Riley
The next morning, I hadn’t even made it to my desk before the phone was ringing.
“Riley Smith’s desk,” I answered, a little out of breath.
“Good morning, Riley. Can you meet me in my office when you get a moment?”
I hadn’t heard from Rose since we’d left the caterer with Lily and her mother. I’d given her a status update, but that was before all the proverbial shit hit the Penelope fan.
“Absolutely, I’ll be right there.”
“Great.” The line went dead and I let out sigh.
I put my things away, grabbed my tablet for notes on the very slim chance I wasn’t getting canned, and then headed toward her office.
I caught Rachel’s gaze as I walked past the row of desks in the open workspace portion of the office, and she gave me a hesitant smile. Something was up, and if I wasn’t unemployed later, I would definitely need to figure out what had her forcing a smile at me. Jasper wasn’t at his desk yet, but I was sure if anyone knew what was going on, it would be him. Naturally.
Rose was behind her desk looking just as perfect as she always did. Not one hair out of place, makeup perfectly applied in a way that looked both natural and phenomenal at the same time. She gave me a professional smile as I pulled open the door, and I tried to return it, though I probably looked more like I was going to vomit because that was how I felt.
“Good morning, Riley.”
“Morning. Are you feeling better?” I asked as I took the seat across from her like I always did. For some strange reason, I always took the seat on my right, leaving the chair on the left open.
“I am, thank you for asking. I was gone both the days you were, recuperating, but I’m feeling much better now.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Let’s talk about how the trip went.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, trying to figure out what exactly she wanted to know. Rose had always been a straight shooter, very no-nonsense, so it was a little alarming that she would ask such a broad question. I needed her to be the old Rose in that moment. I just wanted her to rip the bad-news Band-Aid right off. “Well, Lily found a dress and it’s perfect for her theme and colors, and she looked stunning in it. Did she send you a photo? I have one on my phone if you want to see.”
“She did send me a photo, and I agree—it’s perfect.”
“Right.” I nodded, feeling like I was completely floundering. “Well, after the dress appointment, we moved on to catering, which was also a success. The chef had everything prepared and it was all incredible. Lily made some great choices and, again, stayed true to her vision for the reception. I’m confident we’re in line for a successful event.”
Rose didn’t respond for a moment, then said, “That’s great. Thank you again for covering for me. I wish I’d been well enough to go.”
“I totally understand. I thought it was a productive trip.”
“And I hear you found yourself a dress even?” she asked, her tone unreadable. She didn’t sound angry, but she didn’t sound like a girlfriend asking for details either.
My heart rate spiked and I immediately went into panic mode thinking about how difficult it would be to make a mortgage payment without an income. I had images flashing through my mind of myself with a headset on taking orders at a drive-thru, covered in grease every day and coming home smelling like fried food.
“Oh, um, well….” I couldn’t find any words. I was torn between apologizing and acting as though everything was fine. I truly didn’t feel as though I’d done anything wrong, but damn, I wanted to keep my job.
“Listen,” Rose started as she stood from her desk.
This is it. This is the moment I lose my job.
I’d never been fired before in my life. I didn’t want to do the walk of shame through the building with a box full of my personal belongings, escorted out by security. We didn’t actually have security, but that wasn’t the point.
“Penelope and I have been friends a long time,” Rose said as she walked around her desk and took the chair I’d left vacant, sitting right next to me. “No one understands better than I that she can be a little dramatic at times.”
Say nothing. It’s a trap!
“I also understand that you and Penelope have your own past, which complicates the situation further.”
I still remained silent.
“I think it’s best we just lay everything out in the open and get this over with.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Between you and me, Penelope is still trying to find herself. I love her and she’s so brave and smart, but she hasn’t found her niche yet. When Lily asked me to help her plan her wedding instead of leaning fully on Penny, well, I think that hurt her feelings. She was feeling a little useless and a lot sorry for herself, so she fabricated some drama. I’m sorry you found yourself in the middle of it.”
My moral fiber wouldn’t let me stay quiet any longer.
“She didn’t fabricate it though, Rose. I did find a wedding dress. But I want you to know that I was not using company time for personal business. I happened to see a dress, Lily noticed that I liked it, and the consultant put it on hold for me. I didn’t even try it on until after all my business with Lily was complete. I would never do something as unprofessional as try on a dress while assisting a client. Never.”
