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“Yes.” I rushed to change the subject. “Holden says you make the best honey butter he’s ever had.”
Tom whistled, eyebrows raising to his hairline. “I’ll be expecting my Michelin star any day now.”
Holden slid his hands into his pockets, the corners of his mouth tipping up. “Don’t let it go to your head. You’re still the absolute worst golfer I’ve ever known.”
“Man,” Tom said, and pressed both hands to his heart, feigning horror, “you know you can’t mention my golf game in front of the ladies!”
“Don’t worry,” I interjected, scrunching up my nose. “It’s actually a point in your favor. I hate golf. Sometimes, I put it on TV when I can’t fall asleep.”
Tom laughed and Holden looked mildly offended.
“I need to get back to the kitchen. Don’t leave without saying goodbye.” Tom pointed at Holden first, then me.
“You hate golf?” Holden asked, sliding back into his seat after Tom left.
“Yes, but I don’t mind drinking spiked seltzers in a golf cart. Is this your way of telling me you’re a big fan?”
“I like golfing, but I wouldn’t say I’m a ‘big fan.’” He ran his thumb lazily along the edge of the menu. “Lots of business takes place on the golf course, so it was more of a job skill that I happened to enjoy.”
I nodded my head, like I made million dollar deals on the golf course every other day. “That makes sense.”
A server stopped by to take our drink orders, letting us know that the chef had chosen our meals. She just winked when I asked her if he’d chosen the shrimp roll, and if not, could she sneak me one?
“So, Sissy came by the office today?” Holden asked, steering us back to the purpose of this dinner. At least, I assumed that was the purpose, but I was secretly hoping that Holden had used her visit as an excuse to have dinner with me. A girl could dream.
“She did.” I pulled out the Tiffany-blue folder, which featured the word “Bride” in the center in a cursive script. “With an itinerary. It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. She made a dress code for each event. And it isextensive — not just ‘formal wear for this’ and ‘casual for that.’ It’s insane, even for Sissy.”
I passed the folder to Holden, who opened it and started rifling through the papers inside, the crease between his brows reappearing as he skimmed their contents.
“I’d be impressed if it wasn’t so insulting.”
“Right?” I agreed, thanking the server as she set down my lemonade. “Oh, he didn’t order a beer.”
“The boss said to bring him the new beer on tap too.” She smiled at Holden, who still hadn’t looked up from the papers in his hand. I didn’t care for the way her smile looked so...so...smiley. “It’s from a local microbrewery that just opened. He said you’d like it, and it would go well with your meal.”
Holden finally glanced up, giving the waitress one of his tiny grins that didn’t reach his eyes. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” She tossed a wink over her shoulder as she walked away with an extra sway in her hips.
“Is your lemonade bad?”
“What?” I tore my eyes away from the server to find Holden studying me.
“You’re making a face like your lemonade is too sour,” he pointed out, placing the papers back into the folder.
“Oh no, it’s very good.” I silently cursed his powers of observation. “I was just thinking about the dress code for this weekend. I’ll have to borrow something from Max.”
I was very impressed with how quickly I had come up with that one. Judging by the slight narrowing of Holden’s eyes, he wasn’t completely convinced.
“Is there a reason Sissy couldn’t deliver this to you someplace other than your work?” Holden asked, letting me off the hook.
“Probably, but I haven’t really been answering her texts or calls. It’s not that I’m ignoring her, necessarily. It’s just that I would prefer not to talk to her.” I winced at my own explanation, which basically amounted to ignoring her but in more words. “She can be very difficult.”
“I’ve noticed.” He paused, taking a sip of his beer. “I think we’re all ready for this wedding to be over. It’s been a long eighteen months for everyone.”
“I can’t even imagine. I’ve only been involved in this for a couple months and I already hate it. So, so much.”
“Why is that?” He must have read the confusion on my face, so he clarified his question. “Why haven’t you been involved with the wedding stuff until recently?”
