The changing room curtain screeched open and Val came out in an elaborate princess gown, studded all over with rhinestones and pearls. As she had in the ones before, she looked gorgeous.
“I feel like a princess,” she said dreamily.
“You look like one.”
She gazed down at the dress, smoothing her hands over the bodice. “You know, I never thought I’d be into the whole princess look, but I don’t think you could pay me to take this off.” She swished the ruffled skirt back and forth, smiling at herself in the mirror. “Do you think Garrick will like it?”
“Garrick would be happy if you walked down the aisle in a potato sack,” I replied, taking a sip of my tea. “But if you’re looking to knock him out, I think this is the one.”
“This is so exciting! My wedding dress for my wedding day.” She released a happy sigh. “I still can’t believe this is all happening. I never thought I could be this happy.”
I put my cup down and stood to give Val a hug. She did it so often to me that somewhere along the line I started giving them back, which was surprising since I never thought I’d one day consider myself a hugger.
“What would I do without you?” Val asked as we pulled apart.
I met her eyes in the mirror and winked. “Have a mental breakdown and run away to join an all-girl rock band probably. I see a great drummer in you.”
“Hell, that doesn’t sound too bad. I’ve always wanted to shave my head.”
“You’ve got the right bone structure for it. And you know, we haven’t decided on your hair for the wedding yet...”
I imagined Valerie strutting down the aisle in a designer princess gown with a shaved head and nose piercing. Unsurprisingly she would look fierce, and Garrick would still be proud to call her his wife. It might be worth it just to see Levi’s reaction.
“You slay me,” Val said, poking me in the shoulder before stepping back into the changing room and pulling the curtain closed.
I settled back onto the couch and glanced out the window. Rain fell in sheets from bloated, gray clouds, and people hurried along the sidewalk with their faces turned to the ground. I didn’t relish the idea of my walk home, but it wouldn’t be Portland without the rain.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” called Val.
“Shoot,” I said, turning back to the front.
“I’m just curious about how you got into wedding planning. Have you ever been married?”
I was used to this question, or some iteration of it. Even though my wedding was the driving force behind what I did now, I never told the full story. I wasn’t sure whether it was because I didn’t want to bum the brides out or because it felt too personal, but I usually skated over top of all the hurt and just cherry-picked the details that worked.
I’m divorced, I would tell them. I was young and a little bit stupid. The wedding was the worst part of the whole thing. My maid of honor let me down, and I started my business so brides like me could have a maid of honor they could count on.
People didn’t usually ask further. The last thing anyone wanted to think about when they were planning the best day of their life was the failure of other people who had done the same thing.
Valerie was different from my other clients. She was more affectionate, more open. It seemed natural to tell her the truth and, more than that, I wanted her to know.
“I was nineteen when I got married, and I was divorced by twenty-two,” I said. “My maid of honor was my best friend from high school. We both had crushes on my husband at one point, but I thought we were well past that. She wasn’t, as it turned out, and all the bitterness she’d been harboring over the years spilled out as we planned for the wedding. She invited people I didn’t want and forgot to send invites to people I did. She persuaded me to buy a dress that was way out of my budget and then I almost couldn’t afford to have it altered. When the big day came, I got cold feet in a big way and had a panic attack. Meanwhile, she was out behind the community hall getting plastered with the groomsmen.” I chuckled to myself. “Ironically, if she had been there she probably would have talked me out of it, which would have been a good thing.”
I gulped as I thought about the next part, and I couldn’t help the sour expression that took over my features. “And then, six months later, I came home early one day and found her in bed with my husband.”
Val yanked open the curtain. She was in her street clothes again, and her mouth dropped open in horror. “Are you serious?”
I nodded. “I’m grateful to her in a way, though. It was a wake-up call. I wasn’t happy, and it wasn’t just because of my marriage. I was making good money as an accountant, but that wasn’t enough. I realized that I’d gone about my career the wrong way and took a step back to think about what I really wanted from life. My college dream was to be a wedding planner, and since my life was in tatters anyway, I decided there was no better time to give it a shot. I added the Always the Bridesmaid twist to offer clients something I never had—a maid of honor they could count on, one who was devoted to making their wedding the best day of their lives.”
Val sank down next to me on the couch. “Talk about turning lemons into lemonade.” She rested her hand on mine. “Yet another reason I like you more than most of the people I don’t pay to hang out with me.”
I laughed and patted her hand. “Only most? I must not be doing a good enough job.”
“You’re doing a good enough of a job that you helped me find the perfect dress.” Val glanced up at the gown hanging just inside the changing room, and a wistful smile crossed her lips. “I can’t wait to walk down the aisle. It’s killing me that the wedding is still so far away.”
I patted her on the shoulder. “At least that gives us lots of time to plan. Better to have time to take it easy and celebrate our successes as we go than having to rush and be stressed out.”
“That’s true. Speaking of celebrating our successes...” She trailed off and wiggled her eyebrows at me.
I read her mind. “Oh, I most certainly think we’ve earned a drink.”
“Do you mind if I invite Garrick and Levi along?”
