Best Jerk

by Lulu Pratt

  When I parked at the venue, Callie pulled up next to me. Carter climbed out of the car and went in search of Abigail.

  “I thought you were going to be late,” I said.

  “Plans changed,” Callie said, but I didn’t buy it. I could have picked her up, but I had a feeling she had lied about having prior engagements purely to wiggle out of driving with me. She was really going to great lengths to avoid me.

  “Let’s get inside,” Callie said before I could say anything else. “I have to coordinate this thing.”

  I followed her into the venue. She didn’t wait for me. Instead, she marched ahead. I let her do her thing, unwilling to run after her when there were so many people around. She would only reject me, and I wasn’t in the mood for a public scene like that.

  The rehearsal ran smoothly. Callie was in her element, getting people to go places and do things without being forceful or ever raising her voice. I watched her command an entire room of people who were in the mood to party and catch up, and she did it with finesse. I would have gotten pissed off and sworn at the lot of them ages ago.

  When we were done at the venue, we headed to the restaurant for the rehearsal dinner. Rachel had prepared everything we would be eating at the wedding, and we were going to see if the menu worked for us.

  We arrived at the restaurant and sat down at the tables Rachel had reserved for us. I made a point of sitting next to Callie. When I sat down, she squirmed and looked uncomfortable. She didn’t want to be near me. I acted amused because we were around other people, but I was starting to wonder what the hell Callie’s problem was. I hadn’t ever given her a reason to avoid me completely, to not want anything to do with me.

  The meal was wonderful, and a lot of people commented on it, complimenting Rachel on her great cooking and Callie on her excellent choice of caterer. When we had decided on the caterer, I’d been trying to mess it all up. I was glad I had failed in this department. The food was delicious, and if I ever had to have a wedding, I would imagine myself feeding food like this to my loved ones.

  The night went smoothly. I watched Carter and Abigail where they sat at the table with their parents. They were laughing and joking and commenting on the food, and for all I could see, they looked like they were married already. They were comfortable around each other, and they complemented each other. It was rare to see a couple so in sync.

  Carter had loved Jenna, and I had approved of the match. It had taken me a long time to accept that Carter could love again, but if my friend had to choose a woman to settle down with, Abigail was the right choice. I saw that now. I realized how very selfish I had been, even though I’d already apologized, I wanted to do it all over again.

  After the dinner, Callie stood up and walked to the counter where Rachel was waiting to discuss something with her. I stood and waited for her to finish so I could talk to her in private. When Callie saw me, she sighed.

  “What is it, Grayson?” she asked. She didn’t sound very happy to see me.

  “What is your deal?” I asked. “I have tried everything to reach out to you. What is going on?”

  Callie shook her head.

  “I’m not doing this now,” she said.

  “Then when? When are you going to talk to me?” I wanted to know.

  “Stop, Grayson,” she said.

  “I won’t. Not until I know what the hell is going on.”

  Callie was suddenly furious, and she was so fucking hot in her rage, I wanted to grab her and kiss her. But the words that came out of our mouths were sharp like knives, and they cut me when she spat them at me.

  “Why don’t you just leave me the fuck alone?”

  She walked away from me, and I couldn’t follow. I wouldn’t. She had told me to fuck off, and even though I was a stubborn asshole, I knew when I wasn’t wanted.

  Chapter 27

  Callie

  The day of the wedding had finally arrived, and excitement was thick in the air. I woke up to my alarm at eight in a room I shared with Abigail at her parents’ house. It was the first time I didn’t have to wake up at five because even though I was coordinating the wedding, I was also part of the wedding party, which meant I could relax and enjoy myself.

  Isaiah would already be up and checking on the venue. He would have been here before we had all woken up.

  “You’re getting married today,” I said, gently shaking Abigail’s shoulder to wake her up.

  “Oh my God,” she said, covering her face. “I’m so nervous.”

  “Don’t be. It’s going to be fantastic.”

  Abigail smiled at me, and I hugged her. We dressed in jeans and the T-shirts that marked us out as bridesmaids, mother of the bride, and bride before we headed out to have our breakfast.

  “What time is Bridget joining us?” I asked Abigail. The maid of honor had called in last night saying she was feeling off. She wanted to join us in the morning rather than stay over.

  “She said she would be in time for breakfast,” Abigail said. “It’s weird she’s not here. She’s never late.”

  It was the reason for stress. Bridget was the maid of honor, and she had a big role to play in the wedding.

  We had breakfast and chatted about the day. Isaiah phoned me to let me know everything was going according to schedule, and I thanked him for being on top of it. I didn’t know what I would have done without him. Thanks to him, I could enjoy every moment of my day.

  Abigail’s phone rang near the end of breakfast.

  “If that’s Carter, you can’t answer,” I said. “It’s bad luck.”

  “It’s Bridget,” Abigail said and answered. Her smile faded as Bridget spoke, and when Abigail looked up at me, there was panic in her eyes. When she hung up, she came to me.

  “Bridget is out with the stomach flu. She can’t make it. What are we going to do?” She was starting to freak out. Every bride freaked out on her wedding day. However, this was serious.

