Now I just hoped Tiffany would get Audrey there like she’d said she would.
My phone rangin the cab on my way to the bar, and I answered immediately when I saw the caller ID.
Sarah was already talking by the time the phone got to my ear. “You’re not going to bring some airhead to my wedding, are you?”
“Oh, hello, Sarah, how are you?” I joked. Throughout the wedding planning, Sarah had been the picture of calm and collected. Mostly. Every once in a while, a little bridezilla would appear.
“Sorry, yes, hi, Jace, how are you, blah blah blah. You’re not, are you? Because I have to confirm seating numbers tomorrow, and I know we gave you a plus one, but if you’re thinking of bringing one of those side chicks you always seem to have around ”–
“Now that’s just rude.”
She sighed. “I want to be supportive, Jace. I really do, but this is going to be our whole family, and it’s not fair on them or us if you show up with someone who can’t handle all that. You know how we are.” I did. “And you deserve someone who can be one of us. Someday.” Her voice was strained, and it helped reduce my irritation. With the wedding getting closer, her stress levels surely had been rising.
“It’s ok, Sarah. I …” How to phrase this … “I don’t know if I’ll have a date, but I promise if I do, she’ll be cool.”
“Ok, good. Well, I’ll keep you as a plus one, and then we can always stick one of the second cousins next to you if you don’t have a date. Oh, hey! Whatever happened with your goddess?”
“My what?”
“The woman who had you brooding last weekend? The one you stupidly let get away?”
“I’m, uh, I’m working on it.”
“Well, you better not mess it up this time.”
No. No messing up this time.
The agency had done well.There were at least a hundred people here, some I knew well and others I only knew by reputation.
The first thing I needed to do was check in with Tiffany, who was overseeing the bar staff.
“Are you sure she’s going to come?” I asked, nodding my thanks as she passed me a glass of soda water. I preferred to be sober at these types of events.
Tiffany let out a dry laugh. “Definitely. She’s a bleeding heart. As soon as I told her we had two staff call in sick, she was offering to get down here to help.” When she notices my surprised expression, she added, “It’s not the first time.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest. It fit perfectly with the impression Audrey had made on me so far. Smart, sexy, generous.
“Will she be annoyed you lied to her?”
“Are you kidding? This is like some shit straight out of a movie. Besides, it’s kind of romantic, and she deserves a little excitement for a change.” I didn’t hide my smile at her kind gesture. “And if you ever tell Audrey that I said that, I’ll use your balls as a garnish.”
“Noted.” I stifled my chuckle. I could definitely see why Audrey liked Tiffany so much. They were lucky to have each other.
While I waited, I made the rounds, chatting to a handful of people I recognized. Eventually, Terry pulled me away to introduce me to a producer working on a graphic novel adaption for Netflix and was interested in getting me on board.
The producer was nice enough, a stunning older Vietnamese woman who had an acerbic wit, which I appreciated, but I couldn’t gather any real excitement for the project. Still, I wasn’t one to burn bridges, so we chatted politely, and I agreed to look over the script.
I turned back toward the bar, snaking my way through the crowd to ensure I was close enough to see Audrey when she arrived. A commanding voice stopped me.
“Jackson Ward. Terry tells me I should be talking to you about a role in my next film.”
In the last five years of having Terry as my agent, most conversations started this way. I’d long learned to roll with it, but as I turned around to face the person who’d greeted me this way, I was momentarily startled.
Addison fucking Michaels was standing in front of me.
Holy shit.
I held out a hand. “Mr. Michaels, it’s great to meet you.”
