Page 29 of Twisted Beauty

“You might be right.” Katie sounded tired. She picked up her sandwich and bit into it.

“Wait. Are you okay? Was today that bad?”

“She’s kind of a bridezilla,” Katie mumbled between bites. “I mean, it could be why her last planner quit. But whatever. I can’t complain. She’s paying me too much. So show me pictures.”

Liv wiped the greasy cheese from her hands and grabbed the camera, scrolling until she found the series she took of the priest. She held out the camera to Katie, suddenly nervous that her friend wouldn’t be as enamored with them as she was. “These are my favorites.”

“Wow. They’re awesome.” Katie looked up and narrowed her eyes at Liv. “Please say you didn’t put that chair there and tell the priest to sit in it.”

“I can’t even with you.” Liv ripped the camera out of Katie’s grasp. “You know I’d never do that.” She scrolled back to the first photos of the day before handing it back. She watched as Katie flipped through photos of the seagulls, the musicians from the bus, and the Malecon, swiping with her clean hand while she ate with the other.

After the last picture, Katie licked her fingers clean and looked at Liv. “You rode the bus? Are you cray-cray?”

Liv laughed. “That’s what you have to say? It was fun. Focus, Katie. Do you think any of these are good enough for my blog?”

“Of course! Let’s set it up this afternoon. But first, it’s time for your second date with Don Julio.”

Right. Because the first date wasn’t painful enough. “Oh come on—”

But Katie leapt out of her seat and disappeared into the condo before she got another word out. She returned seconds later with a bottle of Don Julio and two shot glasses.

“Seriously?” Liv said. “You want me to buy a URL and design a blog in one afternoon. Drunk on tequila.”

“Sure.” Katie shrugged, and poured the shots. “When in Mexico, right?”

“Um—”

“Besides, if we just download all your photos and pick a name, Sebastian can get it all set up for you.” Katie waved her free hand, as if it were a done deal, and then raised her glass in a toast. “You don’t need to be sober for that.”

“Who?” Did Liv meet a Sebastian when she was drunk and not even remember? This was getting out of hand.

“Oh my gosh, keep up. I told you about him when you met Garrett at lunch.”

“You so did not.” Liv eyed her tequila. Maybe she needed to eat a lot more food before she did any drinking if she was forgetting whole conversations.

“Did too.”

“Did not.”

“Shut up.” Katie clinked her glass into Liv’s, which was still sitting on the table. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s just do it. Kay?”

Liv sighed. “Let’s start over. Who is Sebastian and what does any of this have to do with Garrett?”

“Sebastian is Garrett’s husband.”

“Straitlaced, dull, accountant Garrett?”

"He’s not dull once you get to know him,” Katie said. “He’s super nice. But yeah, that Garrett. Why?”

Liv eyed her tequila shot, still undecided. Finally, she picked it up and raised it to her lips. “Well, I wouldn’t have guessed he was gay, that’s all. Didn’t he say something about his wife liking to shop too much?” She took a tiny sip and remembered just how good this tequila tasted. Dangerously good. She took a bigger sip.

“I’m pretty sure he didn’t say wife. But Sebastian does love to shop. He’s very fashion forward.”

Liv giggled. Yeah, the tequila was definitely going to her head. Already.

8

Matt