Rose smiled, and that time, it looked genuine and inviting.
“Riley,” she said with a laugh. “Of course you wouldn’t, and you have to know I already knew that about you.” She reached out and rested her hand on my forearm for a short moment, but I couldn’t deny that it helped ease the tension that had been building. “I knew without a doubt that Penny was having a moment and she needed somewhere to place her frustration. She’s my best friend, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see her faults. I knew you weren’t doing anything inappropriate.”
“Oh my gosh.” My breath rushed out of me, my hand coming to my chest. “I’m so glad to hear you say that. I thought for sure you had called me in here to fire me.”
“Fire you? What? No, you’re my best coordinator.”
Her praise was so welcome in that moment; it almost shocked me how badly I needed to hear her say those words.
“I just heard what she was telling you and it sounded terrible.”
“Yes, but it also sounded like someone who needed an ear. I wasn’t your boss when she called me, I was her best friend. And you should know that Penny called me back an hour later and apologized and told me the truth about everything that had happened.”
“I’m sorry. I should have been the one to tell you.”
“Don’t apologize, Riley. That’s my job today. You found yourself in a difficult situation and I think you handled it wonderfully. You were alone, on a job location, and dealing with personal issues that weren’t your own. I put you in that position by asking you to step in for me with my friends. This is one of the issues that arises when you mix friends and business. So if anyone’s at fault, it’s me. I hope you won’t hold it against me going forward.”
I had to keep my mouth from dropping open in shock at her words. “I have to admit, this is not the way I pictured this conversation going.”
“I’m sorry you were worried.”
“Okay, now you don’t have to apologize. I didn’t think I’d done anything wrong, aside from maybe having words with Penelope, but I definitely didn’t think you had any blame. So let’s just agree it was a tricky situation and move past it.”
Rose sagged with what looked like relief and then smiled again. “I’m happy you feel that way. Now,” she said as she reached for my forearm again, “can I see your dress? Lily said it was beautiful.”
Rose and I both knew from extensive personal experience that no bride who’d chosen a wedding dress walked around without a photo ready.
“Yes,” I said with excitement. I’d show that picture to a stranger on the street if I thought they might want to see it. I pulled up the photo gallery on my phone, found the one of the dress on the hanger, and turned the screen toward her.
“Oh, Riley,” she breathed. “It’s beautiful.”
“I know, right? I saw it and couldn’t look away.”
“I totally understand. And with your legs, it probably looks fantastic on.”
I swiped the screen to the left and a photo of me in the dress appeared.
“Yep, legs look great,” she said with a laugh. “Looks like you’ll be planning a summer wedding with that length.”
I shrugged. “Or we’ll get married somewhere warm.”
“Are you thinking of a destination wedding?” she asked excitedly.
It occurred to me that Rose and I had never just had a regular conversation like the one we were having then. Rose’s guard had dropped around me in the past couple of weeks, and I couldn’t help but notice that I liked Rose. A lot. She was a considerate and warm person when she dropped the icy glass walls she usually had around herself at all times.
Perhaps it was because I’d traveled with her and spent time with her and her friends, but she didn’t feel just like my boss anymore. She also felt like a friend.
“I was having a hard time planning the wedding, or even choosing a date, but once I put the dress on, all of a sudden the wedding can’t happen fast enough. So if we can’t make it happen this summer, we might just have to go somewhere warm.”
“Well, I hope it goes without saying, but if you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask or use Rachel or Jasper.” She reached out and that time her hand rested on my arm and she gave me her warmest smile yet. “You deserve the best wedding, Riley. I mean that. Anything I can do to help, it would be an honor.”
“Thank you,” I managed to squeak out, overwhelmed by her sudden, yet genuine, offer and support.
“Any time.” She took a breath and then stood, walking back to her desk. “I took a look at your schedule this week and you’re packed. Let me know if you need anything in terms of support or backup.” And just like that, Rose fell back into her boss role beautifully. Honestly, I was almost more comfortable with Boss Rose—she was more familiar to me.
“Ah, yes, busy days. Rachel is working with me on most of it though, so I should be okay.”
Rose nodded and then sat in her high-back chair. “She does great work.”
“Indeed. Thank you for everything, Rose.”
“Like I said, any time.”
