“I know you and Ate Irene freaked at her reaction to me,” Alex said, “but I have to admit, I thought it was so funny. And freaking adorable that she wanted to be the prettiest.”
“Yeah, I don’t think it’s going to be as adorable when your guests are all watching.” Jay opened the door. Cool air blast from the inside, his eyes adjusting to the darkened room’s lighting. “I’ll introduce you to the floral designer. She’s amazing.”
“Before you think it’s bad juju,” Mara announced, not looking up from her spot on Jay’s bed, surrounded by deep red, pale pink and purple flowers, blocks of foam, rolls of pale blue ribbon and tissue paper. She was holding a floral cutter in one hand and a spray bottle of water in the other. Apparently she’d showered and changed when she realized the size of the favor Jay was asking. Her cheeks, a bit of her forehead and her nose were a little red from the sun. “Beyoncé is an excellent musical motivator, andLemonadeis an even more excellent album.”
Then she looked up, and Jay was struck with the urge to kiss her, to make her smile. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was formed into a little O of surprise.
“I wasn’t going to disagree, but personally I’m more of aRenaissanceguy myself.” Jay grinned as Mara’s cheeks flushed red. He stepped to the side so he could properly introduce Mara to the bride. “Alex, this is Mara, she—”
“Huy, Barretto,” Alex exclaimed, expertly weaving through the flowers and arrangements scattered around the room to throw her arms around Mara, who smiled and hugged her back. “Seat mate!”
“Seat mate!” Mara looked just as surprised as any of them, scooting over to make room for her friend. Jay watched in equal parts amusement, fascination and a tiny dash of worry at what was unfolding before him, because it didn’t mean anything good for him. “Oh my god, I didn’t know it was you! You’re the bride?”
“One of.” Alex grinned, and there was that familiar, “I amsoin love” smile that Jay had missed seeing on his friend’s face. “Wait, did Jay fly you in?”
“Nope.”
“Al, I love you, but not that much.”
“Jay knew I was staying in the hotel next door, so I was vacation-napped into completing the arrangements. My friend agreed to come in for tomorrow for the setup, and I thought I would get a head start on the arrangements.”
“Told you I had it handled.” Mara shot him a smile. And if his heart leaped in his chest at her little acknowledgment, he hoped it didn’t show. “How do you two know each other?”
“High school. How doyoutwo know each other?” Alex’s brow rose, but Jay knew she was asking so she could tell him exactly why her friend deserved better, and not because she genuinely wanted to know. Alex was well aware of the existence of his curse. “Did you kiss her? Jay!”
“Alex, I can meet people without kissing them,” Jay sassed.
At the same time, Mara began to explain, “Wait, you know about his kiss thing?” Which made Jay groan and wish the flowers currently surrounding them would just bury him now, please and thanks.
“Marrying Tori tomorrow will officially make me number…eight?” Alex said, raising her eyebrows playfully at Jay, who only made a strangled sound that seemed to satisfy her for confirmation. “Have you—”
“Oh, no. I think I’m his first failed vector,” Mara said. He didn’t miss the flash of regret in her eyes, the little wince Alex made in reaction. “We’re friends. Right, Jay?”
“Friends that aren’t dating,” he agreed.
“Nobody’s made you sinok yet, huh?” Alex asked, giving Mara a friendly, knowing smile. Wow, Jay did not remember beingthatclose to his high school seat mate. “Aww, beh. I know you’ve wanted it for a while.”
“Oh my god. I can’t believe you still remember that.”
“Oh my god, what?” Jay asked, suddenly wanting to desperately be part of the conversation. “Sinok?”
“Just Catholic school girl things.” Alex laughed as Mara buried her hands behind her face, because she was still giggling and blushing profusely. Jay had never seen her so flushed. “We were made to sign chastity vows when we were in senior year of high school.”
“Not that any of us actually took it seriously.” Mara snorted. “I mean there weren’t exactly a bevy of boys waiting by the school gates, because—”
“Everyone was dating each other,” Jay said dreamily. The girls ignored him.
“And the teacher saw Mara’s vows and read them out loud to the class as an example of whatnotto do,” Alex continued, shaking her head.
“Look, in my defense, her chastity mad libs had a lot of room for interpretation.”
“Yeah, but we were supposed to write shit like, ‘when we’re married,’ or ‘when we got tired of masturbating’—”
“Ringing the devil’s doorbell!” Mara corrected her and giggled.
Jay had the sense that he was seeing Mara totally unguarded. Generous with her smiles and little touches, scooting over so Alex could sit next to her. He wasn’t going to lie—he was a little jealous. Alex hadn’t mentioned Mara around him before, and the way they hugged made it seem like the seat mates hadn’t seen each other in a while. Yet they were so comfortable with each other.
“What were Mara’s conditions to break her chastity vow?” Jay asked as Alex slid on to the bed next to her, their shoulders pressed together. Mara started grabbing flowers from her piles and declared that, lalalala, she wasn’t listening.
