Page 114 of Chasing Lynda

26.

Friends And Lovers

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Dodge

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I PARK AT THE FRONT of the house, where a valet is setting up for tonight. I fucking hope that Mom listened to me and Lynda and didn’t go ahead with her original guest list that was well in triple digits.

“Evening, sir. I’ve been instructed to park your car in the garage as soon as you come home, so that it doesn’t get blocked in or damaged once your guests start arriving in a couple of hours.”

I hand my keys to the guy and rush in the house from the front door.

“Excuse me, sir.” A young lady I’ve never seen before stops me in the middle of the entrance foyer; she’s wearing one of those black maid uniforms that would immediately take my mind into the gutter if it wasn’t conservative to the point of looking austere.

She’s holding a wicker basket. “I’ve been instructed to take all the guests’ phones and cameras. Tonight’s even is strictly private, no photos allowed.”

I open my mouth to tell her than I’m not a guest, but she continues, redness spreading on her cheeks, as she probably thinks that I’m about to argue with her. “Be reassured that your phone will be stored in an anti-scratch case and you’ll be given a number to retrieve it at the end of the night. Same with your coat.”

I offer her my most patient smile; she must be a temp worker. Mom uses an agency when we need extra staff for social events. “Thank you, but I’m not a guest. I’m the future groom, so I think it’s ok for me to keep my phone. But excellent service, when the actual guests arrive.”

She mutters an embarrassed apology but I don’t stop long enough to hear it in its entirety. I run, taking the stairs two at a time.

I stop in front of Lynda’s door when I almost crash into Bennett.

My best friend has his fist in the air, about to knock on the door but stops as soon as he sees me. “Hey,” he greets me.

“Hey.” My eyes skim down to his other hand, where he’s holding a small, square, black velvet box.

“I got her diamond earrings.”

I shrug, confused. “Didn’t my mom make sure she had all the accessories she needed?”

His smile reminds me of when we were little and he had the winning card at Uno. “Her ears aren’t pierced, the stylist didn’t have anything with him. These are clip-ons.”

“How—” I begin to ask, but then I laugh, shaking my head. “You knew a guy?” Bennett knows “a guy” for pretty much everything.

“Uhm, I wanted to give these to Lynda before she starts getting dressed for the party,” he says, his eyes trailing down to my hand where I’m holding a similar, but smaller box. “I finally got the ring, there was a delay. I was gonna—”

Bennett sighs. “Sure. I guess I can come back.”

For a second, I feel relieved that he’d back off, but then I sigh, shaking my head. “Nah, let’s both go give her the jewelry.”

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