I nodded and then made my way out the door, taking the hint that I was indeed being dismissed. I’d spent a good amount of time between Arizona and that morning worrying about what Rose would have to say regarding Penelope, and even in my most rational and reasonable imaginings, none of them ended with me walking out with praise from Rose, let alone an apology.
I headed to my office, sat down, and let out a high sigh, dropping my head into my hands. I spent a few moments just breathing, thanking my lucky stars that I still had the job I loved.
I was pulled from my breathing exercises when I heard a light knock on the door. I snapped my head up and saw Rachel in the doorway, hand paused from rapping on the doorjamb.
“Hey, welcome back,” she said hesitantly.
“Hi, come in,” I said, waving her in the room. “Do you have time to status right now?”
“I’m all yours.”
“Promises, promises,” I teased. “Hey,” I said a little louder than I meant, caught off guard by the thought that popped into my mind. “What happened between you and my brother over the weekend?”
I watched with interest as a blush crept over her cheeks.
“Not much at all,” she answered.
“That is clearly not enough information.” I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest. “Spill, woman.”
“We talked a little at your party, had a drink, and then he drove me home.”
“Did you exchange phone numbers?”
Her blush deepened to a dark red and her eyes widened, obviously not expecting me to ask her such specific and prying questions. I didn’t feel bad about it though; he was my baby brother, and I held rights to ask anything I wanted. And even though it took her a few moments to spit the words out, I knew the answer before she gave it to me.
“Yes.” She drew the word out, sounding like she was worried about what I was going to ask next.
“I love you, Rachel. And I love my brother. Just make sure he doesn’t jerk you around.”
“We just exchanged phone numbers, Riley. I haven’t even heard from him. It’s nothing.”
“Oh, it’s something. I saw the way he looked at you.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter how he looked at me if he never contacts me.”
The burn in her voice made me think she really wanted to hear from him and might have been a little hurt that she hadn’t. It almost made me think there was more to the story than just a ride home.
“He will,” I promised. I sort of also hoped he would. Even though I was protective of both my brother and Rachel, there was a big part of me that thought they’d make a great couple. “Okay, let’s talk about work. We’ve got the Gellerman event next weekend, so we’re focusing on tying up the loose ends and nailing down the final details. What’s on your schedule?”
Like I expected, Rachel switched into work mode effortlessly. “I’m meeting with the site coordinator today, actually, to do a final walk-through. Then early next week I planned a status with Mr. and Mrs. Gellerman to make sure we’ve got everything they need under control. I was hoping you’d join me for that meeting, but if not, I can definitely handle it on my own.” Rachel delivered her spiel all while staring down at her tablet, and I knew she was looking at her calendar.
We spent the next twenty minutes going over schedules and making notes about ideas that came to us or things we needed to check into.
“I feel good about where we are. Lots of work to do, but I think we’ve got it all covered.”
“Busy is good,” Rachel replied, then set her tablet on my desk. “How was Arizona?”
“It went all right. It was a little stressful going without Rose, but I managed.”
“I think it’s really cool that even though she couldn’t go, she still sent you. That speaks a lot about how much she trusts you.”
“Aw, geez, Rach, stop.”
She shrugged. “Just saying.”
“Okay, well, thank you, but believe me, having Rose trust me is both wonderful and stressful.”
Rachel laughed. “Oh, I believe that.”
“I’m going to catch up on some emails and get to work on this proposal that’s due tomorrow.”
“Okay, I’ll keep you posted on anything interesting that pops up.”
“Great.”
I smiled as she left, thankful to have her on my team and grateful to have a job still at all.
Hours later, I’d only left my desk twice—once for coffee and once for the restroom. Lunch had come and gone, but my butt had not left the chair for food and my stomach was angry at me for it. I opened the bottom drawer of my desk, sifting through the random items I’d accumulated since moving into the office months before: tampons, hair clips, ChapStick, vitamins I never remembered to take, a random cardigan sweater, a phone charger, a travel-sized deodorant, a small hairbrush, a travel coffee mug, a few takeout menus, and what I was looking for—a small box of granola bars. I peeled off the wrapper and took a bite, my stomach growling the entire time I chewed.
Murphy’s Law dictated that the first moment I put food in my mouth that day, the phone would ring. I chewed quickly and then swallowed way before I would’ve liked, then picked up the phone.
“Riley Smith’s office, Riley speaking.”
“Hey, bitch.”
I relaxed at Hadley’s preferred greeting.
