It gives me a moment to gather myself. It also gives Ben and me a moment to exchange a tiny, discreet, and solid glance. One that says something very specific?—
Not. One. Word.
Should I tell Holly right now that we are exes? Maybe? But I can’t; I need this job, and I meanneed.No one except Josie knows why I need the money so badly. If I had to guess, based on Ben’s expression, he has a reason for not wanting to blow this either.
“I know it’s a bit crazy,” Holly says. “But we really, truly want the all-inclusive package. Like we said, we have no budget. So anything you think is good, we are game. Between the triathlon coming up and me moving into his apartment and everything else, we don’t have time to plan a wedding ourselves. Especiallyconsidering how quickly we want to tie the knot! Isn’t that right, Benny Bear?” she asks, planting a kiss on his cheek. Ben blushes and looks down at the floor. He looks like he wants to hide under the table.
“Well, I think we should start with photography,” Josie hops in the ring and tags me out. Thank God. “That way we know what to work around. I have some samples here of the packages. Why don’t you two take a look at them, and Charlotte and I will give you a moment?”
“Perfect!” Holly claps her hands together, and they sit at the table. Josie and I shuffle off. We barely make it out of the coffee shop before she snorts.
“Benny Bear?” she chuckles.
But I don’t think it’s funny.
“What are the odds?” I whine as we sit down by the fireplace furthest from the happy couple. “I know I’m not exactly the luckiest person, but are you kidding?”
“At least he was good at faking it,” Josie offers. “Besides, you’re over him, right?”
“Yeah,” I pout.
“Over him enough to see him with another woman?” she asks.
I nod.
“Over him enough that all those zeros are worth it? I mean, they are literally buying your most expensive package. Has anyone ever bought your most expensive package?”
“Only that wedding in Vail,” I say.
“Exactly. It’ll be okay. I have faith in you,” she says.
I hope she’s right. I look over at Holly and Ben again, and I’m not so sure. It’s not that I’m not over him; I am. But that doesn’t mean that seeing him with someone isn’t still hard, especially someone like that. She couldn’t be more my opposite, which only solidifies just how wrong I was for him. She has more charisma in one lock of her hair than I do in my entire body.
I nod, even though I’m not so sure. Either way, I’m going to have to be sure because after literally only two minutes of fast talking, flipping through portfolio pages and nodding, then smiling and kissing, they close the book and head our way. Holly is practically skipping, but Ben is doing more of a hands-in-pockets saunter.
“We are going with the Platinum,” she says, handing the book back to Josie, whose eyes light up like sequins. It’s her most expensive package.
“Amazing!” Josie smiles. “I can’t wait.”
“Neither can we!” she says, hugging us both. As she does, my eyes fall on Ben again, who gives me an apologetic look.
“Alright, well, I think I need to meet with the resort owner,” I say. I really need a break from this to clear my head.
“Of course!” Holly says.
“I need to go over a couple of things with you,” Josie tells her. “I’d like to tour the place for visuals so I can make sure your package is personalized.”
“Oh, I love that! Benny, don’t you love that?” she asks, and the word drips over my nerves like honey. Honey that’s sweet enough to make my teeth hurt. Never once in our relationshipdid I call him Benny, but I’m not a nickname kind of person. It’s part of why I never really got used to him calling me Charlie. I wanted to be okay with him calling me Charlie, maybe even like it. But I was and am a Charlotte, and Charlotte needs to get away from Benny.
“I know!” Holly says. “Why don’t you take Charlotte to the office, and I’ll go with Josie. We can meet in the middle and discuss all the things?”
“Works for me,” Josie says, clearly more focused on the wordsplatinum packagethan the SOS glares shooting from my eyeballs.
“Perfect!” Holly says, and with that, they’re gone, leaving me and Ben to actual awkwardness. But as soon as they are gone, we both start talking at the same time.
“Charlie, I amsosorry…”
“How is Holly your fiancée?” I blurt out.
