“I heard about Beau dying, and I jumped on the opportunity,” he insisted. “I thought it might be my only shot.”
“You had the chance to be a stand-up guy, but you chose the money instead,” I said with an annoyed grunt. “That goes against the honorable man code. It’s the first commandment, isn’t it? Thou shalt not dump the woman you love in order to receive a pile of cash. Makes you look like a chump.”
He slouched against the wall, and I debated whether to encourage him or smack him on the side of the head with a giant palm frond from the receptionist’s desk.
“Is that why you were in Flat Falls when Beau was murdered?”
His head jerked up. “What are you talking about?”
“We have pictures of you outside the warehouse the afternoon Beau was killed,” I said. “But according to the producers, you didn’t even get here until later the following day. So why were you here?”
“I already discussed this with the cops.” He finished his slow drop to the floor. “I came to see Lily. I wanted to apologize and to ask for her forgiveness.”
“And did you speak with her?”
“No. When I pulled into the parking lot, there were police officers all around and the area was blocked off. Beau was already dead.”
I glanced down the hallway again. If I couldn’t get him to that wedding soon, the whole thing would be canceled, and my fledgling business would be the subject of national ridicule. I pasted on a smile and gave his shoulder a few gentle pats. “You’ve got your second chance. What’s stopping you?”
“After the video came out, my father gave me an ultimatum. It was her or my inheritance.” His voice trembled. “I’m not sure I can choose between Lily and my family.”
“You can, and you will,” I replied, pointing down the corridor. “Right at this very moment, a lovely woman in a wedding dress is sitting by herself in front of a bunch of cameras, and she’s counting on you.”
My stomach twisted at the thought of causing a rift between Dan and his family, but just as I was about to give in and usher him back to the parking lot, Mimi came storming down the hall, headset in hand.
“You’re here!” She scanned his body from head to toe, her nose wrinkled. “But why do you look like you’ve been on a three-week bender in the bottom of a dumpster? I thought you were a respectable businessman.”
Wide-eyed, he glanced at me, then back at Mimi. “I…”
She waved her hand in the air. “Never mind. I don’t have time for stories. What I barely have time for is getting you in the makeup chair for some eye drops and concealer. We’ll have to go with the lovesick and homeless mood.”
“Mimi,” I interjected. “I don’t think—”
“And that’s a good thing. I don’t pay you to think. I pay you to act. And I’d like you to act like a wedding planner and go find Mr. Nichols a breath mint and a tie. There’s one hanging behind the door in my office.”
She whipped a set of keys out of her pocket and tossed them to me before dragging a dumbfounded Dan down the corridor. At the corner, she whirled around to face me. “And Ms. Wells?”
“Yes?”
Her scowl was clear despite the darkened hallway. “Don’t forget. I can make you appear as good or bad as I want. If I don’t get this wedding started soon, I’ll make sure the world knows it was your fault.”
I rolled my shoulders and gave myself a mental pep talk before setting off down the hall to find fresh clothes Dan could wear to his wedding. When I arrived at Mimi’s office, I slipped in the key and opened the door.
A men’s dress shirt with a blue striped tie hung on a hook behind the door, still wrapped in plastic from the dry cleaner. I picked it up and started to leave, but when I heard the rustle of fabric on the floor behind Mimi’s desk, my throat went dry.
I took a hesitant step forward, freezing when a head popped up from behind the chair. I instantly recognized the poof of red hair and the black hoodie.
“Paparazzi aren’t allowed in here,” I said, lunging for the desk phone. “I’m going to call security.”
Instead of making a run for it, he stepped around the desk and stuck out his hand. “Name’s Jeff. I’m with The Enchanted Tattler.”
I hesitantly shook it, shooting an uncertain glance toward the door. “Okay, Jeff. This is private property, and you need to leave.”
He crossed his arms and leaned back on the desk. “Actually, I don’t. I’m an invited guest.”
