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I’m suddenly furious at my best friend, brother, and his fiancee’. I can’t believe they’ve put me in this situation. “Excuse me.” I nudge Adam so that I can stand. He moves easily, probably as eager to get out of this as I am.
“Georgia, wait.” Lila goes to stand.
“No.” I hold my hand out, only more embarrassed my the fact that I feel dramatic. “I just need to go for a walk.”
“Georgia.” This time it’s Brett.
I level him with a glare I used when we were kids. He stops talking and swallows, giving a quick nod. It only takes me a second to push through the crowd, out onto the back deck, and out onto the beach. The sun is setting, creating a spectacularly romantic view. Slipping the sandals off my feet, I carry them as I walk closer to the water. I stop at the edge of the lapping waves, letting them wash over my feet. The sensation distracts me from my anger for a minute until I think about it again. Am I so pathetic that my brother has to set me up with someone? It’s not like I didn’t date; I just haven’t had time while planning the store and then actually bringing that dream into reality.
His scent hits me before he stops beside me, arms crossed.
My face flushes again. “Did they send you out here to check on me?”
Adam doesn’t say anything and my patience snaps.
“God, can you just maybe say something for once?” I meet his steady gaze and for some reason that makes me angrier. “They set us up. They humiliated us.”
“I’m not humiliated.” He says it so calmly that I’m humiliated all over again. “I think it’s a good idea.”
The anger drains out of me, clouded by confusion. “What?”
Adam shrugs and looks back out at the ocean. “Neither of us have dates. It would satisfy their seating arrangement.”
“It would satisfy their seating arrangement.” I say this slowly, trying to process.
He doesn’t say anything again, as if he knows I need to process.
It would show them, us going together. And if Brett gets the idea that we’re falling in love, I think that would freak him out. “Sure, let’s do it.”
Chapter Three
I’m arranging fresh tulips inside a lavender vase when Lila walks in the store the next morning, face contrite. She’s holding a bag and two coffees from our favorite coffee shop. She’s groveling because she knows she’s wrong.
“I am the worst best friend ever.” Lila holds the coffee out as she stops on the other side of the check out counter.
“In the history of best friends, absolutely the worst.” I take the coffee cup and sip, savoring the toffee flavor. “But this makes up for it.”
Lila grins at me. “Tell me you’re not excited to be his date.”
“I’m not excited to be his date,” I deadpan.
When her face falls, I giggle. “It’s a bridal shower, not our wedding.”
“Still,” she sets the bag on the counter, “it’s the start of something beautiful.”
“That’s too much,” I laugh. I’ve never been able to stay mad at her for long.
“So…what are you going to wear?” Lila glances around at some of the displays but most of what I have is still in packaging. I’ve been more focused on the window displays and setting up a few to entice people who are walking by to want to come inside when the boutique opens.
It’s silly how excited I do get about picking out something dressy to wear. Ever since I was a kid, that was me and Lila’s favorite game. Going through our parent’s closets and putting together outfits. That’s why I’m working so hard to not be the statistic of small businesses going under. “I have a few ideas.”
“Ooh, let me see.” Lila grabs the bag of food and heads toward the back. I follow, as I always do, and she perches in a metal folding chair while I pull the hanging rack away from the wall.
I’m not going to lie, I’ve already picked out several, but now the situation is different. There’s more at stake—like my pride and my heart. I can’t go to this wedding shower as not only the Maid of Honor but Adam’s date and not have the perfect outfit.
“You’re wearing white, of course,” I say to Lila as she opens the bag and begins to eat a bagel.
“Of course.” She gestures at me with the bagel to keep going.
