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“Are they?”
“No.”
There are many questions and statements as some guests take their seats. Noah and I are standing back. His cell pings with a message, and he signals to the guy in front of the sound desk at the side of the room.
“All of Me” by John Legend sounds over the speaker.
Noah and I take our places by the arch of flowers. The woman in the red jacket opens a booklet and grips it like a priest holding the bible in church. I imagine much happened behind the scenes to surprise the guests, yet everything is falling into place with simplicity and ease.
Daphne would have never settled for such an easy and low-key wedding.
I sigh out a long breath of relief.
In a short time, my mindset has shifted. It’s what I say to my clients. Keep an open mind and be pleasantly surprised by the prospect of investment. Forget everything you thought you knew until you hear all the options.
Loud, audible gasps and sighs sound over the crowd as the first bridesmaid appears at the top of the stairs. The ladies take each step gracefully.
Noah thought I might spark an interest in one.
There is only one woman I’m interested in this weekend, and I can’t find her in the crowd.
I glance up the staircase at Olivia, who’s stunning in a long, white, satin gown. She’s holding flowers and smiling down at her future husband. A weird feeling twists in my stomach. My friend is getting married, and for some reason, I’m hit with a sense of loss and relief.
I think about what my father told me about the battle of two successful people in power careers. I’m sure many survive, yet my father saw through Daphne and knew we had outgrown the relationship.
Why did he wait two years to tell me?
Would I have believed him if he’d said something earlier?
I turn and skim over the crowd, searching for Penny. When I don’t see her, I turn my attention to Olivia walking down the stairs.
Why did I search for Penny? She’s impulsive, and I am struggling to find a reason not to see her again tonight.
My cell vibrates in my pocket. It’s the call I’ve been waiting for. Immediately after the ceremony, I will head to my room to work before the dinner. It’s thereasonI do not have a permanent woman in my life.
Vows are swapped, and the happy couple kiss.
Everyone cheers, and Noah takes Olivia’s hand before they walk down the small aisle between the chairs. Olivia holds her flowers in the air while the crowd applauds.
I follow. The first bridesmaid links her arm through mine as we head toward another room.
“Please stay for appetizers and drinks while the happy couple sign on the dotted line and take photographs.”
Something green catches my eye. To my right, Penny stands near the wall, talking to guests. She looks sexy in green just as she did last night in a red dress. Her smile ignites something inside of me, and I have to force my gaze away.
My cell buzzes again, and it’s enough to distract me from the weird sensation in my gut.
As soon as we’re in a private room, I excuse myself and walk to the side of the room to read the messages on my cell.
Five missed calls.
Seven text messages.
I fire off the same messages to my assistant and brother, telling them to give me ten minutes.
As soon as I witness the signatures and pose for a few photographs, Noah and Olivia are whisked away for a series of photographs on their own. The weather has eased, so with a coat around Olivia’s shoulders, they set out into the snow-covered vineyard to have photographs with a backdrop of white-tipped mountains.
I stride toward the stairs. After a dozen steps, I stop, turn, and lock eyes with Penny. She glances up from her conversation with a guy and gives me a few seconds of her attention before turning to continue chatting. She doesn’t acknowledge me.
