A day later, I lifted my head when I heard a knock on the door. Before I could invite her in, Josephine pushed it open and practically skipped to my desk. Almost as an afterthought, she placed a cup of coffee on the only clear spot available then put her hands behind her back. She looked pleased with herself, cheeks rounded with all the damn grinning.

Silently she waited for me to react. I sighed and saved the spreadsheet I’d been working on all morning.

“Are you going to stand there all day? What is it?”

“Ask me,” she said.

“Ask you what?”

“Ask me if I found you a date?”

“Well if you haven’t, whatever this is isn’t going to do you any favors.”

“Ask me.”

“Fine. Did you find me a suitable bridesmaid for Saturday?”

Jo beamed, nodding. “Oh, I did. And she’s perfect.”

There was something about her smug demeanor that rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t like how easily the task had been for her, and I could only assume there had to be a reason for that. A catch that I couldn’t see coming.

“And will she fit the dress?”

“Almost certainly.”

A weight lifted off my shoulders. I’d be able to call Gerard and let him know the good news, that I wouldn’t be ruining his bride’s wedding after all. But the look of glee on Jo’s face hadn’t diminished. I’d never seen her so happy in all the months she’d worked here.

“You seem confident. Wait, you were supposed to bring me options so I could choose.”

“Like you said you don’t have time to peruse the meat market, Sebastian,” she said with a roll of her eyes, “and I’m certainly no fairy godmother. You get what you’re given. I made an executive decision, and she’s the one.”

“Does this perfect bridesmaid have a name?”

“Anna,” Jo said nodding, and began to backpedal toward the door. “Come see for yourself.”

“She’s here?”

“Of course not. At least not yet. I have her details up on my screen. I think you’ll like what you see.”

I swiveled in the ergonomic chair and rose, following her out to her desk that sat a few feet from my office. Jo stood next to her empty chair, arm outstretched, inviting me to sit. Jo was never this nice… but maybe people could change. Or she really wanted that double bonus I’d dangled in front of her.

I lowered myself and grasped the arms then leaned forward. Jo nudged the mouse and the screensaver dissolved to reveal a browser page. Immediately my eyes went to the photograph that took up the majority of the page. A headshot of Anna.

Layers of bright blonde hair framed graceful features then cascaded down her shoulders. But what struck me was the vulnerability that tinted her hazel-green eyes. Eyes the shade of autumn leaves and new spring shoots. This innocence was backed up by the cautious smile she gave the camera as if she wasn’t quite sure of herself. She looked nervous. First time on a dating site, I presumed.

“Nice, huh?” Jo asked.

“She’ll do,” I replied, about to leave the chair. There was no advantage in letting Jo know she’d done a good job. She’d only rub it in my face. But a deal was a deal, I’d bury the damning evidence of her ruining one of the biggest deals this company had ever seen, and give her a healthy bonus to boot. But, I couldn’t quite make myself pull away from the screen. Anna was stunning. Even through the digital medium she managed to captivate me. This was a woman I wouldn’t mind getting to know.

“So, where did you find her? A dating site?”

“You could say that.” There was that twinkle in Jo’s eye again. She wasn’t telling me everything.

“Jo,” I said my tone low, “her picture is nice and all, but are you sure it’s not a fake?”

“I’m sure. I did my due diligence.”

“Okay, good. I just want to make sure. It’s crucial this works out.”

Jo gave a little shrug. She wouldn’t lie to me would she? I could never tell with her.

“So have you set up a date when we can meet? Or if you give me her phone number, I can do the honors.”

“Anna arrives tomorrow.”

“Arrives?” I glanced up at Jo, eyebrows raised.

Her smile was full now, if it was even possible, and she slowly bobbed her head. “Yes, tomorrow morning at five. At the airport.”

“Wait, she’s not local?” I paused and looked from the screen to Jo, dread settling in. “What did you do?”

“Nothing… Just what you asked. I got you a date for a wedding.”

Ignoring her I tapped the mouse again to get rid of the screensaver that had appeared and studied the webpage more closely. I’d been so mesmerized by Anna’s features that I hadn’t bothered to take notice of much else. I scrolled the mouse wheel. The top of the page came into view, a pink banner that had been hidden only moments before.

Holy fuck.

I read the name of the site. Then did so again, not believing my eyes. I was reading it wrong was all. But each subsequent reread came up with the same result: I was screwed.

I shot to my feet. “You ordered me a Russian mail-order bride?”

Jo covered her mouth, muffling the giggles.

“Please tell me this is a practical joke.” I shook my head.

She barked a laugh this time, hearty from down deep, then slapped her thigh. I smiled with her, and let out a long breath.

“Jesus Christ, Jo. That’s not funny. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

But then her laughs became louder, squeakier. At one point I thought she was in danger of never stopping. There were tears in her eyes, and she waved her hands at her face, trying to dry them away. She breathed hard and doubled over holding her middle.

“Oh my god,” she said between large gulps of air. “You’re such an idiot.”

I could feel the blood from my face drain away, like water down a plughole. It seemed to settle in my stomach, pooling there. “Jo?” I growled. “Tell me this isn’t real. Tell me you didn’t…”

“No joke,” Jo gasped. “Consider this payback for everyone woman you’ve wronged. Including my sister. Sebastian, your bride arrives in the morning. Flight bought and paid for with your own credit card.” She produced the rectangular bit of plastic, my company expense account, and I snatched it out of her hand then pushed her toward the chair.

“Fix this right now, Jo. Cancel the flight, tell whoever that is, that you made a big mistake and whatever deal you made is off. Stop the charges on the card. Do something.”

