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“No problem. You asked, I answered. So I’m here with bells on.”
“I appreciate it. I know that all this wedding mumbo jumbo isn’t really your scene. I promise, there are only six thousand more bridal events before the actual wedding. Then you can relax,” Cole says, grinning and ribbing me.
I lift a shoulder in a casual shrug. “You and Savannah admittedly make a pretty cute couple. Just promise me there will be no funny business about setting me up with a bridesmaid or anything. It’s the last thing I want.”
“Relax, will you? Everybody who knows you knows that you’re against marriage.”
I give Cole a look. “It’s a sham. No offense. It’s the old world desperately trying to reach into modern day relationships, just to fuck with them. Why should any of us have to do the whole swoony proposal schtick and promise our partners forever? Blech. Not for me.”
Cole squeezes my shoulder and offers me a wan smile.
“No one expects that from you. You’ve made your views clear.”
Wrinkling up my face, I sigh. “Today’s about you, though. And I know that all the hearts and flowers and diamond rings are your idea of happily ever after. So… congratulations.”
He shakes his head with a wry smile. “Thanks, I think.”
When Cole gets distracted, I take a leisurely stroll through the sea of pastel-clad guests. Each one seemingly more enamored with the spectacle than the last. My eyes skim over smiling faces, all drunk on love. Or maybe that's just the open bar.
Either way, their blissful ignorance grates on me. But I hide it well. After all, I'm River.
The man of steel nerves, icy heart, and an endless hunger for dollar signs.
All I care about is where my next million is going to be earned.
Lost in thought, I round a table adorned with more pink petals than a florist's shop and nearly collide with a vision in...
Well, would you look at that, more blush pink silk. Pearl Brown nearly topples over, and I grab her, trying to right her.
She's all soft curves wrapped in that peasant blouse, and her light brown skirt sways gently, a stark contrast to the rigid structure of the party around us. With her dark hair in neat braids, her sable skin looking dewy and perfect, and her flawless cheekbones, she’s a freaking knockout.
"Sorry, didn't see you there," I say, steadying Pearl by her shoulders.
Pearl is a waitress at Gem’s Diner. She happens to be very close friends with Savannah. Which I suppose is why she’s here. And did I happen to mention that she’s absolutely stunning?
She makes my withered, frozen husk of a heart constrict in my chest.
"River," she breathes out, a hint of surprise in her voice that suggests she wasn't expecting to be swept up in my orbit today. "This place is crowded enough to lose your own shadow."
"Seems like it," I agree. I take a step back, but I’m not able to peel my gaze away from Pearl’s face quite yet. Or the hint of cleavage that she’s showing off. I murmur, "You look like you're about to bolt for the nearest exit."
She offers a small laugh, her fingers nervously smoothing down her skirt. "Is it that obvious? I guess these kinds of parties aren't really my scene."
"Join the club." I lift my glass in a mock toast. "But hey, at least we're dressed for the occasion. Your blouse matches the decor to a T."
"Ugh," Pearl rolls her eyes but there's mirth dancing in them. "I swear, Savannah must have sent a memo to the whole town about the dress code."
"It was a thousand percent my mom’s doing. She’s been on cloud nine ever since Cole and Savannah announced that they were getting married," I reply. “She’s been trying to convince them to get married at La Ville Coralle.”
"Hah! I think Savannah is nice enough that she would just let Sarah bulldoze her way into planning the entire wedding without her input.”
I smirk. “That sounds like my mom’s dream come true. I’m glad that someone in the family is going to give her what her grandmotherly heart so desires. The rest of the family is definitely not on the same track and Cole and Savannah.”
Her lips twitch. “So, you’re not interested in the whole for better or for worse thing?”
I laugh. “Not even vaguely interested. At this rate, even Rex will be married before I go down. And Rex hasn’t spent two consecutive nights with the same woman… well, ever.”
“Honestly? Same.” She wrinkles her nose and sighs. “I should probably try to mingle.”