“Not at all. I haven’t seen your groom’s troublemaking brother since that first night we met. Maybe tonight will be the night I crack him.”
Valerie laughed. “I doubt it. I love you for trying though.”
She pulled out her phone and called Garrick while I talked to the bridal consultant. I knew that it worried Val that Levi still hadn’t warmed to her, and if I could help ease that relationship forward even a little, I would be happy.
I could do this. I’d charmed my way through tons of wedding parties before and Levi was no great challenge. He was your standard everyday grump, and once I figured out what made him tick he would be putty in my hands.
Or so I thought.
We met the guys at a snug Irish pub near the Pearl District. Garrick greeted us with a smile as usual, and Levi wore the same expression of indifference I’d grown to loathe the last time we met. I didn’t let it deter me.
I was fearless. I was determined. I was going to make Levi my friend and there was nothing he could do about it.
“Long time no see,” I said, striding up to him with a beatific smile.
The dim lighting made Levi’s eyes disconcertingly dark. I could barely tell where the iris ended and the pupil began. He flicked his gaze over me, gave a short nod, and grunted in acknowledgment.
Okay, so he wanted to play hardball. Fine with me.
“We didn’t get to talk much last time we met, but Val told me that you’re the CFO at your family’s company,” I said. “I used to be an accountant. Maybe if it doesn’t work out at Black Mountain, you could have a future in wedding planning.”
Something that could have been amusement or could have been indigestion flickered over his face. “Maybe.”
I’d worked up from a grunt to one word. Progress was progress, no matter how small.
Before I could try again,
Levi turned to Garrick and Val, who were excitedly catching up about their days. “Should we grab a table?”
He led the way and I tagged along behind, determined to get a seat next to him. He wasn’t escaping me that easy.
We sat down in a curved booth with Val and me in the middle and the guys on either side. We ordered drinks, and Val and Garrick resumed their conversation. I looked Levi straight in the eye. The third time was going to be the charm.
“I’m a big fan of your family’s beer,” I told him. “I look forward to your Christmas brew every year.”
“A big fan, huh?” He stared out at the bar, avoiding my gaze. “Strange that you ordered a Miller.”
Was he serious? This guy was ridiculous! All I wanted was to make this whole wedding experience go down a little smoother, but he was determined to make an ass out of me.
I’d never had a nemesis before, but at twenty-six I finally knew what it felt like. Levi didn’t even know me but he was determined to dismiss me. I couldn’t stand it.
I decided to ice him out for the rest of the night. Maybe a taste of his own medicine wouldn’t be quite so sweet. I turned to Val and asked her if she’d told her fiancé about our dress shopping experience yet. Her face lit up with rainbows.
Chapter 5
Levi
I sucked back another mouthful of beer. I was nearly through my third pint, but the others had barely touched theirs. I debated asking the waitress to bring a shot of whiskey along with the next round.
I couldn’t believe I was out for drinks with Val and her wedding planner again. Twice in as many months was too many times, but I’d promised myself and my brother that I would be amenable and I was determined to see that promise through. Sitting through a couple hours of inane questions and the conversational equivalent of marshmallow fluff was the least I could do for my best friend.
“I still can’t believe the Mount Hood Manor had a Valentine’s Day cancellation and they were able to sneak us in,” Val said, squeezing Garrick’s hand.
Ugh. A wedding on Valentine’s Day. The place would be crawling with lonely single girls, dewy-eyed from the ceremony and searching the halls for their own prince charming. I wondered if Val’s friend-for-hire would be among their ranks, or if she was a seasoned pro at hiding her own tormented heart.
Garrick had told me she was single as if that might entice me to take more of an interest in her, but all it did was make me more suspicious. Frankie loved weddings. She loved marriage. Her damn eyes sparkled just talking about cakes and dresses and happily ever after, so wouldn’t it make sense for her to be bitter that her clients got the fairytale ending she might never have? Every time I looked at her I tried to find the contempt. So far I was coming up empty-handed.
“I spent at least an hour looking at pictures of the hotel yesterday,” Frankie said, holding onto her pint like it was the only thing keeping her from floating away. She had a husky voice for a girl, and it made even the topic of wedding venues kind of sexy. “It’s unbelievably gorgeous. We couldn’t have snagged a more stunning venue, and I can’t wait to get up there and see it.” She turned to Val. “Hey...what do you think about doing photos with silver glitter and falling snow?”
Val liked this idea very much and responded with something between a scream and a giggle. The two of them started a rapid-fire discussion that I checked out of immediately. I looked past them to my brother, who was staring at his fiancé dreamily and didn’t appear to notice that I existed. With nothing better to do, I watched the girls talk.
Frankie looked exhilarated. I could only see her face in profile, but her green eyes were wide with animated delight, and she seemed to stumble over the words in her haste to get them out.
How did she do it? How could she fake this kind of enthusiasm so well? I’d never seen anything like it. To an outsider, she and Val looked like they were just best friends discussing a wedding and you’d never know that Frankie was paid to be there.
