Page 49 of The Jellybean Dilemma

He nodded.

Carrie led me into the kitchen where the cook banged pots and pans around, muttering to himself. I called him over, and the three of us studied the menu, figuring out which dishes they could pull off. As we were talking, I mentally sifted through my years of charity events and the various issues I’d worked through. I’d dealt with similar situations before, with success.

“Okay, guys, here’s the plan.” I clasped my hands in front of me as they listened eagerly.

“Give our party a limited menu, say three options of easy to make meals. Be sure you have enough ingredients first, so you don’t run out. If you can make it in big batches, even better. You could even do the same for the entire evening. Set up a chalkboard or whiteboard, call it ‘the specials’ and don’t even hand out menus. Say you’re only serving those today.”

Carrie let out a relieved breath. “You’re a genius. If we can do three dishes for your party, we can handle the rest of the guests. Dad’s still coming in, and we have enough waitresses to cover my hostess position.” Her shoulders dropped, and she said in disbelief, “We may get through this yet.” She shot me a genuine smile which I returned.

“If you know what the dishes are, I’ll start spreading the word and getting orders, so you can begin prepping.”

Carrie pursed her lips to one side as she assessed the cook. “How about chicken fettuccine Alfredo plus white fish, or eight-ounce ribeye served with mashed potatoes and either green beans or a side salad?”

I nodded. “Perfect. I’ll let you know what I find out.” I hurried out of the steamy kitchen, pleased with the solution.

Greg waited for me in the entryway. “Any luck?” My smile must have given me away because he chuckled. “I knew you wouldn’t let us down.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pressed a kiss against my temple before I even had time to protest.

I resisted the urge to lean into him, realizing how much I’d missed his affection. Instead, I half-heartedly pushed him off me. “Are they here yet?”

A flash of disappointment crossed his face as I stepped back, but he recovered quickly. “No, but any time now.”

“Okay, I need to start putting orders in. We have three options for dinner tonight.”

Greg began texting everyone as I tallied up orders. His family came pouring in not long after I gave Carrie the final count. I even double checked to make sure the number of people matched. It did. We sat near an alcove next to the bar which made it super easy for us to get refills on our drinks, further eliminating the need for more staff. Mandy never even knew there was an issue.

Before our food arrived, Mandy grabbed my hand, beaming as she tugged me over to meet Erin. Her friend was on the petite side, with dark hair cut in a sassy pixie cut. She was all angles, sharp cheekbones, pointy chin,. Her wide, dark eyes stood out against her ivory skin.

“Rhonda, this is Erin,” Mandy said, almost bouncing on her toes from her excitement. “Erin, Rhonda.”

Even Erin’s grin had a sharp edge to it, but her words were laced with gratitude. “Nice to meet you. I hear I have you to thank for getting me here and taking on my maid of honor duties. Thank you so much.”

Her focus shifted to over my shoulder, her grin growing wider. “And your boyfriend. Get over here, Greg!” She gave him a quick hug. “Long time no see, huh? Last I heard you were a chauffeur. Now you’re saving damsels in distress and dating Michigan royalty.”

Greg chuckled, his dimple making an appearance as he slid an arm around my waist. “That’s me.”

I shifted so I wasn’t plastered against him, wishing I could pull away but not wanting to make a scene. His hand was warm on my hip. I wanted to forget everything between us, wave a magic wand and make it disappear.

But I couldn’t.

Next Mandy dragged me over to meet her other bridesmaid, Lauren. I didn’t blame Lauren when she didn’t stand up. Her rounded belly rested between her and the table, but her smile never dimmed. Her husband, Remy, seemed quite nice too. He was standing up with Peter as well but wasn’t planning on joining us for the bachelor party tonight. For obvious reasons.

We made it through the rest of dinner without mishap. When Raymond arrived, he came out to greet us all personally, then pulled me aside to thank me with exuberant cheek kisses and a bone crushing hug. As the evening wound down, the older, married adults went their separate ways leaving me, Greg, Mandy, Peter, Erin and Peter’s best man, Dale, for our night out.

Dale grinned. “All right, let’s get this show on the road.”

Mandy frowned at Peter. “You behave, mister. Or else. Remember our deal.”

“Oh, I remember all right.” Peter smirked wickedly at Mandy.

A pretty blush spread over her cheeks. Each group had a separate chauffeur for the night, since we wanted to be able to drink without worrying about driving. We headed to the parking lot where Peter kissed Mandy—a sappy, romantic kiss. They were so over the top, it was funny.

“Wait, Greg, you forgot to give Rhonda a goodbye kiss,” Mandy admonished, affronted on my behalf.

A mischievous smile spread over Greg’s face. “You’re right. How could I?” He strode right up to me, purpose in every step.

I had nowhere to run, no excuse to give. Mandy’s hands were clasped under her chin, and I could practically hear her sigh. Damn her romantic notions.

Greg reached for me, pulling me flush against him. He brushed one knuckle under my chin, guiding my lips to his, then I forgot to think. The rest of the world faded away until it was me and him and the way I fit so perfectly against him. When he stepped back, one hand stayed on my waist as if he knew just how unsteady I was.

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