  “Calm down. You have one extra bridesmaid, so it won’t throw the plans off balance. All you need to do is choose a new maid of honor for the day, and we’ll make the small adjustments like who walks in last and who takes your bouquet, that kind of thing. It’s not a train wreck.”

  Chaos control was about seventy percent of my job, and I was cool and collected.

  “Will you do it?” Abigail asked. “Be my maid of honor, Cals. Please say yes. You know I wanted it to be you from the start.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked. I glanced at the other girls, but they all looked nervous about the prospect of being the new maid of honor.

  “I’m positive,” Abigail said. “You’re my best friend, and you can handle these last-minute changes.”

  I smiled. “Of course, Abigail. I’d be thrilled.”

  “Oh thank God,” she said and wrapped her arms around me. I laughed.

  “It’s going to be a great wedding. Don’t stress about it.”

  The rest of the day ran as my weddings always did. I was just a part of it now, which was strange. Instead of checking in and running on, I was a part of the hair and make-up process, waiting my turn to be swapped from one station to another. The photographer arrived and took photos of our grooming process, and I felt strange being a part of the photos. I had never been a part of any of the wedding I had coordinated. I had never been a part of any weddings at all.

  Once we had our hair and make-up done, we traveled to the venue where a dressing room had been prepared for us. The photographer had followed in her car. Isaiah had arranged for another photographer for the gents as we often did, and I was happy knowing that everything would be caught on film for the happy couple to look back on, years from now.

  In the room, we poured Champagne and relaxed a bit. There was a bit of time to waste, and the photographer fussed about taking photos of the dress hanging up and the shoes and rings together, the bouquets all lined up and us girls spending time together as a group.

  Finally, it was time for Abigail to get into her dress. There w
ere more photos where we helped each other change, touched up our make-up, and put on our jewelry and our shoes. The photos were going to be beautiful. I knew for a fact this photographer was worth more than she charged.

  When Abigail was in her dress, ready to walk down the aisle, I pulled her to the side.

  “I just want to say I have never been happier for you,” I said. “This is your day. You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen, and I’ve seen plenty. This is your happily ever after, and you deserve every second of it.”

  Abigail nearly cried, and I had to bite back tears too. We didn’t want to ruin our make-up, so we swallowed down our tears.

  “Can I say something too?” Abigail asked.

  I nodded.

  “I understand now,” she said. “About your accident and how it ties in.”

  My stomach dropped. This wasn’t what I had expected. I remembered vaguely telling Abigail about what had happened, but I’d hoped we had been so drunk that she had forgotten.

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  “You have nothing to be sorry about,” Abigail said. “But you need to talk to Grayson. I know you might think you can’t be with him, but you need to talk to him. Get it off your chest. It will change everything.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t do that,” I said. “You haven’t seen how broken he is about this. I can’t do that to him.”

  Abigail put her hands on my shoulders. “I’ve seen how you started looking at him the past few weeks. Even if he never speaks to you again, it will be better than if you keep it all in. But I’m sure he won’t see it the way you think he will. Give it a chance, Cals.”

  I nodded even though I didn’t think I would be able to do it. Abigail smiled.

  “Let’s go. We have a wedding to attend.”

  I laughed, and we walked to the chapel where the ceremony would be held. I slipped away from the group and met up with Isaiah.

  “Everything is perfect,” he said. “The men are lined up, the priest is present, and the guests are seated.”

  I thanked him before I ran to the reception hall. Everything was decorated the way Abigail had wanted it, and I was satisfied. The people I had arranged had gone above and beyond to make it happen. It was as if everyone understood that this wedding wasn’t just any old wedding. It was a new beginning in so many ways.

  “Callie,” Grayson said behind me, and I froze. I had hoped to be in and out without being seen.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, turning to him.

  “I was checking the last few things to put Carter at ease. The man’s all jitters. It’s endearing.”

  I forced a smile and nodded.

  “You look fantastic,” Grayson said, his eyes sliding down my body. The way he looked at me turned me on no matter how uncomfortable I was with the secret wedged between my ribs.

  “Thank you,” I said. “I have to run. I have so much to take care of.”

  Grayson nodded, and I turned on my heel and fled the hall. I was a coward for running away from him, but at least I had had a valid excuse.

  When I rejoined the bridal party, the music was about to start. The first girls walked in on the beat of the music while I fixed Abigail’s train and her veil. I made sure her dad knew how to hand her over to Carter, and then it was my turn to walk in and join the wedding party at the front of the chapel.

  The doors opened when I was in front, and everyone stood, turning to watch Abigail enter.

  She was a vision in white, her dress a beautiful designer dress with lace and pearls and a veil to match. Her bouquet was pink on the same spectrum as our dresses and bouquets and the men’s waistcoats and ties. I glanced at Grayson. He was right there with Carter, standing at his back, whispering encouragement. Carter looked like he was going to burst into tears. I would never get over the look a man got when his woman came down the aisle, made pretty for him, ready to commit to him forever. The happiness on Carter’s and Abigail’s faces were a testament to how much they felt for each other.

