Page 33 of The Do Over
"Of course not. What do you take me for? Pulling a little devious act to sit next to you? That would only make me desperate. Which, I assure you, I am not."
The smile on his face told Sophie otherwise. His actions from the previous night, his many attempts at flirting with her, and the one time he tried to kiss her while she thought they were genuinely getting to know each other provided a terrible case against him.
"Okay."
"So, what do you plan to do after the wedding? The groomsmen are planning a party tonight, and I hear the bridesmaids have agreed to attend. Will you come?"
"A party?" Sophie asked. Her peripheral vision caught Bethany walking from the back of the hall toward Jack's table. What was she about to do?
"Sophie?"
Jerry's question pulled her back, and she sighed. Jack was no longer her business, and she had to keep telling herself that she did not care if he made out with annoying Bethany in public.
"I didn't know there was going to be a party. I don't know if I can attend, though, since I have to handle the aftermath and then head back to Miami the day after tomorrow."
"You're leaving so soon?" Jerry looked disappointed. "Andrew is your brother, and your parents are here…I'd have thought that you'd want to spend some more time with them."
She would have considered it, but—
"My brother and his wife will be going on their honeymoon as soon as they are done for today. My parents will be going on a cruise in two days. There's nothing for me here."
He placed a hand over the one she had on the table, and Sophie's brows furrowed, but she did not look at him. She didn't want to see anything on his face that would make her pissed or pity him.
"Nothing? No one at all?"
She shook her head.
"No one. At all."
"Okay."
Jerry withdrew his hand, and she sighed in relief.
"I'll…I have to go and check on something. I'll be back soon."
Nodding, she watched him leave. Jerry was sort of a friend to her if she counted their conversation on the night that everyone assumed they had sex, but she wouldn't sleep with him. Or have feelings for him. Sadly, everything she wanted was with someone else.
•••
"Thank you so much for everything."
She let Emily pull her into a tight hug, even as she tried to hold back tears. The bride had already begun crying as soon as Sophie spotted her standing outside the hall, and when they hugged, teardrops were rolling down her face.
Sophie pulled back and dabbed Emily's face with her handkerchief.
"No," she shook her head, "thank you. Thank you for believing that I could do a good job. I'm usually terrible at planning, but you had enough faith that I could pull it off."
Emily chuckled and patted Sophie's cheek.
"Of course. You're one of the best people I know who have no idea what they are capable of. I mean, who dumps their job as a lawyer, is well on their way to making a partner, and follows their passion for being a nanny?
I should be the one telling you tothank you.I made you an event planner. But then again," she shrugged, smirking, "I'm a darn good judge of character."
"Yes, you are," Sophie happily agreed.
"There they are," Andrew said, walking to meet them. He grabbed Sophie and kissed her on the cheek. "You're the best. You're a lifesaver."
"Isn't she?" Emily was only too happy to concur.
