I stifle a yawn. I’m dead on my feet. I’ve been up since five this morning, and with the time change, I’m all thrown off.
“Sounds good. I’ll get started on this list tomorrow,” I say.
Valerie stops dead in her tracks. “Tomorrow? No, it needs to be done tonight.”
“Valerie, it’s late. Nothing is even open around here. It can wait until the morning,” I tell her calmly.
“Did you forget that I’m the bride?” she spits at me. “If I say that it needs to be done tonight, then that’s when it needs to be done.”
I want to call her a brat and a bunch of other names, but I’m too tired to fight. So, I nod and gather my things. My stomach growls, reminding me that I haven’t eaten since that meal on the plane.
“Night,” I say over my shoulder as I head out.
I’m about at my limit with Valerie and this whole wedding. A part of me, a big part, wants to tell her off and storm out. I’m not close to my family, and after today, I remember why. If I left, they’d be mad at me, but right now, I’m so mad and disgusted with all of them that I don’t think I’d care.
I smother a yawn as I hit the button for the elevator. The doors open a minute later, and I look up, meeting Jackson’s eyes.
“We have to stop meeting like this,” I joke.
He grins. “I was looking for you.”
“You were?” I ask incredulously.
“Yeah, I grabbed you something to eat.”
He holds up the bag as I step onto the elevator, and I take it from him carefully.
Jeez, if he keeps this up, my crush on him is going to be impossible to hide, I think, as the scent of pasta hits me.
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” I say right as my stomach growls loudly.
Heat blooms in my cheeks, but Jackson just smiles.
“I wanted to. How are the fires?” he asks as we head back down to our floor.
“Still raging, but it’s too late to do much about them. That will have to be a problem for tomorrow.”
“Good. You should get some rest,” he says as we step off the elevator onto the second floor.
Self-consciously, I reach up, wondering how big the bags under my eyes are or how haggard I look right now.
“No, that’s not what I meant,” Jackson says when he sees the movement. “You’re beautiful. It’s just been a stressful day, I’m sure. I hope you get to enjoy the wedding and not just work it.”
“Me too,” I mumble as I stop outside my room. “Thanks again for dinner.”
“Anytime.”
He stuffs his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels. I stand there, trying to think of some way for us to continue talking.
His phone rings, and I duck my head, trying to hide my disappointed look as I dig my room key out of my bag.
“I’ll let you get that. See you later,” I say before I enter my room.
“Goodnight, Fern.”
“Night,” I whisper as the door closes.
I lean back against it and try to calm my racing heart.
