Page 15 of The Surprise Wedding
“The way I see it, it’s more about what you do with those ideas,” Jason said. “I could shout mine from the rooftops, but I don’t think anyone could write them exactly the same way I would. So there’s nothing to worry about.”
Tamara wished it worked the same way in the world of coffee. There, everyone guarded their blends as carefully as they guarded their loved ones. Perhaps even more carefully, in some cases. They kept their secrets.
As Tamara listened, she thought that the people at Married in Malibu would do just about anything for any of their colleagues in every aspect of their lives, not just work. This surprise party said a lot about how committed they were to one another, going out of their way to do something special for the quietest member of their team.
“I’m kind of envious of you guys.” Tamara finally said. When she realized a few of them didn’t know what she meant, she added, “I’d love to have a bunch of people there for me like you are for one another.”
Liz laughed at that, and Tamara frowned a little. She couldn’t see why.
Liz said, “Tamara, we talk to you about business all the time—even the weddings we’re sworn to secrecy over. We spend as much time in your shop as we do in our own offices. From what Nate tells me, you’ve agreed to handle the coffee for this next wedding. You’re one of us.” She paused. “Whether you want to be or not, I’m afraid.”
“We don’t know what we’d do without you,” Meg agreed.
“Nate certainly doesn’t,” Travis said, then kept talking quickly as Amy gave him a look and punched his arm. “What? He drinks twice as much coffee as the rest of us.”
They all laughed then, a little relieved. Travis was right about Nate’s caffeine consumption.
Then Daniel declared it was time for a group photograph. He got them all into position, and somehow Tamara found herself in the center, even though it was Kate’s big day. Nate was nestled in beside her again, but this time they weren’t hiding behind the counter.
“Get a little closer together,” Daniel said. “Just push in there.”
Tamara found herself being pushed closer to Nate until there wasn’t a breath of space between them. Nate’s arm ended up wrapped around her waist. Finally, Daniel seemed satisfied.
“Everybody smile,” Daniel said, taking the first of what proved to be a whole series of pictures. It seemed to take forever, and Tamara was aware of every second that she was pressed close to Nate. Every hot, spine-tingling second.
And yet, at the moment Daniel said he’d got the snap and the group dispersed, Tamara remained beside Nate. She half turned to face him, and she couldn’t help thinking, once again, how easy it would be to kiss him and what that would be like. She knew how he would taste and how soft his lips would be. The memory of both those things was far too fresh in her mind.
“You two look more like a couple than all the couples in this room,” Kate said, floating past with another glass of wine. “Liz and Jason, Travis and Amy, Jenn and Daniel… You fit right in.”
That was enough to make Tamara jump back. But when she saw the look in his eyes, she wondered if he had been thinking the same thing. There was something there between them. Something that suggested he’d been hoping it might have gone the other way.
Chapter Seven
Nate did his best to enjoy the party. It was Kate’s birthday, and she was an important part of the team. He wasn’t going to bring down the vibe by letting anyone see the turmoil roiling around inside him.
After standing so close to Tamara for the photograph, it was impossible not to think about kissing her again, and for a moment, he was positive she felt the same way. He’d seen desire in her eyes and was certain that she was close to kissing him, and he’d stood there, expectantly, wanting nothing more than for her to close that gap.
And then Kate had made her comment about them looking like a couple. Tamara had instantly pulled back instead, and that had been that. The party continued, everyone enjoying themselves, and Nate found himself standing in the middle of the room all by himself. He noticed Tamara had made herself busy refilling drinks and making sure everyone had enough cake.
Being alone like that would have been difficult enough, but it was made worse by the presence of so many actual couples in the room. With Liz and Jason, Daniel and Jenn, and Travis and Amy, it was almost possible to believe that the world was a place where things did work out, and couples did stay together. It was certainly hard to ignore the possibility of love when everyone at Married in Malibu was so totally close and committed to one another. Nate saw Travis and Amy kiss for no reason beyond the fact that they loved each other. It was hard to ignore the idea that that could have been him and Tamara just a couple minutes ago.
Nate went to find a beer with the intention of keeping a bit of distance between himself and Tamara. He didn’t want to get caught being so close together again. He sought out Kate for a minute, who was standing by the window talking with Meg.
“So, Kate,” Meg said, “have you got any big plans for the year ahead?”
Kate shook her head with a smile. She had a faint glow that suggested she’d been putting away quite a bit of elderflower wine. Well, she could. It was her birthday, and Nate suspected no one else was going to drink it.
“I’m not sure,” Kate said. “I feel as though the biggest thing has already happened—getting to work at Married in Malibu with all of you and making such good friends for the first time. I love all of you.”
“We all love you too,” Meg assured her. Which was when Kate hugged her. Then, because Nate didn’t get out of the way quickly enough, she hugged him too. That, more than anything, confirmed to him just how much he felt for Tamara. Kate was a beautiful, kind, clever woman. She was his friend, and Nate was grateful for that. But right then, he felt nothing, whereas, if she had been Tamara, he would have been struggling not to let it become far more.
Kate seemed to realize what she was doing, because she stopped and said, “Oh, sorry, Nate. I didn’t mean anything by all this. I just…” She shot a worried glance over toward Tamara that Nate wasn’t sure he understood.
“It’s fine,” Meg said, shepherding Kate away. “Right, Nate?”
“Yes,” Nate said, “it’s all fine.”
Nothing was fine right then, but Kate and Meg didn’t need to know that.