“Seriously?” I asked with an incredulous snort. “Who invited you?”
He didn’t have time to respond because Beverlee chose that moment to throw open the door to Mimi’s office. “Glory,” she said in an exaggerated whisper. “Are you in here?”
“Right here,” I replied, eyeing the man who was changing his camera lens on Mimi’s desk.
Beverlee sashayed past us and tossed her oversized pink and green purse onto Mimi’s chair. “I’m glad I found you. Everybody’s getting restless out there. Lily’s grandmother is passing out pretzels from her pocket, but I’m not sure how long she can hold them off.”
Jeff dropped the camera into a messenger bag on his hip. “That’s my cue, then.” He gave a mock salute and strode out the door, closing it behind him with a soft click.
“Who was that?” Beverlee asked.
“Jeff. One of the photographers who has been following Lily and Hazel.”
“What was he doing in Mimi’s office?”
“It looked like he was snooping through her drawers. Said he was a wedding guest.”
“Huh,” she replied. “They’ll let just about anybody in these days.”
“Why do you think he was here?” I asked. “And who could have invited—”
I had just reached over to retrieve the shirt and tie off the back of Mimi’s door when Beverlee’s tote made a strange, high-pitched clucking sound. “What is in your purse?” I demanded.
Beverlee glanced down at the bag, not alarmed at all that it was sashaying across the leather seat. “It’s Matilda. I had a custom tote made for her. I figured if all those fancy ladies can carry around their little appetizer dogs in swanky designer purses, I could do the same thing with my pet chicken.”
My mouth fell open.
“It has a zipper and special panels to allow for ventilation. It’s even waterproof. Want to feel?” She nudged the bag toward me with her foot. It was wiggling.
“You can’t bring a chicken to a wedding, Beverlee.”
Beverlee scoffed. “You obviously never met my second husband.”
“Find a place to stash her until the ceremony is over. I’m not kidding,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose between my fingers with enough force to be classified as a do-it-yourself nose job.
I was interrupted by Mimi’s high-pitched voice coming down the hall.
“How hard is it to find a tie? It’s a tie, not Jimmy Hoffa’s body,” she screeched. “Where is Gloria?”
“You can leave Matilda in one of the supply rooms until the ceremony is over. She’ll be fine.”
Beverlee nodded her agreement, and I stepped toward the door. I threw it open as Mimi came to a stop in front of me.
With trembling fingers, I dangled her keys and the tie. “I’m sorry for the delay, but I had to—”
I searched the room for an excuse, my gaze finally landing on the restroom across the hall. “Wedding days always give me a nervous stomach.” I leaned in and whispered, “Not something event planners like to admit, by the way.”
Mimi gaped at me, her eyes wide. Leave it to bowel issues to cut a conversation short.
I grabbed her by the arm and swung her in the direction of the ceremony. I tugged the door shut behind me and hoped Beverlee could figure out how to hide her chicken and make it back to the set without getting caught by a killer.
21
Trying to quiet the guests’ restlessness, Mimi directed the sound technician to exchange the upbeat instrumental music that had been streaming throughout the morning
for a morose dirge combining bagpipes and an out-of-tune organ.
By the time we got Dan cleaned up and back on stage, half the audience was asleep, and at least two people had ripped the stuffing out of the seat cushions to shove in their ears to block the noise.
Mimi gave a shrill whistle to let everyone know the ceremony was about to begin, and I wondered if it would be tacky to rip off a section of upholstery to protect my own eardrums.
Dan shuffled back and forth on the balls of his feet next to Lily.
When Lily offered him a shy smile, he didn’t respond, and she glanced out to the front row. Caroline gave her an optimistic thumbs-up.
I stood off to the side to watch the spectacle unfold. The director motioned for the camera crew to start filming, and as the show’s host stepped forward, a hush fell over the crowd.
“Good evening. I am Javier McMasters, and I am excited to welcome you to what promises to be the night of a lifetime.”
