Drew pointed at me like I was a plague victim.
“Yeah, she’s an amazing wedding planner. Andrew Ashford, allow me to officially introduce you to Emilia Marino.”
I was happy that I was loaded down with bottles because there was no way I wanted to shake his hand.
Then it hit me.Andrew Ashford. CEO of Ashford Resorts.
Right, so…yeah. He didn’tworkat the resort. Hewasthe resort.
Awkward.
Especially since I’d heard that he was handling events at Ashford Luxe for the time being. Maybe I’d steer my clients toward other venues for the next stretch. It was Carmel—it wasn’t like we were hurting for choices. And bridezillas were tricky enough to manage without throwing another asshole in the mix.
But yeah, finding out that he was the head honcho put our earlier encounter into perspective. No wonder he acted like he owned the place. He…kinda does.
Knowing that he was the bossman didn’t make me like him any better, though. Money didn’t impress me, kindness did, and the man was definitely lacking it. But the fact that he was friends with Ethan didn’t compute. What could a curmudgeon and a good guy have in common, aside from working in the same place?
“What happened with the cat food bride?” Drew asked.
Ethan choked out a surprised laugh. “Huh?”
“Handled,” I replied in a snooty voice. “With grace and care. You could learn a thing or two about client relations from me.”
“Uh oh,” Ethan said softly.
“How are the Three Musketeers?” I asked. “Have you thrown poor Mrs. Barclay out on the street yet?”
“I’m lost,” Ethan said, glancing between us as we glared at each other.
Drew’s jaw tensed. “I actually took your advice. From now on they’ll have twice daily walks while they stay with us courtesy of a local dog daycare.”
It was the last thing I expected, but of course, he didn’t bother to thank me for the good idea.
“Do you need help to your car?” Drew asked, nodding towards the bottles clutched in my arms. “You’ve got quite an armful there. Looks like you’re planning for a party. Or do we need to worry about you?”
I felt my cheeks go hot at the implication.
“Isn’t it funny how an encounter—or worse,twoencounters—with a class-A jerk can make you need to anesthetize yourself with a couple glasses of wine at the end of it?” I asked.
“Because I had that happen to me today. Super frustrating, so I’m heading home to try to wipe my memory banks clean. I’m surprised to seeyouin the wine aisle, though. I’d have pictured you as more of a ‘single malt scotch while petting a hairless cat’ type. But no, you probably hate cats too, don’t you?”
Ethan was still watching us wearing a bemused smile, swiveling his head back and forth like he was at a tennis match.
Drew frowned. “I don’t hate cats,” he grumbled. “And I don’t hate dogs, either!”
“Just tiny, adorable puppies?” I suggested. “Yes, that’s so much better.”
“Listen here,” he fumed, looking like he was building up to a full rant—and like he actually expected me to stick around and listen to it. Fat chance of that. I saved my patience for the people who were paying me.
“I’m gonna go home now and share this wine with my best friend while spending time with my pet, the way emotionally healthy people do,” I announced. “You do you, though.” I turned to Ethan and gave him a genuine smile. “Nice to see you again. Hope we have a chance to work together soon.”
“Same. I’ll make sure to protect you from this one,” he chuckled.
“Hey, don’t worry about me, watch out for the animals of Carmel. They’re the ones who need protection,” I said as I walked away, praying that I wouldn’t drop one of the bottles and ruin my perfect exit.
I felt like I sped the entire drive back to the house. It was currently a mess of never-ending renovations, but it was still my favorite place to be. Nora’s car was already in the driveway when I pulled in.
The door swung open like she’d been watching for my arrival. She had a key and she wasn’t afraid to use it.
