“Ew. No.” Irina was not okay with that idea. “No. No. I require flush toilets at all my weddings.”
“How many do you think you’ll have?” Linx asked, and he seemed genuinely interested in the answer.
“Maybe three? Four if it works out?” She’d cap it there, for sure.
Linx blinked hard at her.
“It’s not a surprise. I’ve got a binder for the first three. Number four will probably have to be an elopement because I don’t think I’ve got it in me to do fourbigweddings.” Funny that talking about all the weddings wasn’t the good time it usually was. “That seems excessive, you know?” she continued. “How many champagne fountains can one girl have?”
“That is the question, isn’t it,” Linx said, giving Knox a funny look she couldn’t quite translate.
Irina grabbed the throw pillow and held it against her chest, resting her chin against it. “You know what? So what if the carpet is gross. Let’s just do it. It’s fine.”
“It’s not like it really counts anyway,” Courtney added.
“Exactly,” Irina said, the word tripping a little funny in her throat.
Knox made a gurgle noise. “I’ve gotta…” He stood. “…go.” Without saying a word, he walked out the door.
“Uh. What just happened?” Courtney asked.
Irina seconded that, because it felt like something big happened.
“That was Knox’s pissed sound,” Courtney said. “Why’s he pissed?”
Irina maybe knew. Did the “not really counting” part sit sideways in his stomach, too?
She pushed away the feeling. No, that wasn’t it. She was just feeling elusive things that didn’t really exist, to take her mind off the audition that hadn’t turned out like she’d hoped. She had a plan and she’d worked hard for the plan. She’d figured perhaps if she got this gig then it might propel her a little more quickly.
“He’s been out of sorts since we got off the plane,” she said. “This isn’t about the wedding.” It wasn’t like he didn’t know it wasn’t a real marriage in the sense of sex, and maybe babies, and forever. “Though it could be about the carpet.”
“What’s his deal with the plane?” Linx asked, in that Linx way of his where he went from taking nothing seriously to everything.
“I think he’s still processing what happened.” Irina pulled at a thread of her blouse, snapping it off. “Things were fine, sure, but that wasn’t a given and he grabbed on to that responsibility of taking charge without really thinking what could’ve happened. He’s been processing that. Dealing with it all.”
“I’ll go see what he’s up to.” Bax pressed a kiss to Courtney’s temple, then one to Harley’s cheek. “C’mon, Linx. Let them figure out the wedding, we’ll sort out the groom.”
“Thanks, guys.” Irina clasped her hands around the pillow.
“You are welcome to use our house for whatever you need,” Bax said before closing the door. “As long as you don’t cut down any trees.” The last part he hollered through the door.
Irina pulled her feet up under herself. “Let me think for a minute about alternatives.”
Though she’d already been through every Denver venue as an option, she hadn’t thought about other cities. They could go up to the mountains. Though Knox wouldn’t like that because of the bugs.
Maybe they could fly everyone to a beach? He’d love that.
Though that seemed excessive when she’d already put a deposit on the Denver caterer.
“Irina?” Courtney said. “Is Knox okay?”
“I don’t know.” She didn’t, not really. “I don’t know what’s going on with him.”
That wasn’t entirely the truth, but it sounded about right.
“The best thing we can do is sort out the wedding details,” Irina continued, so she didn’t have to think about how well she knew or didn’t know Knox. “So he doesn’t have to worry about anything other than carpet and paint.”
“I have an idea.” Courtney continued bouncing little Harley, the wheels clearly turning in her noggin. “What if youdiddo it on the pirate ship? Or evenbythe pirate ship? What do you have to lose?”
