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“I’m afraid so.”
That was impossible. Maybe not for other brides. But for me, that was too fast. My stomach instantly growled as a cramp formed low in my belly. The stress made my scalp sweat.
“It would require some big bride energy,” Quinn said with an encouraging smile, trying to make light of the atomic bomb she’d just dropped.
I didn’t have big bride energy. At the moment, I only had big cramp energy. My insides felt as explosive as the first ten minutes of Saving Private Ryan. This was a big decision, and big decisions often lead to the shittipoos.
“I’ll need to talk to Hale.”
“Of course.”
But I already knew what he’d say. He’d see it as a no-brainer. He wouldn’t worry about the additional pressure because Hale could handle anything. That wasn’t big groom energy, that was just him.
Quinn packed up her papers. “You don’t have to make a decision today, but we do need to decide soon. The way I see it, you have three options.”
“Three?” The cramps were getting worse.
“You could postpone the wedding.”
I frowned, immediately disliking that idea. I wanted to lock Hale down. “How long?”
“Twenty-four months would give us plenty of time to find other venue options. We might not be able to find one as perfect as this, I mean, it has everything you listed in your original intake form—panoramic views overlooking the city, space for a guest list upward of three hundred people directly located in the heart of Manhattan.”
Gah! It was perfect. We’d never find something that fit Hale’s vision so precisely. “What are the other options?”
“Downsize the guest list. With a smaller headcount, we could probably find a location similar in your requested timeframe.”
I loved that idea. If it were up to me, we would only have family and best friends at the wedding. But Hale wanted a big, traditional show and I wanted to give him that.
I frowned regretfully. “That won’t be possible.”
“You’re sure?”
Not only did the Davenports know everyone and their mother, they had political ties, business ties, and even ties with their enemies. The social logistics of blowing smoke up one’s ass was taken very seriously in wealthy circles. Removing one guest was like dislodging a wire from an active bomb. The whole plan could blow to shit.
“I’m sure. Hale has his heart set on a big wedding and the Davenports have a lot of close friends. What’s the third option?”
She looked at me as if I already knew. “You two get married in April.”
“Oh.” I was so fucked.
Ich Leide an Kummerspeck
TRANSLATION—I SUFFER FROM GRIEF BACON!
Hale was still on the phone when Andrew arrived for his afternoon playdate at the park with Elara, so I texted Elle 911 and demanded she meet me for coffee.
“Ray, I don’t understand what the big deal is,” Elle said calmly as she sipped whatever green nightmare was blended in her cup today.
I stirred an extra packet of sugar into my double caramel iced macchiato, and she judgingly watched every granule fall.
“The big deal is that Hale is Mr. Sophisticated, and I’m a hot fucking mess. I can barely pull off proper dinner attire with a week's notice. How the hell am I going to be a bride in three months?”
“You just make it happen. There are checklists for this sort of stuff. And it’s not like you’re working with a budget.”
I scratched at what looked like a hive forming on my wrist and scoffed. “Uh, yeah. I know all about the lists. You should see the size of the freaking wedding book Seraphina bought me for Christmas. It weighs more than Elara.”
“You know, all that caffeine and sugar are probably adding to your stress.”
