The Worst Best Man

by Mia Sosa

  Her voice is strong, and her words are clear and direct. I’m mentally pumping my fist in celebration of how she’s doing so far. If Lina impresses Rebecca, it stands to reason that Rebecca will be impressed with me, too.

  “Now, the Cartwright brings its own legacy of excellence to the table . . .”

  Rebecca tilts her head at Lina and smiles.

  Lina highlights the reputation, amenities, and grandeur of the Cartwright. Again, she handles the material easily and confidently.

  “So how do we combine the skill set of Dotting the I Do’s with the resources and service commitment of the Cartwright? We provide personal wedding-concierge services just as the hotel would provide its own concierge services to hotel guests . . .”

  Lina makes the rest of her pitch flawlessly, even including the anecdote about Rebecca’s cousin’s shaved eyebrows, which earns Lina big laughs from us both.

  “So that’s it,” Lina says. “Those are my ideas for filling the wedding coordinator position with the Cartwright.”

  Rebecca gives her effusive praise and rushes out for her next meeting.

  Eyes brimming with happy tears, Lina throws her arms around my waist and rests her head against my shoulder. “We did it, Max. We did it. Even if I don’t get the job, I’ll know we put together a kick-ass presentation.”

  I know she wouldn’t shed those tears around anyone, and I’m honored to still be in the small circle of people who get to see this unguarded version of her. “You put together a kick-ass presentation. I was just along for the ride as I always told you I would be.”

  Neither of us pulls out of the embrace even though we’ve been in it longer than anyone would consider professional. I’m tempted to tell her that I screwed up. That I want another chance. But I’m scared. Scared that she can’t possibly feel the same way I feel about her. Scared that my feelings are too big to be reciprocated.

  The embrace does end eventually, when Lina steps back and shakes out her hands. “So I need to head back to the office. I have a few appointments to look at office space—in case this doesn’t work out.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I understand,” I say, straightening my tie and my cuff links. “Good job today.”

  She smiles and bounces in place. “Ahhh, I’m so excited. Fingers crossed, right?”

  I cross my fingers on both hands and cross my eyes for good measure. “Everything’s crossed.”

  She points at my feet. “What about those?”

  I cross them as well.

  “Good,” she says.

  “Leave any of the extra stuff here. I’ll pack it up and bring it back to the office.”

  “You sure?” she asks.

  “Positive.”

  “Okay, well, I’ll let you know when I hear anything. Thanks again.”

  “You’re very welcome, Lina.”

  She strides to the door, and I watch her take each step, until she spins around and gives me one of her smiles, the kind that used to be reluctant but now come freely; it both speaks to how much progress we’ve made in the short time we’ve known each other and underscores that our impasse is all on me. I wish I could reprogram my brain so that I didn’t care whether I was Lina’s second choice, but even thinking about that possibility makes my chest ache.

  Still, I want to spend time with her, in whatever way she’ll allow. “Lina, about Natalia’s wedding reception . . .”

  She faces me completely now. “Yeah?”

  “I’d still like to go if that’s okay with you. I said I’d join you, and I’d like to keep my promise.”

  Tilting her head, she regards me with a blank look. “You don’t have to do that, Max.”

  “But I want to.”

  And as soon as I say it, I realize how unprepared I am for the possibility that I won’t have a reason to see her again. What if she doesn’t get the job? Or Rebecca decides she wants someone else to work on the account? Neither outcome sits well with me, both because it would mean we didn’t meet our goals and because it would eliminate our remaining connection.

  “I want to,” I repeat.

  She presses her lips together and nods. “Okay, I’ll see you at the reception, then.”

  So I’ll be spending time with Lina and pretending my heart’s not shredded. Sounds like a blast. I’m a man of many talents, but coming up with brilliant ideas that won’t torture me is not one of them.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Lina

  “Breathe, sweetie. You’re going to be phenomenal.”

  Jaslene takes my advice and draws in a calming breath. “Okay, okay. I can do this. I know. It’s just . . . I want Natalia’s day to be as perfect as it can be and I’m nervous about being responsible for making that happen.”

  I place my hands on her shoulders. “You’re not alone in this. I’ll be around all day if you need me. Now, let’s go over your morning checklist and make sure we’re on track.”

  She nods and pulls out her phone from the pocket of her light blue sheath dress. “Okay. Request ETA from off-site vendors. Check. Confirm connection to location app for all wedding transportation.” She swipes at her phone. “Town car is on its way to the house now. Check. Change office voicemail message to include emergency mobile number.” She gasps. “Shit. I haven’t done that yet. I’ll do it now.”

  She runs out of my office and scurries to her cubicle just as my cell phone rings.

  I glance at the screen and immediately recognize the number as Rebecca’s. A flutter zips across my belly. Oh God. This is it. “Hello, this is Lina Santos.”

  “Lina, this is Rebecca Cartwright.”

  “Hi, Rebecca.”

  “I’m not going to mince words here,” she says. “You wouldn’t expect me to.”

  That doesn’t sound promising. I definitely flubbed a line or two during the presentation, but I thought I did well overall, and she seemed impressed. Dammit. Maybe Andrew’s guy blew her away?

  “I just met with the board and advised them that I would be extending you an offer to join the Cartwright Group as director of wedding services. I was impressed with your work on Ian and Bliss’s wedding, and your presentation earlier this week was excellent. Despite a few hiccups, you’ve proven yourself to be the best person for this position. I’d be delighted to work with you.”

  I pump my free hand in the air as I clutch the phone against my cheek. “Rebecca, I’m thrilled by this news. Really, really thrilled.”

  “Well, that’s a good start,” she says. “Any objection to continuing to work with Max to develop our marketing materials?”

  I don’t hesitate. “None.” I’m confident that Max and I can work together even if we’re not linked romantically.

  “Great,” Rebecca says. “I’ll be sending you an email with the details of your offer and information about benefits. If you have questions about anything, just give me a ring. I’ll look forward to hearing from you when you’ve made a decision.”

  “Thanks so much, Rebecca.”

  I decide to tell the family tomorrow, because I want their focus to be on Natalia and Paolo, but my instinct is to share the news with Max first.

  Me: I got the job!

  Max: Congrats, Lina. That’s fantastic news. I couldn’t be happier for you.

  Me: Now we’ll have something else to celebrate.

  Max: Champagne’s on me.