"Carter!" his mother exclaimed.
"I’m always up for some manual labor," he said, picking up two of the heavy pots with ease, the muscles on his chest and back rippling under his T-shirt.
Allie gulped and tried not to stare. He had on a pair of dark sunglasses, and she couldn't read his expression. She decided that ignoring him was the way to go.
"I hope you all have a ton of alcohol," Carter said.
"Allie's making a cherry blossom cocktail like the one we had at that Japanese restaurant. That seems like something nice to serve at a bridal tea," Nancy said as she and the girls followed Carter into the house.
"I would say I'm sorry I'm not invited, but Brandy gives me a headache."
"It gives me an excuse to try out some new desserts," Nancy said as they walked up the three flights of stairs to the ballroom. "You know I like to bake. Plus that French café is catering the savory menu, just some small bites."
"Something to soak up all that alcohol, you mean," Carter said.
He helped them move furniture around the rest of the afternoon.
"We need to set up the buffet," Allie said.
Carter grunted and moved the table where she directed.
"The plants go around it," she told him. "We were going to have it outside, but the weather isn't cooperating, so Liz and I bought these ferns to make the space seem more intimate—"
"I don't care," Carter said, cutting her off. "I’m here to move tables and hang stuff, not listen to your chatter."
She snapped her mouth closed.
Carter looked at her for a moment. He still had his dark glasses on, and Allie wanted to slide them off of his face to see what he was hiding.
Instead she said, "Hang these white sheer drapes up, please."
Allie thought the bridal tea was lovely. Brandy actually seemed warm and grateful as the women of various ages congratulated her and shared various tidbits on having a happy marriage.
That warmth didn't extend as far as Allie, though.
"So I hear Carter tossed you by the wayside," Brandy said to Allie, cornering her by the drinks table. "I knew it. He grew tired of you and how low class you are."
"A bit rich from you, considering I have spent hours of my time planning your parties," Allie said.
Brandy laughed. "And you did such a lovely job. But I wouldn't expect any less from someone in the service industry." She lowered her voice and put her face close to Allie's. "You don't belong here. The best you could ever do in Carter's and my world is make the drinks and clear the tables."
The words stung, and Brandy had a triumphant look on her face when she saw Allie's reaction.
After the party was over and Allie was cleaning up, she spun Brandy's words over and over in her mind.
Stop thinking about Carter,she told herself.You knew that affair had an expiration date. You need to be worried about whether or not he asks his cousin to fire you.
After all the guests had left and the caterers were packing up, Allie tried to concentrate on sweeping instead of Carter.
"You know," Liz said as she wiped a table, "you should come with us to the Hamptons over Memorial Day weekend."
"I really shouldn’t," Allie replied. "I need to work."
"At the bar? No one is going to be in the city over Memorial Day weekend," Liz said.
"I don't—"
"I’m not asking. I'm telling you. I don't know what's going on with you and Carter, but you need to take a break from him. His family always goes to Martha's Vineyard, so this will be perfect. We can just relax and talk about… I don't know, something other than work, Brandy's wedding, or Carter."
