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Mom beamed. “Oh, darling,” she gushed. “It’s going to be so much fun!”
That, I highly doubted.
But for the first time, standing here in my hot dress with the promise of some control over how this wedding rolled out, I was actually starting to look forward to it just a tiny little bit.
Maybe I wouldn’t even hate it.
* * *
After parting ways with my mom, I took a cab down to Kitsilano to meet my best friend for lunch, at a little bistro a couple of blocks from the spa she managed. Alyssa was already at a table when I walked in and she sprang to her feet, lighting up when she saw me.
“Take a picture already,” I teased her as I approached.
“I’m just so happy you’re home!”
We collided in a tight hug. “Me, too.” We saw each other every week, at least, on FaceTime. But it really wasn’t the same. I’d missed her company, her vibrance, and the way that being in her presence always made me want to be a better me.
I held her out at arm’s length. “I should be the one taking pictures here. You’re so sophisticated it hurts.”
“What, this old thing?” She smoothed her fitted midi dress as we got seated. It had bold black-and-white stripes. Her long brown hair was in a thick but tidy braid, just a dab of red lipstick on her scrubbed-clean face. Alyssa had always exuded this minimalistic, classic elegance, whereas I was… a patchwork in progress. “You are a sight for sore eyes,” she told me, holding my hands across the table.
“Thank you. You’re way too kind.” She really was. I’d done zero with my hair today, didn’t bother with makeup, and unlike her outfit, the jean skirt and T-shirt I was wearing were hardly worthy of a fashion column. But Alyssa and I had lived on the same street for a while when we were kids and had been like sisters all our lives, right down to our occasionally dramatic arguments and ride-or-die loyalty. “You are gonna love this. My thrift store wardrobe just got a major upgrade. In the form of a four-thousand-dollar dress.”
“You got your bridesmaid dress?”
“Yes, and it is stunning. I feel way more battle ready now.”
Alyssa cringed sympathetically at the mention of said battle and released my hands as the waiter came by to take our order. When we were alone again she asked me, “How are we feeling about allthat?”
“Marginally better, now that I’ve agreed to help out with the wedding. I’m taking over as Mom’s wedding planner and designer.Onlyto execute on the plans that are already in place,” I added quickly, before Alyssa could utterAre you insane?
“Oh. Wow,” she said instead, with sympathy. Because she’d met the bride. Many times. “And you’re already regretting this agreement?”
“You know me too well.”
She grinned. “Well, you know what? I think this could be an awesome opportunity, actually. You’ll get more experience, beautiful photos for your portfolio. Maybe you’ll want to keep designing weddings.”
“Doubtful,” I said crustily.
She smiled gently. “You’re still hating on weddings?”
“Pretty much.”
“You know Margot and Jacob are going all out on the budget, though. Not easy clients to land, if you weren’t related to them.” That was true. “And I’m sure they’ll pay you generously.”
“They will.”
“I know you’re probably afraid of clashing with Margot, though…”
“Not really,” I admitted. “She just wants everything to go smoothly. This wedding means so much to her. I’ve never seen her this happy, actually.” That was true, too. It was kind of sweet. My uptight mom, glowing like a teenager in love whenever Jacob was near. “She won’t fight with me on this. I think.”
“You can do this,” Alyssa said supportively. “You have the skills, and you have excellent taste…” She batted her eyelashes. “And bright side, you’ll probably make so many contacts while organizing things for the wedding, boom, you get a job offer and come back to us.”
I smirked. “That’s the plan?”
“Maybe Madeleine will hire you back,” she mused as the waiter dropped off our drinks. Wine for her and my favorite for me: a lime margarita.
I took a sip. “I’m really not looking to take my old job back.” I wasn’t, and she knew that. I’d left my job as a receptionist at Aunt Madeleine’s interior design firm when I moved away three years ago. And she’d replaced me three years ago. With someone who was probably way better at that job than I ever was.