Jo stared up at me, no longer laughing. I could feel the anger inside me rising. How dare she do this?

“What are you waiting for?” I gestured toward the site, the pink mail-order brides banner for International Love Match, blinking accusingly. “Fix it.”

Jo shook her head and laid her hands on her lap. “I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”

“Why not?”

“Her connecting flight from Frankfurt should already be in the air.”

---

“Have you found someone yet?” Ger asked.

“What?” I replied and took him off the speakerphone. Working late, I was back in my office with the door firmly shut, trying to figure a way out of the mess into which Jo had gotten me.

I had a good mind to fire her on the spot, the words almost left my mouth too, but then I’d be stuck dealing with this shit by myself.

“How’s the search going for the seventh bridesmaid?” he elaborated. He punctuated his question with a sharp sigh. He probably thought I’d forgot all about it. Which was furthest from the truth right now.

“It’s going.”

“You still haven’t found anyone? Jesus, Baz. I ask you to do one thing. Rochelle thinks everything is under control. She doesn’t even know you and Sarah split. Argh, this is a nightmare.”

“That’s a change, seems like everyone around here knows all my business. Anyway, stop worrying, all right?” I said and turned to study the night sky. Stars dotted the inky heavens above and for a second I wished that everything would work out okay. The last thing I wanted to do was let Ger down. For as long as I could remember he’d been there for me, so had his mom, through thick and thin.

“But I do worry.”

I also didn’t want to lie to him, but it was more of a white lie; he didn’t know the details. I couldn’t burden him with the mess in which I’d managed to get myself. Not at a time like this when he was already under so much pressure.

“Relax. I found someone. She’s perfect, will fit the dress, and won’t make your wedding photographs an eyesore, okay?”

“You have? Really? You’re not just shitting me?”

I swallowed. I couldn’t remember if I’d ever lied to my best friend, but it was the worst feeling in the world. My stomach twisted. I needed a drink. Maybe after a few years, when Rochelle and Ger had been married and doubled their number with a couple of rug rats, I could tell them the truth. I could see it now, the couple hosting a dinner party, an anniversary maybe, me spilling my guts, and everyone around the large table laughing about the situation. It would become a little anecdote they could tell their friends, something ridiculous that had made their wedding stand out from the norm.

“I have. Her name is Anna.”

“Huh. An ex?”

I laughed. “Not likely. I think all my exes have blocked my number after Sarah’s smear campaign.”

“I wouldn’t blame them,” Ger said with a laugh. I could already hear the worry in his previously tight tone, drain away. “I don’t even understand how Sarah stayed with you for as long as she did.”

“Hey! You’re supposed to be on my side, remember?”

“Yeah but you have to admit, you’re a nightmare to live with.”

“She didn’t move in though.”

“Not likely because you only asked her after you got caught hooking up with someone else.”

“How many times do I have to say we were in an open relationship? Besides, you can talk. You weren’t exactly a barrel of laughs at college, what with that blasted saxophone you strangled on a daily basis. Has Rochelle had it melted down yet?”

“She wouldn’t dare… She actually likes my musical abilities. Knows talent when she hears it.”

“Ah, so she’s tone deaf then?”

“Shut up,” Ger said with a laugh. “Baz, I’m glad you got a date for the wedding sorted. I appreciate it. You don’t know how much it means to me, and Rochelle of course. But not a word of this to her, you hear? She doesn’t need to know.”

“No worries,” I said, guilt rising up my throat. “Piece of cake, really. You know how the ladies love me.”

“And here I thought you’d worked your way through all the women in the city… they don’t call you Baz-night-stand for any old reason. Anyway, Rochelle will probably put me on delivery-boy duty sometime this week, so I’ll let you know when I have the dress for the mysterious Anna.”

“Sounds good,” I replied, already trying to figure out the logistics, how I would keep him away. It wouldn’t do for him to find my life-size mail-order bride, who probably couldn’t speak a word of English, in my apartment. God she would have to stay with me, I realized all of a sudden. Where else would she go? Unless I put her up in a hotel. I groaned. How could I do that to someone new to the country, who was probably already scared out of her wits? I couldn’t just abandon her. But how was I supposed to look after someone when I could barely keep a houseplant alive, never mind live with a stranger too?

“Still there, Baz?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “Just a lot on my mind, but I better go, I have an unexpected delivery to deal with.”

“Anything good? A present for the wedding perhaps?” Ger asked.

I stifled a groan. A present, I hadn’t even thought of that yet. I was a real shit. I added it the ever-increasing pile of crap I had to deal with. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

We said our goodbyes and I ended the call.

Fuck, I groaned as I let my head droop forward, banging it on the desk multiple times, drumming out a desperate beat with my forehead.

Maybe it would all work out okay, I tried to tell myself. I could convince this Anna that it was all a misunderstanding but spin it in her favor. Let her have a little holiday—all expenses paid—in the great USA, have her attend the wedding, then send her back where she’d come from. Surely she’d agree to that? Maybe grease the wheels with some extra money?

“I’m off, anything you need before I go?” I heard Jo ask from the doorway.

“A new assistant?” I muttered without lifting my head.

“Funny. Afraid you’re stuck with me, unless you prefer that I tell Uncle Frank what you’ve been using your expense account for.” She tutted. “Ordering women online, I’m sure that would be a firing offense if anyone found out. Two can play the bribe game.”

“Get out!”

She reeled on her heels, but a smirk was still on her face as she turned to leave.

“Wait!” I growled. Shaking my head, not believing this was happening and remembering that in a few short hours I was due at the airport to pick up my bride. “What’s the flight number again?”