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Only three more days until their big day. And three more days until pickups from my knight in shining armor go up in a fantastic ball of immigration interview smoke.
Where in the hell did the time go?
Thursday, May 30th
Daisy
I adjust the nonexistent wrinkles on my dress and follow Flynn’s lead across the sidewalk and toward the entrance doors of The Penrose.
“You ready to deal with my rowdy family?” Flynn asks with a little grin. “Because, you know, if you want to skip the madness and head back to our apartment for a quiet night in with my cock inside you, I doubt anyone will notice.”
I snort. “We’re both in the wedding, Flynn. I’m pretty sure they’ll notice if they’re short a groomsman and bridesmaid at the rehearsal dinner.”
He just shrugs. “Hey, later tonight, when my uncle Brad is trying to get you to dance with him, just remember this conversation.”
I playfully slap a hand to his chest, and he opens the door to usher us inside.
I don’t know how it happened, but one minute, I felt like I was arriving in New York, and now, I’m stepping inside the Upper East Side gastropub that is hosting Jude and Sophie’s rehearsal dinner.
And tomorrow, you’ll be interviewed by USCIS.
I swallow hard against the anxiety that wants to move into my throat. Now is not the time to focus on that. Instantly, I force myself to think about the happy couple we’re celebrating tonight and plaster a smile on my face as I follow Flynn’s lead through the venue.
The Penrose is packed to the brim with everyone who loves and adores Jude and Sophie. The aesthetic touches my designer heart, fitting perfectly in the middle of vintage and contemporary. It’s cozy, with wood and brick elements throughout, but the light fixtures add this cool, modern vibe.
If anything, this place is authentic and fun and just suits them perfectly.
Flynn takes my hand and guides me toward our assigned table, but on the way, we’re stopped by several familiar faces for hugs and greetings. His mom, Aunt Paula and Uncle Brad, Ty and some woman with big boobs and even bigger jade-colored eyes named Mindy, every step we take, it feels as if another person pops up to say hello.
And the instant Lexi sees us, she sprints across the hardwood floor and wraps both of her little arms around us. “Hi, Uncle Flynn and Aunt Daisy!”
Aunt Daisy. Gah. That pulls right at the heartstrings.
“Hey, Lexi Lou.” Flynn smiles and releases my hand to lift Lexi up and into his arms. “Whoa, did you grow?”
She rolls her eyes and giggles. “Of course, I grew, Uncle Flynn. That’s part of childhood development.”
Her reaction makes me smile, but it also spurs an ache to form inside my chest. I rub at the annoying discomfort and try to focus on the big night—Jude and Sophie’s rehearsal dinner. Tomorrow, the happy bride and groom will be happy wife and husband.
And tomorrow, you could find out that you and Flynn no longer need to keep up the marriage façade.
“Aunt Daisy?”
I blink out of my thoughts and find Lexi back on her feet, staring up at me. “Yeah, sweetheart?”
“My Mathletes competition final is in two weeks.”
“It is?” I ask, trying like hell to act as excited as I should be. “That sounds like a really big deal, Lexi.”
“It’s the state championship. Do you want to come?”
I nod and try to ignore the ball of emotion that has found its way into my throat. “Of course I want to come. I wouldn’t want to miss that for anything.”
Yeah, but you can’t actually say you’ll be there. Because you’ll probably be back in LA by then.
Flynn smiles over at me and wraps his arm around my shoulders. He reaches out and rubs the top of Lex’s hair affectionately. “Consider us both there, Lexi Lou.”
“I’ll let my mom know to save two more seats,” she says. “So, fifteen seats total so far. And if Uncle Ty brings one of his girls, that’ll be sixteen seats.”
One of his girls? I’d probably laugh if I didn’t feel like the room was closing in on me.
“Daisy!” Winnie calls from the other side of the room. “Get over here, sis! We’re having a bridesmaids’ powwow in the other room.” When Ty starts to head that way, she quickly points an index finger in his direction. “No boys allowed!”
He puts a hand to his chest and feigns discomfort. “You wound me, sis.”
“I swear to everything, Ty, if you try to mess with any of the bridesmaids tonight or tomorrow, I’ll wound you for real.”
He just grins like the devil. “And what if the single bridesmaids can’t resist me?”
“Oh, they will,” Winnie adds. “Because I’ve already told them you have an incurable venereal disease.”
“Jesus, Win.”
She cackles and then meets my eyes again. “C’mon, Dais!”