With his ruffled shirt tucked into tight black tuxedo pants and a violet crushed velvet blazer straining at the buttons over his ample belly, Javier appeared ready to officiate a go-go dancer’s Vegas wedding.
Hazel cast a scornful glance at Lily before turning to face Jason.
He didn’t return her eye contact. Instead, he rocked back on his heels and studied the crowd, a frown pinching his lips into a tight line.
Dan swayed slightly as he rested his hand on his stomach, his fingers clenching the now-wrinkled fabric of the borrowed shirt.
I scanned the room for a bucket. Nobody wanted to witness a vomiting groom.
Javier stepped toward the camera. “We started with ten men and ten women, each one faced with the challenge of learning to move forward given their past mistakes. They are rabble-rousers and mistake-makers, schemers and dreamers who were searching for redemption and romance.”
He gestured at the group gathered in front of him. “America, you have watched as they worked through their pasts and readied themselves for amazing futures. And you have helped narrow down who you think is the most deserving of a second chance at love.”
Applause filled through the room.
Javier continued. “We started with twenty, and now we are left with four. Two couples, matched with each other based on a series of psychological tests and physical challenges, each excited to take the next step toward their happily ever after.
“Tonight, one of these couples will win the wedding of a lifetime and half a million dollars in prize money to embark on their new life together.” He swept his arm out toward the camera. “Are you ready to meet the Romance Revival champions?”
A few whoops of encouragement filtered up from the audience.
“Very well, then. Let’s start with a look back at each of our challengers.”
A big screen behind the contestants lit up with video of Hazel rushing through a wall of paparazzi, shielding her hand in front of her face against the bright lights and intrusive cameras.
That image was replaced with tabloid footage of Jason at a press conference forfeiting his surfing championships, his floral board shorts low on his hips and an ample amount of tanned bicep on display.
When the montage of their humiliating slip-ups concluded, all four contestants were staring at their feet.
“Jason and Hazel,” Javier began, gesturing to each couple. “And Dan and Lily. Please step forward.”
The contestants moved to the front of the stage. Jason took Hazel’s hand.
Javier held out an envelope. “In this envelope, I have the results. Over sixteen million people cast their votes, and it was one of the closest contests in reality television history.”
He slipped his finger behind the seal and tore the paper.
A hush fell over the crowd. Mimi clutched her clipboard and stared on in rapt attention.
“And the winner is…”
“Wait.” Jason dropped Hazel’s hand and dipped his chin toward the audience in apology. “I can’t do this.”
“Jason,” Hazel warned, her voice icy. “Not now.”
He shook his head, blond hair flopping over his brows. He focused on Hazel before raising both hands in the air in a signal of defeat. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be your husband.”
“What’s going on?” Her gaze bounced from Jason to Mimi, who was off to the side of the set, eyes bugging out like somebody had just given her a pony or a diamond-encrusted filing cabinet.
Jason stepped toward Hazel and lowered his voice. The sound engineers positioned around the edges of the stage scrambled to lower their microphones closer to the couple.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes,” Jason said. “But I don’t want to pile them on top of each other. Our marriage would be built on a foundation of lies and ratings, and… I can’t do it. I just don’t feel that way about you.”
Hazel’s cheeks were red, and her spine straightened. “After all I have done to get here? You’re going to do this to me now?”
Hazel wailed, a high-pitched screech that had the crew scrambling to get their microphones up and out of harm’s way as the sound echoed throughout the warehouse. As her gaze shot around the room, she reached down and slipped off her sandal. She positioned it in her hand so the hard wedge was pointing out and rushed toward Jason in a show of unbridled fury.
She landed on top of him with a barbaric scream, hitting him with the shoe until he covered his face with his hands and curled into a ball on the stage.
“I’ll make you pay!” she screamed. “I know people.”
I followed her gaze to the back of the room, craning my neck just in time to see a shock of red hair disappear around the corner.
