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I exhale, letting the last of my stress and professional pride drain away. “It’s OK. It would have been worse watching them go through with it,” I admit. “At least this way, they have a chance to be find real happiness with someone else.”
Ivy’s phone buzzes, and then mine, and Reeve’s, too. “It’s leaked,” Ivy reports, checking her screen. “All over the gossip sites, and social media too.”
“Gee, I wonder who clued them in,” I say, thinking immediately of DeeDee and the other bridesmaids.
“Everyone’s saying she jilted him,” Lottie says, leaning over Ivy’s shoulder to read.
I look at the news alerts. It’s a scandal, alright. “Maybe it’ll blow over quickly?” I ask hopefully, but my brother snorts.
“A Hollywood powerbroker getting left at the alter, with hoards of A-list guests in attendance?” he shakes his head. “You don’t have to be a screenwriter to know this is a great plot. It’ll be in the headlines for weeks.”
“But hey, all publicity is good publicity,” Ivy adds. “Who knows, maybe this will be good for Avery’s career?
“I don’t know about that…” I skim the first couple of reports. It’s all breathless speculation about what really went down – and everyone agrees, Avery must be the one to blame. Jilting him over the prenup… Running off with her trainer… Demanding the lead role in his next project—Well, OK, that one’s almost true, but the rest of them are wild accusations. It looks like it’s open season on her character and career.
“Come on, kid,” Ivy says suddenly, taking Lottie’s arm. “Let’s go raid the kitchen for that cake.”
She sends me a wink, and it’s not until the three of them have moved off, leaving me alone by the wedding arch, that I see why:
Josh is strolling over, carrying a bottle of champagne and two glasses. “Is it all over?” I ask him hopefully, as he arrives.
“Done and dusted,” he reports, pouring me a drink. He clinks his champagne to mine with a wry smile on his handsome face. “Here’s to the wedding that wasn’t.”
I gladly drink. “Did your uncle take it OK?”
“He was a gentleman about it,” Josh says. “But I can tell, he was relieved. It’s funny,” he adds, looking around at the flowers and silks, and all the symbols of wedded bliss. “I think he would have been happy with Avery, in their way. And maybe it would have even lasted. But seeing Karina like that again…” He looks back at me with a quiet smile. “Once you get a taste of the real thing, nothing else is going to measure up.”
I down the rest of my champagne in a gulp.
“So, are you guys heading back?” I ask brightly.
He nods. “I’m catching a ride on his jet with my mom. But I was wondering… Do you want to have dinner next week?”
“Dinner?” I echo, freezing. “But… you’ll be in New York.”
“So, I’ll fly out,” Josh says, like that’s a perfectly reasonable thing, to get on a plane for six hours just to see me. “We’ll go on a real date, this time. Since I know you have high standards for them,” he adds with teasing sparkle in his eyes. “Dinner, a movie, maybe even third base.”
“I… don’t know about that,” I blurt, my heart already racing.
“OK, second base.” Josh doesn’t waver. “How does next Friday night sound to you?”
He stands there, ruffled and playful and tempting beyond reason. I should be leaping at the chance – and into his arms. But all I can do is stare back at him, wracking my brains for something to say. “You don’t mean it,” I finally say. “I mean, yes, this week has been great. Amazing. Mind-blowing, even?—”
“Gee, thanks,” he smirks.
“—But it’s not real,” I continue, a hollow pang in my chest. “This was, you know… the bourbon and the wedding stuff, and tropical breeze! Glamor and excitement and luxury. That’s not what my life is like,” I add, “My life is… homework and errands, and work, and watchingGilmore Girlsmarathons, and forgetting that it’s my turn to make three-dozen cupcakes for the Science Club bake sale!”
“So, I can set Google reminders.” Josh says calmly. “And follow instructions on a box cake mix.”
I shake my head. “You know that’s not what I mean.”
Josh seems to see my panic, and the playful glint turns sincere. He moves closer, taking my hand and intertwining his fingers with mine.
“Hazel, this week has been… incredible, and it’s not because of some fancy resort or expensive dinners. It’syou.” He says it simply, his gaze searching mine. “It’s all you. I know we’ve only known each other a short while, and you have a whole life back in LA with Lottie. I get it. But I want to see you again. I want to see where you live, and hear all about your crazy dreams for Reeve’s next movie, and go with you and Lottie go get pancakes on a Sunday morning.” Josh smiles at me, heartfelt and melting. “I want to know you. To see what the future could look like for us. If you want it, too.”
Us.
I feel a lurch of blind fear. For the past fourteen years, that word has only meant one thing. Me, and my daughter; Reeve, too. My family. And nobody else has made their way into that circle. Nobody else has even wanted to.
