“I didn’t mean it to sound that way,” I say. “But wouldn’t you rather ask one of your friends? Let’s be honest. We’re not exactly close, Olivia.”
That’s putting it mildly. Over the years, interactions between us have reached “Trump at a NATO meeting” tension levels.
Olivia picks up her water glass and takes a sip before answering.
“Friends come and go,” she says mildly. “I’m not really close to anyone right now, especially since I moved to LA.”
I struggle to come up with the name of one of her female friends. She’s always been more of a boyfriend kind of person. Surely, there has to be someone who would love being in the spotlight as her maid of honor.
“What about what’s her name? The girl you met in acting school.”
She twists her engagement ring. “Tori and I don’t really talk anymore.”
“Why not?”
Olivia hesitates, and I already have an idea of what the answer will be.
“I hooked up with her ex before I moved to Cali. They’d been broken up for a full year, but she was still pissed about it.”
Some things never change. Any sense of pity I had for her dissolves when I’m reminded of her disloyalty.
“So you want me to be your maid of honor because you don’t have anyone else. Is that it?”
“What am I supposed to do?” Her eyes fill with tears, as if on cue. They must teach that in acting school. “Bodhi has, like, one million friends. When we first started planning the wedding, he was debating what to do because he had so many people he wanted in the wedding party. Guys and girls. And I had no one. Just you and Jack.”
“Thanks for that,” I say, chafing at my brother and me being called nobodies.
“I didn’t mean it like that. You guys count, but you’re my family.”
“So is this the reason for the quickie wedding? He won’t have time to round up all his buddies?”
She has the decency to look ashamed and doesn’t deny it.
“And we’re super excited to be married, too,” she says. “There’s no point in being engaged for a long time if we’re going to get married eventually anyway.”
I’m pretty sure there is a reason, which is that they would have time to get to know each other better and decide whether they really want to spend their lives together. Maybe she’s afraid that Bodhi won’t stay keen on her that long, although Olivia is usually the dumper not the dumpee. Then again, she’s never dated a genius entrepreneur.
“Have you talked to Jack yet?” I ask.
“Yes, and he’s going to try to come to the wedding.”
I silently curse my brother for agreeing to be part of this sham.
“I really don’t think it’s possible with my work schedule. You’ll have to find someone else.”
It’s a legit reason, honestly. And although I feel slightly guilty for refusing her, she’s not going to overturn my resolve. Olivia closes her lips in a pout, and I’m reminded once again that this is a girl who isn’t used to hearingnofor an answer.
“I don’t believe you,” she says.
“Seriously? Do I need to give you a note from my boss?”
“I don’t think ‘work’ is what this is all about.”
She makes air quotes around the word “work,” which enrages me. Unlike her, I have a career that took a tremendous amount of training and dedication. She’s been dallying around for years doing minor acting gigs, many of them unpaid, while my parents supplemented her main source of income, which was housesitting for the offspring of celebrities.
I slow blink at her. “Actually, it is.”
“Let’s just be honest.” She drums her French-manicured fingernails on the table. “You’re still mad at me for the things I did in high school a million years ago.”
