Page 47 of Bridesmaid Undercover
“Oh?” I ask. “Are you looking to date?”
“Not really, but you know how friends are when they’re in love: They want you to be in love too.”
“Oh, I know exactly what you mean,” I say. “My boss, Maggie, has recently fallen in love and she’s all about trying to hook meup with someone. Apparently, there’s a brother of a groom from a wedding she just did who she wants me to meet.”
“Is he your type?”
“No idea.” I sigh. “But you know how friends are— they think they know what you want when in reality, they couldn’t be more wrong.” Orsistersfor that matter…
Freaking Tomothy.
“I had that happen,” Maple says as she brings her legs up and sits cross-legged on her chair. “A friend back in Denver tried to hook me up with her boyfriend’s friend. Turned out this guy was obsessed with collecting napkins his dates used, and that tipped me over the edge.”
“Oh my God.” I cringe. “I just had a date like that the other night with a guy named Tomothy that my sister set up. It was so terrible.” I lean in and whisper, “He said the vagina was too complicated for him.”
“Oof, that’s a big no.”
We chuckle and it’s such a sweet sound, the perfect little laugh that anyone could fall in love with. In all honesty, I can see why Hardy wants to try to get back together with Maple. She’s so…easy to talk to and soft-spoken, but she also doesn’t shy away from conversation. She seems like she’d be able to soothe the animals she works with using just her voice. Not to mention, her smile, her laugh, her freaking gorgeous eyes…
Yup, I don’t stand a chance.
Why on earth would Hardy even look my way when he has someone like Maple right in front of him, especially given their history?
He wouldn’t.
“Well, I guess we should probably talk about Polly and the wedding,” Maple says.
“We should, yes,” I reply as I flip open my notebook, ready to take notes.
“I first want to say,” she starts, “that I’m embarrassed that I have to ask for help, but I’m not going to let my pride hold me back. I’m just not good at this, and since there are no other bridesmaids and the moms are busy planning the wedding, I feel much better that you offer this service.”
“Of course,” I say. “It’s my absolute pleasure. I love doing this kind of stuff. I love weddings, and I want you and Polly to have the best time. I think sometimes, as we move through the process of a wedding, we forget that it isn’t just about the bride and the groom—well, it mainly is—but it’s also about those last moments you have with your friends before you’re married, or those last moments with your family, and I think those moments should be cherished. Bridal showers and bachelorette parties offer us the opportunities to almost have that last hurrah before everything changes…if that makes sense.”
“You know, I never looked at it that way,” Maple says. “You’re completely right.”
“And that’s why I’m here, to make sure you enjoy these planning weeks with Polly but also give her a beautiful party celebrating her and Ken.”
Maple smiles. “I can see why Polly was excited about hiring you. You put me at ease right away.”
“Just doing my job,” I say with a wink. “Now, would you like to discuss the bridal shower?”
“I’d love to. I don’t really have any ideas. If I was left to my own devices, I would probably have a flamingo-themed party and leave it at that.”
I chuckle. “I’m not opposed to that idea, but I think flamingo themes can get cheesy very quickly. We could do classy flamingo. So we can pull colors from the bird like pinks and salmons, add in some tropical plants with monstera and palm leaves. Perhaps sprinkle in a touch of gold here and there. There’s a curtain of bamboo we can rent. Let me pull up a picture.” I tap away on myiPad and bring it up. Maple smiles at the picture. “We can rent a few of these at a cheaper cost and use them as the backdrop for central picture-taking locations, the food table, and gift area. We also have these beautiful woven wicker chairs that might be fun for the bride and groom to sit in?—”
“Bride and groom?” Maple asks.
“Oh yes, did Polly not tell you? They want a joint party.”
“Hmm, she didn’t,” Maple says, worrying her lip. “Does that mean the best man will be there?”
I catch the way she asks with a wince, as if she’s afraid of my answer. Hell, I know exactly what’s going on in her mind right now:
Please say no.
Please say no.
Unfortunately for Maple…
