Page 4 of I’d Be Honored

She tried to hide a grimace. “And you know I wouldn’t miss it.”

Gemma’s eyes welled. “I feel like this is obvious, but… will you be my maid of honor?”

Hayley couldn’t hide her wince this time.

“Um,” she faltered as her heart rate quickened. Her mind raced, trying to imagine four months of wedding planning. Nausea rolled inside, but as she watched Gemma’s face start to fall, Hayley rushed to recover. “I’d be honored, Gem.”

And it was true. Gemma was like a sister to Hayley, and she would be proud to stand beside her. It was just everything else that made Hayley hesitate.

Gemma’s face brightened as she jumped up from her seat and embraced Hayley, squeezing hard.

“I’m telling you now,” Hayley warned before Gemma could pull back. “I will not deal with a bridezilla.”

Gemma laughed. “Me? I think we both know that’ll be Caitlin’s job.” She paused. “Which reminds me. Caitlin plans on asking Maddie to be her maid of honor, so you two will have to play nice.”

This wasn’t a shock, but Hayley closed her eyes to control her annoyance before responding. “I’ll be nothing but delightful.” Unlike Gemma, she wasn’t a very convincing actress.

Gemma shook her head. “What happened between you two after the Oscars, anyway? You’ve never told me.”

Hayley’s mind drifted back to the moment Maddie had walked out in a fiery red Hugo Boss suit, her lipstick the exact same shade.

“Nothing,” she said flatly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a lithe blonde and snapped a double-take as a sharp tightness gripped her chest.

Jesus, Hayley. It’s not her.

“Will you come over for dinner on Saturday?” Gemma asked, and Hayley was grateful for the change in subject. If her friend had noticed Hayley’s inner turmoil, she let it slide.

Hayley carefully set the porcelain coffee mug onto the table with a clink. “I may have plans.”

Gemma narrowed her eyes. “Well, do you?”

“Fine,” Hayley grunted. She didn’t have plans, but she didn’t want to admit that to Gemma. “I’ll be there, but don’t expect me to stay all night.”

“Dinner’s at seven.” Gemma winked, finishing the last sip of her coffee before rising from the table. She pecked Hayley’s cheek in a quick goodbye and vanished from the café.

HAYLEY HAD SPENT THE REST OF the week on the move, juggling client meetings in Manhattan and overseeing staging at the Brooklyn building to ensure it met her exacting standards.

After another long day, Hayley sat in the back of a yellow taxi, debating whether or not to bail on her dinner plans with Gemma and Caitlin. They were her best friends, and she knew she should go, but spending an evening as a third wheel sounded exhausting. Going home to a glass of wine or scotch in total solitude was far more appealing.

But for whatever reason, at a quarter after seven, she found herself knocking on Gemma’s front door.

“Hay, you made it!” Gemma pulled her inside, squeezing Hayley’s bicep as she reached up to peck her cheek. “I’m glad we didn’t get bumped for some big Saturday night plan,” she teased.

Hayley handed Gemma a bottle of her favorite red wine. Her father had taught her to never show up as a guest empty-handed. Even if she didn’t want to be there.

“We both know you would have hunted me down if I hadn’t shown,” she retorted.

Hayley followed Gemma into the dining room, where laughter mingled with the smell of fresh spices, melted butter, and rose petals—the latter coming from a Diptyque candle burning in the center of the table.

“Hey Hayley, glad you’re here.” Caitlin stepped forward and embraced her. “You remember Maddie, right?” She pointed across the table.

Fuck.

Hayley gave a shallow, noncommittal nod, her voice suddenly caught in her throat. She knew Caitlin had asked Maddie to be her maid of honor, but Gemma conveniently left out the part that Maddie would be there tonight.

She hadn’t seen Maddie since the night of the Academy Awards back in March, where they had inadvertently spent the evening together after Gemma and Caitlin had slipped away with their golden statues to celebrate privately.