Page 96 of Sleeping with the Frenemy
Right. Sofi still had a wedding to pull off in a week. But after that, she’d figure out how to make sure Leo knew that this time, she was ready.
25
Sofi swiped a thin coat of clear gloss over Kamilah’s pinkish-nude lipstick to complete the shimmery makeup look she’d spent the better part of the morning working on. The look was perfect for Kamilah, natural enough that she still totally looked like herself, but with an extra glitter and glow to match the aura she was practically blinding them all with.
“I must say, sometimes I surprise myself with how good I am.” Sofi placed the gloss back on the table. “Take a look.”
But Kamilah didn’t turn around. Instead, she stared up at Sofi, her face serious. “I’m so glad you’re here.” Her light brown eyes began to sparkle with unshed tears. “I tried to imagine this day without you, but I couldn’t.”
Sofi would be lying if she said that she hadn’t also struggled with the idea of missing Kamilah’s wedding. It hurt her soul to think that she’d almost let her stubborn pride cause her to miss out on sharing this moment with her best friend. But now was not the time to talk about that. They had too much to do, so Sofi bit the inside of her lip and forcefully pushed back her own rising emotions. “Don’t you start.” She pointed a finger in Kamilah’s face to prove just how serious she was. “That makeup has to make it through an entire day, so lock that shit down.”
Beside them, Lucy laughed. “Only you would tell a bride that she’s not allowed to cry on her wedding day.” She fiddled with the tie at the waist of her gold sequin off-the-shoulder jumpsuit.
“Fine. Lock it down until after pictures,” Sofi conceded, but she couldn’t just leave it at that. She grabbed Kamilah’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Ride or die,” she mumbled before spinning away.
The last week, working on Kamilah’s wedding almost nonstop, had given Sofi clarity about herself and her relationship with Kamilah. Sofi thrived in chaos. It was a bit of a shock to her since she loved plans, organization, and peace. But taking something chaotic and systematically breaking down then rebuilding it into something beautiful was rewarding in a way she hadn’t realized it would be, and the fact that this was for her best friend’s wedding only made it that much more fun. She’d been like a kid in a candy store putting out fires as they emerged, creating crises plans for when she was busy doing her MOH duties, and shuffling all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle into place. She’d gone all in and, despite the pressure, she’d felt better than she had in years. As for Kamilah, Sofi had seen her in a different light. At peace and simply grateful for whatever came her way, rather than trying to manage the emotions of everyone around her. It was refreshing to see and made Sofi more hopeful for their friendship’s future.
The rest of the morning passed in a haze of laughter and pink lemonade mimosas as Sofi and the other four bridesmaids got ready. There was one brief touch-up needed to everyone’s makeup after Valeria arrived and helped Kamilah put on her dress—a gorgeous cream-colored, mermaid style with an off-the-shoulder beaded bodice, softly sparkling lacelike embellishments that went from the draped sleeves through the long tulle train, and a sassy V-back that led to a row of tiny buttons.
None of them had been able to stop the waterworks after Valeria saw her only daughter completely ready for her wedding. Of course, Valeria was Valeria, so she had to throw in one comment about how she wished Kamilah had straightened her hair instead of wearing her long curls in a deep part with a golden floral comb holding back one side. However, Kamilah had only sighed happily and informed her mother that Liam had demanded her curls.
That became obvious to everyone as soon as they arrived at the distillery, the first location for their pictures, and Liam immediately pulled Kamilah into a tight embrace and buried his face in her hair. He pulled back and was clearly about to kiss her when Sofi jumped in.
“Hold up, lover boy! No kissing until after pictures!”
Liam drew back and shot her a glare.
“Speaking of pictures,” Alex interjected. “Aren’t we supposed to take these after the ceremony? Isn’t it bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?”
“It’s not bad luck when the photographer is costing me an arm and a leg and your cousin wants pictures taken of every single minute,” Liam said.
Kamilah smacked his arm. “The whole point of taking pictures before the ceremony is so that we aren’t rushing to get everything done in a one-hour block between the ceremony and the reception.”
“But the reception is here, so why did we need to get here at the ass crack of dawn,” Lucy asked with a yawn.
“It’s almost eleven,” Sofi pointed out.
“We needed to get the pictures in here done early so that Sofi’s team can get in here to set up and decorate during the ceremony,” Kamilah added.
Liam looked confused. “Set up in here? I thought everything was happening in the tent outside.”
“Don’t you listen?” his best man, Ben, asked. “The stage and dance floor are going to be in the tent and the dinner in here.” He shook his head and turned to Kamilah. “It’s not too late for you to dump this clown and marry me instead. We’re both already dressed.”
Kamilah laughed while Liam rolled his eyes and muttered a half-hearted “fuck off.”
Deciding to get this show on the road before things resolved into absolute chaos, as was apt to happen whenever more than a few Vegas were around, Sofi handed Kamilah her huge bouquet of flowers in various pinks, peaches, and creams with sprigs of greenery and berries. “Let’s get started,” she said to the photographer who immediately took charge.
They took pictures all over Humboldt Park before finally making their way to the wedding church where they stopped for more photos on the carefully cultivated grounds.
Sofi was standing back watching the photographer position Kamilah’s train just when she suddenly felt a tingle down her spine. She turned her head already knowing who she’d see staring back at her. This had been happening on and off all morning.
Leo stood a few feet away. Next to him Saint was listening intently to something Alex was telling them, but Leo wasn’t listening to them at all. Instead his gaze tracked up Sofi’s body from the tips of her stilettos to her leg, which peeked through the slit in her strapless fuchsia sequin dress, and up past her hips and breasts to her face. His tongue peeked out as he licked his bottom lip while his eyes blazed hungrily.
Everything in Sofi threatened to melt like an ice cube on hot pavement, but just like she had demanded of Kamilah earlier, she firmly locked that shit down. She was the wedding planner and she had a job to do. However, the fact that he couldn’t take his eyes off her gave her hope that they’d be able to work everything out.
Hours later, after a few hiccups Sofi had rushed to solve before the bride or groom even heard about them, Kamilah and Liam were finally married. Dinner had been served, the cake had been cut, and the video of everyone’s well-wishes that Sofi had gathered over the last few weeks played. Of course, it had ended with Killian’s clip and there had been no dry eyes in the entire place. Even stoic Saint had been wiping at his eyes when digital Killian said, “I don’t worry about having to keep your arses in check, because you two were made for one another. After all, you can’t spell Kamilah without Liam,” in his rusty Irish brogue.
It was true. They completed each other in a way that Sofi found both beautiful and terrifying. To give someone that much power, so much that you weren’t even whole without the other person, that was insanity to her.
