Even more mysterious was why someone she’d just met would talk to her like that. She’d apologized and everything. Sure, not everyone liked her right away, but no man had ever hated her the way he seemed to. What was his problem? She wanted the same thing he did: a gorgeous wedding for Audrey and Eli. But if she could help her career at the same time, why should she feel bad about that?
With a mumbled curse she threw on one of her cuter pairs of leggings and added an oversized tank from her alma mater, Carter College. She swept her hair up into a messy ponytail high on her head, and dabbed concealer on the worst of her imperfections.
She put a hand on her hip and turned back and forth in front of the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door, pleased with what she saw.
It was the perfect amount of “I just woke up like this” but polished enough that it would look good if there was no time for makeup before the first shoot of the day.
Sienna rushed out the door and down the hallway but nearly collided with someone at the top of the stairs.
“Watch it,” said the now-familiar voice of Fox. “You really don’t pay attention to anyone other than yourself, do you?”
She barely had time to register his sweaty face and athletic gear before he pushed past her and headed to his room. Had he been for a run? Were those biceps revealed by his sleeveless shirt for real? Wait, what had he just said to her?
He’d totally overreacted to accidentally bumping into someone. He must be grumpy about something, but that seemed like Fox’s default mood.
After staring down the hall for a minute too long, Sienna realized if he wasn’t downstairs yet, then she couldn’t be that late. She hurried down the stairs and into the dining room, grabbed a muffin, and took a seat in between Harper and Reagan. “Any idea what we’ll be doing today?” she asked.
Harper shook her head. “They want authentic reactions to whatever announcements they have.”
Reagan sighed. “It’s a little distracting, having all these cameras everywhere.”
“Just pretend it’s a person,” Sienna said, biting into her muffin.
“More like a million people.” Reagan shuddered. “And they’re all just waiting for you to do something embarrassing.”
“Girls,” her mother hissed from her spot behind them.
Why was she even here?
Bruce had made it clear that the parents of the bride and groom weren’t required to show up to any of the competitions. Eli’s parents had taken this to heart and were nowhere to be found in the large dining room. But of course, Sienna’s mother had to be seen, and she’d been sighing loudly ever since Sienna walked in. Not only that, Sienna could practically feel her mother’s eyes boring into the back of her skull every time she spoke.
She turned around and gave her a sickly-sweet smile. “Good morning, Mother.”
“They’re going to start any minute. You need to be paying attention.”
Sienna looked around the room. Everyone was talking—the bridesmaids, groomsmen, even the production crew. The only person not chatting it up with anyone else was their mother, who sat up straight with her hands folded demurely in her lap.
When she turned back around, Reagan’s face looked pale, and she was biting her nails.
Sienna gently pulled Reagan’s hand from her mouth before she chewed her fingers down to stubs. “Be on your best cotillion behavior,” Sienna said.
Reagan groaned. “I thought I was done with those days.”
Sienna shook her head.
When Audrey had brought home her new friend Reagan from college, twelve-year-old Sienna had been mesmerized by her beauty queen looks and super polite manners. Reagan had stepped into the gaping hole Milo had left in their family and filled it with sweet tea and the best stories about all the scandals from her all-girls boarding school.
In an effort to distract the unofficial fourth sister to the Hudson girls, Sienna asked Reagan to tell the story of when she and her roommate snuck over to the all-boys prep school. Sienna has heard it at least a hundred times, but it felt like being home, and made everyone temporarily forget all about Wedding Games.
At least, until Jason Castle came into the room. “Good morning, wedding party,” he said with his patented bright smile on his face. “Is everyone ready for the first competition?”
Sienna sat up straight in her seat, ready to show Jason—and her mom—she was all business. She answered with a loud “yeah” but was the only one. She glanced around the room and realized that everyone was looking at her—Reagan and her sisters with patient smiles, and the groomsmen with amusement.
Well, all of the groomsmen except for Fox. The scowl affixed to his face felt as much a staple to Fox as the perma-smile was to Jason. And while she couldn’t be sure, Sienna swore he even rolled his eyes at her just before turning his head in the opposite direction.
Sienna took a deep breath, careful not to let the cameras see how his attitude affected her. While a little friendly competition might help her show off her acting skills, it wouldn’t do her any good to lose her cool just because the best man couldn’t play nice.
She smiled and turned back to where Jason was explaining the rules of the first competition. “You’ll spend your morning doing a scavenger hunt in downtown Wellspring,” he said. “Now, this gives a slight advantage to those who live here, but we’ve found ways to make it challenging and fun for everyone.”
Sienna frowned. As the team leader, she had hoped to excel at every challenge, but looking for things? She didn't know the area very well, not after being in New York for so long.
But Harper’s bakery was downtown.
Sienna looked up at her sister, expecting to share a conspiratorial glance, but Harper was staring out the window. She probably knew the area better than anyone else, if only she would get her head in the game.
