“What do you need from us?” Clarabella asks me when she finds me on the side, looking around the space to make sure everything is running smoothly. Shelby and Presley start to walk our way.
“I think I’m good.” I smile at her, trying to get my heart to return to a normal beat. It’s been beating too fast and feeling like it will come out of my chest. Either that or I will yack all over the place.
“This decor,” Shelby appraises, taking a sip of her champagne, and I’ve never been more jealous of a person in my life. “It’s spectacular. We’ll have to put this online and in a brochure.”
“The little touches with the tree stumps.” Presley points at the center of the tables. “It’s the little details like that which make it perfect.”
I can’t help but smile and breathe a sigh of relief. “I just hope that it’s everything she’s wanted. I tried to think back on everything she told me from the beginning.” I glance around the room, spotting Sofia with Matty walking around, taking in everything. The smile hasn’t left her face since she walked down the aisle. I’m just happy my little situation didn’t put a damper on anything. The phone buzzes in my hand, and I look down to see my timer has gone off. “Okay, I need you guys to take your seats,” I tell them. “It’s showtime.”
“It’s showtime?” Clarabella asks me, confused. “I thought showtime was her walking down the aisle.”
“It’s time for food. Now get to your spots.” I clap my hands. “Chop-chop.” I smile at them at the same time I nod to the singer of the band who comes on the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she says in her smooth, soft voice, “if everyone can get to their seat, it’s time to get the party started.”
I zigzag through the room until I’m in front of Sofia and Matty. “Hi,” I say, “it’s time for the main entrance. Follow me.” I motion with my head as we sneak out of the side of the barn, walking around it.
“Where are we going?” Matty asks.
“There is a secret back entrance here,” I inform them. “The stairs lead to the second floor, where you guys will come out, and you’ll make your way down the staircase in front of everyone.”
“Love that,” Sofia says, “and in case I don’t tell you a million times today”—she grabs my hands—“everything is beyond perfect.”
“You did good, Addison,” Matty adds, putting his arm over Sofia’s shoulders.
“You can’t make me cry,” I hiss at both of them. “Now I have to go into the kitchen.” I open the side door. “Go.”
“Damn, she’s bossy when she’s in charge,” Matty teases me as he puts his hand on the lower part of Sofia’s back.
“It’s the mother tone, like you done fucked up and she’s going to kick your ass.” Sofia side-eyes me as she walks into the door, making me laugh.
I wait for them to both enter before I turn and make my way to the kitchen. I pull open the door in the back and hear Luke yelling out commands. “We have four minutes!” he shouts to them as he walks behind the long silver table. White plates are already placed on it. “I want the plates looking perfect.”
“How’s it going?” I ask him, wringing my hands with nerves.
“Horrible.” The minute he says that, I feel the blood drain out of me. “Oh my gosh, I’m kidding. Relax.”
“What the H E double L is wrong with you?” I hiss at him, putting my hand on my forehead.
“Relax,” he assures me, “I’ve got this.” He earns himself a glare as my phone buzzes in my hand. At the same time, I hear all the cheers, so I know they just made their entrance.
“We have two minutes,” I tell him, and he snaps his fingers.
“One minute, people,” he announces, walking toward his staff. “If I say two minutes, they might get lazy.” He winks at me, and I see everyone is doing something.
The first course goes off without a hitch and I stick my head out for a second to make sure Avery is okay. The best thing I did was make sure the kids had someone to take care of them. Luckily for me, someone from Matty’s side and Sofia’s side stepped up to the plate.
I slip out of the kitchen, walking over to the head server, who is standing by the wall with his hands behind his back. “How is it going?”
“Smooth,” he tells me. “Almost time for the second course.”
When I push open the door to the kitchen, I clap my hands. “Next service is ten minutes out.”
The sounds of pots and pans fill the kitchen as the voices go higher and higher as the pressure is on.
“What are you doing?” Presley storms into the kitchen, followed by her sisters.
“Um,” I say, not sure exactly what she’s asking, “working?”
“You did this so much better than we would have,” Clarabella declares to me, her eyes shining, and I wonder if she’s being sincere or if she’s gotten in the sweet tea. Either way, I’m taking it as a compliment.
