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Chapter Three
Smitty
The next day, I take in the art museum that's a short walk from the condo.
Wandering around looking at art has never been my thing, but I have to wonder why not. Some of it I don't care for, but a lot of it is pretty cool.
A painting of a famous artist's bedroom catches my eye, and I find myself staring at it for a long time. The colors are bright and cheerful, and yet somehow it makes me sad. Maybe it reminds me of my empty bed. All around me, happy couples and families are taking in the art together, having interesting conversations, and I feel even more alone.
I keep thinking about how nice it would be to have brought a friend along with me.
Feeling the need to get away from all the happy couples, I take a walk around downtown for a while. I have to laugh at myself. How does a person meet friends in the city? Do I go to a bar? A dance club? That doesn't seem right to me.
I'm feeling a little bit disoriented, and look around for something, anything that feels comfortable and familiar. I don't want to go back to the condo yet. I'd feel like I failed at being a tourist in the city if I gave up exploring after only half a day. I look around, hoping for anything that looks like it won't cost me $12 for a craft beer. I wander into an Irish pub and belly up to the bar, feeling slightly more at home. It's not a cowboy bar but it'll do.
Scrolling through my contacts, I resist the urge to text Ally directly. That would feel too forward, having no reason to bother her. Besides, it's Saturday afternoon, and surely she's getting ready for another wedding today.
I get a surprising phone call from Sam while I drink my beer.
"I've already talked to that wedding coordinator whose number you sent me, so Wren and I are gonna go ahead and pull the trigger. The lady had a cancellation and says she can pull everything together in a couple of weeks. I don't know how long it usually takes weddings to get done but she seems legit.
"Wren goes back to work on Monday, so that'll give you all enough time to get everything done, but you gotta keep it a secret from Wren. I want it to be a surprise. She's never had anything nice done for her in her whole life and I want something beautiful for her, even if it's small. All I need you to do is lend a hand, otherwise stay out of the wedding planner's way. She's a real go-getter from what I understand. As soon as the lady gets here on Monday, I'm going to need all hands on deck because this is a lot to pull together for next weekend."
All of this came out of left field. I always knew he wanted to retire when he got married and sell me the ranch, I just didn't know when it would happen, and I surely never thought it would happen while I was still in my thirties. Sam's not an impulsive man, so if he says he's ready to retire and get married, I believe him.
I finished off a 20-ounce mug of beer and I'm feeling pretty good about the fact that I get to meet this Ally person face-to-face next week. I figure that's a good enough reason to text her directly.
"Hey, I know you're probably busy at a wedding today but my boss Sam just let me know he hired you for his wedding. Looking forward to seeing you Monday at the ranch! It's a tight schedule but me and the boys will lend a hand wherever you need it."
To my surprise, she texts back almost right away.
"Thank you so much for the referral, Mr. Smith! And don't you worry, I've pulled of
f weddings with much bigger guest lists, in a shorter time, in way more remote locations than across the river in the country. We got this, my friend."
Maybe it's the beer, but I text back a single, smiley face emoji. The one with the cowboy hat. Instantly I regret it. What the hell was that? So dorky.
She texts back with the heart eyes. Whoa. Something catches in my chest.
Is she flirting? No, she's just a real nice lady.
I decide to quit while I'm ahead and not text her back. I think I'm starting to like this woman, which is crazy because we don't know each other. She could be forty years my senior and I wouldn't care. She seems like a person I'd enjoy spending time with. I don't often get the chance to talk to women, other than the married veterinarian who comes to the ranch every so often.
Pulling up the web browser on my phone, I look up her business, which leads me to her social media page. I shouldn't be creeping on her like this, should I? I justify the creeping because, well, if she's going to show up to work on the wedding on Monday, I'd better know what she looks like.
And, wowza.
Long hair, green eyes, freckles, and a killer smile look back at me. She looks much younger than what I pictured, but her uptown suit and diamond necklace tell me everything I need to know. She's beautiful, but definitely out of my league.
Chapter Four
Ally
Today's wedding is going much more smoothly. Whenever a couple is truly head over heels and not fussing over every last detail, it's my favorite kind of wedding.
I watch the ceremony go off without any hiccups, and then I exhale finally when that's over. The reception is fairly hands-off, but the family invites me to stay for dinner.
I wish I was in a place where I could only take jobs from nice, laid back people.
