, she went straight for the bathroom to take a shower and change. jay took this opportunity to sneak away and buy some gingerale from the vending machine. he also went downstairs and convinced the kitchen staff to give him some saltine crackers. he may or may not have guilted them into it considering, it was their fault she was poisoned. by the time he got back, he managed to find some cheesy romcom on television and made himself at home on her bed.
when she exited the bathroom, she was dressed in leggings and a university of chicago hoodie. her blonde hair was now up in a bun and there was a scowl on her face, but jay thought she had never looked better.
“well, don’t you look like an adorable mess?”
those were the words that actually came out of his mouth, and hailey was not appreciative. she only rolled her eyes but climbed into her bed beside him.
“i brought these for you,” he mentioned, motioning to the crackers and bottle. “they should help you feel better.”
hailey opted for the drink first; she honestly wasn’t in the mood to eat right now.
“thanks,” she hummed, taking a sip of the fizzy drink. she noted that his suit jacket was now draped over the only chair in the room and his tie was loosened, but still around his neck. he had unbuttoned the top few buttons on his dress shirt and abandoned his dress shoes at the foot of her bed. his hair was tousled and messy, as if he’d been actively running his fingers through it. honestly, it was a sight to behold.
she distracted herself by watching the movie that was playing on tv. she could feel his eyes boring into the side of her head as he stared. “why are you looking at me?” she asked, turning to face him. he didn’t look embarrassed in the slightest.
“i can’t look at you?” he replied in a questioning tone.
“no,” hailey commanded, returning her attention to the tv screen.
“why don’t you like me?”
hailey turned to him with a confused expression. “what?”
“you’ve been yelling at me all day,” he explained, “and i’ve never gotten a warm vibe from you. you don’t act the same around me like you do with kim and adam.”
hailey actively avoided eye contact. “we’ve just never really clicked.”
“you’ve never given us the chance to,” he fired back instantly.
hailey sent him an exasperated look. “what are you trying to do, jay?”
“alright, listen,” he huffed, turning his body to face her. “all you’ve done today is yell at me and i have no idea why, but i’m into it somehow.”
hailey’s eyebrows raised into her hairline.
“this might sound stupid, but i just think — i don’t know, maybe there could be something here?”
hailey was beyond confused, but not totally put off. it was no surprise that he was unbelievably attractive and an overall decent guy (when he wanted to be), but he had just seen her puke her guts out a mere twenty minutes ago?
“are you — are you trying to date me or something?” she blurted unconsciously. “because you just saw me throw up like twenty minutes ago and i feel like that’s enough to make anyone run in the opposite direction.”
hs lips pulled up into an adorable smirk. “i’ve definitely seen worse,” he replied, “and if this is going to work, i want to know every part of you.”
“even that part?”
jay laughed, “even that part, hailey.”
“alright, well. i’m waiting.”
jay’s eyebrows furrowed together. “waiting for what?”
“if you want to date me halstead, you better man up and ask me out on a date.” his lips stretched into a smile. “hailey, would you like to get dinner with me next week?”
she returned his smile. “yes, jay, i would.”
they found themselves staring into each other’s eyes. jay was captivated by her icy blue orbs, which kept darting around his face nervously. when they dropped to his lips, he unconsciously started leaning in.
“can i kiss you?” he asked quietly.
hailey only nodded.
“i brushed my teeth, by the way,” she blurted without thinking. jay paused his ministrations and quirked an eyebrow. “sorry, i just thought i should mention that considering i was puking my guts o —“
jay interrupted her by pressing his lips softly against her own. she instantly quieted down, enjoying the way he felt against her skin.
“god hailey, you talk so much,” he whispered against her lips. “luckily, i know just the way to fix that."