Page 31 of Why Not Us?

Adalie

I’m honestly not sure if I’m more excited to see Dani or Nate when he texts me the next afternoon to say they will be here for paint night, without Taylor who is going out with some friends. I’m setting up the extra easels when I hear someone call my name.

I turn, clenching my teeth as my sister comes into the ballroom.

Calista and I look a lot alike. We have the same colour hair and eyes, the same chin and nose, but I’ve always felt like someone had been given the same ingredients and done a better job the second time around. I’m shorter and curvier than Calista. My hair curls a bit more than hers in a way I can never really control. I think I’m pretty, but Calista is elegant.

“You said it was all sold out,” she says.

“It is.”

“But you have extra stand thingies,” she says with a pout, waving a hand to the corner where a few more easels are leaning against the wall. “And I’m already here. Think of the publicity.”

I don’t roll my eyes. Ever since she passed the 10,000 followers mark on Instagram, she thinks she’s the greatest influencer on the Internet.

“We don’t need the publicity. There’s only one paint night after tonight. And only two cooking nights.”

“But I’m your sister.” She flutters her eyelashes at me, pouting.

I take a breath. “Fine. You can stay.” I motion to one of the staff to set up another easel at the back of one of the two rows.

“Why can’t I sit at the front?” she asks.

“Because we have VIPs coming.” And because I’d rather have Nate and Dani next to me than Calista.

“I should be with the VIPs. I’m an influencer. Doesn’t that make me a VIP as well?”

I take a breath, smoothing my hands down the front of my dress. Then I straighten my shoulders and say, “Calista. I told you we are sold out. We have VIPs coming and you’re here asking for me to do something for you. You can take the easel I’ve set up for you, or you can leave.”

By the time I’m done speaking, my heart is racing, but she huffs and spins away to the end of the row, taking pictures of the set up as other guests file into the ballroom.

Someone touches my shoulder and I turn, hoping to see Nate, but instead, it’s someone else.

“Tanner,” I say, a smile spreading over my face. He went to university with me, Derek, Spencer, and Vic. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”

He grins, pushing his glasses up on his nose. “Yeah. Juliet said she had to come to a paint night. She had a lot of fun cooking a few weeks ago and has been pestering me to come to one of these. She even got her cousin Rebecca in on it, so they’re both here.”

He gestures to where they’re scoping out the sundae bar. Juliet and Rebecca are two of Tanner’s many nieces. He comes from a large family and, other than him, all his siblings have kids.

“I saw the way you stood up to your sister,” he continues, a little quieter. “Good job.”

I huff a breath, pushing my hair back from my face. “Thanks. I’ve been working on it.”

“So there’s some VIPs here tonight?”

I grin. “Yes. And now that I see you’re here, you are one of them.”

He laughs. “Did you even have VIPs?”

“I do, actually. Though they were VIPs last time they were here. Now they’re just friends.”

Tanner’s gaze shifts over my shoulder and from the way his focus shifts, and the look in his eye, I can tell in an instant that Vic has entered the ballroom, obviously having come up the elevator since I’m facing the stairs.

“Are you going to talk to her?” I ask.

He returns his attention to me. “What?”

I raise an eyebrow and wait. After a second, he gives me a sad smile.

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