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9
LAYLA
Imade it through the first week of school relatively unscathed, except for when a nervous freshman dumped his energy drink all over my shoes. It was an accident, thankfully, but that didn’t make it any easier to clean up. My new sandals felt sticky for the rest of the day, and I’d smelled like a Monster. Of the carbonated beverage variety, of course.
Other than that, I managed to get through the week without letting Zac Miller and his swoony stare invade my thoughts every 2.5 seconds. Once an hour, for sure. But that was progress. Because after I’d run into him on Saturday, my weekend had been nearly consumed with moping over him.
Now, as Lyndi and I stepped into the small dining room at Starlight Manor, I was glad for even more distraction ahead. Between tonight’s rehearsal dinner and the wedding tomorrow, hopefully I wouldn’t have much time to think about Zac at all.
“Hey, girls,” Aria said, coming over to hug us. She looked absolutely radiant in a short off-white cocktail dress with baby-pink heels.
We returned her hugs, and I beamed at her. “You look beautiful, friend.”
“Thank you. But how are you doing? Have you seen Zac since Saturday?”
Well, so much for not thinking about him.
I shook my head, regretting the group chat we’d had after my unfortunate Target run-in with the man. And it was quite the run-in, since it’d started with him ramming into me with his cart and ended with me thinking all kinds of pointless and painful thoughts.
Thoughts about him and how hot he’d looked in his plain white tee and jeans. Thoughts about how great of a dad he’d apparently turned out to be. And worst of all, thoughts about how we would have been doing Grayson’s back-to-school shopping together if I’d been with them all this time.
“Layla is trying not to think about Zac tonight,” Lyndi answered for me, earning her a smile from me and an eye roll from Aria.
“Sure, sure. Good luck with that. But fine, I’m good with tonight and tomorrow being all about me and Will.” She grinned and did a little shimmy.
“Where is your groom, anyway?” I asked, looking around the rustic and opulent dining room of the B&B. I spotted Mr. and Mrs. Bristol with a smattering of their out-of-town guests who I didn’t know, but there was no sign of Will.
“He’s off somewhere with Paul and Chase. I swear, this feels like Shelby’s wedding all over again with those guys in the wedding party and you two with me.”
“Yes, except for the new guy,” Lyndi said.
Aria checked the dainty watch on her wrist. “Right, and he should be here any minute. Or at least he’d better be.”
The “new guy” was Will’s friend from when he was stationed in Yuma, and since he hadn’t been able to get here in time for the rehearsal, we hadn’t met him yet.
“What’s his name again?” I asked.
Lyndi was paired up with Chase tomorrow like she had been in Shelby and Paul’s wedding, but I’d be with the new guy. I was no stranger to walking down the aisle with men I didn’t know thanks to how many weddings I’d been in recently, but Lyndi was a little more reserved than I was, so she was grateful to already have rapport with her partner.
“His name is Brody,” Aria replied. “And I really hope he’s a quick study. I don’t want anything messing up our big day. It’s finally my turn, and I just want everything to be perfect.”
Lyndi and I shared a knowing look, and I reached out and squeezed Aria’s arm. “Everything will be perfect.”
“Besides,” my sister chimed in, “Brody’s a Marine, right? I have a feeling he’s no stranger to following orders and being a quick study.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Aria said with a sigh. She brushed her hands over her dress and let out a breathy laugh, almost like she was trying to shake off the wedding planner vibes and relax. “I can’t believe I’m the frazzled bride instead of the onecalming downthe frazzled bride.”
“That’s what you have us for,” I assured her.
“Thank goodness for that.”
“So,” Lyndi began, twisting a strand of hair between her fingers, “did anyone happen to hire Beau for your wedding?”
Aria grinned. “Why, yes actually. I recommended his services to my cousin, Audrianna. Mr. Fake Date is at the table next to yours, in fact.”
“Oh, really?”
Lyndi could try as hard as she wanted to play it casual, but she couldn’t fool either one of us. Being a wedding photographer meant she’d had plenty of interactions with the Marine who moonlighted as a wedding date for hire, and she fell harder and harder for him each time she saw him.
