“Don’t mind if I do,” I said, swapping my empty glass for a full one. Four—or was it five?—glasses in, and the warm buzz of alcohol had softened the edges of my anxiety. Tonight was the night. After two months of competing with Hudson to impress Lia and Manny, they were finally going to announce their decision.
One of us would plan their actual wedding, and the other would slink away in defeat. And given how this party had turned out, I had no idea which way they were leaning.
“Easy on the champagne,” a familiar voice said behind me. “We still have the announcement to get through.”
I turned to find Hudson watching me, looking unfairly handsome in a tailored dark green suit. As always, his dark hair was perfectly styled, not a strand out of place. The man was walking perfection, and I hated him for it.
Except I wasn’t sure I hated him anymore, and that was a serious problem. It was also one of the reasons I was drinking more than Anica would’ve approved of.
“I’m celebrating our success,” I replied, raising my glass. “This party is magnificent.”
“It turned out well,” he conceded, his gaze scanning the space. “The hydrangeas were the right choice.”
“Thank you.” I grinned. “Have you seen the happy couple? They were at the bar a minute ago.”
“They’re making the rounds. I suspect the announcement will come after dinner.”
“You nervous?” I couldn’t help asking, studying his impassive face.
“Why would I be nervous?” He adjusted his already perfect cuffs.
“Because you are going to lose to me.”
“Am I?” He winked at me. “Or is it the opposite?”
“Yup,” I said, taking another sip of champagne. “But you know what? It was surprisingly fun competing with you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Compliment?”
“Must be the champagne talking.”
“It would appear so.”
We stood in companionable silence, watching the guests mingle. Movie stars, musicians, and various celebrities filled the terrace, all here to celebrate Lia and Manny’s engagement. The fact that Hudson and I had pulled this off without major incident felt like a miracle.
“You look nice, by the way,” Hudson said suddenly, not looking at me.
I nearly choked on my champagne. “I’m sorry, what?”
“You heard me.”
I looked down at my dark pink gown with its subtle shimmer and strategically placed cutouts. I didn’t just look nice; I looked downright fuckable.
Before I could respond, a server appeared with the announcement that dinner was being served. We moved toward our table near the back.
The dinner was perfect, which wasn’t surprising considering Manny’s best restaurant had provided the food. By the time dessert was served, I was on glass number six (or seven?) and feeling wonderfully warm and relaxed. Hudson kept giving me concerned glances from across the table, but I ignored him. I deserved to enjoy myself. We’d worked our asses off for this party.
As the last of the dessert plates were cleared, Lia stood, tapping her glass with a spoon. The crowd fell silent.
“Manny and I want to thank you all for coming tonight. Your love and support mean everything to us as we begin this journey together.”
Manny stood beside her, his arm slipping around her waist. “We’re so grateful to everyone who helped make tonight possible, especially our incredible planners, Mari Landry and Hudson Gable.”
A smattering of applause followed as heads turned in our direction. I smiled and raised my glass slightly, while Hudson gave a dignified nod.
“Please enjoy the live music and the dance floor, and of course, please eat more food. Mari, Hudson, if you two could join us on the east balcony in about fifteen minutes, we’d like to speak with you.”
My heart skipped a beat as I exchanged a glance with Hudson. This was it. The moment of truth.
