Page 13 of That Next Moment

“Wedding prep pretty much. I really want to talk to you about the bachelor/bachelorette party.” Madeline grabbed the same bottle I had set down to pour into her glass.

Jamie grabbed the only bottle of red and filled her glass with only a sip, twirling it around in the bottom of the cup. “You meanparties.”

“Nope, party. There’s just the six of us, so we figured it would be better if we all did something one night, but we’re leaving it up to the best man and”—Madeline glanced up at me—“the maid of honor to plan it.” She formed a small grin. I sucked in through my teeth, knowing that was me, before returning her grin. Although my grin wasn’t cute like Madeline’s. It was cheesy and forced. I knew what was going on through her head.

“Whew.” Jamie blew a breath of air. “I’m off the hook.”

“Oh, no. I have things for you to do. Trust me.” Madeline began to spout off a list of things to Jamie, but my mind went straight to this party she wanted me to plan.

Me and the best man to plan.

Meaning. . . Clay.

Clay was the best man, and I was the maid of honor.

I hadn’t seen Clay since that night he broke my heart. Sure, he entered my mind every now and then, but I had never intended on seeing him ever again. I knew when Milo and Madeline got engaged that I was going to have to see him, that it was inevitable, but I wasn’t planning on spending more than a few hours in his company.

My head started to race. Planning a party with Clay. Would Madeline hate me if I refused?

“Can we go back to this party thing?” I interrupted. Madeline and Jamie both looked at me. Jamie had her glass of wine to her lips. She had poured more than the small sip, and her eyes were wide. “I’m planning it?”

“Well,” Madeline smiled. “Yeah, wouldn’t that be fun? Or will it be too much with the dress?”

“No, no I can definitely plan it, but can’t Jamie help me? There really should be two parties.”

“Did you not just hear all the things she has me doing? I mean I get it, Maddy is busy, but holy hell. I thought this was going to be a small wedding,” Jamie muttered.

“Table dressings, table layout, and invitations isn't that long of list,” Madeline mumbled. “I’m not being a bride-zilla, am I?”

Jamie chuckled. “Oh, no. My sister was way worse.”

“Okay, but the party,” I said, placing my hands on the island to balance myself. “You want me and Clay to plan it together?”

Madeline pursed her lips.

“Maddy,” I continued, “I can’t.”

“Phe.” Madeline gently placed her glass on the counter and looked me in the eyes. “Clay has been going through a really hard time, and I honestly think this will be good for him. Get him off Milo’s couch and back into the real world.”

Real world?

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I thought you knew. It was national news.” Madeline heaved a sigh. “Phe, Clay lost his job. He lost his house, his savings. Everything. The only thing he has left is his Tesla which he hasn’t been able to drive because he lost his car insurance. He’s been living on Milo’s couch for the past couple months, and he can’t seem to get another job.”

National news? Clay had made national news, and I missed it? My social media feeds mainly followed other influencers, other fashion icons. Any news I got came from a quick scroll through my Google home screen, and I would have remembered seeing Clay’s name. I furrowed my brow. “What happened?”

“Some big lawsuit regarding his accounting team. They were embezzling from the firm, and since Clay oversaw them, he was to blame. He had to pay a settlement, so they didn't send him to prison for the rest of his life.”

“So he’s just. . .” My voice trailed off. I didn't even know what to say. Clay had his life together last I knew. He had a fancy apartment in Seattle, one that he valued more than anything. He seemed to have become a material person, all about the number in his bank account, but now he was living on Milo’s couch?

Madeline nodded. She could tell that I couldn’t piece together what was happening. “Yeah, he’s not in a good place. He needs encouragement to get out and find a job and his own place before he ends up living in his Tesla. This party would be the best thing to get him out of the house andlivingagain.”

I took a deep breath and looked at Jamie. Her eyebrows were pinched, and she slowly sipped her wine.

“Does he know we’re planning a party together?”

Madeline shook her head. “Not yet. I need to talk to him, or Milo does. I’ll text him and tell him to talk to Clay tonight. We’re thinking about the weekend before the wedding, before Holly gets home.”

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