Page 35 of Death By Llama
“Hey, are you Oliver Maddox?”
I swiveled to see who was speaking.A woman in her early twenties was approaching Oliver.She looked to be the obvious and appropriate age to recognize him from his teen acting gig,The Hijinks of Haley and Jake.
Pleased for Oliver, I was about to enter their conversation to avoid the one with my mother when I spotted St.Nick on the sidewalk outside of the shop.I’d recognize that silver head of hair anywhere.
He wasn’t with the brunette he’d been with the night before.
Instead he was with Ashley, the blonde who had been running the Opulent Occasions booth.
Without giving it any thought, I just started walking toward the window, curious what they were doing.At the last second, I realized I shouldn’t let them see me, so I ducked behind a mannequin who seemed to be the center of a bachelorette party display table.
Last sail before the veil!
Final toast on the coast!
Various items declared those two slogans on repeat.Napkins, stadium cups, wine tumblers, T-shirts.It was like my mother had manifested bridal merchandise.Absently, I picked up a sash and fingered the satin fabric to look like I was shopping in case Nick and Ashley glanced my way.
They appeared to be arguing.Ashley was waving her hands around and talking a mile a minute.Nick was listening, arms crossed, a smug expression on his face as if he found her anger adorable.
Gross, as the girl with the space buns at the festival would say.
Inching closer to the door, I registered that my mother and Lobster Lady discussing the best restaurant to have lunch at in Bar Harbor and Oliver and his fan were laughing.I was grateful no one was paying attention to me, but I was always unable to hear what Nick and Ashley were discussing because of all the shop chatter and the thick pane of glass in the display window.
Biting my lip, I debated what to do.
Then Ashley started to stomp away.
Only Nick grabbed her roughly by the arm.
Alarmed, I bolted out of the boutique after them, digging in my pocket for my cell phone.
“Young lady!”Lobster Lady called out after me, rushing out onto the sidewalk behind me.“She stole the wedding sash,” she told my mother.“I guess she wants to get married.”
No.I did not.
What I did want was to make sure Ashley was okay.Still fisting the sash—which I obviously intended to return—I scanned the street for any sign of her.
Just a few feet of walking and searching and I had my answer.
Ashley and Nick were in the alley between two buildings and they were kissing.Very passionately.
I didn’t see that coming.
Afraid they would see me, I turned so abruptly I ran smack into my mother.
“What on earth?”she demanded.She reached out and snatched the sash from my hands.“We need to pay for this.”
“I don’t want the bachelorette sash,” I protested.“I took it by accident.”
“I don’t want to hear it, Sophie Anne.I have no idea what is even going through your head these days.”She raised her fist angrily in the air like she was Richard Nixon.Or maybe more like Judd Nelson at the end of The Breakfast Club.At any rate, she looked like she was about to make something happen, which terrified me.
“Call Will,” she snapped into her cell phone.
I slunk behind her, feeling contrite and took the sash she shoved back at me.I carefully returned it to the table and smoothed it, apologizing to Lobster Lady.“I thought I saw George Clooney,” I told her.
“Ah,” she said, nodding.“I understand.”
Oliver shot a “help me” look in my direction.He was cornered in the ceramic lighthouse section by his super fan.
