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“And what are we going to do with that mess?” Emily asked, pointing to my hair, which was pulled into a messy bun on the top of my head.
“I was just going to braid it.”
“A braid! Yes! A braided bun. Sit down, Anna.”
She pushed me in the chair and started messing with my hair. I stared at myself in the vanity and couldn’t help but smile.
I let Emily do her thing, which she did surprisingly fast. I was impressed. Loose tendrils framed my face, but my hair was up and out of the way, and in a way that was actually pretty.
“Next, makeup…”
I groaned, but also laughed. I knew it was coming.
“Don’t worry, we don’t have a lot of time to go all out, so just something simple. A little blush…some shimmer on your eyes… some gloss on your lips… and voila!”
She stepped away so I could see myself in the mirror.
I looked like me with just a little shimmer. I was okay with that. I actually liked the way she had done my makeup.
“I love it.”
“I knew you would. Now come on! I’m driving.”
My stomach gurgled and I felt a little sick, likely from not having any breakfast yet. “Please tell me there will be food at this event?”
“Of course. We’re serving a full brunch,” she said as we walked down the stairs. The rest of the family seemed to have left for the venue already.
“Seriously, how did you plan all of this and keep it a secret?” I asked.
Emily continued to just smirk as she ushered me out the door and into her car.
“And Levi? He’s going to be there?”
“Of course. What sort of engagement party would it be without the groom, silly goose?”
A lump formed in my throat. We hadn’t seen each since L.A. We hadn’t spoken much either. We had upcoming commitments, but we’d decided some time apart would be good for us. Now our families were forcing us back together.
“But how?”
“How am I getting Levi there? I worked with Irene. He thinks he’s meeting her for breakfast.”
“I bet he’s going to just love that,” I muttered to myself sarcastically.
“Of course he’s going to love it! Who wouldn’t love a surprise engagement party?”
Levi, that’s who. He didn’t really like parties to begin with, much less a surprise one. I couldn’t say that I blamed him, either.
Emily put on some pop music and sang and half-danced in the driver’s seat as we drove to the venue. I still had no idea where we were headed until she turned into the driveway leading to a large estate tucked away in the mountains.
“The Overlook? Really?”
“Nothing but the best for my baby sister,” Emily said in a sing-song voice. “Who knows? Maybe we can book your wedding here too.”
“Uhh–”
She drove up the winding path to the largest house in all of Sunville. It was no longer a private residence, but a bed and breakfast, restaurant, and event venue. If you wanted a room with stunning mountain views from your window and within walking distance of a private lake and a budget of thousands per night, The Overlook was the place for you.
There were a dozen or so cars parked out front, many of which were familiar to me. Emily really had gone all out inviting everyone we knew.
