Page 57 of Falling for the Billionaire Best Man

21

DORIE

Istood in front of the mirror and turned left and right for what felt like the hundredth time.

I stepped back, looking myself over. “It’s just game night,” I muttered under my breath. “Not a gala.”

But it didn’t feel like just game night. It felt like stepping into a world I didn’t belong in—a world of sprawling mansions and people who probably had monogrammed napkins at their dinner parties. And then there was Kaisen, who was so ridiculously good-looking that it almost felt unfair. Kaisen, who had somehow managed to worm his way into my life—and into my thoughts—more than I wanted to admit.

I’d made an effort to dress up for the occasion, wearing tight black jeans and a shirt that showed off my curves in a flattering way. I’d even woken up extra early to give myself a blowout, pinning the curls back all day at work so they’d look decent tonight.

I was exhausted. My feet hurt and I wanted nothing more than to fall into bed, but this game night was important to Eliza. I couldn’t back out. Never mind the fact I had started baking Eliza’s grand wedding cake layers. I tested a few of the complicated flavors she wanted. There were hits and misses but I was confident I had gotten it all dialed in. There was still a lot more to do, but I ran out of time.

I grabbed my bag and double-checked that I had the bottle of wine I’d picked up on the way home from the bakery. It wasn’t expensive, but I hoped no one would notice.

My phone chimed, letting me know my Uber was arriving. I walked out and waited before climbing into the car. I stifled a yawn, forcing myself to be alert. I didn’t want to be a drag at the party.

I was feeling confident as I knocked on the door, but that confidence was quickly tested when Eliza and her friends ambushed me the second I stepped inside. I thought I looked cute, but these women were all gorgeous and fashionable.

I suddenly felt small and out of place.

“Dorie!” Eliza squealed, pulling me into a hug. “You made it!”

I nervously laughed, hugging her back. “Of course I made it. I wouldn’t miss this.”

Eliza’s friends—mostly girls she’d known since college—crowded around me. Eliza made the introductions. They were all friendly, but I was obviously not part of their crowd. They were all polished and poised, their designer clothes and perfect makeup making me feel a little out of place. But I held my own, smiling and laughing as we talked.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Kaisen leaning against the massive fireplace in the living room. He was dressed casually in dark jeans and a fitted sweater, his arms crossed as he chatted with Cullen and a few of the groomsmen. Our eyes met for a moment. I felt my cheeks heat when his gaze dipped to my chest and back up again. But before I could process what that look meant, Eliza was dragging me into the kitchen, her friends trailing behind us.

“Come get a drink,” Eliza said. “I need to pull out the stuffed mushrooms. I hope they’re decent. We had to use all frozen apps for tonight.”

“We should have had Dorie bake for us,” one of the women said.

I forced a tight smile. It was a little offensive. Like I was the help instead of the sister of the bride.

Eliza opened the oven and peered in. “I don’t know, Dorie, what do you think?”

I could already see where this was going. “Let me look.”

I leaned over the oven, letting the heat brush my face as I inspected the stuffed mushrooms. They looked fine, if a little overdone on the edges. “They’re good,” I said, standing back up. “Just a couple more minutes and they’ll be perfect. You might want to pull them out before the cheese starts browning too much. That’s a pro tip.”

Eliza nodded, grabbing a pair of mitts. “Got it. You’re a lifesaver, Dorie.” She shot me a grateful smile before turning her attention back to the oven.

The other women had already moved on to pouring drinks and chatting about something I couldn’t quite catch. I lingered by the counter, fiddling with the stem of my glass. I took a sip of wine, hoping it would loosen the knot in my chest. I felt so out of place, even though everyone had been friendly and welcoming.

Kaisen and the guys drifted into the kitchen.

“Can you help me with more of these apps?” Eliza asked.

“Of course.”

“Please let Dorie help,” Kaisen joked. “Anything to keep Eliza from setting the kitchen on fire.”

Eliza swatted at him with an oven mitt, laughing. “Shut it, Kaisen. I’ll have you know I’m a perfectly capable chef.”

“Capable of what? Burning water?” Cullen teased.

Everyone laughed. Even I couldn’t help but smile. I opened the boxes of mozzarella cheese sticks and jalapeno poppers. While I put the food in the oven, everyone else was eating the other appetizers and chatting. I did feel like the help a bit but I also wanted mozzarella sticks. My craving for junk food triumphed over any bruises to my ego.