“Hey, whore.”
“Oh, I love it when you talk dirty to me.”
“I know. What’s up?”
“Calling to see if you want to go shopping with me after work. I need new jeans and I need my official butt judge with me to take in the view from the back.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “What kind of best friend would I be if I didn’t tell you how good your ass looked in denim?”
“The worst kind.”
Again, I laughed.
“I’m swamped today, but I could probably get out of here by six.” My stomach rumbled again. “But can we eat first?”
“Dinner and shopping? Sounds like the perfect date.”
At her comment, I thought about probing about Justin, but the other line started ringing so I made a mental note to ask her about it over dinner. Or jeans. One or the other.
“Gotta go, Had. Phone’s a-ringing.”
“Okay, text me where you want to meet. See ya later.”
I hung up with a smile, excited to see my best friend after a crazy couple of days.
“What about these?” Hadley turned and bent at the waist, showing me her ass.
“Hmmm,” I said while formulating my answer. “Those look like a little too much junk in the trunk.”
“In a bad way?” she asked, genuinely perplexed.
“Yeah. Less junk, please.” I laughed.
“I didn’t realize too much junk was possible,” she said as she stood straight. She turned and then considered her own backside in the mirror. “Do you think it’s the pockets?”
“I think it’s your ass.”
“Hey,” she whined.
“It’s not a bad thing. You just need a pair of jeans that properly cover all that glorious booty. Maybe something with a higher waist.”
“Oh, good idea. I have a pair of those in here somewhere.”
Of course she did. Hadley was a serious and experienced shopper. I knew my role when she invited me along for this journey—I was expected to offer my opinion, but only really when asked. I knew from experience that if I tried to pick anything out for her, it would be denied. Not because Hadley was some sort of fashion snob, but because I could never quite nail down her ever-changing style. And even though I wasn’t quite capable of picking pieces for her, apparently I was qualified to give feedback, which she always considered even if she didn’t always agree. And it was a job I was happy to do.
The funny part was, on the flipside, Hadley was always great at picking pieces out for me. But that could be because my style hadn’t really evolved much since I met her. I went a little more business professional after we graduated from high school, but my casual wear had always been comfortable and flirty. I wasn’t hard to nail down, apparently.
“Did you show Camden the dress?” she asked from behind her closed dressing room door.
“No. That’s bad luck. Everyone knows that.”
“I just figured you weren’t going the traditional route.”
“Just because we met in a strange circumstance and then fell hard and fast into a very serious relationship doesn’t mean we’re untraditional, and it also doesn’t mean I’m going to tempt fate by breaking all the rules.”
“Well, he’s going to love it when he sees it.”
My pulse picked up speed at the thought.
“I cannot wait to see his face,” I said with a dreamy smile.
“How about these?” she said as she opened the door with flair, then strutted past me in a new pair of jeans.
I watched as her ass sailed by, part of me jealous of all the gifts bestowed upon her back end. Then the other, more rational part of me chimed in and I was reminded that shopping for jeans was never this difficult for me.
“I think those look much better. Your trunk is now full of sexy things, not junk.”
“These do look better,” she said contemplatively.
“What does Justin think about your ass?” Sometimes it was better to try to catch Hadley off guard.
“He likes it just as much as any other man I’ve let fondle it.”
Even though it wasn’t close to what I thought to be the full story of what happened between them, I was shocked she admitted even that much.
“So you let him fondle your ass? Did he get to fondle anything else?”
Hadley and I both turned our heads when we heard a harrumph come from another dressing room. The door flew open and an older woman who looked to be about my grandmother’s age did her best to stomp toward the exit. The scathing looks she sent both Hadley and me clued us in to the fact that she wasn’t impressed with our choice of conversation topic.
The door banged closed with a loud thump, and when my gaze met with Hadley’s we both lost our composure to a fit of laughter.
“Oh my God,” Hadley said with tears streaming down her face as she bent at the waist. “That granny definitely needs to have her junk fondled.”
I laughed so hard I fell over and had to lie down on the bench, my arms wrapped around my belly that ached from laughing too much.
Neither of us was concerned about whether there was anyone else in the dressing room, letting the laughter take us away.
“Oh my word,” Hadley finally said, wiping the tears from her face. “That was, by far, the best part of my whole week.”
“The granny or the laughter?” I couldn’t say it without initiating another small gigglefest.