“No, I didn’t.” I shake my head. “And it’s not over until the last person leaves. You taught me that.” I point at Shelby.
“Yes, you did, and now it’s time for you to come out and enjoy it with us.” Shelby grabs me by my hands, pulling me away from the kitchen. “You have given your orders. If they need you, they know where to find you.”
“I don’t really think,” I start to say but then stop when I see Sofia push open the kitchen door. Her face is in a scowl, so I stop moving my feet.
“Oh, you better get your ass out here and help me celebrate my wedding,” Sofia orders, pointing over her shoulder.
I look at the four of them. When I applied for the job, I was hoping I would get it. Even in the interview I felt like part of the team. The way I came in and they took me under their wing. They accepted Avery without batting an eye. They accepted me with all the baggage I had. They did more for me in the short time I was with them than my family did my whole life. “Fine.”
I smile at them as we walk out of the kitchen door. We walk toward the table, and I look around, stopping in my tracks. My eyes focus on Stefano squatting down in front of Avery, next to the dance floor. He must feel my eyes on him because he turns his head and looks our way.
“Oh my God,” Clarabella says in a whisper beside me.
“Is that…?” Shelby now tries to ask the question but stops.
“Oh my God, she has his eyes,” Presley observes, her hand going to her mouth, “and smile.”
“I know,” I finally say.
“How did you not know?” Shelby looks over at Sofia.
“How was I supposed to know?” Sofia hisses back at her. “Do you think I walked around staring into his eyes. I’ve met him twice.”
“Didn’t you go on vacation with them for two weeks?” Clarabella asks her.
“Again, I didn’t walk around looking into his eyes.” Sofia glares at them. “How was I supposed to know that his tall, dark, and handsome Greek-slash-French cousin was her baby daddy?”
“He’s Greek?” I ask shocked, and see Presley and Clarabella roll their lips.
“And French,” Shelby points out before turning back to Sofia. “Does he speak both?”
“I know he speaks French for sure. He was talking to his mother in French,” Sofia informs us all, “like pure French.”
“That is so hot,” Clarabella says. “The only thing I know in French is voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?”
“Who doesn’t know that saying?” Sofia folds her arms over her chest. “It’s universal.”
“How did you not know this?” Shelby asks me.
“It didn’t really come up.” I throw my hands up.
“You know what did come up?” Clarabella looks over at me. “His dick.”
“That came up, for sure,” Presley chimes in.
“You told me it was the best sex you ever had,” Sofia reminds me.
“It’s been a while,” I tell them, not bothering to mention to them that when I finally had sex after him, I felt way off. It was the last date I ever went on. “Can we stop talking about this?” I finally plead, not really wanting to picture his dick any more than I have been.
“What are you going to do?” Shelby asks quietly beside me.
“We are going to get together tomorrow and talk.” I let out a huge sigh.
“Can I come with you?” Presley asks, and all I can do is shake my head.
“Okay, ladies, people are starting to look at us,” Shelby says. “Let’s get out there and pretend that you just didn’t meet your baby daddy after five years.”
“Easier said than done,” I retort, following them to my seat beside them, which is at the other end of the room. I avoid Stefano the whole night, sticking to my seat. Only when Avery finds me, rubbing her eyes, do I get up.
“I’m going to head out,” I tell the table, and the three of them get up. “I’ll be fine.”
I walk out of the venue with my head down, hoping no one, or better yet, Stefano doesn’t follow me. I make my way over to the little house I have for the night, slipping the dress off Avery before sliding out of my own dress.
I don’t sleep the whole night, and when Avery wakes up, I feed her quickly and head out of town. The two-hour drive home feels like it takes five hours. Grabbing all of our bags, I walk up the stairs, heading to our apartment. I try to balance all the things while I wait for her to make her way up the stairs. “My legs are tired,” she complains to me as she takes each step with both feet, instead of one at a time. My hands burn as I try to hold on to the bags before they slip out of my hands.
“It’s hard being a princess,” I huff as we finally make it to our front door. A bag slips out of my hand the minute the next-door neighbor’s door opens.
