After adding a pitcher of sangria and a veggie platter to the already crowded table, Phoebe claimed the other end of the sofa. “No, you both came over when the newest season of The Fortunate came out.”
“That’s right, we did.” She didn’t know how she could’ve forgotten that. They’d binge-watched the entire season in one night. After roughly three hours of sleep, she’d catered a baby shower and had fallen asleep in the driver’s seat of the delivery van. Thankfully, it had been after the shower ended and the van had been safely parked. Still, it had been embarrassing to be woken up by someone banging on the window.
Emma sank into the oversized armchair she used whenever they gathered, crossing her legs. “Well, it’s not my fault. I’m not the one who is always busy.”
“Refresh my memory, but who’s been going to their boyfriend’s lake house in New Hampshire every other weekend for the past two months?” Phoebe asked.
“Definitely not me. I don’t remember the last time I left the state.” Liv grabbed a carrot stick and dipped it into the homemade hummus Emma brought with her. “And I know it wasn’t you, Phoebe. That only leaves one possibility.”
Although it meant seeing her less, Liv was happy Emma and Brian’s relationship was going well.
“Fine. I’m not around as much as I was in the winter, but I’m free a lot more than either of you lately.”
“I’ll have more free time in a couple of months.” As a professional photographer, late spring through early fall was Phoebe’s busy season.
“How many weddings are you working this weekend?” Last weekend, Phoebe had done the photos for two weddings, as well as a young woman’s senior pictures.
“Just one on Saturday afternoon. Fingers crossed the bride is easier to work with than Gina was last week. Two of her bridesmaids were even worse. You would’ve thought it was their wedding. Emma, be glad all you had to do was drop off the flowers on Saturday.”
While she hadn’t been an easy client, Gina hadn’t been the most difficult Liv had ever worked with. But it sounded like Phoebe’s experience with her had been worse.
“If I’d known Gina was going to be such a pain in the butt, I wouldn’t have suggested she call you.”
Phoebe waved a hand, dismissing the comment. “A job is a job. You know that. If we only worked for clients we liked, we’d both still be living with our parents or working a second job.”
Her friend made an excellent point. “True. And after spending time with one of her bridesmaids, I’m not surprised they were difficult.”
“Which one? There were six of them.”
Liv had been too busy prepping and serving meals to count how many people made up the wedding party, but she knew there had been more than a few women walking around in the same lavender gown as Theo’s girlfriend.
“Brianna.”
Rolling her eyes, Phoebe added food to a plate. “Ugh, she was the worst of the bunch. She always needed to have a say in how I positioned her in a photo or where I took the picture. She acted like I was doing a photo shoot for her modeling portfolio. How did you end up spending time with her? Did you lose a bet or something?”
“She’s dating Matt’s brother Theo.”
“That makes sense. I thought the man she was with resembled Matt.”
“I forgot Matt’s brother visited,” Emma said.
Phoebe’s phone chimed, and she flipped it over to check the text message. “Aaron says hi,” she said as she typed a reply. “Is Theo as unpleasant as his girlfriend?”
Liv shook her head. “He seemed like a nice guy. I got the impression a few times that he wasn’t all that happy with Brianna.”
“If she acts the same way as she did on Saturday around him, I don’t blame him.”
“He did say his parents and brother don’t like her.”
“How many siblings does Matt have?” Emma asked as she refilled her glass with sangria.
“Just two younger brothers. Theo and Aiden are twins.”
“It’s never a good sign for a relationship when the family doesn’t like you.” If anyone would know that, it was Phoebe. Her former mother-in-law’s constant criticism had played a role in ending her short marriage.
“Theo didn’t seem to be worried about it. But I wouldn’t be surprised if, when Matt calls me, he tells me they split up.”
She’d talked to Matt twice since he left yesterday morning for Virginia, once when he’d arrived at his hotel and then again this morning. Since tonight was the couple’s joint bachelor/bachelorette party, she didn’t expect to hear from him again until sometime the next day.
