Page 41 of Once Bitten, Twice Fried
“If your team is only coming tomorrow, what are you doing here, Zo?” Julie put a forkful of pancakes in her mouth. Maple syrup dripped from her chin but she was fast enough to avoid it spilling on her jeans.
“I told you, I’m just here to make you pancakes.” Zoe smiled and seeing Julie’s confused face, she added: “I’m here to scout the area and coordinate with my team. They’ll bring everything we need tomorrow.”
“Makes sense.”
“There will be lots more people tomorrow morning, don’t worry. The other bridesmaids are coming as well.” Yasmine chimed in. “I have to say, I’m happy to just have the two of you for now. I don’t want to get emotional, but you’re still my favourite people.”
“Aw.” Zoe stood up and wrapped her arms around Yasmine.
Yasmine shot Julie a look. “You’re not touched by what I just said?”
Julie pondered for a moment. “Sure, I’m touched to be your favourite people, but I’m not sure you’re my favourite people.”
“Be nice to her, she’s getting married.” Zoe gently punched Julie’s arm.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“What? No, I mean it’s a special occasion!”
Yasmine sighed. “Let her be, Zoe, she wouldn’t understand…”
“I agree, non-engaged people can be so rude sometimes.”
Julie didn’t know why, but she felt offended by all this. “Fine! Come here Yasmine, I’ll show you that single peoplecanbe good people!” She hugged Yasmine so tight that Yasmine had to tell her to let go.
* * *
The rumble of the events team and their trucks shook the entire house. Julie ran outside to supervise the vans pulling into the lot. One, withFleur du tempsemblazoned on the side, was trying to turn around to back into the spot next to her own car.
“Hey! Be careful!” She waved and raced towards it, but it was too late. Her left rear brake light shattered as the vehicle backed into it.
“Oh shit. Sorry ma’am!” A bald man with a light beard and a strong Walloon accent answered her through his rolled-down window. Once his car was properly parked, he jumped down. “I’m so sorry! You have a Golf? That’s a good car. My brother-in-law has the same one.”
Julie put her face in her hands. Only in Wallonia would the man who just hit her car simultaneously apologise and try to make friendly small talk. Normally she would find it amusingly charming, but this was the last thing she needed right now. She could see that the damage wasn’t too bad, but it was going to be annoying to have to fix this once she got back to Brussels.
“Wait a minute, I’ll go get my insurance papers in the van.” The bald man scurried away.
Yasmine and Zoe appeared outside. “What’s going on? Is everything OK?” Yasmine surveyed the scene with a frown.
“The florist van hit my car. My brake light is gone.”
“Ouch. Well, at least you still have the other one!” Yasmine tried to stay positive.
“I guess…”
The man reappeared with a grin. “Here! I have all the paperwork.”
Julie sighed. There was nothing she hated more than paperwork. She was almost tempted to tell the man that it was fine and that she’d just get it fixed, but she knew that wasn’t reasonable. She felt a light touch on her arm.
“I can take care of it if you want.” Zoe smiled and pointed at the other people milling around the lot. “Your time would be more valuable taking care of event planning.”
Julie wanted to kiss Zoe. But in a friendly way. Because Zoe was offering to help her with paperwork, not because her heart was stupidly pounding every time Zoe was looking at her.
“You’d do that?” She thought for a minute. “But can you even do that?”
“Of course, just give me your insurance papers and it’ll be fine.”
“O-ok. I’ll go get that.” Julie opened her passenger door and crammed a hand into her glove box, praying that the papers she hadn’t given a single thought to in years were in there. She breathed a sigh of relief as her hand closed around the folder, and she passed them over to Zoe. “There you go, everything should be there.”
