“Don’t have too much fun tonight,” I say.
“I always do,” she says.
CHAPTER 29
PAIGE
Nora, Amber and I set up by the pool. It’s all thanks to them, truly. Nora apparently called in some favors, and now we have string lights set up over the pool and cocktails decorating the nearby table. Music plays from a portable speaker.
“I know it’s not a real wedding,” Nora says while pouring Bellinis, “but that’s not an excuse to not celebrate.”
“We like celebrating,” Amber adds. She has long, reddish hair and a wide smile. West’s younger sister, and always quick with a joke.
I look between them. “The others coming tonight think it’s real. We have to make sure they keep thinking that.”
“We’ll play along,” Nora says. Everything with her has felt so delightfully easy, when nothing with her brother ever has.
“I’m a fantastic actress,” Amber says.
That makes me laugh. “Thanks. It’s frustrating, but the will that regulates my shares… well, there’s a clause in it. I get an additional ten percent when I marry the ‘love of my life.’”
“Wills,” Nora says with a sigh. “That’s why West and I are getting married this September.”
“Really?”
“Well, it’s not the only reason.” Her cheeksflush. “But he has a similar clause for the trust of his family estate. So we sped up the process a little while we work on getting it dissolved for future generations.”
“Congratulations!” I say. They’re clearly in love, too. I saw the way he looked at her at dinner.
Her smile widens. “I thought I’d be the first to get married in my family, but then Rafe beat me to it.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I say. “Ours doesn’t really count. You’ll be the first.”
We finish setting up, and my nerves relax with each passed joke. The guests arrive by boat. Leelyn was so excited when I mentioned Nora’s bachelorette party idea, and she brought Sylvie, of course, as well as a few other designer friends I’ve met over the past week.
Amber managed to find a veil somewhere and pins it to my head. “Perfection,” she says.
I was worried it wouldn’t flow. But it does, all the women getting along. Several brought games and we end up in a heated discussion about bachelorette party traditions.
“I tried to tell her,” Leelyn says, looking at Sylvie. “We should have ordered something dick-shaped, because that’s such a bachelorette thing! We could have done a cake! Or… or… cupcakes!”
“I refused,” Sylvie says. She’s leaned back in her chair, cigarette in her left hand. “I do not accept visible penises in my vicinity.Non.They’re not chic.” She blows out smoke in the opposite direction. “I have to deal with invisible ones most days. In meetings, out in public. That’s enough.”
“You’re very brave,” Nora says, smiling at Sylvie.
“Thank you,chérie. I know.”
“But at least we have drinks, and that’s the most important thing for a bachelorette party,” Amber says. “How about ten questions for the bride and a shot for every one you get wrong?”
“So potentiallytenshots? I’ll be swimming in thefountain again!” I say. My head is spinning already, in that pleasurable way, and I’m having more fun than I expected with a group of women who were all strangers to me just weeks ago.
Tomorrow, I have to be perfect.
But tonight I can be human.
“You swam in the fountain?” Nora asks.
“Are there pictures?” Amber chimes in.