“There are five items scattered around the shops and surrounding areas. The first team to find all five will get to choose the flowers for the entire ceremony, including the bride’s bouquet.”
Okay, Sienna thought. While the flowers weren’t the most important aspect of the wedding day—not like the food or the cake—they could make or break how Audrey looked in her wedding album.
She tried to imagine what the guys would choose if they won. She wouldn’t put it past Mr. McGrumperson to convince Eli to go with something utilitarian like plain, white carnations.
At least if the girls won, Sienna could ensure the flowers were bright and full of life. Just like Audrey and—usually—Harper.
And win was just what she planned to do with, or without, Harper’s help.
Five hours into the scavenger hunt, Fox had decided he’d had enough for one day. At least having the bridesmaids and the groomsmen running around downtown looking for different things meant the guys hadn’t seen the girls very much today. Which suited Fox just fine.
Unfortunately, it did mean the cameras had been there for every agonizing second of the day. They caught the moment Fox tripped over an upturned part of the sidewalk in his hurry to find the next item, and he was sure they zoomed in on his face when Sienna and her team found the handmade firefly lamp before the groomsmen.
And even though Eli had said he didn’t care about the flowers, and Fox had sworn to himself that he wouldn’t turn into a competitive jerk, the sight of Sienna and her triumphant smile at the small victory of beating the guys to the lamp, made him want to win the competition anyway.
But they didn’t.
And when Jason Castle broke the news that the bridesmaids had arrived at the final destination with the last item just minutes before the groomsmen, Fox couldn’t help letting out a frustrated groan that he was sure Bruce would adore.
He wasn’t sure how he would survive nine more days of this.
So, the second the cameraman switched it off and Austin, the production assistant they’d been assigned for the day, told them they were all set, Fox practically ran to the coffee shop to escape the stress of the day
and grab a pick me up. It was the only break they’d been given in the schedule to go off the inn’s property, and Fox wasn’t about to waste it.
He felt a little guilty for not going to Harper’s Flour Girl Bakery, but the coffee was ten times better at The Brew House. Besides, Fox couldn’t be sure there wouldn’t be cameras at the bakery getting filler shots or interviewing the staff or something.
Just as he sat down with his large, black coffee and took his first sip, she walked through the door.
In her hand was a small, golden statue of a bride and groom that looked a lot like a cake topper. “Oh, hey there, loser,” she said in a teasing tone as she walked over to his table.
Fox looked around the coffee shop to make sure they were truly off camera before saying, “Like I care who won.”
The smile on Sienna’s face fell, and without waiting for an invitation, she took the seat across from him.
“Please, won’t you join me?” Fox said with a tight-lipped smile.
His sarcasm was completely lost on Sienna. That, or she chose to ignore it, because she didn’t move. “You should.”
He looked up at her. “I should what?”
Sienna let out a dramatic sigh. “You should care who won. You’re Eli’s best man, and it’s kind of your job to make sure that he and my sister get a decent wedding when all of this is said and done.”
“Well, with a little sister who obviously cares so much for the outcome…”
A line formed between Sienna’s brows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. I’m sure your reasons for smiling at every camera are altruistic.”
“You’re mad because I’m enjoying this?”
Fox raised an eyebrow. “Enjoying it or using it to your professional advantage?”
She set her trophy on the table and crossed her arms. “I get to spend ten days with my sisters, I get to see Audrey and Eli get married, and yeah, I get to spend some time in front of the camera.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m not going to feel guilty for having fun while I do my job.”
Fox grunted.
“And if you took a few minutes to pull out whatever stick you have hiding up your butt, you might find out that life isn’t meant to be approached with a scowl and a bad attitude.”
Caught between a laugh and a grunt, Fox stared at the tiny blonde annoyance sitting across from him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to enjoy life—or have fun. He’d just seen too much. Experienced too much. And if something felt too good to be true, then it probably was.
Of course, Sienna was too young and naive to understand that. She still lived in the delusional world that acting gigs would fall in her lap, and her career would be all fun and games
But it wasn’t his job to tell her that. She’d learn it eventually, and painfully, on her own. He should just stay away from her, though he wasn’t sure how possible that would be while confined to a tiny mountainside inn.
Though she did have a good point about making more effort for Eli. It wasn’t just enough to be here for his best friend, Fox needed to put in actual effort into Wedding Games.
Not that he would ever admit that to Sienna.
“Just worry about your own attitude,” he said and stood up. His few minutes of calm had been ruined so he might as well go back to his room at the inn.
“I don't need to,” she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “We’re winning.”
Fox stormed out the door with his coffee, almost able to ignore the way the afternoon light hit her golden waves.
Seven
8 Days Until Dream Wedding
The next morning, Sienna was still riding the high of winning. With one competition down, there were still four more to go. But she was in it to win it—even with these early mornings. Really, whoever thought they needed to get started at 8 a.m. every day was clearly a guy who didn’t require more than a quick shower to look camera ready.