“You’re back,” Mrs. Drummond says, walking out. “How was it?”
“I was a princess,” Avery declares. “Can I show her my dress?”
“In a little bit,” I say to her, opening the door, and she walks into our place. “Mrs. Drummond, I have a meeting this afternoon, so would you be able to watch her for a couple of hours?” She has been my next-door neighbor for the past year, and she loves Avery like her grandchildren. They just live far away, so she is always happy to spend time with Avery.
“Anytime, dear. Bring her dress over so she can try it on,” she says with a huge smile.
I walk into the house, making my way to the bedrooms and dumping off the bag, then going back. My nerves are fried at this point. I try to get settled, but I just can’t, so I grab my phone and pull up his contact I stored last night when I couldn’t sleep.
Opening the text messages, I type.
Hi there.
I stare at it for a second and then erase it. My stomach feels like it’s going to come out of my throat. “Just text him if he’s free.”
Hey, it’s Addison, are you free?
I’m about to press send when it dawns on me. “Are you crazy?” I ask myself. “What if his girlfriend sees it?” I look at his number. “I’m just going to call him.” I press the green button and I freak out after it rings once, hanging up. “Oh, he must have missed my call.” I put the phone on the bed beside me. I rub my face with my hand, my eyes burning from not sleeping all night. The phone rings beside me, and I jump out of my skin, looking over and seeing his name on the screen. “Don’t answer it,” I tell myself, but my hand doesn’t listen.
“Hi,” I greet, trying to act nonchalant as if this isn’t killing me deep down inside.
“You hung up.” His voice is light and makes my stomach get flutters.
“No,” I lie through my teeth, “it went to voicemail.” I close my eyes, hoping he believes me.
“Did you leave a message?” he asks me.
“Um, yes.” I close my eyes.
“No, you didn’t.”
“No, I didn’t,” I finally admit. He laughs softly, and my vagina decides she wants to come out of hibernation.
“Anyway, I’m home, and I got someone to watch Avery.” I try to change the subject. “So, I have an hour, are you free?”
“I can be.” I hear rustling in the background and wonder if he’s still at the farm or in a hotel. “I’m at Matty’s house now,” he says, and I spring off the bed.
“What?” I ask, shocked.
“Where do you want to meet?” He avoids my freak-out.
“How about we meet at Luke’s—” I start to say.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” he agrees without skipping a beat.
“Great. See you there.” I don’t say anything else because he hangs up the phone.
I don’t bother looking at myself in the mirror because if I see how horrible I look, I won’t even think of going.
I grab Avery’s dress from last night and find her on her bed sleeping. I walk out softly, going next door and knocking on the door. Mrs. Drummond opens a second later. “She’s sleeping,” I tell her.
“I’ll come over there,” she replies, grabbing her phone and following me out.
“Thank you so much. The princess dress is on the couch when she wakes up.”
I walk down the steps and turn right, heading over to Luke’s. It’s a five-minute walk, but every single step feels like there’s cement in my shoes. I pull open the door to Luke’s and step in, taking a look around to see if he’s here or not. The tables are mostly empty, which isn’t a surprise since it’s two in the afternoon. After the lunch crowd and before the dinner rush.
“Hello.” The hostess comes over. “Are you dining in or out?”
“Um, in,” I say, “for two.” I hold up my hand with two fingers sticking up. My hand shakes like a leaf.
“Right this way.” She smiles at me and turns to walk toward the table.
“Is it possible to get a booth in the back?” I point over at the booth where we usually eat when we come here since it’s close to the kitchen, and Luke frequently joins us.
“Sure.” She zigzags through the empty tables to the back and puts the menus on the table. “Your server will be right with you,” she tells me as I slide into the booth, facing the door.
My hand taps the table as I look around, the nerves are eating me up. “I should get a drink,” I say, holding up my hand and then quickly putting it down. “What if he thinks I’m an alcoholic raising his kid?” I don’t have a chance to think anything else because the door opens and my head turns to face it. He walks in, his black hair pushed back, a white T-shirt showing off his toned arms, and with his aviator glasses on his face. The only thing coming out of my mouth is, “Damn.”
