Page 9 of Bridesmaid By Chance
Looking over these notes, I can’t see how impossible it will be to find someone. Perhaps?—
“Not to be presumptuous but someone like her,” Sheridan adds.
Like who?
I look up from where I’m making another note about dark hair when I see all eyes on me at the table. Because I’m very confused as to why people would be looking in my direction, I glance over my shoulder to see if there is anyone possibly standing behind me. When I come up short, a wave of anxiety washes over me as I bring my pen to my chest, pointing at myself and say, “Me?”
“Yes,” Sheridan says with a smile. “You actually would be perfect.”
“Oh, I?—”
“She’d love to,” Hudson says before I can even tell her I’m not quite sure what the Regency era really is.
Pardon me, sir?
“I…I what?” I ask.
Hudson nods his head. “Sloane would love to fill in for you.”
Errr…what?
Fill in?
Let me clear my ear because I could have sworn Hudson just said I would love to be a bridesmaid for this person I don’t know.
Umm, correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m not an unemployed, married, ballroom-dancing enthusiast with a penchant for sex clubs. I’m none of those actually. The only thing that I remotely check off the list is the dark hair, and that can’t possibly be a good enough qualification…right?
Chapter Two
HUDSON
Do you smell that?
The distinct scent of sweat and desperation?
Yeah, that’s emanating from me.
The moment I saw Sheridan and Archie walk through the doors of Magical Moments by Maggie, I knew I was going to say something stupid.
I felt it in my bones.
I’ve been rocked the last few weeks with the pressure of growing the company and proving to everyone that not only did my brother and I make a good decision to step away from our father, but we made a good, life-changing decision for the people who depend on us. And when I got wind of a possible buyout with the Wimbachs to expand our low-income housing globally, I knew it was an opportunity we couldn’t miss.
So seeing Archie and Sheridan in need of help, well, it prickled my ears.
I told myself to be cool, to not jump in with a solution to whatever problem they were facing. But do you remember that desperation I was talking about? Yeah, it grabbed me by the balls and started tugging, telling me I needed to leap in like a goddamn hero, arm extended into the air, ready to save the day. And before I could stop myself, I was offering up my assistant to Sheridan and Archie as a well-enthused Regency ballroom dancer without even blinking an eye.
Pretty sure I would have offered them my right nut if they’d asked for it—that’s how desperate I am to make an impression.
Did I consider how this might affect Sloane? Maggie? Or even Everly?
Not in the slightest.
Did I consider that she might not know anything about Regency ballroom dancing?
Nope.
Did I think to myself,Oh, Sloane has brown hair and could get the time off because I’m her boss, so she’ll do?