“All of it.” She collapsed on the bench next to me, both of us trying to calm our breathing. “I miss us. We used to laugh like this all the time.”
“I know.” It was always strange when the really happy moments in your life also made you sad. The emotional roller coaster was real and Hadley and I were in the first car, just about to go over the first drop.
“Why’d you have to go and fall in love with that fantastic man who treats you so well and worships the ground you walk on?” Even though Hadley was trying to make her words sound like a joke, I knew she was serious.
“I’m sorry,” I said, leaning my head over against her shoulder.
“No, you’re not.”
“Well, I’m not sorry I met Camden, but I am sorry you’re feeling neglected.”
“It’s not even neglect. I don’t expect you to be single with me forever. It’s just kind of alarming watching your best friend fall madly in love. Kind of makes you realize how far apart you are in terms of life goals.”
“Hey, just because you’re single and I’m getting married doesn’t mean you aren’t still my very best friend. Nothing changes for me when Camden’s around. You know that. If anything, now we have a manservant to bring us drinks and paint our toes.”
Hadley laughed again, which was exactly what I was going for.
“He would too.”
“I know.” I shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. “He loves me.”
“I love you too, ya know. He might get to be your husband, but I get to be your oldest and best friend for life.”
“Aw, Hads. I love you too.” I wrapped my arms around her and tried not to laugh when she let out an incredibly undignified sniffle. She may have even wiped her nose on my shirt, but I didn’t bring it up. “You’ll find it too, one day. You know that, right?”
Hadley stiffened in my arms.
“One day someone’s going to come along and just blow every other man you’ve ever been with out of the water. He’s going to love you for the smartass I know you to be, and he’s going to go to the ends of the Earth to make you fall in love with him.”
“Well, let’s not hold our breath, shall we?”
I laughed. “Okay.”
Hadley pulled away, wiping away more tears, then squared her shoulders and pushed her chin up.
“So, these jeans are good, yeah?” She stood and examined herself in the mirror.
“Yeah. Exactly the right amount of junk.”
Hadley’s gaze met mine in the mirror and she gave me the smile I knew so well.
I knew she’d be okay.
And so would we, because I wasn’t willing to allow any other outcome.
Hadley purchased her ass-complimenting jeans and we proceeded to walk through the department store, browsing and stopping to look at anything that caught our eye.
We passed the lingerie section and Hadley’s eyes lit up, making me laugh.
“Have you gotten anything to wear under your wedding dress yet?” she asked, eyes wide.
“No. I haven’t really had a chance. There’s no rush though.”
“Oh come on. Let’s look. I didn’t get to be there when you tried the dress on, so this is the next best thing. Oh, and shoes! Come on, please?”
“Sure,” I conceded. I would need lingerie and shoes.
After I told her my size, she dragged me farther into the section, fingering lacy bras and silky panties.
“So, what kind of lingerie do you imagine yourself in?” she asked, paying very close attention to the black leather bralette in her hand.
“Uh, nothing like that.” I laughed.
“Obviously. This is for me.”
“Of course.”
“So, what do you want? Soft and flirty? Super-hot and sexy? Functional?” She stuck a finger in her mouth and made a gagging noise after the last suggestion.
“I think maybe a combination of all three would be best, right? I don’t want to be dressed like a sex kitten under my dress, but I definitely want it to be sexy. And it has to hold the girls up or else what’s the point?”
She considered my words for a moment, then said, “So let’s find a sexy corset top with matching panties. Maybe crotchless.”
I had to laugh.
“I don’t think they sell crotchless panties at the department store, Had. I think you have to go to a specialty store for that.”
“You’re probably right. We’ll find something that works here, and then I’ll see if I can’t locate some crotchless panties for you before the big day.”
“Aw, what a good maid of honor you are.”
Hadley, who had been thumbing through racks of merchandise, halted and turned back to look at me.
“I’m your maid of honor?” Her eyes were wide, her voice so soft.
“Of course you’re my maid of honor. Aren’t you? I mean, you will be, right?”
And then the tears started again and Hadley and I were crying in the middle of the lingerie section of the department store.
“Are you premenstrual?” she asked as she hugged me, both of us sniffling.
“No, are you?” I said through a little laugh.
“Maybe,” she admitted.
We pulled away and were, again, wiping our eyes. “So, is that a yes?”
“Absolutely.”
My only response was a smile.