He studies my face for a long moment, his gaze traveling from my eyes to my mouth and back. “Show me.”
“Show you what?”
“Your fake smile. I need to know what I’m looking for this weekend.”
I give him my perfected fake smile. The one I use for family photos and awkward social situations. Polite, pleasant, completely empty.
“Okay, that’s terrifying,” he says. “You look like a politician.”
“That’s the point.”
“Now do the real one.”
“I’m not going to smile on command.”
“Come on. Just once. So I know the difference.”
“Rodriguez—”
“Please? For research purposes.”
I shake my head, but I can feel the real smile starting anyway, pulling at the corners of my mouth despite my best efforts. The one I can’t quite control when he’s being like this.
“There it is,” he says softly. “That one’s way better.”
My face heats up. I look away, suddenly self-conscious. “We should probably go over the schedule. So you know what you’re getting into.”
“Hit me.”
I pull up my phone and open the email Olivia sent last week withthe full wedding weekend itinerary. “Okay. So. We land around three PM Toronto time. My parents are picking us up from the airport.”
“Great. First impressions at baggage claim. I can work with that.”
“Then we’re going straight to the hotel to check in and get settled. There’s a welcome dinner tonight at six at this Italian restaurant near the hotel.”
“So Garrett will be there?”
“Yes. And Melissa.” My throat tightens slightly.
“Perfect. We’ll make a good first impression.” He says it like it’s already decided. Like there’s no question. “What’s tomorrow?”
“Wednesday there’s a brewery tour for anyone who wants to go. Owen’s idea. Very casual, lots of family from both sides.”
“I like beer. This is good.”
“Thursday my mom has planned this whole day trip to Niagara Falls for out-of-town guests. It’s like two hours there and back, plus time at the falls.”
“That sounds cool actually.”
“Friday is the rehearsal dinner. That’s the big one before the actual wedding. Formal, speeches, the whole thing.”
“And Saturday is the wedding.”
“Saturday is the wedding. Late afternoon ceremony, then cocktail hour, then reception. Very elegant, very Olivia.”
“What about Sunday?”
“Sunday is family brunch. Sort of a goodbye thing for everyone who’s leaving that day.”
