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Marley was a little put out about meeting the fiancée so soon, as she liked to have a few days with the bride first to really sell their stories. But from what Kelly had told her, Sonora didn’t want to be embarrassed by having another friend bail as her maid of honor, since she’d already lost three in the two months she’d been engaged to Brent. She wasn’t taking any more chances.
“Alright, well, what can I get you ladies?”
“I want a vodka martini with a twist and…” Sonora wrinkled her nose in what could only be described as distaste, “the Baby Mama Drama Spinach and Strawberry salad.”
“Oh, that’s one of my favorite things on the menu.”
Sonora gave her a onceover, her sharp gaze doubtful. Marley bristled.
“And I’d like my dressing on the side.”
Lucy kept smiling, and Marley was glad that she hadn’t picked up on Sonora’s attitude. “Sure thing. How about you, Marley?”
“I’ll take the Call the Preacher Bacon Burger with onion rings and a root beer.”
“You got it, babe.”
Lucy walked away and Sonora sneered. “I think her favorite thing on the menu is what you just ordered. I bet she eats two or three a day.”
Marley thought that was harsh, but she wasn’t there to help Sonora grow a heart size. She was there to plan a wedding.
Marley pulled her iPad out of her purse and opened her checklist app. “We need to get started if your fiancée will be here soon. Since we are just about eight weeks out, it doesn’t give us a lot of time to plan. I thought we could start with something fun, like your bachelorette party. What do you think of a spa weekend in Tahoe?”
Sonora made a face. “I was thinking that we could do something exciting, like a cruise to Hawaii or maybe a weekend in Cancun.”
Oh, hell no. There is no way I’m going to spend a week babysitting a bunch of drunk women in another country.
“Believe me, I want you to be happy, but most cruises are booked months to a year in advance. At this point, we might be able to find some rooms below deck, but they won’t be great. Plus, an overcrowded boat is a recipe for the stomach flu days before your wedding.” Before Sonora could argue, Marley rushed on. “Also, a trip to Cancun is going to get expensive, especially a last minute one during tourist season, and your other five bridesmaids might not be able to afford it. At least in Tahoe, we can do lots of fun things and we don’t have to pay for airfare.”
“Like what?” Sonora asked.
“Well, we could rent a suite, and after our massages we could gamble, go to the beach, the clubs, and—”
“Fine, we’ll go to Tahoe.” Sonora sat back like a petulant child and waved at Marley impatiently. “What ideas do you have about my bridal shower?”
Marley stiffened for a half a second at Sonora’s attitude, but she pulled herself together like she always did. She had worked too hard and gone through too much to let one rude bride get to her.
“I was thinking one of the vineyard clubhouses would work nicely. I just need to call in a favor. I understand from your file that you have thirty-five people you’re planning on inviting for the bridal shower—”
“No, there are a hundred people being invited to the bridal shower.”
Marley blinked at her, reigning in the urge to yell. “I’m sorry, I was under the impression that you were having an intimate bridal shower for close friends and family. A hundred people may be a bit hard to accommodate, especially with the shortened time frame—”
Sonora snapped her fingers at Marley and sat forward, her eyes flashing. “I am the bride, and you are the help. You are paid to make my dreams come true, right? So, why don’t you earn the hefty commission I’m paying you and do your job?”
Prickly heat spread over Marley’s skin, anger tightening every muscle in her body.
Don’t you mean the hefty commission your parents are paying me?
As Lucy came back and set their drinks down, Marley was tempted to stand up and dump hers on Sonora’s head. Of all the brides she’d worked with over the last seven years, never had one been so self-centered. Most of them were just stressed or nervous. Sonora was in a class by herself.
Marley could just tell Kelly to ask one of the other girls to take over. So it took a few more months to leave Sweetheart…
“Well, howdy sis.”
If Marley thought Sonora’s sneer was ugly, the molten rage turning her tan skin purple was vile.
“What are you doing here?”