  Abigail’s dad gave his daughter to Carter and kissed her on the cheek. She took Carter’s hand, turned to the priest and the ceremony began. I watched as my best friend exchanged vows with the man of her dreams. They had written their own vows, and it was beautiful.

  When they kissed, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. The music started, and the bridesmaids paired off with the groomsmen. Grayson noticed me and frowned. I walked to him, taking the arm he offered me.

  “Where’s Bridget?” he asked.

  “She has the stomach flu. I’m filling in for her.”

  “Well, I can’t say I’m upset about having you on my arm,” Grayson said and grinned at me. I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything at all. Grayson frowned, picking up on how cold I was being.

  “I have to take care of confetti,” I said and disappeared. Again. I was doing it all the time. I held the basket with the biodegradable confetti Abigail had insisted on and stood at the door so every guest could grab a handful. The couple signed their marriage documents before coming out as a married couple. We stood in a long line, and they walked beneath a shower of confetti, a shower of good luck and well wishes from everyone who loved them.

  It was romantic. It was perfect. Abigail and Carter looked happier than I had ever seen them.

  “We need to take family photos if you could help round them up,” Isaiah said, coming to me. I did as he asked, and we brought the families in groups. After that, it was our turn for photos, and finally, the newlyweds left to take their wedding photos in the gardens the venue maintained especially for the photos.

  “Everything worked perfectly,” I said to Isaiah. “And you did it all by yourself.”

  “I know,” he said. “Maybe I should think about branching off.”

  “And then I lose you?”

  Isaiah thought about it for a moment. “No, maybe I should open another branch of Somewhere Special Weddings.”

  My thoughts jumped to Dallas right away, and I felt like an idiot. Why was I thinking about running a business close to Grayson when I didn’t ever want to see him again? I was being delusional.

  “Let’s discuss it on Monday,” I said, smiling. I could imagine branching out, opening another Somewhere Special Weddings, sending Isaiah to take care of the business. The company could become huge. But for now, we were going to celebrate my best friend’s wedding. Everything else could wait.

  Chapter 28

  Grayson

  The wedding was beautiful. I hadn’t wanted anything to do with it in the beginning, and even though I had lightened up at the end, the wedding topic hadn’t been my favorite. But the wedding itself was emotional and romantic, and no matter how much I had hated the planning, I loved being a part of it.

  Abigail looked breathtaking, and Carter only had eyes for his new bride. And the event itself was perfect. Callie knew how to throw a hell of a wedding, and even though I thought her assistant was over the top, between the two of them, magic happened.

  After the happy couple had disappeared for their photos, I had helped Callie usher into the reception hall and made sure everyone was at the tables where Abigail had put them. Abigail and Carter were officially introduced. They came into the room beaming, and everyone applauded. Carter led his bride through tables, twirled her around to show her off, dipped her for a kiss, and they walked to their table together.

  When the speeches started, I retrieved the cards I had written from my pocket, and when I stepped up to the podium, I cleared my throat. I was never shy to speak in front of strangers, but in front of Abigail’s and Carter’s families, I was suddenly nervous.

  “I’ve known Carter my whole life,” I started. “But you don’t know a man completely until you know the person he chooses to complete himself with. When Carter met Abigail, he found a piece of himself that he didn’t know was missing. Abigail, you completed a man who didn’t know he was incomplete, a man none of us thought needed anything. You’re a beautiful perso
n, and I wish the two of you only the happiest of times ahead.”

  Everyone shouted “hear, hear!” and lifted their Champagne flutes in salute.

  When it was Callie’s turn to step up, I noticed her hands were trembling. She was always behind the scenes, I realized. She was never in the spotlight.

  She said a few beautiful words about Abigail, but when she mentioned Carter, she seemed to trip over her words and end her speech prematurely. Everyone applauded, and Abigail was smiling, but I had a feeling I wasn’t the only one who thought something was wrong. I needed to find out what was going on. This was bigger than Callie hating me because of something we had done or something I had done. I had to go after her.

  I wouldn’t have a chance until the speeches were over. I listened with only half an ear to the rest of the speeches. I kept an eye on Callie. She had gone to stand with Isaiah. She seemed more comfortable there, taking care of things from behind the scenes than being in the limelight.

  When the speeches were over, the first dance took place, and we all watched as Carter led Abigail to the dance floor. They did the steps they had learned together, classes they had taken four Saturdays in a row, and it paid off. Their dance was beautiful.

  Once the dance floor was opened and everyone joined the couple, I worked my way around the venue to find Callie.

  “Can I talk to you?” I asked.

  “Not now, Grayson,” she said. “I need to take care of this.”

  “I’ve got it,” Isaiah said, and Callie shot him a glare. “Go talk to him.”

  She shook her head.

  “Please,” I said. Isaiah pinned her with a stare, and she sighed, nodding.

  “Okay,” she said. She walked to the bar. I walked after her, catching up.

  “What’s going on?” I asked. “You’re acting weird, you’re pushing me away, and you’re being so different than before. Something must be wrong.”