Page 78 of One Week Wingman

ROXY

Saturday dawns bright and crisp.And early. Mom presents me with a list of errands before I’ve barely opened my eyes for coffee, and I spent the morning busy with last-minute party prep. Their big anniversary party kicks off here at the house at noon, and will last the afternoon, until us kids head over to the high school for the reunion tonight.

I make it a double shot of espresso in my latte. It’s going to be a long day.

“I got the extra pickles, extra paper plates, and extra ice!” I call, bumping my way back into the kitchen with my arms full of bags.

Sebastian appears. “Did you buy out the whole store?” he asks, moving to help me.

“Yes, and then I had to go twenty miles to find the rest of it,” I inform him. “While you got to enjoy a relaxing lie-in.”

“Au contraire,” he says, dropping a casual kiss on my lips. “Phil sent me to the party rental place to pick up chairs and tables. I’ve been assembling all morning.”

He shows me out to the backyard, which is half setup with trestle tables for the food, and all the rented furniture. There are also dozens of paper lanterns strung through the trees, in autumnal shades of red and orange, and streamers trailing prettily in the breeze.

“It looks great,” I say, impressed. “Did Daisy help with the—"

“Watch it,” he calls suddenly, as I nearly trip over a tangle of electrical cables. Sebastian grabs me, holding me upright. “The band’s setting up all their equipment,” he explains, as I cling to him, inhaling the now-familiar citrus scent of his aftershave. “And yes, Daisy has been supervising.”

I hear a familiar laugh behind us. It’s Nita, carrying a couple of cases of wine she’s bringing from the store as a gift. “By that, you mean Daisy’s been sitting on her ass and ordering everyone around?” she asks, smiling.

“She excels in a managerial role,” Sebastian agrees, lips twitching with mirth. “Her instructional skills are A-plus.”

I shake my head, smiling. “Trust Daisy to avoid chipping a nail while everyone else gets sweaty from the work.”

“Still, there’s no denying that she’s doing a great job,” Nita points out, and she’s right. The garden has been transformed with a dozen tiny details I know nobody would have thought of aside from her, from the ribbon trim on all the floral centerpieces, to the matching mason jars arranged with fall foliage and berries. It’s an Instagram dream, and right now, Daisy is even packing dozens of individual gift bags with what looks like fancy skincare and makeup samples.

“Aren’t they great?” she calls, seeing us watching. “I called all my contacts and had them send a ton of cute stuff! Now all the guests will get to remember the party with some fun keepsakes.”

“Great!” I call back, sending a thumbs-up.

“Remember to save some of those lip masks for me,” Sebastian flicks confetti at Daisy, on his way to help my mom.

I pause. I can’t ignore the wistful ache in my chest, watching him hang out with my family.

“Uh oh,” Nita murmurs beside me. “That look is less, ‘I banged my hot fake boyfriend into oblivion last night,’ and more ‘I caught feelings.’”

“Big feelings,” I admit, sighing. “But can you blame me?” I ask, nodding to where Sebastian is adjusting the lanterns, while my mom calls instructions. “It feels like he belongs—likewebelong—but I know, it can’t last.”

I’ve been trying not to think about it, but our return to New York and regular life is looming larger by the hour.

Nita squeezes my shoulder sympathetically.

“Tomorrow, we’ll pack up and hit the road. And what will happen then?” I ask. “Are we just going to go back to normal, trading quips at the bar like nothing ever happened? Is he going to give me that casual grin of his, and say it’s been fun, but what happens in Ashford Falls stays there?”

“You could try asking him,” she points out.

I shake my head. “I don’t want to know the answer, so I’m not asking the question. Call me a coward, but I prefer to think about it as living in the moment.”

She smiles. “You’ll figure it out. I have faith.”

“Well, that makes one of us,” I say. I shake my head. I don’t want to be downcast, not when there’s nothing but celebrating on the menu for today. “You ready for tonight? I heard a rumor Courtney, Jessica, and Megan are prepping their old dance routine for a redo.”

“Noo!” Nita groans. “It was bad enough the first time around!”

“Maybe someone will burn the school down and save us from the humiliation?” I suggest cheerfully.

She laughs. “The gods aren’t that kind. I have to get back to the store, but I’ll see you at the party!”

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