Page 6 of Nothing to the Wedding
Carolyn Hunt was Alice Breckenridge’s lifelong BFF.She liked people with BFFs.Was instantly something they had in common.
“Okay, fine,” she stated, “but when it comes around to secret telling time, I’ll know who to leave out the loop.”
“Secret telling?Which secret?Secrets like that you and Z got married last summer?Or that the next wedding’s actually a twofer.Jane doesn’t know that your wedding day is her wedding day too.She’ll be up at that altar with Knox saying her vows right alongside you and Zairn.”
Uh, spoiler alert!
With a wink and a flat smile, he turned and marched on out, typing again.
“We won’t name our kids after you!”she called out.Shock became a sigh.“You know, I’m not surprised.Our Pretty, Little Priest has his ways.Hmmm…” Her eyes narrowed.“How does he do that?”
TWO
“THE WHOLE THING shouldn’t take too long,” Roxie said, Alice and Carolyn at her flanks.
Tripp stayed in the suite.Of course.Even his mother didn’t try to persuade him to come along.He’d only end up flummoxing the coordinator anyway.
Up ahead, two security guys blocked the ballroom’s doorway until their trio was within a few feet.Only then did they step aside to open the doors.Inside, a flurry of people dashed this way and that, around various pieces of furniture and tables loaded with wedding accoutrements.
“Ms.Kyst…” From the center of the room, a woman with an earpiece and a tablet came rushing over.As the identity of Roxie’s cohorts registered, said woman’s expression became something more… insecure.“Mrs.Hunt.I… I didn’t realize you’d be joining us today.”
“Hmm, I probably should’ve thought twice about bringing the owner’s mother with me,” Roxie said.“She’s not the only one with power, I could get you fired too, you know.”
“Oh, Roxie,” Alice said, smiling at the coordinator.“Please, ignore Carolyn and I, this is Roxie’s day.”Sort of.“What’s your name?”
“Kym.Everything is under control.”
“There’s a lot going on,” Roxie said, scanning the workers.“Is there another wedding this week?”
“Oh, no, this is all for you and Mr.Lomond,” Kym said.“Will he… join us?”
“Unlikely ‘cause, last I heard, he’s in New York.”Adjusting her focus, Roxie waved the question away.“He doesn’t care about this stuff.If he was here, he’d be too busy hitting on you to pay attention.You’ve seen the news, right?”
Of his affair.With a woman he’d never met, by the way.An inconvenient truth the media didn’t care about.Talk about irrelevant details being sacrificed to sensationalism.
“Roxie,” Alice chastised, still wearing that smile.“She’s joking.None of the rumors are true.”
Though she may not reveal that to Reeve Crosby later when giving him a quote.Something she was still cooking up.Shame her and Casanova hadn’t talked again.Good thing he was used to her surprises.
“Well, uh, I can say everything is under control here,” Kym said, backing away a few steps to gesture to the end of the room.“On the day, we’ll have all the pocket doors open to the back courtyard, where the ceremony itself will take place.Seating will be in here, and we’ll open the two quadrants beyond to accommodate your numbers.”
“Where did those land in the end?”
“Immediate family and friends only.Final RSVPs take us to one thousand three hundred and seventy-three.”
Whoa, hey, back it up, what now?
Her mouth opened and activity around them ceased, it was possible she’d cursed rather loud.With her ears ringing, it wasn’t totally clear.
“A thousand and—I had like seven people on my list!And Blayne was more of a maybe.”
This was what she got for not paying closer attention.Intimate.That’s what she’d said to Zairn when they first talked about it.More than a thousand bodies didn’t sound intimate… Could be a lot of fun though.Would be interesting either way.
“We do expect there will be a few additional guests on the day.”
“And some no-shows?”
That had to be obvious.