I downed the rest of my beer and leaned back into the seat, directing my gaze elsewhere. Val and Frankie continued to gab alongside me about centerpieces and photo walls. Garrick stared at Val. I stared at the TV on the far wall. Finding nothing there but an endless string of commercials, I let my gaze fall back on the girls.
Frankie was quite pretty, I had to admit. I’d thought so last time too. Even if she was the bane of my existence. Her long silky hair fell in waves halfway down her back, and the color complemented her beautiful skin tone perfectly. Her plump lips curved around each syllable as she spoke and I found myself watching her mouth.
She’d come inside wearing a long black raincoat, but underneath it, her tight black pencil skirt and red satin shirt clung sinfully to her curves. If she were a stranger in a bar, I’d take her home for a hot, anonymous fuck in an instant. I wondered how those cherry red lips would look wrapped around my cock.
Fuck. I couldn’t think like this. She wasn’t some stranger in a bar—she was Val’s annoyingly cheerful maid of honor who, like it or not, I’d have to see from time to time for almost a whole year. Worse, she was Val’s professional maid of honor. Weren’t any of Val’s friends good enough for the position? The fact that she hired a stranger to perform such an intimate role in her wedding wasn’t helping her case any.
“What are you thinking about?” Garrick asked.
I hadn’t realized that the conversation had turned away from the wedding and his question startled me. I cleared my throat.
“I’m thinking about all the work I have to do tomorrow,” I lied. “I should head home.”
“Yeah, it’s getting late,” agreed Valerie.
Frankie nodded and finished the last half of her drink in two gulps. “Let’s get out of here.”
We spilled onto the street, and my feet had already turned themselves toward home before I realized I needed to say goodbye. I turned to find Garrick and Val face deep in each other and grimaced.
“Oh, relax,” said Frankie, coming to stand beside me. “Surely you don’t find the sight of true love that disgusting.”
I gave her a dubious look but chose not to reply. She frowned and the expression was worryingly cute.
Garrick and Valerie parted and the little blonde addressed Frankie. “Are you getting a cab?”
Frankie shook her head. “I live just by Voodoo.” She gestured down the street. “It’s only a five-minute walk.”
“Voodoo Doughnut?” Garrick asked. “That’s close to Levi. He can walk you home.”
I could have shot him. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one who found issue with the arrangement.
Frankie shook her head emphatically. “Oh, no. I’ll be fine. No need to trouble Levi. He’s very busy.”
“It’s not any trouble at all, is it Levi?” Garrick asked with a devious smirk.
I wanted to smack the scheming ass but I forced a tight smile all the same. I could only get away with a certain level of rudeness, and today I was already maxed out.
“It’s not a problem.”
“Then it’s settled.” Garrick scanned the street over my head and waved to an oncoming taxi. He smiled at Frankie. “It was great to see you, Frankie. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”
“I hope so!”
He and Valerie got into the taxi, and then it was just the curvy wedding planner and me.
“I normally walk this way,” she said, starting forward.
I kept pace easily, even though she was walking just about as fast as her high heels could take her. After a couple minutes of silence, I thought we might be able to make it the whole way without talking, but I should’ve known better.
“Garrick’s really nice,” she said. “He and Valerie make a great match, don’t you think?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, sure.”
“And what about you? Do you see wedding bells in your future anytime soon?”
I snorted. “No.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw consternation iron Frankie’s lips into a flat line.
>
“Are you always this hard to talk to, or do I get special treatment?”
I was amused to find the eternal optimist had a feisty side. I couldn’t help but wonder if that carried over into the bedroom.
“Trust me, you’re nothing special,” I replied.
Frankie stepped into my path, arms folded haughtily across her ample chest, and her eyes narrowed into angry slits.
“Oh, go on then,” I said, cocking a brow. “It’s been awhile since I’ve had a good haranguing.”
“What is your problem? I’ve done nothing but try to be nice to you, and you’re acting like I’m the most insufferable person you’ve ever met.”
“You don’t know me that well. Maybe this is just how I act around generally insufferable people.”
“No,” she said, stepping closer. “You don’t know me. There’s no reason for you to be this rude and I won’t stand for it.”
She wore heels and still only reached my chin, but Frankie was determined to intimidate me. Her eyes were hard, jaw clenched tight in grim resolve. Unfortunately, the display didn’t achieve the desired effect. All I could think about was how close those sensual lips were, the ferocity in her eyes, and the heat of her body mingling with mine in the darkness.
“You won’t stand for it?” I leaned in a little closer, dropping my voice to a deep lull. “Does that mean you’re going to take it lying down?”
The hatred in Frankie’s eyes flickered into something darker. She swallowed. I would have paid good money to see what visions I’d conjured up in that sassy little head of hers.
“You’re the insufferable one,” she said finally, though her voice had lost some of its edge. “If you ruin this wedding for Valerie, you’re going to have me to answer to.”
“Can’t wait.” I stepped around her and continued down the street. “Are you coming?”
She let out a frustrated sigh and followed. I made sure to erase the grin from my face when she caught up so she wouldn’t know how much I enjoyed our little argument.
Bridesmaid for Hire Page 3