After watching the scene unfold with undisguised glee, Mimi flipped a switch on her headset and serenely said, “Security, please.”
Two men dressed in all black approached the stage, followed closely by Hollis and Gage, who had just entered from the back.
“Miss Archer,” Hollis said, his arms locking around her waist. Her hair had come loose from its updo and was sticking out sideways in a tempestuous sprayed clump. Her eyes flashed wildly, and she was struggling against him. “You need to come with us.”
Hazel reared back and glared at Hollis. “What do you mean? I haven’t done anything.”
Hollis eyed the camera and shook his head slowly. “I’m afraid we need to ask you some questions.”
“You’re questioning me?” she screamed. “For what? Fighting with my boyfriend? He tried to dump me on the day of our—”
She squirmed free from Hollis and rushed across the stage again.
He took two large steps and intercepted her again. He pulled a pair of handcuffs from his belt and wrapped one side around her wrist. When he twisted her arms behind her and fastened the other cuff, a harsh metallic snap reverberating through the set. “For hiring Jeff Kapowski to falsify and post libelous information about Lily Page on his blog.”
Lily stumbled backward, her eyes wide. “That was you?”
“Of course not.” Hazel’s self-indulgent smile turned brittle as Hollis prodded her out the door. “I wouldn’t waste my money on you.”
After Hollis escorted Hazel off the stage, Jason took a seat in the front row. Within minutes, two of Hazel’s friends jumped up to comfort him, and he offered the camera a lopsided grin.
Mimi stepped forward and tapped the director on the shoulder. “May I speak with you privately?”
He dutifully followed her to the back of the set, and even though they were partially hidden by a row of potted silk palms, we all openly stared as he shook his head and she emphatically tapped her clipboard.
When she advanced a few moments later, Mimi was rubbing her palms together, her eyes bright. “As they say in Hollywood, the show must go on. Javier, if you could have everyone take their places.”
They started filming where they left off, minus one-half of the competitors. Javier made a dramatic presentation of pulling the slip of paper out and waving it around with a flourish. �
��The winners of Romance Revival, including a five hundred-thousand-dollar cash prize and the wedding of a lifetime, are Dan and Lily.”
Half the crowd applauded. The other half complained the vote was rigged and demanded to see proof that Lily and Dan had actually won instead of getting the prize because Hazel was disqualified for being a petulant attention hog.
The camera panned the room, capturing chaos in every corner. Grandmothers yelled at the photographers, cousins knocked over light stands, and an unsuspecting caterer tried to convince Hazel’s sorority sisters it was too early for the booze he had hidden behind a soundbar.
Through it all, Mimi stood with her fingertips pressed to her lips, failing to conceal a triumphant grin.
After a few moments, Caroline ushered a wide-eyed Lily off the stage, steering her past the mayhem and into the dressing room.
Javier stepped to the microphone and tapped it, sending a resonant thump through the speakers. He gave a brittle laugh. “Now that I have your attention, we’ll let the bride and groom get ready, and then we’ll begin the ceremony.”
I stopped in front of Maggie, who appeared to be guarding a plant at the front of the stage. She lowered her voice to a whisper and peered over my shoulder. “These people are insane. The lady in the feathered corset was about to use an asparagus fern as a weapon.”
“We’re almost done,” I said with a sigh. “Let’s just get through the wedding. I’ve got Lily. You find Dan.”
When I turned the corner, Lily was standing with her back against the wall and her eyes closed. Caroline and Beverlee whispered to her in hushed tones.
I cleared my throat. “They promised you a day you’d never forget.”
She tucked her arms around her waist, the crown of flowers slipping over her forehead as she nodded. “I knew Hazel was petty and vindictive, but I can’t believe she paid someone to post those stories about me.”
“It wasn’t entirely about you,” Beverlee said. “I saw Hollis on his way in, and I might have coerced him into giving me a few details.”
Tying the Knot (A Wedding Crashers Mystery Book 2) Page 18