Page 57 of Love in Fine Print
Even though Bailey was my best friend, I found I had things in common with all three of the Bliss sisters.
Birdie threw her hands up in the air. “I knew it! I knew it was a meet-cute! You had ameet-cute!”
When Billie and Bailey came over for dinner right after I met Ben, I’d tried to downplay the interaction we’d had. I didn’t want them to know anything about him being a matchmaker or how ridiculously attracted I was to him. But Birdie kept pushing the fact that the way we’d met was “rom-com gold” and something had to happen between us or we would anger the “rom-com gods.”
“Wait, you’re datingBen Whitaker?” Billie asked. “The NFL player?”
“No, I’m engaged to him.” It was semantics, but it was also the truth. “Why, do you know him?”
“No, but I listened to him on The Duel podcast. He was talking about the matchmaking business his grandmother left him.”
“Yeah, Ever After Matchmaking.”
“So you’ve been dating him this whole time and you didn’t tell me?” I could see the hurt in Bailey’s eyes.
“It just sort of happened. I didn’t think it was serious, until…until it was.”
“When did it get serious?” Bailey asked.
“Last night. That’s when he proposed.”
“And you said yes?” Bailey clarified.
I forced myself to smile as I nodded, even though I felt like I was going to throw up. I could sense that part of her reservation with this whole thing was that she couldn’t tell if I was happyor not. Bailey and I were very in tune with each other, and she always knew if anything was off with me.
“How did it happen? Where were you? What did he say?” Bailey followed up with rapid-fire questions.
I took a breath and set the scene for them. Me in my sweats and a face mask. Him showing up at my door with Chinese food and Dolly. The candles, the song, him getting on one knee, his grandma’s ring, the hummingbird ring box. As I relayed the story, I felt myself tearing up once again. By the time I got through reciting Ben’s proposal speech, I wasn’t the only one with tears falling down my cheeks. All three of the Bliss sisters were crying. Well, Bailey and Birdie were crying. Billie was misty-eyed, but for her that was some serious waterworks.
“Oh, my gosh! I’m so happy for you!” Bailey pulled me into a tight hug. “I can’t wait to start planning the wedding.”
“I’m glad because we’re getting married in two weeks.”
“Two weeks!” Birdie exclaimed and more pieces of pastry flew from her mouth.
Bailey pulled back and looked at me. “Two weeks? Why two weeks?”
“We just don’t want to wait. I want to spend the holidays as Ben’s wife.”
“Okay, then two weeks it is,” she said resolutely before gasping. “Wait, but that means you won’t be able to order your Lugazzo gown.”
I shrugged. “I’m sure you can find me something just as amazing.”
“Yes, I can.” She started tugging my arm toward the showroom.
“What, now? I thought you had an appointment.”
“Birdie’s taking it,” she explained.
“I am?” Birdie asked.
“You are,” Bailey confirmed then turned back to me and cupped my face with her hands. “We have two weeks to plan your dream wedding.Youare the only bride I have right now.”
I hugged her and felt myself getting emotional as a twinge of guilt niggled at my chest for playing the holiday card. Bailey knew the holidays were a tough time for me ever since my dad died and I knew that she would believe me if I told her that I wanted to spend the holidays as Ben’s wife. I wasn’t lying. It was the truth. I did want to be Ben’s wife for the holidays. Because if I wasn’t, there was no way I would make partner. And that was the end goal of all of this. I just really hoped if she ever found out she could forgive me, because if not, none of this would be worth it.
24
BEN