Regardless, Sienna planned to bring a hundred-and-ten percent to the next challenge and show everyone she was a valuable asset. She would make the connections she needed to ensure her big break was right around the corner, she would give Audrey and Eli the wedding of their dreams, and she would do it all while teaching Fox it was okay to enjoy life every once in a while.
Though she doubted he could manage a second of joy even if his life depended on it.
Sienna was still irritated at his lack of enthusiasm during her run-in with him at The Brew House. Why had Eli chosen him as best man if he didn’t even care? Audrey seemed to love Fox too. There was something she was missing, and Sienna hated being the last to know.
Just thinking about it made her head hurt.
Or more likely it was the lack of caffeine in her body.
Sienna knew she had just enough time to grab some java before going to the meeting room to hear about that day’s competition. She hurried down the stairs and was surprised to see her mom. Audrey had reminded her the previous night that she could enjoy the inn’s spa services instead of showing up to all of the meetings and competitions.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in the meeting room already?”
Yeesh. How did her mom manage to know the schedule despite not being a part of the events? Sienna smiled. “I have five minutes. It’s okay.”
Her mother shook her head. “Has all your time in New York made you forget everything I taught you?”
“I haven’t forgotten. Five minutes early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable,” Sienna recited. The words had been ingrained in her mind for as long as she could remember. At least it meant she’d never been late to an audition.
“Exactly,” said her mother. “So why is it that every time I see you, you’re running late?”
“I’m not.”
“I think you’re developing bad habits up there. Maybe it’s time to come home.”
This again? Sienna rolled her eyes. “I told you, I’m not ready to come home yet. I have a life there.”
“Sienna, you’re twenty-three years old, and you still don’t have a steady income. It may be time to start considering different career paths.”
“But acting is important to me. I want to make sure I give it everything I have. And I work three different jobs to afford life there, so you don’t have to worry about me.” Though afford was stretching the truth a little bit.
“But I do worry.” Her mom’s face turned serious. “And besides, sometimes you can give it everything you have, and it’s still not enough.”
“Mother.” Sienna reached out for her mother’s shoulder. Next would be the long list of everything her mother had given up for them. Sienna didn’t have time for that or she really would be late.
“I love you girls, and I’m thankful you’ve never gone hungry. But do you know how much I hate that Audrey is going through all of this just to get married? It’s awful.”
Sienna shrugged. “She doesn’t seem to mind.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Regardless, this is about her. I want to see you on your best behavior while we’re here. Give it everything you’ve got, without going overboard. And for the love of everything, don’t be late to anything else.”
“I’m always on my best behavior, I want to give it my all, which is why I’m grabbing coffee first.” Sienna leaned in and kissed her mother’s cheek. “And I promise not to be late.”
Sienna waved a quick goodbye over her shoulder and walked to the dining room. But as soon as she turned the corner, Fox stepped into view. In his hand was the biggest coffee thermos Sienna had ever seen—and she’d pulled quite a few all-nighters in college.
“They’re about to start in the meeting room,” he said, barely making eye-contact with her before he stormed off.
“They’re about to start in the meeting room,” she mimicked under her breath. Was everyone going to comment on her punctuality today? She’d be there just as soon as she got some coffee. And she wouldn’t be late.
Sienna grabbed a small p
aper cup and the stainless-steel carafe from the table, but when she tipped the container, nothing came out. Her lips turned down as she pressed the release valve on the handle and tipped the carafe for a second time.
Again, nothing.
Sienna took a deep breath as she set it down and unscrewed the lid. When she looked inside, it was completely empty. Not a single drop of the liquid gold remained. She crumpled the paper cup and tossed it on the counter. “Ugh.”
“Ugh, is right.”
The voice startled Sienna, and she quickly turned to see the head chef standing there with hands on her hips. The embroidery on her uniform read “Marcey.” Sienna had seen the woman a few times since arriving at the Emerald Inn, usually at mealtimes chatting with the owners of the inn. And while she was also pretty young, the look she gave Sienna was as scary as anything Grandma Hudson had given her when she tried to steal an extra cookie from the jar.
Marcey pointed a finger at Sienna. “You may be here filming this reality TV show, but that doesn’t mean you can leave trash all over my dining room.”
If Sienna wasn’t so disappointed from finding the carafe empty, she might have apologized instead of asking, “Do you have any more coffee?”
Marcey fixed her with a stare, and Sienna knew she’d pushed too far.
“Fine,” she said and grabbed the paper cup from the table. She threw it in the trash can on her way out the door.
Apparently, Fox wasn't the only grumpy person around here.
But he was the one who had just ruined her morning. He’d taken the last of the coffee in his giant man mug and gotten Sienna in trouble with the person in charge of providing more coffee.
Sienna couldn’t wait to teach him a lesson by winning. Again.
Why was it every time Fox tried to enjoy a nice cup of coffee, Sienna showed up?
The Bridesmaid & The Jerk (Wedding Games Book 1) Page 5