“That’s just it; he’s notbad, exactly. Carter is a decent guy who just happens to think that the world revolves around him, which means there’s collateral damage in the form of me bending over backwards to keep him happy.”
We both went quiet as we considered exactly how important this event was for the future of the resort, and the Ashford brand as a whole. There was no way he could fumble this with so much hanging in the balance. Even I felt the nervous tremors in my belly when I thoughtabout everything that could go wrong. I knew Drew was as well but doing his best to hide it.
“How’s Kristen?” he asked me.
Drew looked so strained that I had to manufacture something positive. “She’s happy.”
He squinted at me like he didn’t believe me.
“I heard rumblings about the flower arches?”
I waved my hand at him dismissively. “It’s being handled.”
Half true at best, but I wasn’t about to compound his stress.
“You haven’t weighed in on the happy couple yet,” Drew said. “What sort of odds are you giving them?” He scooped a heaping spoonful of caviar on a toast point.
I actuallyhadbeen secretly handicapping them as we got closer to the big day. I was a planner of course, but I was also a watcher, which was part of what made me so successful at my job. I could see patterns before they became obvious, and hear things that were unsaid.
“I sense some rough waters in the future.”
“You sound like a fortune cookie.”
Maybe I did. Maybe I wanted them to have a happily ever after. “I’m not saying it’ll be easy. When the initial excitement is gone and they actually have to figure out the nuts and bolts of building a life together, they will have hurdles to overcome. But I believe that they love each other.” I was sure of that. For all the fakeness in their professional lives, there was something beautifully genuine between Carter and Kristen. It made me want to believe in them.
“Huh.” The corners of Drew’s mouth turned down. “I’m not so sure.”
I immediately felt like I needed to go to bat for the couple. “Well, you know firsthand that Kristen is a good person. And sure, Carter is a total bro, but he’s really sweet to her. There’s caring at the heart of their relationship.”
Drew leaned back in his chair and snorted. “Then what’s with all of the theatrics with the wedding? Why does the show seem to matter more than the relationship? That was what you complained about and I get it now.”
“Because it’s what they’re contracted to do,” I insisted. “Their brands depend on them captivating the world. That’s topline stuff. But if you peel back the layers I think there’s something real there.”
“You’re singing a totally different tune than I’d have expected,” he mused.
I shrugged. “Maybe my eyes have been opened to what’s possible?”
I hoped that he understood the implication.
Hewas the reason.
Our gazes locked and the rest of the world faded away. I could no longer hear the buzzing of distant crowds, or catch the scent of the mock orange tree just beyond us. The breeze seemed to still as well, so that the only thing that existed was the growing heat between us.
I held my breath as I waited for him to respond.
My phone broke the silence instead.
“Shit,” I said when I realized who was calling. “My roofing guy. That can’t be good, they’re literally working on it right now,” I said as I connected the call. “This is Emilia.”
I listened as Arlo explained the scenario. Something about mushy beams, a problem with the underlayment and the potential for mold, which required ripping off half of the roof decking and rebuilding.
“That soundsreallyexpensive,” I replied. “Are you sure you can’t salvage it?”
I watched Drew as Arlo gave an explanation that didn’t make sense to me. I frowned at Drew and shook my head to convey my helpless state.
He held out his hand to me to signal that he could tap into the fight on my behalf.
I nodded gratefully even though what I really wanted to do was hug him. “Hey, Arlo, my, uh, friend who’s a contractor,” I squinted at him as I lied, “would like to talk to you.”
